Vintage Detective Stories

by David Stuart Davies (Editor)

The Collector's Library volumes of short stories - "Best Ghost Stories", "Best Fairy Stories", "Celtic Fairy Tales" and "Tales of the Macabre" have proved popular throughout the world. This new collection of detective stories of the golden age includes intriguing tales by Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Wallace, G.K. Chesterton, 'Sapper', E.W. Hornung, and Arnold Bennett. These masters of the genre are joined by less well-known but equally skilled writers such as Arthur B. Reeve, Maurice LeBlanc, Ernest Bramah, Mrs Henry Wood, Stacy Aumonier and Herbert Jenkins among others.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Anthologies, Crime

582 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 1998

About the author

David Stuart Davies was a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies wrote extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He was the editor of Red Herrings, the monthly in-house publication of the Crime Writers' Association, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contents:

3* The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
3* The Black Cross by Arthur B. Reeve
3* The Mystery at Merrill's Mill by J.S. Fletcher
4* The Mysterious Railway Passenger by Maurice Leblanc
3* The Mind Reader by Edgar Wallace
4* The Invisible Man by G.K. Chesterton
4* The Horror at Stavely Grange by Sapper
4* The Curious Circumstances of the Two Left Shoes by Ernest Bramah
4* The Dancing Man by Arthur Conan Doyle
3* Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture by Victor Whitechurch
3* The Ebony Box by Mrs Henry Wood
3* Out of Paradise by E.W. Hornung
3* Murder! by Arnold Bennett
3* The Hanover Court Murder by Sir Basil Thomson
3* The Phantom Motor Car by Jacques Futrelle
3* In the Grip of the Green Demon by Robert Barr
3* Miss Bracegirdle Does Her Duty by Stacy Aumonier
3* The Surrey Cattle-Maiming Mystery by Herbert Jenkins
3* The Secrets of the Black Brotherhood by Dick Donovan
3* The Seal of Nebuchadnezzar by R. Austin Freeman

Opening lines:
This collection is going to take you back to the time when crime fiction was more glamorous, romantic and intriguing and had more of an element of the dark fairy tale about it that it does today.

In my opinion, the first third of this book is the part. On the other hand, the last third, I found it boring in some way, the plots are not so interesting or so attractive as crime stories.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Victorian and early 20th Century detective tales -- generic fiction reveals, in a way that some more elevated fiction doesn't always, the beliefs and mores of the times in question, giving the reader a fascinating insight into a vanished era. This collection is uneven and a bit random, but there's lots of good fun and historical observation to be had in these pages. My only real complaint is with the publisher -- in the middle of one of the stories, we get roughly a signature of interpolated pages from "I, Claudius," by Robert Graves, cutting rudely through the middle of a couple of the stories.

As a Roman, Claudius suffered enough. There's no real reason to make him put in a butchered appearance in these pages. If the publisher does another edition, perhaps they might allow Claudius to rest in peace and give us the balance of the actual stories they intended to include, Murder! and The Hanover Court Murder. Arnold Bennett and Sir Basil Thomson deserve better.

[Leila Mota · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was amazing because it brings to present readers many authors that probably were forgotten a long time ago. Of course they are out of date considering all scientific advance in more than one century. Sometimes it is even funny to follow a story reasoning, especially when it's based on "scientific" facts. But if may be funny it's also valuable to make us understand society's life in the 19th and beginning of 20th centuries. Another point of attraction is the detective's (=writer's) ingenuity. It's not that easy to build a plot that strongly relies on the abilities of a smart human being. It's not easy at all to write anything.
There are many different writers and stories in this anthology. Not all are in the same level. With its 1276 pages it's necessary a considerable time to read it, and in the end it's very difficult to remember which ones are truly enjoyable or which ones are only passable. Only one I remember (of course, near the end) that I found absolutely ridiculous. Otherwise I can honestly say that I'm glad I decided to read the longest book I've ever read.

[Camilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really nice and interesting to read. I liked most of the stories and think they fit the topic but some of them didn't really involve a detective solving a mystery. And some of them seemed quite average and not really outstanding to me but I guess that's normal for this type of short stories.

[Sarah J · Rating 3 out of 5]

(*3.5 stars overall)

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of short stories from the Victorian era and early 20th century. It includes The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume written in 1886 and set in Australia.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of stories.

[Valerie Staight]

If you like old detective stories before the advent of computers and dna this is the book for you. They are short stories so you can pick the book up as and when. Thoroughly enjoyed the book only down size the book is the size and weight of a brick total 1276 pages but well worth the effort. Wish it was on kindle

[Rozonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delighful detective story anthology. Stuart Davies' anthologies are usually great.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an enjoyable collection this is. Some of the tales are more convincing than others, but they are all good fun and offer a wide range of detective figures for comparison.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some good stories. Others were of nostalgic interest. Overall the volume is dated in it's appeal.

[Stuart Pearcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant