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A Master of Mysteries
A Master of Mysteries is a collection of exciting mystery short stories. John Bell solves some of the most unusual mysteries, discovering the secrets of haunted houses and other occurrences of unknown entities. Stories include: The Mystery of the Circular Chamber / The Warder of the Door / The Mystery of the Felwyn Tunnel / The Eight-Mile Lock / How Siva Spoke / To Prove an Alibi.
Originally published in 1898 as A Master of Mysteries. Also published in ebook form as John Bell, Spiritual Detective.
Originally published in 1898 as A Master of Mysteries. Also published in ebook form as John Bell, Spiritual Detective.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1898
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237 people want to read
About the author
L.T. Meade
370 books54 followersMrs. L.T. Meade (Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Toulmin Smith), was a prolific children's author of Anglo Irish extraction. Born in 1844, Meade was the eldest daughter of a Protestant clergyman, whose church was in County Cork. Moving from Ireland to London as a young woman, after the death of her mother, she studied in the Reading Room of the British Museum in preparation for her intended career as a writer, before marrying Alfred Toulmin Smith in September 1879.
The author of close to 300 books, Meade wrote in many genres, but is best known for her girls' school stories. She was one of the editors of the girls' magazine, Atalanta from 1887-93, and was active in women's issues. She died in 1914.
The author of close to 300 books, Meade wrote in many genres, but is best known for her girls' school stories. She was one of the editors of the girls' magazine, Atalanta from 1887-93, and was active in women's issues. She died in 1914.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
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April 19, 2022Mildly entertaining Edwardian pulp, featuring an occult detective at the Scooby Doo end of things, i.e. there is always a rational explanation, which is usually so elaborate as to be far more implausible than any ghost.
July 5, 2019
A collection of short thrillers, with a detective who specializes in Scooby-Doo style debunking of supernatural mysteries. Dialogue's a bit wooden, but it's still a good read.
I see that I've read another book by her, A Sister of the Red Cross: A Tale of the South African War. "A Master of Mysteries" is a lot better, but Meade also had a co-author in this one, Robert Eustace. Oddly, Eustace -- a practicing medical doctor -- seemed to specialize as a co-author. More than two thirds of his Wikipedia credits are collaborations, most famously one with Dorothy Sayers, The Documents in the Case.
I see that I've read another book by her, A Sister of the Red Cross: A Tale of the South African War. "A Master of Mysteries" is a lot better, but Meade also had a co-author in this one, Robert Eustace. Oddly, Eustace -- a practicing medical doctor -- seemed to specialize as a co-author. More than two thirds of his Wikipedia credits are collaborations, most famously one with Dorothy Sayers, The Documents in the Case.
July 6, 2020
Another LibriVox (librivox.org) selection to help my busy workday along ... this is a series of stories told by a "ghost hunter" who goes from mystery to mystery debunking tales of hauntings. I am about halfway through and liking it well enough, but it is not a match for Carnackie Ghost Finder where the author leaves open the possibility of true ghostly activity. Thus far, each mystery has an absolutely human solution. The stories are still enjoyable and well read.
UPDATE: finished it up and wanted to add that the last story is extremely gripping and exciting in a way that the previous stories weren't. Although I enjoyed them all, just the rest were more predictable since in the last 100 years we have heard a lot of those plot twists already.
UPDATE: finished it up and wanted to add that the last story is extremely gripping and exciting in a way that the previous stories weren't. Although I enjoyed them all, just the rest were more predictable since in the last 100 years we have heard a lot of those plot twists already.
May 14, 2025
Who needs ghosts? Humans are scary enough.
I read several of Meade's "Madame Sara" stories in anthologies and have been hoping to find more by her. I'm fascinated by the idea of a woman born in Ireland in 1844 who moved to London with the determination to become a writer. She certainly succeeded, with over 300 published books. Most were for children, but she wrote some wonderful mysteries, usually collaborating with one of two doctor/writers. Maybe she wanted help with medical details or maybe she felt having a man's name on her mysteries would make them more appealing. She was a shrewd marketer.
This one appeared in 1898 and was co-authored by Robert Eustace. It contains six stories narrated by "ghost-hunter" John Bell. He's a wealthy man who investigates paranormal activity. Maybe he's found some real ghosts in the course of his career, but in these six stories human ingenuity and greed drive the plot.
Although I've read a lot of Victorian mysteries, these are all new to me. Before the advent of epublishing, most work from that era was out of print and only a few of the very best were available in anthologies. I think it's a testament to Meade's talent that these very good stories aren't even considered to be her best.
I couldn't really pick out a favorite of these stories. Bell is an excellent story-teller and a likeable man. It's interesting that I had pictured him as a young (or youngish) man and was surprised to find him giving advice to another character on the basis of being twice as old. Since the other man couldn't be less than thirty, apparently Bell is in his sixties. Highly unusual for a Victorian Era detective.
The closing story ("To Prove an Alibi") uses a device that's familiar to me. Wilkie Collins (the father of the Victorian mystery) used the idea in his scary story "A Terribly Strange Bed." I don't know when that one was published, but Collins died in 1889. Did Mrs. Meade and Dr. Eustace intentionally steal an idea from Collins? Epublishing is said to have set up fertile ground for literary theft, but maybe it's not a new phenomenon at all. The three authors are long since with the angels, so it no longer matters. If you like Victorian mysteries, you'll love these.
I read several of Meade's "Madame Sara" stories in anthologies and have been hoping to find more by her. I'm fascinated by the idea of a woman born in Ireland in 1844 who moved to London with the determination to become a writer. She certainly succeeded, with over 300 published books. Most were for children, but she wrote some wonderful mysteries, usually collaborating with one of two doctor/writers. Maybe she wanted help with medical details or maybe she felt having a man's name on her mysteries would make them more appealing. She was a shrewd marketer.
This one appeared in 1898 and was co-authored by Robert Eustace. It contains six stories narrated by "ghost-hunter" John Bell. He's a wealthy man who investigates paranormal activity. Maybe he's found some real ghosts in the course of his career, but in these six stories human ingenuity and greed drive the plot.
Although I've read a lot of Victorian mysteries, these are all new to me. Before the advent of epublishing, most work from that era was out of print and only a few of the very best were available in anthologies. I think it's a testament to Meade's talent that these very good stories aren't even considered to be her best.
I couldn't really pick out a favorite of these stories. Bell is an excellent story-teller and a likeable man. It's interesting that I had pictured him as a young (or youngish) man and was surprised to find him giving advice to another character on the basis of being twice as old. Since the other man couldn't be less than thirty, apparently Bell is in his sixties. Highly unusual for a Victorian Era detective.
The closing story ("To Prove an Alibi") uses a device that's familiar to me. Wilkie Collins (the father of the Victorian mystery) used the idea in his scary story "A Terribly Strange Bed." I don't know when that one was published, but Collins died in 1889. Did Mrs. Meade and Dr. Eustace intentionally steal an idea from Collins? Epublishing is said to have set up fertile ground for literary theft, but maybe it's not a new phenomenon at all. The three authors are long since with the angels, so it no longer matters. If you like Victorian mysteries, you'll love these.
January 7, 2018
Intriguing. Each chapters a different story. Each worth reading. Well read by J.M. Smallheer. (LibriVox version). Recommended.
July 11, 2025
? - July 2025: narrated by Simon Stanhope for Bitesized Audio Classics
Thanks to Simon Stanhope's lovely narration, L.T. Meade is my new author to audiobook binge. For those unfamiliar with her work, Meade had some of her short stories published in The Strand, the magazine best known for publishing the Sherlock Holmes series. Currently, at a glacial pace, I'm working my way through The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes and Meade's stories are stylistically similar, although she also wrote in many other genres and is most famous for her girl-adventure books. Although I had listened to most of these stories before, I enjoyed relistening. Simon's narrations are always enjoyable, and this collection of short stories all feature John Bell, one of Meade's most charming lead characters. Furthermore, I've always enjoyed a good ghost-busting tale.
A further note - since I can't currently find The Adventures of a Man of Science, by L.T. Meade, anywhere on Goodreads, I will corral my information for that book here.
? - July 2025: narrated by J. M. Smallheer for Librivox, "A Race with the Sun" narrated by Simon Stanhope for Bitesized Audio Classics
Rating: Three Stars
Review: Although I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, I didn't like it as much as A Master of Mystery. Part of that was due to the subject matter. In A Master of Mystery, John Bell is bent on exposing dastardly criminals taking advantage of the credulous to commit crimes, while in The Adventures of a Man of Science, Paul Gilchrist's science is mingled with spiritualism. The "science" itself is also much more speculative than that which Bell employs to crack his cases. Furthermore, Stanhope only narrated one of these stories, which decreased my engagement. However, they are still enjoyable tales, with Gilchrist nearly as delightful a character as Bell, making them well worth the listen (even without Stanhope.)
Thanks to Simon Stanhope's lovely narration, L.T. Meade is my new author to audiobook binge. For those unfamiliar with her work, Meade had some of her short stories published in The Strand, the magazine best known for publishing the Sherlock Holmes series. Currently, at a glacial pace, I'm working my way through The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes and Meade's stories are stylistically similar, although she also wrote in many other genres and is most famous for her girl-adventure books. Although I had listened to most of these stories before, I enjoyed relistening. Simon's narrations are always enjoyable, and this collection of short stories all feature John Bell, one of Meade's most charming lead characters. Furthermore, I've always enjoyed a good ghost-busting tale.
A further note - since I can't currently find The Adventures of a Man of Science, by L.T. Meade, anywhere on Goodreads, I will corral my information for that book here.
? - July 2025: narrated by J. M. Smallheer for Librivox, "A Race with the Sun" narrated by Simon Stanhope for Bitesized Audio Classics
Rating: Three Stars
Review: Although I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, I didn't like it as much as A Master of Mystery. Part of that was due to the subject matter. In A Master of Mystery, John Bell is bent on exposing dastardly criminals taking advantage of the credulous to commit crimes, while in The Adventures of a Man of Science, Paul Gilchrist's science is mingled with spiritualism. The "science" itself is also much more speculative than that which Bell employs to crack his cases. Furthermore, Stanhope only narrated one of these stories, which decreased my engagement. However, they are still enjoyable tales, with Gilchrist nearly as delightful a character as Bell, making them well worth the listen (even without Stanhope.)
January 17, 2025
Διηγήματα με πρωταγωνιστή έναν ερευνητή, που όλο του παρουσιάζονται "υπερφυσικές" υποθέσεις, αλλά όλες τις λύνει με επιστημονικό και ρεαλιστικό τρόπο. Δεν έχει τη φρεσκάδα ή την αφηγηματική ικανότητα (ή τη ικανότητα να δραματοποιεί μια ιστορία) του Ντόυλ, αλλά εν πολλοίς ένα πολύ ευχάριστο ανάγνωσμα.
Δύο σημειώσεις άξιες λόγου:
~Η Meade συνεργαζόταν με γιατρούς (ο βασικός της ήταν ο Eustace, αλλά είχε κι άλλους), ώστε οι ιστορίες της να έχουν επιστημονικό υπόβαθρο και να στέκουν.
~Υποθέτω ότι τέλη του 19ου αιώνα που κυκλοφόρησαν τα διηγήματα (αρχικά ως βινιέτες σε περιοδικά κι αργότερα το 1898 ως συλλογή) οι άνθρωποι θα έβλεπαν τις εξηγήσεις ως αξιοθαύμαστες. Εγώ που τις άκουσα μετά από 120 χρόνια, ήξερα σχεδόν αμέσως τι συνέβαινε. Κι όχι επειδή είμαι καλή στον να μαντεύω τις λύσεις αστυνομικών αινιγμάτων, αλλά γιατί κάποια πράγματα πλέον... πχ, όταν είσαι σε ένα τούνελ και σβήνει το φως του κεριού και νιώθεις νύστα, ε, όχι, δεν είναι φαντάσματα, κάπου έχει διαρροή μονοξειδίου.
Δύο σημειώσεις άξιες λόγου:
~Η Meade συνεργαζόταν με γιατρούς (ο βασικός της ήταν ο Eustace, αλλά είχε κι άλλους), ώστε οι ιστορίες της να έχουν επιστημονικό υπόβαθρο και να στέκουν.
~Υποθέτω ότι τέλη του 19ου αιώνα που κυκλοφόρησαν τα διηγήματα (αρχικά ως βινιέτες σε περιοδικά κι αργότερα το 1898 ως συλλογή) οι άνθρωποι θα έβλεπαν τις εξηγήσεις ως αξιοθαύμαστες. Εγώ που τις άκουσα μετά από 120 χρόνια, ήξερα σχεδόν αμέσως τι συνέβαινε. Κι όχι επειδή είμαι καλή στον να μαντεύω τις λύσεις αστυνομικών αινιγμάτων, αλλά γιατί κάποια πράγματα πλέον... πχ, όταν είσαι σε ένα τούνελ και σβήνει το φως του κεριού και νιώθεις νύστα, ε, όχι, δεν είναι φαντάσματα, κάπου έχει διαρροή μονοξειδίου.
September 20, 2024
I read some short stories by this author about a palmist detective that I found mildly amusing, but these stories are mostly kind of dreary. The narrator detective is totally uninteresting, the narration itself is for the most part stiflingly dry, and only a few stories approach anything like cleverness.
The only thing this collection really has going for it is the last story, "To Prove an Alibi"—ironically the story that's least interested in this anthology's reputed premise, since it is obvious from the start who the villain is, and that there's nothing supernatural afoot. But it's tense and creepy, and the best of the lot by a wide margin, precisely because it leans on a much more mundane stress--that you need to get somewhere and do something urgently, and it feels like the world is conspiring to stop it from happening.
The only thing this collection really has going for it is the last story, "To Prove an Alibi"—ironically the story that's least interested in this anthology's reputed premise, since it is obvious from the start who the villain is, and that there's nothing supernatural afoot. But it's tense and creepy, and the best of the lot by a wide margin, precisely because it leans on a much more mundane stress--that you need to get somewhere and do something urgently, and it feels like the world is conspiring to stop it from happening.
April 5, 2025
4.11⭐
The Mystery of the Circular Chamber 3.25⭐
The Warder of the Door 4⭐
The Mystery of the Felwyn Tunnel 4.25⭐
The Eight-Mile Lock 3.5⭐
How Siva Spoke 4⭐
To Prove an Alibi 4.75⭐
The Secret of Emu Plain 5⭐
The Mystery of the Circular Chamber 3.25⭐
The Warder of the Door 4⭐
The Mystery of the Felwyn Tunnel 4.25⭐
The Eight-Mile Lock 3.5⭐
How Siva Spoke 4⭐
To Prove an Alibi 4.75⭐
The Secret of Emu Plain 5⭐
March 26, 2021
Really entertaining short stories; all of them engaging and well read by one of the best narrators on LibriVox
May 2, 2022
This anthology of short mystery stories features John Bell who is intellectual and solves a variety of mysteries a good feature is that the stories have variety and are not all murder stories.
September 27, 2023
Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChGPl...
March 1, 2024
Fun read but the mystery is always solved a bit abruptly.
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October 19, 202448:1 We have opened up a clear victory for you.
June 19, 2025
2.5 stars
September 4, 2025
very well narrated collection of short stories
November 16, 2022
More thrillers turning on mechanical and engineering marvels of the period rather than fairly clued GAD tales, the connected stories here are powerful and fun.
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January 13, 2008I was disappointed to realise that I'd come to the end of this book. I enjoyed the stories (despite them being heavily contrived) and the ghost-busting approach of John Bell. Entertaining and an enjoyable glimpse into the past.
May 31, 2010
Enjoyable obscurity, with a skeptical investigator going after "supernatural" occurances that always have scientific explanations. The science is usually pretty wobbly but inventively used. Available as a free download from the internet.
October 31, 2011
A nice collection of... well, mysteries. In the public domain with a free electronic copy available here.
January 29, 2015
Does this remind anyone else of Johnathan Creek?
It's similar, in that there's a man who debunks supernatural murders. Generally the villains are dab hands at engineering.
One of these stars is for the good recording (Librivox).
It's similar, in that there's a man who debunks supernatural murders. Generally the villains are dab hands at engineering.
One of these stars is for the good recording (Librivox).
November 2, 2016
This is the only style of ghost story I like. They start out spooky and are finally solved by a super sleuth. Oh, he's a normal enough detective just super in the same manner as Holmes, Poirot, etc. This is a fun collection of puzzlers.
November 29, 2010
Scientific, if simple explanations to so-called ghost stories. It was entertaining and a librivox free audio. I enjoyed listeneing to this on my daily walks.
April 1, 2011
Some nice mysteries.
April 27, 2012
There's not a shred of mystery about any of these stories.
April 25, 2014
A collection of exciting classic mystery short stories... John Bell solves some of the most unusual mysteries, discovering the secrets of haunted houses and other occurrances of unknown entities...
July 3, 2016
I read the Mystery at Felwyn Tunnel
September 17, 2021
Interesting as a historical curiosity
Somewhat after the style of Conan Doyle. The collection has some ingenious mysteries though they are resolved a little too easily and rapidly.
Somewhat after the style of Conan Doyle. The collection has some ingenious mysteries though they are resolved a little too easily and rapidly.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews