What do you think?
The Best Dr. Thorndyke Detective Stories
Contents:
The case of Oscar BrodskiSelected with an introd. by Everett F. Bleiler
A case of premeditation
The echo of a mutiny
The mandarin's pearl
The blue sequin
The Moabite cipher
The aluminium dagger
31 new inn
274 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1973
About the author
R. Austin Freeman
676 books94 followersRichard Freeman was born in Soho, London on 11 April 1862, the son of Ann Maria (nee Dunn) and Richard Freeman, a tailor. He was originally named Richard, and later added the Austin to his name.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 16, 2017
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What a fun read! This book contains 8 short stories about Detective Dr. Thorndyke. Giving a Sherlock Holmes vibe you are brought on the case with Thorndyke and his sidekick Jervis. These were relaxing and enjoyable detective stories to read in maybe half an hour or less. All the stories were different and had some good twists in the case.
:D
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What a fun read! This book contains 8 short stories about Detective Dr. Thorndyke. Giving a Sherlock Holmes vibe you are brought on the case with Thorndyke and his sidekick Jervis. These were relaxing and enjoyable detective stories to read in maybe half an hour or less. All the stories were different and had some good twists in the case.
:D
July 21, 2017
I have been obsessed with Golden Age detective stories since I was 9 years old and found a box set of five Agatha Christie novels at a neighbor's garage sale. I was immediately hooked on detective stories, spreading out to encompass other greats like Arthur Conan Doyle and more contemporary crime fiction writers like Anne Perry, Robert B. Parker and Michael Connelly. I even delved into the adventurous side with Clive Cussler and the opposite, more gentle sub-genre, the cozy mystery. If there was any sleuthing going on, I was in line, eyes at the ready to read any and all that came my way. Everything from Trixie Belden to Dr. Kay Scarpetta....loved it all!
But, I missed a few great, classic writers while stampeding my way through many great writers of mysteries and mayhem. For instance, I had never read anything by Jacques Futrelle until this year. Futrelle wrote detective stories in the early 1900s. His well-known character, Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Duren, was known as the The Thinking Machine. Futrelle died in the Titanic disaster in 1912 after publishing 7 detective novels and 50 short stories. I eagerly devoured Futrelle's writing, amazed that I had never come across his works before. I had the same feeling when I saw this anthology of Dr. Thorndyke stories available for review. Another great mystery writer that was new to me! I pounced eagerly on the chance to review this "best of'' collection. I'm glad I did!!
R. Austin Freeman wrote 22 novels and 40 short stories starring Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke from 1907 to 1942. Thorndyke is a doctor who uses his medical knowledge and experience to investigate crimes. Freeman's stories give details about the crime itself first, then follow Thorndyke as he unravels the mystery using scientific methods. I'm not sure how I missed Freeman's work during my 40 years of avid mystery reading....but I'm ecstatic that I have another classic detective character to enjoy! This anthology of stories whetted my appetite for enjoying the other books and stories featuring Dr. Thorndyke.
The 8 stories included in this anthology are: The Case of Oscar Brodski, A Case of Premeditation, The Echo of A Mutiny, The Mandarin's Pearl, The Blue Sequin, The Moabite Cipher, The Aluminum Dagger, and 31 New Inn.
These stories are definitely beautiful examples of the classic detective story, but with an added scientific approach. Lots of detail is given about Thorndyke's experiments and equipment, putting more emphasis on the science behind his sleuthing, rather than just powers of deduction. It's CSI 1900's style. I enjoy Freeman's writing. I found it refreshingly different. He brings his readers along for the crime, first detailing how the suspect commits the criminal act before setting Thorndyke on the trail to ferreting out the facts. It's like a backwards detective story. First he shows us who did it, how and why it was done, then details how Thorndyke can deduce that information from evidence at the crime scene.
I enjoyed all 8 of these stories! Despite their age, the stories remain quite readable and interesting. I found Freeman's style of detective story to be engaging and witty. I am definitely going to read the rest of the Dr. Thorndyke stories!
I highly recommend this anthology of Dr. Thorndyke stories to any fan of classic or golden age detective stories. It's an awesome introduction to a great writer and a fabulous classic detective!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy from Dover Publications via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**
But, I missed a few great, classic writers while stampeding my way through many great writers of mysteries and mayhem. For instance, I had never read anything by Jacques Futrelle until this year. Futrelle wrote detective stories in the early 1900s. His well-known character, Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Duren, was known as the The Thinking Machine. Futrelle died in the Titanic disaster in 1912 after publishing 7 detective novels and 50 short stories. I eagerly devoured Futrelle's writing, amazed that I had never come across his works before. I had the same feeling when I saw this anthology of Dr. Thorndyke stories available for review. Another great mystery writer that was new to me! I pounced eagerly on the chance to review this "best of'' collection. I'm glad I did!!
R. Austin Freeman wrote 22 novels and 40 short stories starring Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke from 1907 to 1942. Thorndyke is a doctor who uses his medical knowledge and experience to investigate crimes. Freeman's stories give details about the crime itself first, then follow Thorndyke as he unravels the mystery using scientific methods. I'm not sure how I missed Freeman's work during my 40 years of avid mystery reading....but I'm ecstatic that I have another classic detective character to enjoy! This anthology of stories whetted my appetite for enjoying the other books and stories featuring Dr. Thorndyke.
The 8 stories included in this anthology are: The Case of Oscar Brodski, A Case of Premeditation, The Echo of A Mutiny, The Mandarin's Pearl, The Blue Sequin, The Moabite Cipher, The Aluminum Dagger, and 31 New Inn.
These stories are definitely beautiful examples of the classic detective story, but with an added scientific approach. Lots of detail is given about Thorndyke's experiments and equipment, putting more emphasis on the science behind his sleuthing, rather than just powers of deduction. It's CSI 1900's style. I enjoy Freeman's writing. I found it refreshingly different. He brings his readers along for the crime, first detailing how the suspect commits the criminal act before setting Thorndyke on the trail to ferreting out the facts. It's like a backwards detective story. First he shows us who did it, how and why it was done, then details how Thorndyke can deduce that information from evidence at the crime scene.
I enjoyed all 8 of these stories! Despite their age, the stories remain quite readable and interesting. I found Freeman's style of detective story to be engaging and witty. I am definitely going to read the rest of the Dr. Thorndyke stories!
I highly recommend this anthology of Dr. Thorndyke stories to any fan of classic or golden age detective stories. It's an awesome introduction to a great writer and a fabulous classic detective!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy from Dover Publications via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**
i-get-the-picture
June 20, 2026A decent collection of 8 stories:
The Case of Oscar Brodski
A Case of Premeditation
The Echo of a Mutiny
The Mandarin’s Pearl
The Blue Sequin
The Moabite Cipher
The Aluminium Dagger
31 New Inn
The Case of Oscar Brodski
A Case of Premeditation
The Echo of a Mutiny
The Mandarin’s Pearl
The Blue Sequin
The Moabite Cipher
The Aluminium Dagger
31 New Inn
July 16, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publications for making this digital galley available for me to read.
Any mystery novel reader who loves the old classic authors will most likely be familiar with R. Austin Freeman and his main character Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke. Freeman was the first author to feature a detective who placed so much emphasis on the scientific investigation of crime and a Thorndyke story will always feature chemical experiments and scientific processes to solve a case. Freeman also lead his colleagues in being the first to present the "inverted" crime, a method he invented. An inverted mystery begins with the crime taking place so the reader knows what has happened but the challenge is to pay enough attention to spot the clues Thorndyke will use to solve the case once he has been called in. There are three inverted mysteries in this collection: "The Case of Oscar Brodski", "A Case of Premeditation" and "The Echo of a Mutiny". These stories appear first in the collection. The remaining stories are "The Mandarin's Pearl", "The Blue Sequin", "The Moabite Cipher", and "The Aluminum Dagger". All straightforward detective stories.
The final story in this collection is "31 New Inn" which is a shortened magazine version of the novel The Mystery of 31 New Inn. This story takes up almost 30% of the entire collection because of the methods in which Thorndyke's working partner, Dr. Christopher Jervis, is involved and the complications of the time line for the actions that take place.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories presented here which are only a portion of the Dr. Thorndyke stories available. When Freeman created Dr. Thorndyke as a barrister as well as a doctor of medicine he placed the character in a position to become a type of forensic and legal expert which kept him knowledgeable about most aspects of the criminal world. Adding Dr. Jervis as a general medical practitioner allowed both characters to have the opportunity to be well placed to observe murder, or possible murder, first hand. These stories are not modern and all have previously appeared in collections dating between 1912 to 1931.
Any mystery novel reader who loves the old classic authors will most likely be familiar with R. Austin Freeman and his main character Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke. Freeman was the first author to feature a detective who placed so much emphasis on the scientific investigation of crime and a Thorndyke story will always feature chemical experiments and scientific processes to solve a case. Freeman also lead his colleagues in being the first to present the "inverted" crime, a method he invented. An inverted mystery begins with the crime taking place so the reader knows what has happened but the challenge is to pay enough attention to spot the clues Thorndyke will use to solve the case once he has been called in. There are three inverted mysteries in this collection: "The Case of Oscar Brodski", "A Case of Premeditation" and "The Echo of a Mutiny". These stories appear first in the collection. The remaining stories are "The Mandarin's Pearl", "The Blue Sequin", "The Moabite Cipher", and "The Aluminum Dagger". All straightforward detective stories.
The final story in this collection is "31 New Inn" which is a shortened magazine version of the novel The Mystery of 31 New Inn. This story takes up almost 30% of the entire collection because of the methods in which Thorndyke's working partner, Dr. Christopher Jervis, is involved and the complications of the time line for the actions that take place.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories presented here which are only a portion of the Dr. Thorndyke stories available. When Freeman created Dr. Thorndyke as a barrister as well as a doctor of medicine he placed the character in a position to become a type of forensic and legal expert which kept him knowledgeable about most aspects of the criminal world. Adding Dr. Jervis as a general medical practitioner allowed both characters to have the opportunity to be well placed to observe murder, or possible murder, first hand. These stories are not modern and all have previously appeared in collections dating between 1912 to 1931.
August 14, 2017
The Thorndyke stories are quite entertaining. The forensics seem surprisingly modern, considering that the mysteries take place during the era of horse-drawn cabs and gaslight. Dr. Thorndyke always carries his portable scientific kit, which he uses to examine the crime scene. Not the tiniest bit of broken glass, scrapings, dust, pollen or blood is overlooked. He uses his Bunsen burner, chemicals, and calipers to determine origin, species, cause, and effect in deriving his own theory of the crime and culprit, which is usually at odds with that of the local police. As Holmes has his Watson, Thorndyke has Jervis to collect clues and act as a sounding board; and as with Watson, Thorndyke's sidekick is left completely in the dark as to the mental processes the doctor follows to arrive at his conclusion. Unlike Holmes and Poirot, Thorndyke's pragmatic solution is not one of quirky psychology or superior gray cells. His methods are straightforward and purely scientific, highly insurmountable as evidence. While Thorndyke does sometimes right a wrong or prevent an injustice, the capture and disposal of the criminal is of secondary importance to the scientific method. That part of the process is left to fate or to the local constable; Thorndyke washes his hands of the matter and heads on to his next crime scene. Nice, light fare--I hope to read more of Freeman's books.
July 17, 2017
The eight stories in this volume, including an early, novella-length version of The Mystery of 31 New Inn, will interest new readers of classic detection, serving as a good introduction to Dr Thorndyke, and will delight established readers. The Introduction by E F Bleiler, a distinguished editor and scholar of the genre, has useful biographic and bibliographic information.
The first three stories fall into the category of inverted detective story, a sub-genre invented by Freeman and are of historic interest apart from anything else. They are taken from The Singing Bone (1912/1923). Readers of John Thorndyke’s Early Cases (1909/1931) will already be familiar with the next four which are good examples of Freeman’s scientific detective at work. They are variously locked room, impossible and outrageous. Few will have encountered Thirty-One New Inn in this guise.
Personally I find Dr Thorndyke unendearing but I do appreciate his forensic and investigative skills.Some of my feelings about Freeman’s work is undoubtedly coloured by knowledge of the author’s very right- wing politics and writing on eugenics, but these need not trouble the casual reader.
For a modern audience, the style of these tales, sometimes ponderous, may be off-putting but they do repay careful reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publications for the e-book given for review purposes.
The first three stories fall into the category of inverted detective story, a sub-genre invented by Freeman and are of historic interest apart from anything else. They are taken from The Singing Bone (1912/1923). Readers of John Thorndyke’s Early Cases (1909/1931) will already be familiar with the next four which are good examples of Freeman’s scientific detective at work. They are variously locked room, impossible and outrageous. Few will have encountered Thirty-One New Inn in this guise.
Personally I find Dr Thorndyke unendearing but I do appreciate his forensic and investigative skills.Some of my feelings about Freeman’s work is undoubtedly coloured by knowledge of the author’s very right- wing politics and writing on eugenics, but these need not trouble the casual reader.
For a modern audience, the style of these tales, sometimes ponderous, may be off-putting but they do repay careful reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publications for the e-book given for review purposes.
January 14, 2019
The stories vary in quality. The format is the same in almost every case: the reader is given all the information about the murder, then watches as Thorndyke and his assistant work out not only how it was done but who did it, all on the basis of clues left unwittingly by the murderer. Sometimes the clues seem inconsequential, but nothing is inconsequential to Thorndyke.
The stories are normally narrated by the assistant, Dr Jervis. Jervis is to Thorndyke as Watson is to Holmes, except that Jervis comes across as cleverer than Watson, though he doesn't always manage to keep up with Thorndyke's extraordinary capacity for working out the murder from the flimsiest of information. The two also have a friendlier relationship than Conan Doyle's characters.
The police are usually several miles behind, though to be fair, they never have the information that Thorndyke does. Equally they don't seem to use the information they do have.
Enjoyable enough, but the same format tends to feel a bit tired after a while. The last story in this book, New Inn has the benefit of moving away from the format, and neatly including two stories in one that have a connection.
The stories are normally narrated by the assistant, Dr Jervis. Jervis is to Thorndyke as Watson is to Holmes, except that Jervis comes across as cleverer than Watson, though he doesn't always manage to keep up with Thorndyke's extraordinary capacity for working out the murder from the flimsiest of information. The two also have a friendlier relationship than Conan Doyle's characters.
The police are usually several miles behind, though to be fair, they never have the information that Thorndyke does. Equally they don't seem to use the information they do have.
Enjoyable enough, but the same format tends to feel a bit tired after a while. The last story in this book, New Inn has the benefit of moving away from the format, and neatly including two stories in one that have a connection.
September 16, 2017
Austin Freeman was very modern for the time he wrote these stories, this collection is an amazing selection of solutions from science. Wonderful stories from a fabulous wordsmith
April 8, 2008
Gathers together eight of the classic mysteries involving the celebrated medico-legal expert Dr John Thorndyke, dating from 1905 to 1912. Compared to Sherlock Holmes, the first thing you notice about Dr Thornydke is that his methods are far more scientific, and they’re explained in much greater technical detail. Thorndyke solves crimes mostly by relying on the forensic evidence. Everywhere he goes he carries with him his portable laboratory, a canvas-covered case containing a miniature microscope and other scientific equipment. Compared to Sherlock Holmes and Watson it’s true that Thorndyke and his assistant, Dr Jervis, are less colourful characters. Freeman’s emphasis was on plotting and on the scientific side of crime detection, but that’s not to suggest these stories aren’t fun. In fact they’re immensely entertaining. Freeman’s prose is pleasing and lively. His plots are ingenious and are worked out with great skill. Freeman invented the form known as the inverted detective story. In these tales the identity of the murderer is revealed right at the beginning. The first half of the story recounts the events leading up to the crime; the second half shows us how Dr Thorndyke unravels the mystery. Freeman realised, quite correctly, that the enjoyment of a crime story doesn’t come so much from finding out who committed the misdeed but from seeing the methods of the detective in action. If you haven’t discovered Dr Thorndyke yet then
September 17, 2008
Think "CSI: London (c. 1900)" or an episode of "Columbo" or "Quincy" and you'll have an idea of the flavor of this collection of mysteries written by R. Austin Freeman in the first decades of the 20th century.
Freeman was one of the pioneers of the "scientific detective story" and is a competent writer. The chief actors in the series are the eponymous Dr. John Thorndyke and his friend/junior partner Dr. Christopher Jervis - the comparison with Holmes and Watson is inevitable and obvious. Unfortunately for Freeman, Thorndyke and Jervis are just not as interesting or dynamic a pair as Holmes and Watson (a modern comparison is the electricity between Kirk and Spock vs. the power failure between Picard and Riker in the Star Trek genre).
The chief reason I like Conan Doyle or the other (rather limited) group of mystery authors I read are the characters who inhabit the authors' universes rather than the mysteries themselves. Thorndyke is just too colorless to draw me very deeply into caring about the story.
Nevertheless, the stories are enjoyable and entertaining enough and helped fill in the time between climbing into bed and falling asleep. Yet faced with volumes of Conan Doyle or Freeman, my hand would stray to the former. I'd only recommend these tales to aficionados of Victorian detective fiction.
Freeman was one of the pioneers of the "scientific detective story" and is a competent writer. The chief actors in the series are the eponymous Dr. John Thorndyke and his friend/junior partner Dr. Christopher Jervis - the comparison with Holmes and Watson is inevitable and obvious. Unfortunately for Freeman, Thorndyke and Jervis are just not as interesting or dynamic a pair as Holmes and Watson (a modern comparison is the electricity between Kirk and Spock vs. the power failure between Picard and Riker in the Star Trek genre).
The chief reason I like Conan Doyle or the other (rather limited) group of mystery authors I read are the characters who inhabit the authors' universes rather than the mysteries themselves. Thorndyke is just too colorless to draw me very deeply into caring about the story.
Nevertheless, the stories are enjoyable and entertaining enough and helped fill in the time between climbing into bed and falling asleep. Yet faced with volumes of Conan Doyle or Freeman, my hand would stray to the former. I'd only recommend these tales to aficionados of Victorian detective fiction.
March 4, 2023
Decent but only intermittently exceptional.
This volume draws seven stories from the first two Thorndyke collections- four straightforward mysteries from 1909's "John Thorndyke's Cases," and three "inverted" detective stories (including the story with which Freeman invented the form) from 1912's "The Singing Bone;" and appends a rarity, the 1911 novella "31 New Inn," which is evidently the first Thorndyke story written (though not the first published), which was rewritten into a full novel, and which was not previously reprinted.
There are two things, I think, Freeman exhibits great skill at in these stories, and the stories are at their best when one or the other is happening. The first is the realistic, scientific sort of deduction that Dr. Thorndyke specializes in; at the time many of his methods were at the cutting edge of forensic science, and they're still thrilling to read about today, when properly deployed. The second is, in the inverted format stories, the depiction of the crimes that Thorndyke subsequently investigates. Freeman was remarkably capable of getting into the head of a rogue, and depicts the crimes meticulously.
The best story in this collection is the one that combines these elements- a tense, uneasy story of murder joined to a story featuring a series of remarkable feats of detection- "The Case of Oscar Brodski," the very first inverted detective story. The other two inverted stories have solid depictions of criminality, but rather underwhelming detection; and the the straightforward detective stories feature either strong detection ("The Aluminium Dagger," "31 New Inn," though the latter is somewhat padded), or do not ("The Mandarin's Pearl," "The Blue Sequin," and "The Moabite Cipher,"- in each case the somewhat muddled storytelling undercuts the detection). So it's a bit of a mixed bag; certainly consistently entertaining, though, except for "Oscar Brodski," not really all-time classic stuff.
As a side note- spoiler warning- Freeman held some nasty opinions in real life, in particular a strong support for eugenics, in addition to the standard-issue English antisemitism of the day. I don't think this really comes through much in these stories, but there are some odd flashes of callousness. Three of the stories end with the perpetrator committing suicide to escape justice, which is presented as just and fitting (one of them even ends with an admonition that more criminals should do the same); in one of these, Thorndyke expresses satisfaction that the murder victim was himself a sleazy rogue; in one of the others, Thorndyke is content with the murderer getting away, on the grounds that the victim proved to have been a blackmailer. (The only other Thorndyke story I've read ("The Dead Hand") also ends with the perpetrator killing himself.) It's not very Hippocratic.
This volume draws seven stories from the first two Thorndyke collections- four straightforward mysteries from 1909's "John Thorndyke's Cases," and three "inverted" detective stories (including the story with which Freeman invented the form) from 1912's "The Singing Bone;" and appends a rarity, the 1911 novella "31 New Inn," which is evidently the first Thorndyke story written (though not the first published), which was rewritten into a full novel, and which was not previously reprinted.
There are two things, I think, Freeman exhibits great skill at in these stories, and the stories are at their best when one or the other is happening. The first is the realistic, scientific sort of deduction that Dr. Thorndyke specializes in; at the time many of his methods were at the cutting edge of forensic science, and they're still thrilling to read about today, when properly deployed. The second is, in the inverted format stories, the depiction of the crimes that Thorndyke subsequently investigates. Freeman was remarkably capable of getting into the head of a rogue, and depicts the crimes meticulously.
The best story in this collection is the one that combines these elements- a tense, uneasy story of murder joined to a story featuring a series of remarkable feats of detection- "The Case of Oscar Brodski," the very first inverted detective story. The other two inverted stories have solid depictions of criminality, but rather underwhelming detection; and the the straightforward detective stories feature either strong detection ("The Aluminium Dagger," "31 New Inn," though the latter is somewhat padded), or do not ("The Mandarin's Pearl," "The Blue Sequin," and "The Moabite Cipher,"- in each case the somewhat muddled storytelling undercuts the detection). So it's a bit of a mixed bag; certainly consistently entertaining, though, except for "Oscar Brodski," not really all-time classic stuff.
As a side note- spoiler warning- Freeman held some nasty opinions in real life, in particular a strong support for eugenics, in addition to the standard-issue English antisemitism of the day. I don't think this really comes through much in these stories, but there are some odd flashes of callousness. Three of the stories end with the perpetrator committing suicide to escape justice, which is presented as just and fitting (one of them even ends with an admonition that more criminals should do the same); in one of these, Thorndyke expresses satisfaction that the murder victim was himself a sleazy rogue; in one of the others, Thorndyke is content with the murderer getting away, on the grounds that the victim proved to have been a blackmailer. (The only other Thorndyke story I've read ("The Dead Hand") also ends with the perpetrator killing himself.) It's not very Hippocratic.
June 12, 2017
This book is a collection of 8 short stories with Dr. Thorndyke as the main character. These stories were originally published in 1909 to 1912, though one story is apparently set in 1900. They take place in England.
Dr. Thorndyke is a "medical jurispractitioner," so he handles cold cases (when lawyers consult him) as well as recently committed murders. He looks closely at the forensic evidence, carries a portable laboratory, and uses logic to solve his cases. He has a friend, Dr. Jervis, who helps him solve crimes. If this sounds like Sherlock Holmes, it is the same type of character. However, I like Thorndyke better. He's clever, but he doesn't show off like Sherlock does. (Sherlock has a habit of guessing based on high probabilities just so he'll look extremely smart.)
Thorndyke encourages Jervis to learn his methods, shares all of the clues that he finds, and encourages Jervis to puzzle out these clues for himself. This gives the reader a chance to puzzle out the answer as well. Not all of the stories are puzzle mysteries, though. The first three show us the crime from the criminal's perspective, then switches to showing Thorndyke spotting and analyzing the clues. These worked better than I expected and delved a bit into why the criminals acted as they did. I enjoyed and would recommend this book.
The stories contained in this book are:
The Case of Oscar Brodski
A Case of Premeditation
The Echo of the Mutiny
The Mandarin's Pearl
The Blue Sequin
The Moabite Cipher
The Aluminum Dagger
31 New Inn
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Dr. Thorndyke is a "medical jurispractitioner," so he handles cold cases (when lawyers consult him) as well as recently committed murders. He looks closely at the forensic evidence, carries a portable laboratory, and uses logic to solve his cases. He has a friend, Dr. Jervis, who helps him solve crimes. If this sounds like Sherlock Holmes, it is the same type of character. However, I like Thorndyke better. He's clever, but he doesn't show off like Sherlock does. (Sherlock has a habit of guessing based on high probabilities just so he'll look extremely smart.)
Thorndyke encourages Jervis to learn his methods, shares all of the clues that he finds, and encourages Jervis to puzzle out these clues for himself. This gives the reader a chance to puzzle out the answer as well. Not all of the stories are puzzle mysteries, though. The first three show us the crime from the criminal's perspective, then switches to showing Thorndyke spotting and analyzing the clues. These worked better than I expected and delved a bit into why the criminals acted as they did. I enjoyed and would recommend this book.
The stories contained in this book are:
The Case of Oscar Brodski
A Case of Premeditation
The Echo of the Mutiny
The Mandarin's Pearl
The Blue Sequin
The Moabite Cipher
The Aluminum Dagger
31 New Inn
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
August 15, 2017
R. Austin Freeman was an Edwardian surgeon and author famous as the originator of the inverted detective story; we're given the crime and the narrative is built around catching the criminal instead of a traditional "whodunit".
He wrote a number of other fiction and nonfiction works, but is rightfully remembered best for his Dr. Thorndyke novels and stories.
The stories included in this collection have weathered remarkably well. They're still readable and compare favorably with other period works. All 8 of the included stories have aged very well, and he manages to write without ìnfusing his work with his personal philosophy and beliefs (which haven't stood the test of time).
I was familiar with most of the stories in one format or another but was thankful that Dover has collected them together and re-released them in a new edition with a nice forward/intro by E. F. Bleiker. This edition also includes source notes for the original publications.
Well worth a reread if you've read them before, and if you haven't you're in for a real treat.
Even the great Raymond Chandler said of Freeman "This man Austin Freeman is a wonderful performer. He has no equal in his genre..."
Five stars for the stories and supporting information in this edition.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
He wrote a number of other fiction and nonfiction works, but is rightfully remembered best for his Dr. Thorndyke novels and stories.
The stories included in this collection have weathered remarkably well. They're still readable and compare favorably with other period works. All 8 of the included stories have aged very well, and he manages to write without ìnfusing his work with his personal philosophy and beliefs (which haven't stood the test of time).
I was familiar with most of the stories in one format or another but was thankful that Dover has collected them together and re-released them in a new edition with a nice forward/intro by E. F. Bleiker. This edition also includes source notes for the original publications.
Well worth a reread if you've read them before, and if you haven't you're in for a real treat.
Even the great Raymond Chandler said of Freeman "This man Austin Freeman is a wonderful performer. He has no equal in his genre..."
Five stars for the stories and supporting information in this edition.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
August 13, 2017
Could not help but to compare with Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" - very similar elements and crime solving, though with the aid of a few more modern gadgets than Holmes had access to.
A steady ready - did enjoy those stories where you already know who did it - but then the narrative of Thorndyke's ""Watson"" - Dr Christopher Jervis, takes over.
All in all, a nice way to fritter away an afternoon.
A steady ready - did enjoy those stories where you already know who did it - but then the narrative of Thorndyke's ""Watson"" - Dr Christopher Jervis, takes over.
All in all, a nice way to fritter away an afternoon.
July 13, 2017
very Holmesian and good.
done-with
July 28, 2017I tried to get into these stories, but just could not... I love the original Sherlock tales, and am a fan of Victoriana in its myriad forms. But the setup, language, and format of the Dr. Thorndyke stories just did not draw me in. I don't know if it is because of the inverse formula - crime first, and only after all of that is laid out, do you even see Dr. Thorndyke - or the drier, more formal language ("withal" appeared untold times in the first two stories alone), but I simply could not enter into Dr. Thorndyke's world the way I do Sherlock's...
September 9, 2012
Thorndyke's not as annoying as some Holmes imitators, but still kind of annoying. Some clever scientific detection. The inverse stories are the most interesting. They almost read like later psychological suspense crime fiction, at least until you get to the detection part. The inverse stories have better drawn characters.
December 7, 2010
This was a really great book, I will read many more Dr. Thorndyke books. Seems like a precursor or copy of Sherlock Holmes, very well thought out, logical crimes and solutions. Dr. Thorndyke is a genius!
October 3, 2011
Absolutely stellar. Freeman extensivley researched Forensic Science in the wiritng of these stories, and it shows! Dr. Thorndyke is a character way ahead of his time, yet absolutely beleivable.
March 2, 2016
read SOMETIME in 2001
September 26, 2017
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Read
July 1, 2017I got this from NetGalley. I didn't finish the book, so I'm not rating or it counting it towards my books read for the year. It's a book of 8 short detective stories from, I believe the early 1900's. I only read the first story in the book, and it was so boring. It's supposed to be along the lines of Sherlock Holmes, but it was very dry and uninteresting. One oddity is that the crime is committed first (with all the details of the murder, etc.) and then the second part of the story is this Dr. Thorndyke solving the case, so kind of the opposite of a normal detective story. I wasn't interested in reading the other stories in the book to see if they were any more exciting.
January 3, 2018
Austin Freeman was very modern for the time he wrote these stories, this collection is an amazing selection of solutions from science. Wonderful stories from a fabulous wordsmith
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