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Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries #7
The Great Portrait Mystery
This early work by Richard Austin Freeman was originally published in 1918 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introduction. 'The Great Portrait Mystery' is one of Freeman's short stories of crime and mystery. The first story featuring his well-known protagonist Dr. Thorndyke - a medico-legal forensic investigator - was published in 1907, and although Freeman's early works were seen as simple homages to his contemporary, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, he quickly developed his own style: The 'inverted detective story', in which the identity of the criminal is shown from the beginning, and the story then describes the detective's attempt to solve the mystery.
86 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1918
About the author
R. Austin Freeman
729 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 15, 2018
2.5*
Only 2 of the stories involved Dr. Thorndyke (The Missing Mortgagee & Percival Bland's Proxy) which was a disappointment. Of the others, one was more of a ghost story than a mystery (The Attorney's Conscience) and another implied supernatural effects (The Bronze Parrot). The Great Portrait Mystery was the best of the non-Thorndyke stories.
Only 2 of the stories involved Dr. Thorndyke (The Missing Mortgagee & Percival Bland's Proxy) which was a disappointment. Of the others, one was more of a ghost story than a mystery (The Attorney's Conscience) and another implied supernatural effects (The Bronze Parrot). The Great Portrait Mystery was the best of the non-Thorndyke stories.
February 19, 2021
This is a very uneven collection which I picked up as a Kindle freebie, after enjoying a few Doctor Thorndyke stories included in the British Library Crime Classics collections.
The title story, a novella about the puzzling theft of a portrait, is probably the best of the bunch, although it isn't one of those featuring Dr T (who only actually turns up in two of the stories, both inverted tales where you see the crime and then how he solves it).
I enjoyed Freeman's Victorian writing style (he was born in the 1860s) and the wry humour in several of the stories, especially The Bronze Parrot. However, some of the stories are quite weak and one of the Thorndyke stories, The Missing Mortgagee, is thoroughly unpleasant, containing a great deal of anti-Semitism. I somehow don't think that story will be turning up in any of the BLCC collections.
The title story, a novella about the puzzling theft of a portrait, is probably the best of the bunch, although it isn't one of those featuring Dr T (who only actually turns up in two of the stories, both inverted tales where you see the crime and then how he solves it).
I enjoyed Freeman's Victorian writing style (he was born in the 1860s) and the wry humour in several of the stories, especially The Bronze Parrot. However, some of the stories are quite weak and one of the Thorndyke stories, The Missing Mortgagee, is thoroughly unpleasant, containing a great deal of anti-Semitism. I somehow don't think that story will be turning up in any of the BLCC collections.
October 30, 2020
This is not a Dr Thorndyke book (you'll notice his name missing from the title) but a compilation of stories that Freeman wrote for other magazines and literary stories. The title story is the only one that I read, and afterwards I decided to go on to the next Thorndyke (Helen Vardon's Confession).
The title story is about the stealing of a portrait from the National Portrait Gallery during the time during which the public are invited to copy some of the Gallery's great painting. The floor manager of the Gallery is fired when it is found that the painting that is hanging is a forgery. He determines to find the original.
But a few days later the original is somehow smuggled back into the Gallery. Why would someone steal it and then bring it back? There lies the mystery. It reads like a one hour TV drama, so it's not exactly hard to follow, and you know everything will work out in the end.
The title story is about the stealing of a portrait from the National Portrait Gallery during the time during which the public are invited to copy some of the Gallery's great painting. The floor manager of the Gallery is fired when it is found that the painting that is hanging is a forgery. He determines to find the original.
But a few days later the original is somehow smuggled back into the Gallery. Why would someone steal it and then bring it back? There lies the mystery. It reads like a one hour TV drama, so it's not exactly hard to follow, and you know everything will work out in the end.
April 24, 2023
Another great book of stories by R. Austin Freeman. I have read other reviews and was surprised by the poor ratings and negative comments. The title plainly states that this is a collection of Dr. Thorndyke AND OTHER stories....not all are Dr. Thorndyke, BUT, they are all written by R. Austin Freeman, and he is the reason I read Dr. Thorndyke mysteries. He didn't lose his mind while penning these other stories and write gibberish---The title story is written with the same brilliance and turn of phrase as "Eye of Osiris" or "Silent Witness". Also, this was written around 1918, when language and ideas were quite different from today's politically correct "dialogue"(?)....medical/racial verbiage may not be "woke" enough for the highly sensitive that are easily offended..... It's still R. Austin Freeman at his finest.
October 14, 2020
An indifferent collection of stories. The two Thorndyke stories are good, as is the title story and "The Luck of Barnabus Mudge", but the other three are less satisfying. Freeman clearly had no talent for supernatural fiction. Still, it was good enough to not make me regret this Dr. Thorndyke completist project I'm on, and now I'll be able to turn my attention to Helen Vardon's Confession, which is a pure Dr. Thorndyke novel.
March 19, 2024
I didn't particularly like this as it only featured two Thorndyke stories. The other stories were okay as general short stories but I am fond of the finite detailed analyses that characterise the Thorndyke stories, so apart from the two, I found the others somewhat boring, if I'm honest.
December 1, 2019
Yikes. Didn't like the portrayal of the Jewish money lender, and didn't like Thorndyke getting out the calipers to measure a black woman's skull and talking about a "simian groove".
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June 13, 2020Thorndyke doesn't figure much in this book. If he is a major reason for reading this series, you can consider skipping this book.
March 20, 2024
I couldn't get into this one at all. There seems to very little at stake, no violence, and the perpetrators deserved to succeed. Good luck to them!
March 28, 2018
So, there was more than one story contained in this delightful book. The first story, "The Great Portrait Mystery", was very fun to read! "The Bronze Parrot" was such a weird story, but definitely amusing. "Powder Blue and Hawthorn" was a gruesome and harrowing tale, although somewhat satisfying too. I felt positively shocked! "The Attorney's Conscience" was an interesting ghostly read. I loved it. "The Luck of Barnabas Mudge" was humorous and satisfying. I can only say, "what a lucky man he was!"
November 10, 2021
1. The Great Portrait Mystery - When a portrait of James the Second by Sir Godrey Kneller (1688) is stolen and returned. Joseph Fittleworth employed by the National Gallery is curious and so investigates with the help of Miss Katherine Hyde
2. The Bronze Parrot - what happens when the Deodatus Jawley fins a bronze parrot
3. Powder Blueand Hawthorn - What is the link between a death and a robbery
4. The Attorney’s Conscience - How can a ghost change the future
5. The Luck of Barnabas Mudge - What happens when Mudge finds a jar of golden coins
Some enjoyable short stories
2. The Bronze Parrot - what happens when the Deodatus Jawley fins a bronze parrot
3. Powder Blueand Hawthorn - What is the link between a death and a robbery
4. The Attorney’s Conscience - How can a ghost change the future
5. The Luck of Barnabas Mudge - What happens when Mudge finds a jar of golden coins
Some enjoyable short stories
May 23, 2014
Even though this is a Thorndyke book, he only appears briefly in two of the stories. The stories in themselves are strange and the novels seem to be consistently better than the short story collections.
January 12, 2017
A delightful read. Charming characters, missing treasure, happy ending. A trifecta.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews