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Teahouse Detective #3
Unravelled Knots
Another classic collection of mysteries from the Golden Age of British crime writing, by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel
It has been twenty years since Polly Burton last saw the Teahouse Detective, but one foggy afternoon she stumbles into a Fleet Street café and chances upon the cantankerous sleuth again. The years have not softened his manner, nor dulled his appetite for unravelling the most tortuous of conspiracies, shedding light on mysteries that have confounded the finest minds of the police.
How did Prince Orsoff disappear from his railway carriage in-between stations? How could the Ingres masterpiece be seen in two places at once? And what is the truth behind the story of the blood-stained tunic that exonerated its owner?
From the comfort of his seat by the fire, the Teahouse Detective sets his brilliant mind to work once more.
Baroness Orczy (1865–1947) was a Hungarian-born British author, best known for her Scarlet Pimpernel novels. Her Teahouse Detective, who features in Unravelled Knots, was one of the first fictional sleuths created in response to the Sherlock Holmes stories' huge success. Initially serialised in magazines, the stories in this collection were first published in book form in 1908 and have since been adapted for radio, television and film. Two other collections of Teahouse Detective mysteries are available from Pushkin Vertigo.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1926
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251 people want to read
About the author
Emmuska Orczy
857 books1,088 followersFull name: Emma ("Emmuska") Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála Orczy de Orczi was a Hungarian-British novelist, best remembered as the author of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1905). Baroness Orczy's sequels to the novel were less successful. She was also an artist, and her works were exhibited at the Royal Academy, London. Her first venture into fiction was with crime stories. Among her most popular characters was The Old Man in the Corner, who was featured in a series of twelve British movies from 1924, starring Rolf Leslie.
Baroness Emmuska Orczy was born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, as the only daughter of Baron Felix Orczy, a noted composer and conductor, and his wife Emma. Her father was a friend of such composers as Wagner, Liszt, and Gounod. Orczy moved with her parents from Budapest to Brussels and then to London, learning to speak English at the age of fifteen. She was educated in convent schools in Brussels and Paris. In London she studied at the West London School of Art. Orczy married in 1894 Montague Barstow, whom she had met while studying at the Heatherby School of Art. Together they started to produce book and magazine illustrations and published an edition of Hungarian folktales.
Orczy's first detective stories appeared in magazines. As a writer she became famous in 1903 with the stage version of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Baroness Emmuska Orczy was born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, as the only daughter of Baron Felix Orczy, a noted composer and conductor, and his wife Emma. Her father was a friend of such composers as Wagner, Liszt, and Gounod. Orczy moved with her parents from Budapest to Brussels and then to London, learning to speak English at the age of fifteen. She was educated in convent schools in Brussels and Paris. In London she studied at the West London School of Art. Orczy married in 1894 Montague Barstow, whom she had met while studying at the Heatherby School of Art. Together they started to produce book and magazine illustrations and published an edition of Hungarian folktales.
Orczy's first detective stories appeared in magazines. As a writer she became famous in 1903 with the stage version of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 14, 2020
Only mildly enjoyable for me because these short stories appear to be featuring two people who don't really like each other very much and the telling of the details of each crime was without tension or excitement. This is my first reading of Baroness Orczy and I thought a series of short stories would show me if I wanted to read more of her work. Surprisingly the result is that I'm not interested in reading anything more. I should point out that this is the third book in the series of short stories and the final one; I had to dig out all the background information for myself. This collection was originally published in 1926 with most of the stories seeming to take place between 1919 and 1922. There is a disclosure in the last story that came as a complete surprise to me; never would I have supposed anything like that.
Not only are The Teahouse Detective and the listener not friends, they also aren't even very friendly toward each other. It took me a long time to understand that the listener is female and that she is a journalist who gets copy to write her articles from the old man in the corner. Evidently this information was contained in the first or second book of stories. I found the stories to be rather flat, lacking in feeling, because there is little dialogue and almost no description; just relating the facts of an unresolved crime with the old man stating his eventual solution which had been missed by everyone else. The cases all feel very similar.
Maybe I would have enjoyed these stories more if I had not read them all straight through, but I don't really think so. I am also in the process of reading each Agatha Christie short story that features Hercule Poirot and reading straight through that volume of work is not causing any problems whatsoever. I thank NetGalley and Pushkin Press/Pushkin Vertigo for an e-galley of this collection.
Not only are The Teahouse Detective and the listener not friends, they also aren't even very friendly toward each other. It took me a long time to understand that the listener is female and that she is a journalist who gets copy to write her articles from the old man in the corner. Evidently this information was contained in the first or second book of stories. I found the stories to be rather flat, lacking in feeling, because there is little dialogue and almost no description; just relating the facts of an unresolved crime with the old man stating his eventual solution which had been missed by everyone else. The cases all feel very similar.
Maybe I would have enjoyed these stories more if I had not read them all straight through, but I don't really think so. I am also in the process of reading each Agatha Christie short story that features Hercule Poirot and reading straight through that volume of work is not causing any problems whatsoever. I thank NetGalley and Pushkin Press/Pushkin Vertigo for an e-galley of this collection.
July 15, 2020
DNF at 35%.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my favourite novels so when I saw a book by Baroness Orczy available on NetGalley for request I immediately clicked the button.
This is very different to The Scarlet Pimpernel, set in the post World War One era this is a series of short stories featuring 'The Man in the Corner' who sits fidgeting with a piece of string in a teashop in Fleet Street, London and expounds his theories on various unsolvable mysteries of the day including thefts of a valuable painting, locked-room murders, stolen jewels and murdered Russian Princes. In the strain of Hercules Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, the teahouse detective can solve mysteries that baffle the Police.
I read the first five short stories (of 13) but I found the teahouse detective's solutions to be no more plausible than others, particularly in The Mystery of the Russian Prince, and the casual racism of the era was distasteful to read, eg referring to a Jewish woman having 'the mistrust of her race for everything that is frivolous and thriftless'.
Overall, I wasn't engaged by the character, the plots or the writing, I much prefer Dorothy L Sayers or even Georgette Heyer for 1920s/1930s detective mysteries, and I gave up after five short stories.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my favourite novels so when I saw a book by Baroness Orczy available on NetGalley for request I immediately clicked the button.
This is very different to The Scarlet Pimpernel, set in the post World War One era this is a series of short stories featuring 'The Man in the Corner' who sits fidgeting with a piece of string in a teashop in Fleet Street, London and expounds his theories on various unsolvable mysteries of the day including thefts of a valuable painting, locked-room murders, stolen jewels and murdered Russian Princes. In the strain of Hercules Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, the teahouse detective can solve mysteries that baffle the Police.
I read the first five short stories (of 13) but I found the teahouse detective's solutions to be no more plausible than others, particularly in The Mystery of the Russian Prince, and the casual racism of the era was distasteful to read, eg referring to a Jewish woman having 'the mistrust of her race for everything that is frivolous and thriftless'.
Overall, I wasn't engaged by the character, the plots or the writing, I much prefer Dorothy L Sayers or even Georgette Heyer for 1920s/1930s detective mysteries, and I gave up after five short stories.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
April 30, 2020
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review here and on my blog Samwise Reviews. It was my first introduction to the Teahouse Detective, and going into it I had no idea what it was about and had never heard of this character or author before. It was definitely light, simple reading, nothing too deep or complicated. I enjoyed it, but the cases weren't gripping or passionate. The characters sat at a table and discussed 13 different cases, and while they were different and had unexpected endings, I found this lacked the excitement you would find in Sherlock Holmes. It was a good way to pass the time, but I'm not sure I would seek out other books in this series.
This also worked for the "Character Who Wears Glasses" part of my 2020 reading challenge.
This also worked for the "Character Who Wears Glasses" part of my 2020 reading challenge.
October 9, 2020
*I received a free ARC of this novel, with thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This is my first acquaintance with Baroness Orczy’s Teahouse Detective, and I found it a bit of a mixed experience.
The format of these short stories is the same in each case: the first-person narrator, a journalist, comes across her old acquaintance, ‘The Old Man in the Corner’ at a café, where he plays incessantly with a piece of knotted string and casually solves big murder cases, apparently using only information gleaned from newspaper reports and similar.
There is quite a bit of the casual racism and classism you might expect for the time period in which these stories were written – lots of “those sorts of people” commentary and stereotypes. This is likely to be offensive to many in this day and age, however, I don’t feel it fair to try to hold older books to modern standards of morality.
The armchair detective himself is described in unappealing terms – physically and in his boastful, gloating mannerisms. His method of solving cases also lacked some of the excitement of other similar detective stories (such as the cases of Sherlock Holmes), as he merely recites the facts of the case that are known to him from popular accounts (and some which I couldn’t see how he could possibly have known just from the papers!), then provides his inquisitive chronicler with the solution to the mystery. By just telling the story from his chair, with none of the customary interviewing of suspects or assessing of clues, makes the stories feel rather passive for the reader.
On the other hand, if you treat the narrator and the detective as simply a framing device, not necessary to the story itself, then this is a really fun collection of short Agatha Christie / Conan Doyle style murder puzzles. For each story we get the scene set, then are presented with a murder or robbery victim and 3-5 suspects from which to choose. We can then try to spot the significant clues amongst the many red herrings to try to beat the reveal as to how-, why- and who-dunnit.
I quite enjoyed this foray into classic detective fiction, and whilst The Old Man in the Corner is never going to replace Poirot or Holmes in my heart, this collection certainly holds some knotty little puzzles for your little grey cells!
“You were thinking of the disappearance of the Australian millionaire?” he asked blandly.
“I don’t know that I was,” I retorted.
“But of course you were. How could any journalist worthy of the name fail to be interested in that intricate case?”
“I suppose you have your theory—as usual?”
“It is not a theory,” the creature replied, with that fatuous smile of his which always irritated me; “it is a Certainty.”
Then, as he became silent, absorbed in the contemplation of a wonderfully complicated knot in his beloved bit of string, I said with gracious condescension:
“You may talk about it, if you like.”
He did like, fortunately for me, because, frankly, I could not see daylight in that maze of intrigue, adventure and possibly crime, which was described by the Press as “The Mystery of the White Carnation.”
– Baroness Orczy, Unravelled Knots: The Teahouse Detective
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This is my first acquaintance with Baroness Orczy’s Teahouse Detective, and I found it a bit of a mixed experience.
The format of these short stories is the same in each case: the first-person narrator, a journalist, comes across her old acquaintance, ‘The Old Man in the Corner’ at a café, where he plays incessantly with a piece of knotted string and casually solves big murder cases, apparently using only information gleaned from newspaper reports and similar.
There is quite a bit of the casual racism and classism you might expect for the time period in which these stories were written – lots of “those sorts of people” commentary and stereotypes. This is likely to be offensive to many in this day and age, however, I don’t feel it fair to try to hold older books to modern standards of morality.
The armchair detective himself is described in unappealing terms – physically and in his boastful, gloating mannerisms. His method of solving cases also lacked some of the excitement of other similar detective stories (such as the cases of Sherlock Holmes), as he merely recites the facts of the case that are known to him from popular accounts (and some which I couldn’t see how he could possibly have known just from the papers!), then provides his inquisitive chronicler with the solution to the mystery. By just telling the story from his chair, with none of the customary interviewing of suspects or assessing of clues, makes the stories feel rather passive for the reader.
On the other hand, if you treat the narrator and the detective as simply a framing device, not necessary to the story itself, then this is a really fun collection of short Agatha Christie / Conan Doyle style murder puzzles. For each story we get the scene set, then are presented with a murder or robbery victim and 3-5 suspects from which to choose. We can then try to spot the significant clues amongst the many red herrings to try to beat the reveal as to how-, why- and who-dunnit.
I quite enjoyed this foray into classic detective fiction, and whilst The Old Man in the Corner is never going to replace Poirot or Holmes in my heart, this collection certainly holds some knotty little puzzles for your little grey cells!
“You were thinking of the disappearance of the Australian millionaire?” he asked blandly.
“I don’t know that I was,” I retorted.
“But of course you were. How could any journalist worthy of the name fail to be interested in that intricate case?”
“I suppose you have your theory—as usual?”
“It is not a theory,” the creature replied, with that fatuous smile of his which always irritated me; “it is a Certainty.”
Then, as he became silent, absorbed in the contemplation of a wonderfully complicated knot in his beloved bit of string, I said with gracious condescension:
“You may talk about it, if you like.”
He did like, fortunately for me, because, frankly, I could not see daylight in that maze of intrigue, adventure and possibly crime, which was described by the Press as “The Mystery of the White Carnation.”
– Baroness Orczy, Unravelled Knots: The Teahouse Detective
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
June 17, 2023
The last book in a set of three. In each novel, a female reporter is having tea and an old man sits down and starts explaining crimes that she is reading in the newspaper. He is either drinking milk and eating cheesecake or tying tiny knots in a piece of string. The old man doesn't seem interested in telling the police his solutions. In fact, he rather berates their ignorance. Each chapter is a different case, so you can read a case or two over coffee. ☕
May 25, 2020
Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through Edelweiss and NetGalley.
June 7, 2021
Besides being a genuine Hungarian baroness (!), Baroness Orczy is probably best known as the author of the Scarlet Pimpernel books and stories, the first of which was a hit on the London stage, and several of which were made into movies. (And which I loved as a kid.) But she was also an author of detective fiction, including a series of short stories about the Old Man in the Corner (also known as The Teahouse Detective) and another set of short stories about Lady Molly of Scotland Yard. This book, Unravelled Knots, is a collection of thirteen of the later stories in Old Man series, set many years after the earlier stories. It is being re-issued on June 15, 2021, in a nice new e-book edition, and I want to thank to Pushkin Vertigo for providing me with an advance review copy.
Orczy’s detective stories have (to me, at least) sort of a similar feel as the Sherlock Holmes stories, which is not all that surprising, since they were written at about the same time: a police force that doesn’t manage to solve much of anything (so there are cases to figure out), a logical detective (the Old Man), and a sidekick who serves as the foil for the detective’s brilliance at solving the puzzle (in this case, a journalist, Polly Burton). They also remind me a little bit of some of Rex Stout’s work, since the Old Man, like Nero Wolfe, solves his cases by logic and thought, rather than by clues and forensics. And, the Old Man, also kind of like Wolfe, is a little obnoxious, but still quite entertaining as a detective.
I found this collection of stories to be a bit uneven. I really enjoyed a lot of them, and had trouble figuring many out for myself. But a couple of the others had solutions that were so obvious that I almost couldn’t believe that they were, in fact, the solutions. All of them were fun to read, though, because they were little time capsules of an earlier era – not originally meant to be historical mysteries, but now, after about 100 years, that’s essentially what they are. I debated a little bit about whether to give this collection four-stars or five-stars, but in the end, the unevenness bumped it down to four. Please keep in mind that I don’t give many five-star ratings, so that the four-star rating I’m giving this collection is still a solid “read” recommendation. And my thanks again to Pushkin Vertigo and Edelweiss for the review copy!
Orczy’s detective stories have (to me, at least) sort of a similar feel as the Sherlock Holmes stories, which is not all that surprising, since they were written at about the same time: a police force that doesn’t manage to solve much of anything (so there are cases to figure out), a logical detective (the Old Man), and a sidekick who serves as the foil for the detective’s brilliance at solving the puzzle (in this case, a journalist, Polly Burton). They also remind me a little bit of some of Rex Stout’s work, since the Old Man, like Nero Wolfe, solves his cases by logic and thought, rather than by clues and forensics. And, the Old Man, also kind of like Wolfe, is a little obnoxious, but still quite entertaining as a detective.
I found this collection of stories to be a bit uneven. I really enjoyed a lot of them, and had trouble figuring many out for myself. But a couple of the others had solutions that were so obvious that I almost couldn’t believe that they were, in fact, the solutions. All of them were fun to read, though, because they were little time capsules of an earlier era – not originally meant to be historical mysteries, but now, after about 100 years, that’s essentially what they are. I debated a little bit about whether to give this collection four-stars or five-stars, but in the end, the unevenness bumped it down to four. Please keep in mind that I don’t give many five-star ratings, so that the four-star rating I’m giving this collection is still a solid “read” recommendation. And my thanks again to Pushkin Vertigo and Edelweiss for the review copy!
January 18, 2020
Unravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy is the third book in The Teahouse Detective series published in 1925. This book features 13 short mysteries all narrated by journalist Polly Burton who runs into an old acquaintance deemed as the armchair detective-- who has a knack for solving the most riddling cases -- The Old Man in the Corner, in the Fleet Street café twenty years later. The stories are in the point of view of Polly who listens intriguingly to The Old Man as he describes each case. One of the things I love about this read, is how it pulled me in, as if I were seated at a table near Polly and the mysterious armchair detective, overhearing their scandalous conversations.
This is a perfect read for this cold and rainy weekend, cozied up under my blankets as Polly and the Old Man sit by a fire unraveling the most mysterious crimes. Orczy paints a great background in her stories, transporting the modern reader to her era of simpler times before the aid of digital computers and advanced forensic science technology, instead, relying on evidence and a sharp noggin.
Reading classics such as this, is a fun way to interact with history, from the fashion, mindsets, and geography of the setting, the modern reader is able to get a pretty good feel of what generations before us experienced before the boom of internet. This is why I cherish these reads, a true portal to the past and a good to honest mystery allowing you to try and solve it with wit alone.
The thirteen stories in this book are as follows:
The Mystery of the Khaki Tunic
The Mystery of Ingres Masterpiece
The Mystery of the Pearl Necklace
The Mystery of the Russian Prince
The Mysterious Tragedy in Bishop’s Road
The Mystery of the Dog’s Tooth Cliff
The Tytherton Case
The Mystery of Brunenell Court
The Mystery of the White Carnation
The Mystery of the Montmartre Hat
The Miser of Maida Vail
The Fulton Gardens Mystery
and The Moorland Tragedy
all full of mysterious murders and objects and persons gone missing.
If you’ve never read a book by this author, this is definitely a fun start; bite sized mysteries that encourage you to solve them before The Old Man in the Corner does.
This is a perfect read for this cold and rainy weekend, cozied up under my blankets as Polly and the Old Man sit by a fire unraveling the most mysterious crimes. Orczy paints a great background in her stories, transporting the modern reader to her era of simpler times before the aid of digital computers and advanced forensic science technology, instead, relying on evidence and a sharp noggin.
Reading classics such as this, is a fun way to interact with history, from the fashion, mindsets, and geography of the setting, the modern reader is able to get a pretty good feel of what generations before us experienced before the boom of internet. This is why I cherish these reads, a true portal to the past and a good to honest mystery allowing you to try and solve it with wit alone.
The thirteen stories in this book are as follows:
The Mystery of the Khaki Tunic
The Mystery of Ingres Masterpiece
The Mystery of the Pearl Necklace
The Mystery of the Russian Prince
The Mysterious Tragedy in Bishop’s Road
The Mystery of the Dog’s Tooth Cliff
The Tytherton Case
The Mystery of Brunenell Court
The Mystery of the White Carnation
The Mystery of the Montmartre Hat
The Miser of Maida Vail
The Fulton Gardens Mystery
and The Moorland Tragedy
all full of mysterious murders and objects and persons gone missing.
If you’ve never read a book by this author, this is definitely a fun start; bite sized mysteries that encourage you to solve them before The Old Man in the Corner does.
January 18, 2020
Unravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy is the third book in The Teahouse Detective series published in 1925. This book features 13 short mysteries all narrated by journalist Polly Burton who runs into an old acquaintance deemed as the armchair detective-- who has a knack for solving the most riddling cases -- The Old Man in the Corner, in the Fleet Street café twenty years later. The stories are in the point of view of Polly who listens intriguingly to The Old Man as he describes each case. One of the things I love about this read, is how it pulled me in, as if I were seated at a table near Polly and the mysterious armchair detective, overhearing their scandalous conversations.
This is a perfect read for this cold and rainy weekend, cozied up under my blankets as Polly and the Old Man sit by a fire unraveling the most mysterious crimes. Orczy paints a great background in her stories, transporting the modern reader to her era of simpler times before the aid of digital computers and advanced forensic science technology, instead, relying on evidence and a sharp noggin.
Reading classics such as this, is a fun way to interact with history, from the fashion, mindsets, and geography of the setting, the modern reader is able to get a pretty good feel of what generations before us experienced before the boom of internet. This is why I cherish these reads, a true portal to the past and a good to honest mystery allowing you to try and solve it with wit alone.
The thirteen stories in this book are as follows:
The Mystery of the Khaki Tunic
The Mystery of Ingres Masterpiece
The Mystery of the Pearl Necklace
The Mystery of the Russian Prince
The Mysterious Tragedy in Bishop’s Road
The Mystery of the Dog’s Tooth Cliff
The Tytherton Case
The Mystery of Brunenell Court
The Mystery of the White Carnation
The Mystery of the Montmartre Hat
The Miser of Maida Vail
The Fulton Gardens Mystery
and The Moorland Tragedy
all full of mysterious murders and objects and persons gone missing.
If you’ve never read a book by this author, this is definitely a fun start; bite sized mysteries that encourage you to solve them before The Old Man in the Corner does.
This is a perfect read for this cold and rainy weekend, cozied up under my blankets as Polly and the Old Man sit by a fire unraveling the most mysterious crimes. Orczy paints a great background in her stories, transporting the modern reader to her era of simpler times before the aid of digital computers and advanced forensic science technology, instead, relying on evidence and a sharp noggin.
Reading classics such as this, is a fun way to interact with history, from the fashion, mindsets, and geography of the setting, the modern reader is able to get a pretty good feel of what generations before us experienced before the boom of internet. This is why I cherish these reads, a true portal to the past and a good to honest mystery allowing you to try and solve it with wit alone.
The thirteen stories in this book are as follows:
The Mystery of the Khaki Tunic
The Mystery of Ingres Masterpiece
The Mystery of the Pearl Necklace
The Mystery of the Russian Prince
The Mysterious Tragedy in Bishop’s Road
The Mystery of the Dog’s Tooth Cliff
The Tytherton Case
The Mystery of Brunenell Court
The Mystery of the White Carnation
The Mystery of the Montmartre Hat
The Miser of Maida Vail
The Fulton Gardens Mystery
and The Moorland Tragedy
all full of mysterious murders and objects and persons gone missing.
If you’ve never read a book by this author, this is definitely a fun start; bite sized mysteries that encourage you to solve them before The Old Man in the Corner does.
March 7, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Unravelled Knots is the third (and final) collection of Teahouse Detective short stories by Baroness Orczy. Originally published in 1926, this edition is due out 2nd June 2020 from Steerforth on their Pushkin Press imprint. It's 320 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions available in other formats).
The format is much the same as the other collections. They're presented as intellectual exercises, pas de deux between an eccentric old man and reporter Polly Burton, set as conversations in the ABC Teashop, where the old man in the corner sits for the most part alone. His engagement with the crimes is strictly intellectual, he's not out to hand the criminals over to justice. He reminds me a bit of Poirot, with a touch of Mycroft Holmes and a healthy foreshadowing of Nero Wolfe.
These are cleverly constructed mysteries. Some of them are somewhat transparent by modern tastes, but I really think that's because so many of the literary devices she employed have been copied and reused since then that modern readers are familiar with the twists and turns.
This would make a superlative commute read. The 13 stories are short and could be read during free moments here and there. They're all well written and a lot of fun to read.
Four stars. I'm very happy that Pushkin is preserving and presenting these gems to new generations of readers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Unravelled Knots is the third (and final) collection of Teahouse Detective short stories by Baroness Orczy. Originally published in 1926, this edition is due out 2nd June 2020 from Steerforth on their Pushkin Press imprint. It's 320 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions available in other formats).
The format is much the same as the other collections. They're presented as intellectual exercises, pas de deux between an eccentric old man and reporter Polly Burton, set as conversations in the ABC Teashop, where the old man in the corner sits for the most part alone. His engagement with the crimes is strictly intellectual, he's not out to hand the criminals over to justice. He reminds me a bit of Poirot, with a touch of Mycroft Holmes and a healthy foreshadowing of Nero Wolfe.
These are cleverly constructed mysteries. Some of them are somewhat transparent by modern tastes, but I really think that's because so many of the literary devices she employed have been copied and reused since then that modern readers are familiar with the twists and turns.
This would make a superlative commute read. The 13 stories are short and could be read during free moments here and there. They're all well written and a lot of fun to read.
Four stars. I'm very happy that Pushkin is preserving and presenting these gems to new generations of readers.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
March 24, 2020
So, being a fan of vintage / golden age mysteries, I was really looking forward to The Teahouse Detective: Unravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy. Having enjoyed many of the British Crime Classic short stories that have been released recently, I thought that this would be right in line with those fine examples. I was wrong.
There was something missing in all of these short stories – a sense of excitement, tension, the moving forward of the plot. Polly Burton as a narrator leaves something to be desired – she just asks the appropriate question and sits back to listen to the Teahouse Detective lecture her while he plays with his string. His arrogance and her indifference make this an uncomfortable relationship to witness – she’s just there to get a story, he complains about the lack of intelligence of her, the police, and pretty much everyone else in the world.
All of that could be forgiven if the 13 mysteries were challenging, or even interesting. But reading them one after the other makes one realize how alike they all were. The Teahouse Detective mentions some crime that captivated the city, he recounts all of the details with little or no emotion, then he names the guilty party (who is always the exact opposite of who was accused) with the one puzzle answer / clue that makes it all make sense. And on to the next one.
It took me a long while to get through this book because I found the reading tedious – these are a bit too long to consider them short stories, and the narration was enough to help me doze off a couple of times.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Pushkin Press/Pushkin Vertigo via NetGalley. Thank you!
There was something missing in all of these short stories – a sense of excitement, tension, the moving forward of the plot. Polly Burton as a narrator leaves something to be desired – she just asks the appropriate question and sits back to listen to the Teahouse Detective lecture her while he plays with his string. His arrogance and her indifference make this an uncomfortable relationship to witness – she’s just there to get a story, he complains about the lack of intelligence of her, the police, and pretty much everyone else in the world.
All of that could be forgiven if the 13 mysteries were challenging, or even interesting. But reading them one after the other makes one realize how alike they all were. The Teahouse Detective mentions some crime that captivated the city, he recounts all of the details with little or no emotion, then he names the guilty party (who is always the exact opposite of who was accused) with the one puzzle answer / clue that makes it all make sense. And on to the next one.
It took me a long while to get through this book because I found the reading tedious – these are a bit too long to consider them short stories, and the narration was enough to help me doze off a couple of times.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Pushkin Press/Pushkin Vertigo via NetGalley. Thank you!
February 17, 2020
A collection of short stories The Teahouse Detective gives us mysteries told to a lady journalist by the old man sitting in the corner of the tea shop while he ties intricate knots in string.
The Teahouse Detective stories were published in the early 1900s. This means that the stories are slower paced and not as graphic as books published today. There are a few slurs in the book about race and class that could be seen as problematic today but not so offensive that it makes the book unreadable.
The lady journalist while wanting to know the Old Man's opinions on the mysteries that have taken place does at times come across as condescending. She isn't very likable when you can tell she thinks she is better than he is. The old man is obviously quick witted and smart. Solving the mysteries by just attending the inquests and from information he picks up here and there. He never takes his knowledge to the police however as he does not care if justice is served or not.
Overall the book was a nice change of pace in my reading. I think that if I would have used a story or two in between books as a break instead of reading them all at once I may have enjoyed it even more. If I happen to come across other titles by Baroness Orczy I will pick them up.
I received this book free on NetGalley for my honest review.
The Teahouse Detective stories were published in the early 1900s. This means that the stories are slower paced and not as graphic as books published today. There are a few slurs in the book about race and class that could be seen as problematic today but not so offensive that it makes the book unreadable.
The lady journalist while wanting to know the Old Man's opinions on the mysteries that have taken place does at times come across as condescending. She isn't very likable when you can tell she thinks she is better than he is. The old man is obviously quick witted and smart. Solving the mysteries by just attending the inquests and from information he picks up here and there. He never takes his knowledge to the police however as he does not care if justice is served or not.
Overall the book was a nice change of pace in my reading. I think that if I would have used a story or two in between books as a break instead of reading them all at once I may have enjoyed it even more. If I happen to come across other titles by Baroness Orczy I will pick them up.
I received this book free on NetGalley for my honest review.
January 23, 2020
This book is a collection of short story mysteries that was originally published in the early 1900s. Those short stories are framed around the amateur detective telling a reporter about his solution to various mysteries (not only murders) which baffle the police. He investigates the details and attends the trials, but he doesn't give the solutions to the police because he admires the cleverness of these criminals. He wants to brag to someone, though, so he tells the reporter in the teashop the details of the case, the clues, and his solution. Occasionally, one of the short stories is told primarily by her and gives the details that she picked up in reporting about the case.
These were clue-based puzzle mysteries. There were enough clues that the reader can guess his solution, especially since the clues were obvious due to the shorter format. I didn't find the solutions very difficult to guess. They were interesting scenarios, though. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this collection to fans of puzzle mysteries.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
These were clue-based puzzle mysteries. There were enough clues that the reader can guess his solution, especially since the clues were obvious due to the shorter format. I didn't find the solutions very difficult to guess. They were interesting scenarios, though. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this collection to fans of puzzle mysteries.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 28, 2020
I suppose there are a few collectors of crime fiction who will take to these pages, but this third and final volume still didn't really float my boat. For every distinctive crime and for every instinctive solution to it, there is the inherent problem that the Baroness – aka the woman journalist in the tea rooms – aka the "funny" peculiar old codger yacking for hours on end about crime for want of anything better to do – cannot write. And Holmes found Watson's output a chore – at least he brought us into the drama, and didn't just sit there all his days giving us reportage-after-the-fact… These overly-verbose-and-then-some stories gave me an initial feel of deja vu – not as much as the second book, though, which had everyone just dress up and get away with it. For the specialist it's interesting to see how the Great War impacted on proceedings – from shell-shocked minor characters to wonder fuels being patented or not, but the general browser, in the corner of Subway or the bus to work or their conservatory, will not find much excitement here amongst the verbosity. The jury's verdict is – stick with Conan Doyle. One and a half stars.
February 2, 2020
This is the third and last collection of Baroness Orczy’s stories featuring the Old Man in the Corner, the classic epitome of the armchair detective, who but rarely stirs from his seat in an ABC Teashop.
The thirteen stories here appeared twenty years after the first two sets, and, despite the intervention of World War One, little has changed in this Edwardian-flavoured world.
Orczy’s detective may have his origin in Mycroft Holmes, but the way he solves the puzzles and problems he encounters foreshadows the reliance on the "little grey cells", of Poirot, and others of the Golden Age.
The mysteries encompass murder, theft, deception, and disappearance with the detective reading about cases in the newspapers which either baffle the police or are leading to a miscarriage of justice. They are solved by the application of logic and attention to details which others consider of no significance.
I am a great fan of these underrated stories which are eminently readable and highly recommendable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the digital review copy.
The thirteen stories here appeared twenty years after the first two sets, and, despite the intervention of World War One, little has changed in this Edwardian-flavoured world.
Orczy’s detective may have his origin in Mycroft Holmes, but the way he solves the puzzles and problems he encounters foreshadows the reliance on the "little grey cells", of Poirot, and others of the Golden Age.
The mysteries encompass murder, theft, deception, and disappearance with the detective reading about cases in the newspapers which either baffle the police or are leading to a miscarriage of justice. They are solved by the application of logic and attention to details which others consider of no significance.
I am a great fan of these underrated stories which are eminently readable and highly recommendable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the digital review copy.
April 19, 2020
Unravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy, originally published in 1925, is the third and final book in The Teahouse Detective series.
There are an ominous 13 mysteries in the book. The narrator is Polly Burton, a journalist, but the stories she relates are as told to her by The Old Man, the teahouse detective himself. But Polly isn’t obsolete – she adds depth to the story. Undeniably astute and intelligent, the detective lacks warmth and is something of a remote, cold figure. Having Polly between us and him makes him less stand-offish, and we can fully and better appreciate just how clever he is.
The mysteries are varied and fascinating, and include murder, robbery and disappearance, and in each case the police are baffled or have got things completely wrong. The teahouse detective’s analytical mind, however, gets through to the truth.
These stories are a delight to read. They challenge you intellectually as well as entertain you. Very enjoyable.
There are an ominous 13 mysteries in the book. The narrator is Polly Burton, a journalist, but the stories she relates are as told to her by The Old Man, the teahouse detective himself. But Polly isn’t obsolete – she adds depth to the story. Undeniably astute and intelligent, the detective lacks warmth and is something of a remote, cold figure. Having Polly between us and him makes him less stand-offish, and we can fully and better appreciate just how clever he is.
The mysteries are varied and fascinating, and include murder, robbery and disappearance, and in each case the police are baffled or have got things completely wrong. The teahouse detective’s analytical mind, however, gets through to the truth.
These stories are a delight to read. They challenge you intellectually as well as entertain you. Very enjoyable.
March 20, 2020
When the young woman journalist sees her old friend, the teahouse detective, in the cafe, she wants to avoid him. However, this strange creature with baggy trousers, horn-rimmed glasses and claw-like hands exerts a strange fascination with his mystery tales, and she can't help listening again...
Although, Baroness Orczy was one of the pioneers of women's detective stories, and these are well-written and meticulous, her Scarlet Pimpernel books are really the ones to read. These became rather dry, repetitive and detailed. I liked some of them, but I am not sure whether I will read any more of these books.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Although, Baroness Orczy was one of the pioneers of women's detective stories, and these are well-written and meticulous, her Scarlet Pimpernel books are really the ones to read. These became rather dry, repetitive and detailed. I liked some of them, but I am not sure whether I will read any more of these books.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
November 25, 2022
These were fascinating stories - a collection of them discussed between two people
one an average narrator, the other quirky but clever who painstakingly shows in each case
who the murderer was,and how he got off. So all the stories are unusually of unsolved
crimes though the reader is shown explicitly who killed whom, how and why.
I did not realise that the person listening to the stories, bringing up each case was a
journalist and a female. All I knew was that the two characters did not like each other. There
was a condescending air to one, and a disparaging air to the other.
The mystery/murders are all vintage and very clearly outlined. An unusual way of
looking at murder.
one an average narrator, the other quirky but clever who painstakingly shows in each case
who the murderer was,and how he got off. So all the stories are unusually of unsolved
crimes though the reader is shown explicitly who killed whom, how and why.
I did not realise that the person listening to the stories, bringing up each case was a
journalist and a female. All I knew was that the two characters did not like each other. There
was a condescending air to one, and a disparaging air to the other.
The mystery/murders are all vintage and very clearly outlined. An unusual way of
looking at murder.
March 3, 2020
A set of short stories where "The man in the corner", amidst his intricate string knotting, solves mysteries that defeated the police to, mostly, the frustration of his attentive young journalist listener. Well argued cases, well written and a definite feel of late Edwardian England make these enjoyable reads. Can the reader get there before the rather arrogant yet brilliant old man. Grey cells to the fore. I did like the twist at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 1, 2020
Some time back I read the "Old Man in the Corner" by the Baroness, and have been a fan ever since. This book is a follow up on the first and it is just as good and just as clever. Her other books include Lady Molly at the Yard (which I still haven"t got my hand on) and the "Scarlet Pimpernel" which I consider a classic.
This books finds our Old Man, again solving impossible crimes whilst making fancy knots in a cafe and talking to a reporter.
Really clever plots.
This books finds our Old Man, again solving impossible crimes whilst making fancy knots in a cafe and talking to a reporter.
Really clever plots.
March 1, 2020
A nice collection of old fashion mysteries. Pretty good quality overall, but not great. This is my first book by this author (although I know her PIMPERNEL story), and like the rather unique approach of the detective being based in a teahouse. These are not terribly sophisticated stories or crimes, but their still pretty interesting most of the time, and the author's talent is pretty obvious.
I really appreciate the review copy!!
I really appreciate the review copy!!
May 1, 2020
Thankyou to NetGalley, Pushkin Press and the author, Baroness Orczy, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Unraveled Knots: The Teahouse Detective in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Such a wonderful, easy read. Perfect for those rainy days snuggled under a warm rug.
Worth a read.
Such a wonderful, easy read. Perfect for those rainy days snuggled under a warm rug.
Worth a read.
June 6, 2021
In the same line as the first two volume of the series. Although it still makes for a fun read, I was disappointed as many of the stories from this volume are just copied from the previous volumes (with just a change of the name and location).
October 21, 2021
Written in the wake of Sherlock Holmes the detective is equally eccentric and equally solipsistic. The female foil just fields occassional lines to prompt reminiscences and lacks the character development of Watson. Highly regarded though Orczy was this is very defnitely second best.
February 28, 2020
Fun old-fashioned mysteries- To put it simply, Unravelled Knots is a nice addition to the three-book series.
April 24, 2020
these were great stories and I've been enjoying the The Teahouse Detective series and I really enjoyed reading this.
May 28, 2020
I love Baroness Orczy's mysteries and these were excellent.
I was happy to read it and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I was happy to read it and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
December 6, 2021
Having read all 3 books in a row I found this last book did rehash some plot points from the previous books but apart from that I enjoyed all 3
July 14, 2024
Several of the stories in this book are the same concept as stories in the first book in this series, just with some details swapped out.
Read
July 17, 2023I really enjoyed the other books in this series. I was a little disappointed when I realized Orczy used some of the same plots in this book as in the stories in the preceding books. Overall, I enjoying this series.
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