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Anthony Bathurst #14
The League of Matthias: An Anthony Bathurst Mystery
The doctors who performed the post-mortem on his body came to the opinion that his veins had been opened by jagged glass. There was little doubt that this opinion was sound.
Lance Maturin has been travelling across Europe for a few months and finds himself in an Antwerp nightclub. He is mesmerised by one of the dancers and when she passes a note to him, pleading for help, he is drawn into a web of danger and intrigue.
She asks him to protect her from the sinister De Verviac, a violent man obsessed with her. But Maturin is not the only Englishman in the area that evening - Inspector Rawlinson and Anthony Bathurst are there, trailing two missing individuals and the sinister League of Matthias. Before the evening is out, one of them will be dead - and the League of Matthias will strike again . . .
In a multi-narrated tale, we see how the two stories dovetail. Thrills and misdirection ensue, as we learn the truth about the League of Matthias.
The League of Matthias was first published in 1934. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.
Lance Maturin has been travelling across Europe for a few months and finds himself in an Antwerp nightclub. He is mesmerised by one of the dancers and when she passes a note to him, pleading for help, he is drawn into a web of danger and intrigue.
She asks him to protect her from the sinister De Verviac, a violent man obsessed with her. But Maturin is not the only Englishman in the area that evening - Inspector Rawlinson and Anthony Bathurst are there, trailing two missing individuals and the sinister League of Matthias. Before the evening is out, one of them will be dead - and the League of Matthias will strike again . . .
In a multi-narrated tale, we see how the two stories dovetail. Thrills and misdirection ensue, as we learn the truth about the League of Matthias.
The League of Matthias was first published in 1934. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.
- GenresMystery
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2020
14 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Brian Flynn
102 books26 followers"Brian Flynn, English author and an accountant in government service, a lecturer in elocution and speech, an amateur actor. He wrote about 50 novels, mostly for the library market. His serial character is Anthony Bathurst." - fantasticfiction.com
Also wrote under the pseudonym Charles Wogan.
Also wrote under the pseudonym Charles Wogan.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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October 8, 2020Well that was weird. A kind of mash up of sicko pulp thriller, classic murder mystery, silly-ass gentleman detective and sordid (by 1930s standards) sexual depravity book only with no sexual depravity. Convoluted plot ends up reading like the author had a truly fabulous idea (the League itself) and was casting around for how to make it work in a detective novel; cannot say he pulled it off.
December 12, 2021
1934 was a bumper year for Brian Flynn books, this being one of three Bathursts which were published then, and for me it was the most straightforward and least strange.
A hefty dollop of romance, lots of murders, the Secret Service and a mysterious and criminous League, all feature, with effective and atmospheric settings in England and Belgium. ALB does not figure much, although he narrates a few of the chapters
The ending is poignant, and on the way to it there are a few nice pieces of deception and misdirection.
Overall I enjoyed this very much, although it was, perhaps, more an adventure/thriller than a novel of detection, despite some puzzly elements.
3.5 stars.
A hefty dollop of romance, lots of murders, the Secret Service and a mysterious and criminous League, all feature, with effective and atmospheric settings in England and Belgium. ALB does not figure much, although he narrates a few of the chapters
The ending is poignant, and on the way to it there are a few nice pieces of deception and misdirection.
Overall I enjoyed this very much, although it was, perhaps, more an adventure/thriller than a novel of detection, despite some puzzly elements.
3.5 stars.
March 5, 2026
Rating 3
This was more of a thriller than a mystery I thought.
For the period it was published it must have been pushing at the boundaries of what would be seen in a mainstream thriller/mystery series.
For me it felt a tad all over the place tbh. None of the characters really interested me and thinking about it now I might have liked it more without Bathurst appearing at all and the author had written a standalone novel.
Am in two minds about continuing with this series as so far none have really wowed me, majority have been okay but don’t really get on with the series characters.
This was more of a thriller than a mystery I thought.
For the period it was published it must have been pushing at the boundaries of what would be seen in a mainstream thriller/mystery series.
For me it felt a tad all over the place tbh. None of the characters really interested me and thinking about it now I might have liked it more without Bathurst appearing at all and the author had written a standalone novel.
Am in two minds about continuing with this series as so far none have really wowed me, majority have been okay but don’t really get on with the series characters.
November 1, 2020
No Spoilers
Chapters are “recorded” by this character or that - the story drew me quickly towards the reveals & the conclusion.
Chapters are “recorded” by this character or that - the story drew me quickly towards the reveals & the conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews