Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery

Masters of the

Author: Curtis Evans

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-01-10

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 0786490896

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In 1972, in an attempt to elevate the stature of the "crime novel," influential crime writer and critic Julian Symons cast numerous Golden Age detective fiction writers into literary perdition as "Humdrums," condemning their focus on puzzle plots over stylish writing and explorations of character, setting and theme. This volume explores the works of three prominent British "Humdrums"--Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, and Alfred Walter Stewart--revealing their work to be more complex, as puzzles and as social documents, than Symons allowed. By championing the intrinsic merit of these mystery writers, the study demonstrates that reintegrating the "Humdrums" into mystery genre studies provides a fuller understanding of the Golden Age of detective fiction and its aftermath.


Book Synopsis Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery by : Curtis Evans

Download or read book Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery written by Curtis Evans and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1972, in an attempt to elevate the stature of the "crime novel," influential crime writer and critic Julian Symons cast numerous Golden Age detective fiction writers into literary perdition as "Humdrums," condemning their focus on puzzle plots over stylish writing and explorations of character, setting and theme. This volume explores the works of three prominent British "Humdrums"--Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, and Alfred Walter Stewart--revealing their work to be more complex, as puzzles and as social documents, than Symons allowed. By championing the intrinsic merit of these mystery writers, the study demonstrates that reintegrating the "Humdrums" into mystery genre studies provides a fuller understanding of the Golden Age of detective fiction and its aftermath.

Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery

Masters of the

Author: Curtis Evans

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2012-06-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780786470242

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In 1972, in an attempt to elevate the stature of the "crime novel," influential crime writer and critic Julian Symons cast numerous Golden Age detective fiction writers into literary perdition as "Humdrums," condemning their focus on puzzle plots over stylish writing and explorations of character, setting and theme. This volume explores the works of three prominent British "Humdrums"--Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, and Alfred Walter Stewart--revealing their work to be more complex, as puzzles and as social documents, than Symons allowed. By championing the intrinsic merit of these mystery writers, the study demonstrates that reintegrating the "Humdrums" into mystery genre studies provides a fuller understanding of the Golden Age of detective fiction and its aftermath.


Book Synopsis Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery by : Curtis Evans

Download or read book Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery written by Curtis Evans and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2012-06-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1972, in an attempt to elevate the stature of the "crime novel," influential crime writer and critic Julian Symons cast numerous Golden Age detective fiction writers into literary perdition as "Humdrums," condemning their focus on puzzle plots over stylish writing and explorations of character, setting and theme. This volume explores the works of three prominent British "Humdrums"--Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, and Alfred Walter Stewart--revealing their work to be more complex, as puzzles and as social documents, than Symons allowed. By championing the intrinsic merit of these mystery writers, the study demonstrates that reintegrating the "Humdrums" into mystery genre studies provides a fuller understanding of the Golden Age of detective fiction and its aftermath.

The Hog's Back Mystery

The Hog's Back Mystery

Author: Freeman Wills Crofts

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2015-07-07

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 1464203822

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Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder 'As pretty a piece of work as Inspector French has done... On the level of Mr Crofts' very best; which is saying something.' —Daily Telegraph Dr James Earle and his wife live in comfortable seclusion near the Hog's Back, a ridge in the North Downs in the beautiful Surrey countryside. When Dr Earle disappears from his cottage, Inspector French is called in to investigate. At first he suspects a simple domestic intrigue—and begins to uncover a web of romantic entanglements beneath the couple's peaceful rural life. The case soon takes a more complex turn. Other people vanish mysteriously, one of Dr Earle's house guests among them. What is the explanation for the disappearances? If the missing people have been murdered, what can be the motive? This fiendishly complicated puzzle is one that only Inspector French can solve. Freeman Wills Crofts was a master of the intricately and ingeniously plotted detective novel, and The Hog's Back Mystery shows him at the height of his powers. This new edition of a classic mystery is introduced by the crime fiction expert Martin Edwards.


Book Synopsis The Hog's Back Mystery by : Freeman Wills Crofts

Download or read book The Hog's Back Mystery written by Freeman Wills Crofts and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2015-07-07 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder 'As pretty a piece of work as Inspector French has done... On the level of Mr Crofts' very best; which is saying something.' —Daily Telegraph Dr James Earle and his wife live in comfortable seclusion near the Hog's Back, a ridge in the North Downs in the beautiful Surrey countryside. When Dr Earle disappears from his cottage, Inspector French is called in to investigate. At first he suspects a simple domestic intrigue—and begins to uncover a web of romantic entanglements beneath the couple's peaceful rural life. The case soon takes a more complex turn. Other people vanish mysteriously, one of Dr Earle's house guests among them. What is the explanation for the disappearances? If the missing people have been murdered, what can be the motive? This fiendishly complicated puzzle is one that only Inspector French can solve. Freeman Wills Crofts was a master of the intricately and ingeniously plotted detective novel, and The Hog's Back Mystery shows him at the height of his powers. This new edition of a classic mystery is introduced by the crime fiction expert Martin Edwards.

Crook o' Lune

Crook o' Lune

Author: E.C.R. Lorac

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Published: 2023-07-11

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1728278546

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"Effortlessly atmospheric [with] a killer likely to take most readers by surprise." — Kirkus Reviews Renowned for its authentic characters and settings based partly on the author's own experiences of life in the Lune Valley, E. C. R. Lorac's classic rural mystery returns to print for the first time since 1953. This edition includes an introduction by award-winning author Martin Edwards. "I'm minded of the way a fire spreads in dry bracken when we burn it off the fellside: tongues of flame this way and that—tis human tongues and words that's creeping like flames in brushwood." It all began up at High Gimmerdale with the sheep-stealing, a hateful act in the shepherding fells above the bend in the Lune River—the Crook o' Lune. Then came the fire at Aikengill house and with the leaping of the flames, death, disorder, and dangerous gossip came to the quiet moorlands. Visiting his friends, the Hoggetts, while searching for some farmland to buy up ahead of his retirement, Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald's trip becomes a busman's holiday when he is drawn to investigate the deadly blaze and the deep-rooted motives behind the rising spate of crimes.


Book Synopsis Crook o' Lune by : E.C.R. Lorac

Download or read book Crook o' Lune written by E.C.R. Lorac and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-07-11 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Effortlessly atmospheric [with] a killer likely to take most readers by surprise." — Kirkus Reviews Renowned for its authentic characters and settings based partly on the author's own experiences of life in the Lune Valley, E. C. R. Lorac's classic rural mystery returns to print for the first time since 1953. This edition includes an introduction by award-winning author Martin Edwards. "I'm minded of the way a fire spreads in dry bracken when we burn it off the fellside: tongues of flame this way and that—tis human tongues and words that's creeping like flames in brushwood." It all began up at High Gimmerdale with the sheep-stealing, a hateful act in the shepherding fells above the bend in the Lune River—the Crook o' Lune. Then came the fire at Aikengill house and with the leaping of the flames, death, disorder, and dangerous gossip came to the quiet moorlands. Visiting his friends, the Hoggetts, while searching for some farmland to buy up ahead of his retirement, Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald's trip becomes a busman's holiday when he is drawn to investigate the deadly blaze and the deep-rooted motives behind the rising spate of crimes.

Mystery in the Channel

Mystery in the Channel

Author: Freeman Wills Crofts

Publisher: DigiCat

Published: 2022-08-01

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13:

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DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Mystery in the Channel" by Freeman Wills Crofts. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.


Book Synopsis Mystery in the Channel by : Freeman Wills Crofts

Download or read book Mystery in the Channel written by Freeman Wills Crofts and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2022-08-01 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Mystery in the Channel" by Freeman Wills Crofts. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

The Robthorne Mystery

The Robthorne Mystery

Author: John Rhode

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2019-11-22

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 1839740760

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The Robthorne Mystery, first published in 1934, is part of the series of mysteries featuring private detective Dr. Priestley. Author John Rhode, a pen name of Cecil Street (1884-1964), was a prolific writer of mostly detective novels, publishing more than 140 books between 1924 and 1961. When one of the Robthorne twins commits suicide, there is a question over which one it is and whether it was, in fact, suicide or murder. From the dustjacket: Dr. Priestley, well-known crime investigator, is called in to solve the mysterious death of Mr. Robthorne, who has been found shot in the greenhouse of his country estate. A chain of damning evidence that Dr. Priestley pieces so successfully together forms one of the finest examples of crime detection that Mr. John Rhode has yet produced.


Book Synopsis The Robthorne Mystery by : John Rhode

Download or read book The Robthorne Mystery written by John Rhode and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2019-11-22 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Robthorne Mystery, first published in 1934, is part of the series of mysteries featuring private detective Dr. Priestley. Author John Rhode, a pen name of Cecil Street (1884-1964), was a prolific writer of mostly detective novels, publishing more than 140 books between 1924 and 1961. When one of the Robthorne twins commits suicide, there is a question over which one it is and whether it was, in fact, suicide or murder. From the dustjacket: Dr. Priestley, well-known crime investigator, is called in to solve the mysterious death of Mr. Robthorne, who has been found shot in the greenhouse of his country estate. A chain of damning evidence that Dr. Priestley pieces so successfully together forms one of the finest examples of crime detection that Mr. John Rhode has yet produced.

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas

Author: Stephanie Barron

Publisher: Soho Press

Published: 2014-10-28

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1616954248

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Jane Austen turns sleuth in this delightful murder mystery set over the twelve days of a Regency-Era Christmas party. Christmas Eve, 1814: Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holiday with family and friends at The Vyne, the gorgeous ancestral home of the wealthy and politically prominent Chute family. As the year fades and friends begin to gather beneath the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Mansfield Park is selling nicely; Napoleon has been banished to Elba; British forces have seized Washington, DC; and on Christmas Eve, John Quincy Adams signs the Treaty of Ghent, which will end a war nobody in England really wanted. Jane, however, discovers holiday cheer is fleeting. One of the Yuletide revelers dies in a tragic accident, which Jane immediately views with suspicion. If the accident was in fact murder, the killer is one of Jane’s fellow snow-bound guests. With clues scattered amidst cleverly crafted charades, dark secrets coming to light during parlor games, and old friendships returning to haunt the Christmas parties, whom can Jane trust to help her discover the truth and stop the killer from striking again?


Book Synopsis Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by : Stephanie Barron

Download or read book Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas written by Stephanie Barron and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2014-10-28 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jane Austen turns sleuth in this delightful murder mystery set over the twelve days of a Regency-Era Christmas party. Christmas Eve, 1814: Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holiday with family and friends at The Vyne, the gorgeous ancestral home of the wealthy and politically prominent Chute family. As the year fades and friends begin to gather beneath the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Mansfield Park is selling nicely; Napoleon has been banished to Elba; British forces have seized Washington, DC; and on Christmas Eve, John Quincy Adams signs the Treaty of Ghent, which will end a war nobody in England really wanted. Jane, however, discovers holiday cheer is fleeting. One of the Yuletide revelers dies in a tragic accident, which Jane immediately views with suspicion. If the accident was in fact murder, the killer is one of Jane’s fellow snow-bound guests. With clues scattered amidst cleverly crafted charades, dark secrets coming to light during parlor games, and old friendships returning to haunt the Christmas parties, whom can Jane trust to help her discover the truth and stop the killer from striking again?

Murder in the Closet

Murder in the Closet

Author: Curtis Evans

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2017-01-11

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1476626332

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Before the 1969 Stonewall Riots, LGBTQ life was dominated by the negative image of "the closet"--the metaphorical space where that which was deemed "queer" was hidden from a hostile public view. Literary studies of queer themes and characters in crime fiction have tended to focus on the more positive and explicit representations since the riots, while pre-Stonewall works are thought to reference queer only negatively or obliquely. This collection of new essays questions that view with an investigation of queer aspects in crime fiction published over eight decades, from the corseted Victorian era to the unbuttoned 1960s.


Book Synopsis Murder in the Closet by : Curtis Evans

Download or read book Murder in the Closet written by Curtis Evans and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2017-01-11 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before the 1969 Stonewall Riots, LGBTQ life was dominated by the negative image of "the closet"--the metaphorical space where that which was deemed "queer" was hidden from a hostile public view. Literary studies of queer themes and characters in crime fiction have tended to focus on the more positive and explicit representations since the riots, while pre-Stonewall works are thought to reference queer only negatively or obliquely. This collection of new essays questions that view with an investigation of queer aspects in crime fiction published over eight decades, from the corseted Victorian era to the unbuttoned 1960s.

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

Author: Fergus Hume

Publisher: LA CASE Books

Published: 2022-08-28

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13:

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A new edition of the classic work of nineteenth century mystery fiction, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, by Fergus Hume (1859-1932). Originally published in 1886, and set in Victorian-era Melbourne, Australia, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is the story of a mysterious body discovered in a hansom cab. The ensuing homicide investigation, led by our protagonist Detective Gorby, draws us into the long buried secrets of the rich and influential Frettlby family and the class struggles that divide the rich and poor in Victorian-era Melbourne, Australia. A lively and engaging novel, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is still a sensational read for lovers of mysteries stories, and is also a must-read for fans of the genre as a pivotal example of the evolution of the genre from sensationalist crime literature to complex detective thrillers. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab was Australia's first international bestselling novel and remains one of the bestselling detective novels of the 19th century. Published one year prior to Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study In Scarlet, it was ground-breaking and genre-defining, and in fact old-sold this first of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels.


Book Synopsis The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by : Fergus Hume

Download or read book The Mystery of a Hansom Cab written by Fergus Hume and published by LA CASE Books. This book was released on 2022-08-28 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new edition of the classic work of nineteenth century mystery fiction, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, by Fergus Hume (1859-1932). Originally published in 1886, and set in Victorian-era Melbourne, Australia, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is the story of a mysterious body discovered in a hansom cab. The ensuing homicide investigation, led by our protagonist Detective Gorby, draws us into the long buried secrets of the rich and influential Frettlby family and the class struggles that divide the rich and poor in Victorian-era Melbourne, Australia. A lively and engaging novel, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is still a sensational read for lovers of mysteries stories, and is also a must-read for fans of the genre as a pivotal example of the evolution of the genre from sensationalist crime literature to complex detective thrillers. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab was Australia's first international bestselling novel and remains one of the bestselling detective novels of the 19th century. Published one year prior to Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study In Scarlet, it was ground-breaking and genre-defining, and in fact old-sold this first of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels.

Murder in the maze

Murder in the maze

Author: J. J. Connington

Publisher: BEYOND BOOKS HUB

Published: 2023-08-16

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13:

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The likeness between the twins went even deeper than the surface. Both owed their success in life to a certain hardness of character coupled with an abundance of energy. Neville, going to the Bar, had made himself feared from the first as a brutal and domineering cross-examiner; and his criminal practice had done little to soften his professional manners. Roger’s rise to prosperity had been more mysterious. It was vaguely known that he had made money in South Africa and South America; but the exact methods which had led to his fortune were never discussed by him. He had come home at the age of forty-five to find his brother one of the leading lights of the Bar. The purchase of the little Whistlefield estate had followed, and Roger had apparently been content to settle down in the countryside and make a clean break with the interests of his past...FROM THE BOOKS.


Book Synopsis Murder in the maze by : J. J. Connington

Download or read book Murder in the maze written by J. J. Connington and published by BEYOND BOOKS HUB. This book was released on 2023-08-16 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The likeness between the twins went even deeper than the surface. Both owed their success in life to a certain hardness of character coupled with an abundance of energy. Neville, going to the Bar, had made himself feared from the first as a brutal and domineering cross-examiner; and his criminal practice had done little to soften his professional manners. Roger’s rise to prosperity had been more mysterious. It was vaguely known that he had made money in South Africa and South America; but the exact methods which had led to his fortune were never discussed by him. He had come home at the age of forty-five to find his brother one of the leading lights of the Bar. The purchase of the little Whistlefield estate had followed, and Roger had apparently been content to settle down in the countryside and make a clean break with the interests of his past...FROM THE BOOKS.