Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery

Masters of the Author: Curtis Evans
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 9780786470242
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
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
ISBN: 9780786470242
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
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
ISBN: 0786490896
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 310

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Book Description
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 PDF Author: Freeman Wills Crofts
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464203822
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
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 PDF Author: E. C. R. Lorac
Publisher: Rare Treasure Editions
ISBN: 1774647818
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
While visiting friends in Lancashire, and looking for a property to settle down in when he retires from Scotland Yard, MacDonald agrees to lend his assistance to investigate some sheep-stealing. Before long he is drawn into a case involving arson, blackmail and attempted murder.

Miss Silver Comes to Stay

Miss Silver Comes to Stay PDF Author: Patricia Wentworth
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1453223770
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 361

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Book Description
Governess-turned-sleuth Miss Silver, who “has her place in detective fiction as surely as Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot,” visits a small village hiding big secrets (Manchester Evening News). The citizens of Melling are perfectly ordinary. Some might even consider them boring, but not Miss Maud Silver. It’s been some years since she gave up work as a governess to become a detective, and her fascination with people has served her well during that time. Now, she’s come to Melling to pay a long-postponed visit to an old school chum—but Miss Silver’s vacations never last long. The town’s prodigal son has returned, wealthy and not exactly nostalgic for his hometown. He intends to sell his manor house and be done with Melling forever. But this cozy English hamlet hasn’t finished with him yet . . .

The Robthorne Mystery

The Robthorne Mystery PDF Author: John Rhode
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN: 1839740760
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
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.

Old World Murder

Old World Murder PDF Author: Kathleen Ernst
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN: 0738720879
Category : Antiquities
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
Chloe Ellefson, starting fresh as curator of Old World Wisconsin, finds herself in the middle of a mystery when a woman looking for a priceless eighteenth-century Norwegian ale bowl dies in a mysterious car crash and Chloe beings to realize that someone is trying to erase all traces of the bowl's existence.

Mystery in the Channel

Mystery in the Channel PDF Author: Freeman Wills Crofts
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
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 Riddle of the Third Mile

The Riddle of the Third Mile PDF Author: Colin Dexter
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 0330504142
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
The Riddle of the Third Mile is the sixth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series. As portrayed by John Thaw in ITV's Inspector Morse. The thought suddenly occurred to Morse that this would be a marvellous time to murder a few of the doddery old bachelor dons. No wives to worry about their whereabouts; no landladies to whine about the unpaid rents. In fact, nobody would miss most of them at all. . . Dr Browne-Smith passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody has heard from him since. By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale is concerned, but not yet worried. Plenty of time to disappear, think Chief Inspector Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder . . . As bodies begin to pile, Morse sets out on a journey through intricate and complicated history, from World War Two Egypt to present-day London, in search of answers. The Riddle of the Third Mile is followed by the seventh Inspector Morse book, The Secret of Annexe 3.

The Venner Crime

The Venner Crime PDF Author: John Rhode
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504072790
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
The “astute and sharp-spoken” crime-solving professor must find out if a missing man got away with murder (The New York Times). After some initial suspicion, the death of Ernest Venner’s wealthy uncle was attributed to natural causes—a simple infection. But Dr. Lancelot Priestley and his crime-solving companions find it intriguing, to say the least, that as soon as Venner collected his much-needed inheritance, he vanished into the wind. Digging into the disappearance, though, will lead Priestley to some dangerous places, in this suspenseful Golden Age mystery featuring the scientifically minded sleuth . . .