Detection by Gaslight (Dover Thrift Editions)

Rating:
Summary: Eclectic Collection
Review: Editor Douglas Greene has gathered an eclectic set of Victorian mysteries that is sure to please fans of Victorian literature. Many of these authors are long out of print, and there were several with whom I was completely unfamiliar.

There were of course, stories by Doyle, Orczy and Chesterton to represent the more traditional favorites--Chesterton's "The Eye of Apollo" is especially excellent. Several of the other stories were surprisingly deep and well-written, though there were also a few truly dreadfully written stories, that were quite popular in their day, and reading them was fun in a different way. (I'll not give my opinion as to which stories were which, so as not to influence other readers.)

Overall, this is an excellent set of Victorian stories, giving a wide range of styles and tastes, with a short biography of the author at the start of the story. For anyone who enjoys Victorian lit, these stories (especially the lesser known gems among them) will make a wonderful read.

Rating:
Summary: Superlative collection
Review: Having spent years combing the used bookstores from Maine to Florida for Victorian era detective fiction, I can vouch for the superlative quality of this collection. You would probably have to time-travel in order to find so many intriguing stories all in one place-including a rare gem by R. Austin Freeman which apparently has never been published before in the United States. The editor is Edgar award-winning author Douglas G. Greene, considered by many the foremost authority on classic detective fiction today. The introductory essay alone is worth the price of the book. Thanks again, Dover-and thanks again, Douglas Greene.

Rating:
Summary: Jolly Good Mysteries from Jolly Old England
Review: Sherlock Holmes stands as the paramount Victorian era fictional detective. Indeed, he serves as the standard by which to judge all detective fiction. Douglas Greene includes "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" as the representative Holmes story. A young lady, much in need of work as a governess, comes to Holmes for his advice on whether to take a position with a rather disagreeable gentleman. Holmes senses danger, but the offer of a fabulous salary defeats any misgivings. Holmes and Watson must later spring to the aid of the damsel in distress, and the reader encounters a surprise or two as the climax unfolds.

When Holmes and Moriarty went over the Reichenbach falls, Arthur Morrison sprang into the breach with Martin Hewitt, an amateur detective who enjoyed a better relationship with Scotland Yard than Holmes ever did. In "The Case of the Lost Foreigner," Hewitt and his adoring biographer unravel a mystery reminiscent of (but not nearly as mysterious as) the mysteries confronted by Holmes and Watson

Move over V.I. Warshawski, Loveday Brooke, lady detective solves a corker of a mystery in "The Ghost of Fountain Lane," a story in which modern readers will find themselves at a disadvantage. Some of the clues depend on knowledge of turn-of-the-century religious practices.

We also find a Rudyard Kipling opus, "The Return of Imray," a mystery solved more by accident than design.

Kalad Persa, a Hindu mystic who sits smoking a hooka in the back room of a London detective agency, solves mysteries by divination. In "The Divination of the Zagury Capsules," he listens at a peep hole as the client tells her story and then tells the leg man what to do to solve the mystery. It reminded me somewhat of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Although Persa's directions come trapped in mysticism, it's easy (at least by 20/20 hindsight) to see the chain of logical deduction that leads to the "divination."

Baroness Orczy, the creator of the Scarlet Pimpernell, also created the Old Man in the Corner. In "The York Mystery" the Old Man sits in his Corner at the restaurant and solves the conundrum of a scandalous murder merely from reading the newspaper accounts. The working out of the murderer's identity is a nice piece of deductive and inductive reasoning.

In "The Haverstock Hill Murder," Dorcas Dene, another lady detective, undertakes to clear a man arrested for murder on seemingly conclusive evidence. The task seems hopeless, but . . .

Dr. John Thorndyke has the honor of being probably the first truly scientific detective. In "The Dead Hand" he uses his knowledge of marine biology and marine geography to prove up a murder and capture the criminal. The plotline is a "Columbo" style inverted mystery in which we watch the villain perpetrate the seemingly perfect crime. Then Dr. Thorndyke goes to work and unravels the Gordian Knot. This has to be the best story of the lot.

Miss Florence Cusack, the foremost lady detective in Victorian England, solves the case of "Mr. Bovey's Unexpected Will" and finds his hidden legacy in a quite unexpected place.

"A Perverted Genius" presents a caper story in which the reader ought to easily discern the bad guy far ahead of the constabulary, but what happens next is quite paradoxical.

G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown, of all the detectives except Holmes, is the one a modern reader will most likely have heard of. In "The Eye of Apollo," Father Brown deductively solves an ingenious murder, but the case would never stand up in court. How can the villain be foiled and justice prevail? Read the story. Interestingly, Father Brown has a sidekick. He's a Scotland Yard detective named Hercule Flambeau! Now where have I heard a name like that before?

"The Purple Emperor" may be the only murder story where the central characters are butterfly collectors and a knowledge of butterflies is essential to solving the mystery.

Jacques Futrelle created "The Thinking Machine," an armchair detective whose deductive powers exceeded those of Mycroft Holmes. Futrelle's story, "The Tragedy of the Life Raft," is the last Thinking Machine story, written shortly before Futrelle's death on the Titanic.

One of the big mysteries of this collection is how "The Story of Baelbrow" got included. It's a ghost story, and not a very god one. The one sour note in the book.

Rating:
Summary: Jolly Good Mysteries from Jolly Old England
Review: Sherlock Holmes stands as the paramount Victorian era fictional detective. Indeed, he serves as the standard by which to judge all detective fiction. Douglas Greene includes "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" as the representative Holmes story. A young lady, much in need of work as a governess, comes to Holmes for his advice on whether to take a position with a rather disagreeable gentleman. Holmes senses danger, but the offer of a fabulous salary defeats any misgivings. Holmes and Watson must later spring to the aid of the damsel in distress, and the reader encounters a surprise or two as the climax unfolds.

When Holmes and Moriarty went over the Reichenbach falls, Arthur Morrison sprang into the breach with Martin Hewitt, an amateur detective who enjoyed a better relationship with Scotland Yard than Holmes ever did. In "The Case of the Lost Foreigner," Hewitt and his adoring biographer unravel a mystery reminiscent of (but not nearly as mysterious as) the mysteries confronted by Holmes and Watson

Move over V.I. Warshawski, Loveday Brooke, lady detective solves a corker of a mystery in "The Ghost of Fountain Lane," a story in which modern readers will find themselves at a disadvantage. Some of the clues depend on knowledge of turn-of-the-century religious practices.

We also find a Rudyard Kipling opus, "The Return of Imray," a mystery solved more by accident than design.

Kalad Persa, a Hindu mystic who sits smoking a hooka in the back room of a London detective agency, solves mysteries by divination. In "The Divination of the Zagury Capsules," he listens at a peep hole as the client tells her story and then tells the leg man what to do to solve the mystery. It reminded me somewhat of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Although Persa's directions come trapped in mysticism, it's easy (at least by 20/20 hindsight) to see the chain of logical deduction that leads to the "divination."

Baroness Orczy, the creator of the Scarlet Pimpernell, also created the Old Man in the Corner. In "The York Mystery" the Old Man sits in his Corner at the restaurant and solves the conundrum of a scandalous murder merely from reading the newspaper accounts. The working out of the murderer's identity is a nice piece of deductive and inductive reasoning.

In "The Haverstock Hill Murder," Dorcas Dene, another lady detective, undertakes to clear a man arrested for murder on seemingly conclusive evidence. The task seems hopeless, but . . .

Dr. John Thorndyke has the honor of being probably the first truly scientific detective. In "The Dead Hand" he uses his knowledge of marine biology and marine geography to prove up a murder and capture the criminal. The plotline is a "Columbo" style inverted mystery in which we watch the villain perpetrate the seemingly perfect crime. Then Dr. Thorndyke goes to work and unravels the Gordian Knot. This has to be the best story of the lot.

Miss Florence Cusack, the foremost lady detective in Victorian England, solves the case of "Mr. Bovey's Unexpected Will" and finds his hidden legacy in a quite unexpected place.

"A Perverted Genius" presents a caper story in which the reader ought to easily discern the bad guy far ahead of the constabulary, but what happens next is quite paradoxical.

G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown, of all the detectives except Holmes, is the one a modern reader will most likely have heard of. In "The Eye of Apollo," Father Brown deductively solves an ingenious murder, but the case would never stand up in court. How can the villain be foiled and justice prevail? Read the story. Interestingly, Father Brown has a sidekick. He's a Scotland Yard detective named Hercule Flambeau! Now where have I heard a name like that before?

"The Purple Emperor" may be the only murder story where the central characters are butterfly collectors and a knowledge of butterflies is essential to solving the mystery.

Jacques Futrelle created "The Thinking Machine," an armchair detective whose deductive powers exceeded those of Mycroft Holmes. Futrelle's story, "The Tragedy of the Life Raft," is the last Thinking Machine story, written shortly before Futrelle's death on the Titanic.

One of the big mysteries of this collection is how "The Story of Baelbrow" got included. It's a ghost story, and not a very god one. The one sour note in the book.

Rating:
Summary: There's always only one Holmes.
Review: This is an anthology of detective stories in Victorian era, when Holmes and Watson were actively investigating. However, Holmes fans will still be rather disappointed because most are featuring rather commonplace detectives showing off in front of the dumb. Nevertheless, there is still some intelligence in the detectives, which is rarely found in their modern world collegues.