Bøker av Brian Flynn

Elisabeth slept! It is perhaps a matter for wonderment that her sleep was untroubled. For-had she but known it-she was so close to Terror and Tragedy! So close to Death and deaths-so close to the menace of `Mr Levi'!Mr Medlicott, a solicitor, heads to the country home of his old friend and client Sir John Wynward, to spend Christmas with Sir John's family and friends. But after a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas for all apart from Medlicott himself, Sir John dies on Boxing Night, sitting at his desk in his study-to all appearances, a heart attack.But natural death is out of the question when both Medlicott and Gooch, the chauffeur, are found murdered. What was Medlicott so afraid of? What did Gooch know that got him killed? Who is the mysterious "e;Mr Levi"e;, who sent notes to the victims demanding "e;the diamond"e;?Exit Sir John was first published in 1947. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.

"e;A dead man in my car? But how can that be? Do you mean somebody-er-that was taken ill or something?"e;"e;No, sir. The dead man in your car was murdered."e;When Richard Langley entered the town of Angel, he encountered the unexpected. He never expected to meet Priscilla Schofield. He never expected to be asked to deliver her kitten Ahaseurus to Priscilla's father. And he never expected to stumble into the wrong house and come face to face with a gang of criminals.Soon, Langley finds himself looking over his shoulder for enemies in the shadows and then a body turns up in his car . . . But it is only when Langley himself disappears that Priscilla decides she needs to summon some help-help in the form of Anthony Lotherington Bathurst.Conspiracy at Angel was first published in 1947. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.

"e;She came to me for help, Andrew, and I failed her. I failed her living, but I promise to God I won't fail her dead!"e;Richard Arbuthnot is convinced that a crime will be committed. The odd behaviour of a man who shares his train to work in Kingsley raises suspicions-suspicions which soon drive Artbuthnot to contact detective Anthony Bathurst.The next day, Bathurst is approached by Kathleen Regan to investigate the disappearance of her artist brother. When Bathurst discovers that Regan also lives in Kingsley, it seems that trouble is afoot in that parish.The Grim Maiden was first published in 1944. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;What I smelt and what you smelt, Constable Wragg, was burning flesh!"e;William Norman dies of shock after being burnt by hot coals. The Mallett constabulary first look for a motive amongst his fellow farmers. But when a second murder occurs by poisoning, and a third by drowning, it appears this is no farming dispute but the work of a serial killer stalking the streets.With no indication of where the killer is going to strike next, Anthony Bathurst and Scotland Yard are initially at a complete loss. Are the killings random or are they following an unseen pattern? And how many more bodies will be needed to complete that pattern?Reverse the Charges was first published in 2019. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;It has been evident to me for some time that this country, the Empire and all that you and I hold dear are in deadly peril."e;Mrs. Warren Clinton, the American millionaire, summons nine talented individuals to the Royal Sceptre Hotel. Her stated purpose-to save the British Empire. Through a series of fiendish intellectual tests, she whittles the numbers down to two-only for the chosen pair to be found murdered, and for Mrs. Clinton to have vanished without trace.Faced with the possibility of an international conspiracy, rooted in Nazi Germany, Anthony Bathurst finds himself challenged as never before. Are all of the guests invited to the hotel exactly whom they appear to be? Who can be trusted-and who is a ruthless murderer?Glittering Prizes was first published in 1942. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;I believe those men were murdered just as clearly as if they had been stabbed to the heart with a knife. The only sign that they bore was a dull red mark . . . behind the ears."e;Six men meet at the vicarage of St Crayle one evening to tell each other ghost stories. In particular, it is Martin Burke's tale, one of a homicidal chimera in India, that chills his audience to the bone. Burke believes that the events in the story might be a demonstration of pure evil.This is soon revealed to be a prophecy of sorts, when one of the men disappears that very night, walking home across Constanton Moor. His body is found a week later, without a mark on him, save a look of sheer terror on his face - and a dull red mark behind his ear.Cold Evil was first published in 1938. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;Tell me, Doctor, could the wound have been made by the antlers of an angry stag?"e;With Scotland Yard overstretched, Anthony Bathurst is recruited to investigate the death of seventy-three year old Robert Forsyth in the village of Upchalke. Forsyth had been brutally attacked in his home and stabbed through the chest with an unknown weapon.As suspicions form that Forsyth was not who he claimed to be, Bathurst is troubled by a particular detail of the case. Why was a model of a stag, carved from ebony, carefully placed next to the corpse - and then smashed to pieces?The Ebony Stag was first published in 1938. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

The moment they entered, Anthony pointed to the floor and to a hand that protruded from beneath the bed.Dr. Traquair is determined that either he or his wife should die. He decides to allow her to cut a deck of cards to see who will shoot whom - highest card wins.As the winner of this deadly duel, Traquair takes flight, desperate to elude capture for his crime. Super-sleuth Anthony Bathurst takes up the chase, but it seems that, this time, he may be matching wits with someone just as crafty as he is. And when more corpses turn up, it looks as though the adversary might be far more ruthless than even Bathurst could have anticipated.Black Edged was first published in 1939. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;Before she could finish what she wanted to say, she just gasped once or twice and died there in my arms."e;Nothing seems amiss at the Hillier family dinner party but the very next morning Jacqueline Hillier is found dying in her car. Her clothes are dirty and torn, her face bruised, but it was an overdose of chloral hydrate which took her life. Nobody knows where she might have gone . . . and nobody knows why, after her funeral, her grave is covered in violets.Anthony Bathurst, a guest at the local hostelry, is intrigued by the case, officially ruled as a suicide. Acting unofficially, outside of the police investigation, his resources are limited, yet he will need to move swiftly-Death is far from done with the Hillier family.The Case of the Faithful Heart was first published in 1939. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;I cannot tell you of your future - because there is no future for you."e;Three remarkable things happen to Aubrey Coventry in one day. First, he is contacted by Wall Street financier Silas Montgomery with a lucrative business proposition - although Montgomery insists on meeting him at two a.m. the following day. Second, at a village garden party, a fortune teller cannot read his future, as he does not have one. And thirdly, a shabbily-dressed man reacts with a vicious snarl when simply asked for a light.The fortune teller is proven correct when Coventry is found dead in his office the next morning. Private Detective Anthony Bathurst finds himself on the trail of the snarling man, reported to have been following Coventry in the night. To unmask the culprit, however, Bathurst is going to need help from some very special friends . . .The Case of the Painted Ladies was first published in 1940. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;I don't like any of it. He's either being prevented from going home by force . . . or else he'll never go home again."e;'Lefty' Donovan, a boxer, leaves home after receiving a mysterious offer that seems too good to be true-and is never seen again. His wife, Flora, approaches Anthony Bathurst to look for her husband, but he fears the worst, especially when he discovers another fighter who had vanished in identical circumstances weeks earlier.As time ticks down to a crucial bout, a body is found, suffering from terrible clawed lacerations, with a mysterious footprint nearby. The work of a mythical beast? The truth is that Bathurst finds himself up against an enemy even more monstrous . . .They Never Came Back was first published in 1940. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

"e;Murder? Is that how you see it? Well-I don't! Justifiable homicide more like it!"e;Hubert Grant is a fairly unpleasant man. He also thinks he is happily married.Dorothy Grant despises her husband but finds consolation in the handsome Laurence Weston. In order for the lovers to be happy, however, the intolerable Hubert needs to be cut out of the picture. Permanently.Dorothy and Laurence start plotting. But the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley and by the end of the scheming, there will be more than one body. Enter detective extraordinaire Anthony Bathurst . . .Such Bright Disguises was first published in 1941. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.

I never thought it would fall to my lot to write what is popularly known as a ';thriller', but Lois insists that I am the right person to do it and when Lois sets her mind on anythingYoung Cecilia Cameron takes up reins as narrator in one of Brian Flynn's most diabolical and surprising mysteries. Cecilia isn't expecting to become embroiled in the secret of the doggerel cryptogram, still less the horror that hangs over a little corner of Sussex. When Anthony Bathurst arrives to investigate, she will discover the real meaning of the tiny blood-smear near the body of the late colonel. . . . Only Bathurst's extraordinary knowledge of the career of the immortal Sherlock Holmes will enable him to succeed in his investigations.The most exacting thrill-seeker will happily travel hand in hand with Anthony and Cecilia along this trail of clues and just may eventually help put a name to the guilty party.The Triple Bite was originally published in 1931. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.

';As you seem to be indicating a spot of murderwelllet's have the facts.'Major Daniel Wyatt gathers a group of six people together in the back room of a London restaurant. All are acquainted with Andre de Ravenac a known blackmailer, but most probably also a serial murderer. He is currently threatening to destroy the life of a woman they all care for. Hence a plan is hatched to assassinate De Ravenac at a masked ball and once all of the men agree, lots are drawn. Each is assigned a random role in the plan as they are all of roughly the same build and will be wearing masks, nobody will know which of them is the man who carries out the fatal blow . . .The Orange Axe, the ninth Anthony Bathurst mystery, was originally published in 1931. This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.

';Education's like murder. It will out.'Anthony Bathurst drops into a Glebeshire church and when it transpires that the vicar is acquainted with the medical examiner on a case of murder, Bathurst is hooked. He is soon on the trail of a most bizarre murderer. Who could have slain the slightly mysterious, yet quite unsuspicious, man on the top of a local bus? Bathurst assembles a band of helpers, with the reluctant help of Inspector Curgenven, to get to the bottom of a most perplexing case. And the vicar himself helps narrate the story of what is a seemingly impossible crime.Murder en Route was originally published in 1930. This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.

';So great was the force of the blow, it would have been impossible for the victim to have lived more than a few seconds.'The stately homes of England are under threat from the seemingly untouchable jewel-thief ';Creeping Jenny'. After the latest burglary, Inspector Baddeley suspects the country-house home of Henry Mordaunt might be the next target.Mordaunt is hosting a party to celebrate the engagement of his daughter, when her fiance intends to hand over a priceless gem as a gift. But murder unexpectedly strikes, and Mordaunt relies on Baddeley to unmask the culprit. Can he cope without the help of super-sleuth Anthony Bathurst, and his redoubtable sidekick Peter Daventry?The Creeping Jenny Mystery was originally published in 1929. This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.

Its favourite afternoon pastime was murder, and its favourite evening occupation was the same, only a trifle more so.Anthony Bathurst reaches Swallowcliffe Hall, summoned by Constance Whittaker, to protect her husband, Major Whittaker, from an unnamed threat. Bathurst enlists his friend Peter Daventry, a crack shot and good in a fight.One of the household suddenly drops dead, despite no one being anywhere near him. When poison is revealed to be the method of execution, Bathurst finds himself asking how someone can poison from a distance, or whether there is quite another solution to this fiendish mystery . . .Invisible Death was originally published in 1929. This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.';An excellent tale' Northern Whig';The compulsion of the Ancient Mariner' Dundee Courier

';Hard luck to be murdered just after your horse has won the Derby! Don't you think so, Doctor?'Julius Maitland, the millionaire horse trainer is excited about his horse's chance to win the Derby. His wife's horse is also strongly fancied. In a neck and neck finish, Maitland's horse takes the race, his wife's in second.In a national sensation, the winner is disqualified. A telephone call the day after the race summons the police to a house where Maitland's murdered body is found and he has been dead for at least two days. When Sir Austin Kemble, Commissioner of Police is asked to investigate, he immediately summons his friend Anthony Bathurst. But can Bathurst make sense of a case when the stakes are this high?The Five Red Fingers was originally published in 1929. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.';Undeniably exciting and mysterious' Bystander';The detective interest and the sporting interest are skilfully interwoven.' Northern Whig';A well-told tale of crime and detection' Aberdeen Press and Journal

';This is not suicide, gentlemen. This is murder! Cold-blooded murder! The sooner we get the police here and find Sir Eustace Vernon, the better!'Christmas Eve at Vernon House is in full swing. Sir Eustace's nearest and dearest, and the great and the good of Mapleton, are all there. But the season of comfort and joy doesn't run true to form. Before the night is out, Sir Eustace has disappeared and his butler, Purvis, lies dead, poisoned, with a threatening message in his pocket. Or is it her pocket?That same evening, Police Commissioner Sir Austin Kemble and investigator Anthony Bathurst are out for a drive. They come across an abandoned car at a railway crossing, and find a body Sir Eustace Vernon, plus two extraordinary additions. One, a bullet hole in the back of his head. Two, a red bon-bon in his pocket with a threatening message attached.The Murders near Mapleton was originally published in 1929. This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.

';Mr. Laurence P. Stewart was murdered last night in his library. He was found with his skull battered in!'Peter Daventry, a young lawyer, receives instructions from a rich client to purchase three valuable artefacts once belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots. It's a singular request, with no limit on the money to be paid at the auction. But the day after Daventry inspects the items, they are stolen from the auction house and a security guard is found horribly murdered.The next morning, Daventry and his colleagues are startled to discover that the client, miles away at his country house, has also been slain in a room locked from the inside. Faced with such a dilemma, there's only one thing that can be done call for Anthony Bathurst, detective extraordinaire.The Case of the Black Twenty-Two was originally published in 1928. This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.';Convincingly detailed' Birmingham Gazette';A skilful piece of work' Bystander';An exciting murder mystery' Daily Whig';A fine yarn, splendidly told' Western Mail';There is a realism and directness about this mystery story that ranks it among the best' Dundee Courier

I was awakened by a piercing scream that echoed and re-echoed through the house. It came from the floor below!';Murder! Murder! Help! Help! Murder!'The setting is Considine Manor in Sussex, where Sir Charles is holding his annual Cricket Week. But the house-party is marred by the discovery of a dead body in the billiard room, not to mention the fact that Lady Considine's pearls have been stolen. Can Inspector Baddeley catch the criminal, or will it take the super-sleuth Anthony Lotherington Bathurst to discover the diabolical truth?The Billiard-Room Mystery was originally published in 1927. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Steve Barge.';A classic of its type' Nottingham Herald';A very good yarn . . . off the usual lines and most ingeniously contrived' Bystander