Gjør som tusenvis av andre bokelskere
Abonner på vårt nyhetsbrev og få rabatter og inspirasjon til din neste leseopplevelse.
Ved å abonnere godtar du vår personvernerklæring.Du kan når som helst melde deg av våre nyhetsbrev.
That settles it, thought Smith savagely. He shall be murdered, even if I have to do it myself!The Hardstaffe family are not the nicest people in the world. In fact, he - schoolteacher, lothario and bully, she - chronic malcontent - and their horsey unmarried adult daughter seem to be prime candidates for murder. A writer planning these deaths, on paper at least, and a young girl, chased by old Hardstaffe, are the only outsiders in a deliciously neat, but nasty, case.Blue Murder was the last of Harriet Rutland's mystery novels, first published in 1942. This new edition, the first in over 70 years, features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.'(A) newcomer of exceptional promise' Howard Haycroft
Description George Sanders is frankly bored. Lionized the world over as the ultimate on-screen bounder, cad and ladies' man, he is in serious danger of becoming typecast as the particular kind of gentleman sleuth seen in his long-running film series The Saint and The Falcon. George would actually be quite happy at home, tinkering with his inventions, but if he must act he wants something he can sink his teeth into. Now George's firecracker agent, Melva, has got him the part of a lifetime - the lead in a hot new western, starring alongside screen goddess Carla Folsom. But when shooting begins, someone takes the term a little too literally, and the dead body of an extra is found. That wasn't in the script - and neither was George's unwilling debut as real-life private detective, only this time he's also been cast as the police's number one suspect. Before you can shout 'action' the game is afoot and the victims start to mount up, with George remaining just one step ahead of the law until the final denouement. Crime on My Hands, the debut George Sanders mystery, is a suspenseful and highly entertaining backstage crime novel, which perfectly captures the wit and charm of George Sanders, especially his quintessentially polished, sardonic dialogue. Anyone who loves All Abour Eve, or enjoys golden age crime fiction, will find Crime on My Hands irresistible. Praise 'Lots of fun and a sufficiency of bloodshed.' New York Times 'Fast and funny.' Saturday Review 'A highly readable thriller with laughs on the side.' New York Herald-Tribune
The body of John Cornell the well-known London Merchant and banker, was exhumed early this morning with great secrecy, following representations made to the Home Office.Everyone was astonished when the beautiful Josephine Rivron rejected the young, popular and handsome Frank Cornell, and married his elderly, wealthy father John instead. When John fell ill and died shortly after marrying, there were suspicions that the cause wasn't pneumonia, but a nasty case of poisoning. Then Frank Cornell too was dead - shot through the head, the weapon vanished. This time no one had any doubt it was murder.Amateur sleuth Algernon Vereker is drawn to the case by a recurring bout of his "e;old detective fever"e;. He packs his Colt automatic and joins Inspector Heather down at Marston Manor to investigate. The Ginger Cat Mystery (1935 - originally titled Murder at Marston Manor in the USA) is a classic country house whodunit stuffed with suspects, clues, red herrings and dark deeds. Not to mention the eponymous feline, whose tell-tale fur might just help to hang a murderer. This new edition, the first in over seventy years, features an introduction by Curtis Evans. 'Mr Forsythe has contrived an ingenious tale.' The Times
"e;What's the matter?"e; Vereker asked breathlessly, and at the same moment realised that the mass lying at Ricardo's feet was the body of a woman. "e;Has she fainted?"e;"e;It's Mrs. Mesado, Algernon,"e; replied Ricardo, "e;and if I'm not mistaken, she's dead."e;Algernon Vereker's best friend Manuel Ricardo is looking forward to a cruise on the luxury liner Mars, and persuades an overwrought Vereker to join him. Once on board, Ricky's mind is on romance while the amiable and eccentric Vereker is keener to relax with a cigar and a good book - until murder at sea means an abrupt detour into spine-chilling mystery. Vereker starts to investigate Mrs Mesado's demise, which presents many baffling features - beneath borrowed gloves, the lady's hands were cut and bruised; and where was the diamond necklace she had been wearing earlier that evening? These and other conundrums must be solved before Vereker can bring the culprit (or culprits) to justice, but as Ricky sagely observes: "e;half the fun of eating a nut is cracking the shell"e;.The Pleasure Cruise Mystery (1933), a light-hearted but lethal maritime whodunit, is the third Algernon Vereker detective novel. It is republished here for the first time in over 70 years, and includes a new introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.'Before all is cleared up the reader has raced excitedly through a thoroughly sound and quite unusual yarn.' Aberdeen Press
Mr Sutton Armadale, the financier, was shot dead on the private polo ground of his palatial home. Before expiring in his gamekeeper's arms, he muttered the one word "e;murder"e;.Among the suspects are Armadale's second wife; a drunken, loud-mouthed stranger in the neighbourhood; and an irresistibly attractive ballerina. The amiable and eccentric Algernon Vereker finds the case as befuddling as a crack on the head from a polo mallet. Two witnesses were certain they heard two shots fired, yet only one spent cartridge case was found on the ground by the dead man's body. What is the "e;Sutton Stakes"e; connection... and is a "e;Bombay Head"e; part of the solution?The Polo Ground Mystery (1932) is a classic country house whodunit, with a sporting equestrian theme. The second of the Algernon Vereker mysteries, this new edition is the first published in over 70 years. It features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.'A first-rate thriller - keeping you dancing with suspense to the end.' Daily Herald
Thrusting his pipe in his pocket, he crossed to his writing desk. Extracting a heavy army-pattern revolver from a drawer, he began silently to search the whole ground floor of the house.Eileen Thurlow, an ardent devotee of spiritualism, persuades her uncle John to join her in a seance which produces the eerie sound of organ music. Later that same night John Thurlow disappears.A day later two bodies, one of them John Thurlow's, are found in a field half a mile away. Victims of supernatural vengeance, a fatal duel... or base murder?Algernon Vereker, sojourning in the neighbourhood, is eager to investigate the mystery, however chilling its premise. He is joined by Inspector Heather of the Yard, and his trusty, high-spirited friend Ricky, to solve a crime which might send shivers up the spine of even a committed sceptic. The Spirit Murder Mystery (1936) is another satisfying but merry mystery, the fifth and last of the Algernon Vereker novels. It includes a new introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.'Mr. Forsythe belongs to the new school of detective story writers which might be called the brilliant flippant school.' J.B. Priestley
The hour of dusk was the climax in the strange case of the man found dead in the chalk pit. Who was the murdered man? And why did so many clues lead to that infamous London nightclub, the ‘Cut and Come Again’?E.R. Punshon leads the redoubtable Sergeant Bobby Owen and his readers on a dizzy chase through a maze of suspicions to a surprise ending – though the clues are there for anyone astute enough to interpret them.The Dusky Hour is the ninth of E.R. Punshon’s acclaimed Bobby Owen mysteries, first published in 1937 and part of a series which eventually spanned thirty-five novels.“What is distinction? The few who achieve it step – plot or no plot – unquestioned into the first rank… in the works of Mr. E.R. Punshon we salute it every time.” Dorothy L. Sayers
Shortly after the end of World War II, Laurence Whistler set out to write 'a guide to the festivals of England as they are and as they might be': the result is a captivatingly readable and enchanting narrative, the ancient holidays revealed as a microcosm of the wheel of life in England. Christmas, New Year, Twelfth night, Easter, May Day, Whitsun, Midsummer, Harvest (and sixteen others) - these are the most ancient of our traditions, more ancient than any present-day beliefs, and strong enough to have survived even the attacks of Puritans in the seventeenth century.Here, for example, is the radiant Kissing Bough, whose candles we lit before we had ever heard of a Christmas Tree. Here is the way to colour and engrave Easter Eggs. Here are fireworks in all their extravagant variety. Or here is the history of the Valentine and the Christmas Card.Laurence Whistler has written this scholarly book with the imaginative delight of a poet. This new edition features an introduction by art historian James Russell."e;His book has been written in delight and passes on delight to the reader... it has a lovely benevolence; the author's knowledge, his sense of values, his breadth of outlook are in evidence on every page."e; John O'London's Weekly"e;There is scholarship here about the past, and delight in the festivals of today... a book that will be delightful to pick up again at any time of the year."e; Sunday Times"e;Possessing enchantment of matter, it has also enchantment of manner."e; Time and Tide"e;Its younger readers will find themselves educated, perhaps unconsciously, by publisher as well as author."e; Observer"e;A charming book."e; Country Life"e;A most charming and decorative volume."e; Sunday Chronicle"e;Learning and common sense have gone to the making of this attractive, well-illustrated book."e; Birmingham News"e;A delightful gift book for all the year round... altogether charming."e; Edinburgh Evening News"e;A book very much out of the ordinary."e; Sphere
';Murder is easy. It's child's play to commit murder and get away with it.'Unpleasant uncle Hubert is murdered while playing cardsand surrounded by any number of relatives who stand to gain by his death. An impossible crime, it seems, though it turns out three of his nephews were intending to despatch the old tyrant anyway! In this classic country house whodunit, the redoubtable Ludovic Travers will have to wade through a quagmire of clues and red herrings, and employ his most impressive deductive powers if he is to unmask and prove the murderer.The Case of the Chinese Gong was originally published in 1935. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.';Those who like difficult puzzles will find it wholly satisfactory.'--New York Times
';It was some sort of sudden death?'Travers made a face. ';It certainly was sudden. I'll say it's ten to one it was murder.'Ludovic Travers is asked by an old school friend, Henry Dryden, to investigate the cause of the agitation in the formerly placid village of Bableigh not to mention the gunshot death, ruled an accident, of Dryden's friend Tom Yeoman, the local impoverished squire. Even after Travers and ex-CID associate John Franklin arrive in Bableigh, however, the spell of unfortunate village ';accidents' continues. And now there are rumours of a witches' coven, right in the heart of the community Can Ludo and Franklin solve the mystery of the strange malaise that has afflicted the unfortunate Bableigh, and return the community to its previous state of pastoral grace?The Case of the Unfortunate Village was originally published in 1932. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
I am going to commit a murder. I offer no apology for the curtness of the statement.An individual taking the name ';Marius' boasts in a series of letters that he will commit the Perfect Murder, daring Scotland Yard detectives to catch him if they can. Ex-CID officer John Franklin and the amateur but astute detective Ludovic Travers will need to draw conclusons from a soiled letter, a locked room murder, four cast-iron alibis, and trips to France, in a feverish search for the killer and proof of his misdeedsbefore ';Marius' can strike again.The Perfect Murder Case was originally published in 1929. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.';All the points of the good detective story are here excitement, ingenuity, suspense, crescendo, and a satisfactory conclusion.' Observer
"e;I think,"e; said Palk slowly, "e;there's a homicidal maniac loose in the Hydro, but who it is, God knows."e;Presteignton Hydro is a drably genteel spa resort, populated by the aged and crippled who relish every drop of scandal they observe or imagine concerning the younger guests. No one however expects to see gossip turn to murder as their juniors die one by one - no one, that is, except the killer. The crusty cast of characters make solving the case all the harder for Inspector Palk - until the enigmatic sleuth Mr. Winkley arrives to lend a hand.Knock, Murderer, Knock! was Harriet Rutland's sparkling debut mystery novel, first published in 1938. This edition, the first in over seventy years, features a new introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.'Very well written, intelligent story of triple murder... acid characterization' Kirkus Reviews
"e;Early this morning a gruesome discovery was made by a gardener employed at Holford Hall in Loamshire..."e;Robert Saunderson's murdered body is found in the summer house at Lord Medchester's country mansion. Some crystal beads, broken off a necklace and found on the scene, form the primary clue. But where is the necklace, and whose could it be?Detective inspector Stoddart and his assistant Harbord have to unravel a mystery that cost two men their lives and destroyed the reputation of others.The Crystal Beads Murder, first published in 1930, was the last of the Inspector Stoddart mysteries, and Annie Haynes' final book overall. She died, after a long illness, before completing it and it was finished by an unknown friend and fellow writer. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans."e;An uncommonly well-constructed tale...throughout the reader is kept continually on the 'qui vive'"e; Western Australian
Murder begins with the death of a kitten... Artist Jeanie Halliday is thrilled to move into a country cottage of her own, next door to the home of her dear childhood friend Agnes. But the countryside idyll isn't quite what she might have expected: Agnes is suddenly and unaccountably unfriendly for one thing; and then the neighbours are a little peculiar - old Mr Fone, obsessed with burial mounds; the scandalous Hugh Barchard; and an estranged mother taken to brandishing pistols around. Soon after the feline victim is found, a shot is heard - the corpse of Robert Molyneux, Agnes's husband, is discovered with a bullet in his brain. Was Molyneux a meddler in sacred places, a secret lothario... or simply a man who knew too much? And how does the unfortunate cat fit in? It will fall to Jeanie to assist the local police superintendent and fit the pieces of a baffling mystery.Let Him Lie is a classic golden age detective story from 1940, written by a queen of the form. It includes a new introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
The note left beside Dr. John Bastow's corpse simply read: "e;It was the man with the dark beard."e;Dr. Bastow hadn't approved of his daughter Hilary's fiance. So when Hilary's father is found shot dead inside his own office, the door-key turned from the inside, the fiance Basil Wilton becomes a chief suspect for Scotland Yard. Yet how could the crime have been engineered?Now an important lacquered box is missing; a former colleague of Bastow's has suddenly shaved his beard; and the doctor's ex-secretary has come mysteriously into money. Before Inspector Stoddart of the Yard can form conclusions, another murder takes place, again credited to the "e;Man with The Dark Beard"e;...The Man With the Dark Beard is the first of Annie Haynes' Inspector Stoddart mysteries, originally published in 1928. It is a sparkling lost classic from the early golden age of crime fiction."e;Miss Haynes, I think, improves steadily - this is the best detective story she has yet written."e; Time and Tide
Sixteen-year-old Joe Hawkins is the anti-hero's anti-hero. His life is ruled by clothes, beer, football and above all violence - violence against hippies, authority, racial minorities and anyone else unfortunate enough to get in his way. Joe is a London skinhead - a member of a uniquely British subculture which arose rapidly in the late 1960's. While other skins were driven mainly by music, fashion and working-class pride, Joe and his mob use their formidable street style as a badge of aggressive rage, even while Joe dreams of making a better life for himself. Lacerating in its depiction of violence and sex, often shocking by today's standards, Skinhead is also a provocative cross-section of urban British society. It doesn't spare the hypocrisy, corruption or excessive permissiveness which, the author believed, allowed the extremist wing of skinhead culture to flourish. Skinhead, first published in 1970 and a huge cult bestseller, is now available for the first time in ebook form, with a new introduction by Andrew Stevens. Nearly fifty years on, it remains one of the most potent artefacts of British popular culture ever committed to print. "e;I did happen to read the book when it came out and I was quite interested in the whole Richard Allen cult... suedeheads and skinheads and smoothies were very much part of daily life. There was a tremendous air of intensity... something interesting grabbed me about the whole thing."e; Morrissey "e;(Richard Allen's) work shouldn't require a theoretical summing up, once enough of those to whom it appeals understand its attraction we will have superceded this society."e; Stewart Home
Abonner på vårt nyhetsbrev og få rabatter og inspirasjon til din neste leseopplevelse.
Ved å abonnere godtar du vår personvernerklæring.