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Detective Stories from The Strand
The Strand Magazine , launched in January 1891, was one of the most successful and influential popular magazines of all time. Making its mark immediately with the publication of the first Sherlock Holmes stories, the magazine continued to publish high-quality detective fiction for half a
million readers until 1950. Now, in the centenary of its launch, this collection offers twenty-five classic stories of mystery and detection, all first published in the Strand . It features tales of some of the most celebrated detectives of all time--Agatha Christie's Poirot, G.K. Chesterton's
Father Brown, and E.C. Bentley's Philip Trent--as well as stories from Sapper, Edgar Wallace, Somerset Maugham, Aldous Huxley, and A.E.W. Mason. And, of course, this volume would not be complete without Sherlock Holmes, who makes his appearance in three classic cases.
With little-known stories by famous authors, and ingenious works by almost-forgotten writers, Detective Stories from the Strand is a treasure trove of remarkable ingenuity, guaranteed to delight all enthusiasts of crime fiction.
million readers until 1950. Now, in the centenary of its launch, this collection offers twenty-five classic stories of mystery and detection, all first published in the Strand . It features tales of some of the most celebrated detectives of all time--Agatha Christie's Poirot, G.K. Chesterton's
Father Brown, and E.C. Bentley's Philip Trent--as well as stories from Sapper, Edgar Wallace, Somerset Maugham, Aldous Huxley, and A.E.W. Mason. And, of course, this volume would not be complete without Sherlock Holmes, who makes his appearance in three classic cases.
With little-known stories by famous authors, and ingenious works by almost-forgotten writers, Detective Stories from the Strand is a treasure trove of remarkable ingenuity, guaranteed to delight all enthusiasts of crime fiction.
374 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 20, 2020
In the early Nineties it seemed OUP was bringing out a new collection of sensational writing each year in time for Christmas. In 1991 however there were two collections to enjoy - 'Strange Tales from the Strand Magazine' and this companion volume of detective stories. I can't remember when I read it last, but I took it off the shelf recently for bedtime reading.
There's much here to enjoy; a good selection of stories which all have their merits, if you're reading them as stories in their own right. This is a consideration when reading detective fiction, because a story may not be a strong detective story, but yet may be quite satisfying as a story per se. Working out whodunnit doesn't have to be the only criterion.
For instance, when reading the Holmes story 'The Adventure of the Lion's Mane', you can feel your attention being diverted. But the image of those whipcord wounds, angry red against white flesh, carries the story like a leitmotif. As you read 'In View of the Audience' it does start to become clear what's going on as soon as you hear the reference to the stature of the ASM, although you'll most likely be suspecting it already. But I found the descriptive style and the interaction between the two characters so enjoyable, it didn't matter.
Of course the stories with a twist are particularly enjoyable, but even Sapper's 'The Idol's Eye' is enjoyable as a story despite a certain clunkiness in the plot! There wasn't a story I didn't enjoy, and in times to come I'll be rereading this collection once more. It's not going to the chazza (charity shop) any time soon!
There's much here to enjoy; a good selection of stories which all have their merits, if you're reading them as stories in their own right. This is a consideration when reading detective fiction, because a story may not be a strong detective story, but yet may be quite satisfying as a story per se. Working out whodunnit doesn't have to be the only criterion.
For instance, when reading the Holmes story 'The Adventure of the Lion's Mane', you can feel your attention being diverted. But the image of those whipcord wounds, angry red against white flesh, carries the story like a leitmotif. As you read 'In View of the Audience' it does start to become clear what's going on as soon as you hear the reference to the stature of the ASM, although you'll most likely be suspecting it already. But I found the descriptive style and the interaction between the two characters so enjoyable, it didn't matter.
Of course the stories with a twist are particularly enjoyable, but even Sapper's 'The Idol's Eye' is enjoyable as a story despite a certain clunkiness in the plot! There wasn't a story I didn't enjoy, and in times to come I'll be rereading this collection once more. It's not going to the chazza (charity shop) any time soon!
March 20, 2023
A decent compendium, old school and dated but enjoyable for all that; hearkening to simpler times the tales remain an enjoyable read to dip into.
December 23, 2015
I. The Great Detectives
1. G. K. Chesterton: "The Vampire of the Village" - Father Brown is called in to solve a cold case: the murder of an actor in a conservative village. A story that uses GKC's religious hobby-horse to good effect.
2. Agatha Christie: "The Dream" - Hercule Poirot is called to consult about a recurring dream of suicide, and solves a murder.
3. A. E. W. Mason: "The Ginger King" - Monsieur Hanaud solves a case of arson with the help of a ginger cat.
4. E. C. Bentley: "The Ministering Angel" - Philip Trent finds clues in a rock garden which lead to The Hunting of the Snark and a missing will.
5. H. Warner Allen: "Tokay of the Comet Year" - Oenophile Mr. Clerihew unmasks a BolsheviK agent based on the wines he serves.
II. Legal Niceties
6. W. Somerset Maugham: "A Point of Law" - an interesting story about a dying woman who, after a lifetime tending to her invalid father, marries a fortune-hunter, but the titular legal point is rather too obscure to make a satisfying resolution.
7. Will Scott: "Not Guilty" - A murderess has herself arrested, tried, and acquitted for the murder of her husband before the evidence proving her guilt can be discovered.
8. Sapper: "The Idol's Eye" - a murder is committed under color of an accursed piece of glass, supposedly an eye stolen from a Tibetan idol.
9. Seamark: "The Perfect Crime" - a bank clerk creates a double life for two years before embezzling 40,000 pounds. The slip-up that leads to his capture is believable, but anticlimactic.
10. Augustus Muir: "The Intruder" - a tale of burglary with several reframings in its <4 pages.
11. Richard Keverin: "Cast-Iron Alibi" - a reformed female cat burglar seems to be committing more robberies. Anticipates To Catch A Thief
IV. Rouges, Knaves, and Fortune Hunters
12. Aldous Huxley: "A Deal in Old Masters" - An imaginative art dealer sells an 18th century Venetian portrait to a nouveau riche client based on its romantic backstory. The ending is not as twisty as it imagines itself to be.
13. A. J. Alan: "Private Water" - The witty voice of the narrator is the only distinguishing feature of this humorous tale of suburban problems and smuggling.
14. D. L. Murray: "A Gift from the Nabob" - Beau Brummel attains a precious pearl because he knows the kind of face to pull when examining it.
15. J. Maclaren-Ross: "The Episcopal Seat" - A witty portrait of a Falstaffian rogue.
V. Mostly Murder
16. W. W. Jacobs: "The Interruption" - An uxoricide and a blackmailing servant engage in a battle of wits to the death.
17. Edgar Wallace: "The Chobham Affair" - A double murder is explained a this coincidence-heavy tale. The set up is rather rough, detailing the career of one of the victims rather than starting with the discovery of the bodies.
18. Hylton Cleaver: "By Kind Permission of the Murdered Man" - A terminally ill man plans to make his suicide look like murder; he is actually murdered, but his hidden confession exonerates the killer. A clever story that exemplifies the attractions and limitations of the genre.
19. Marguerite Steen: "In View of the Audience" - An elaborate variation on "return to the scene of the crime". I would say that a story is in trouble when one character in it says to another, ”Look here, although this allusive style of yours is very – what’s it – provocative, hadn’t you better get down to brass tacks and tell me the whole tale, straight through?”
20. Quentin Reynolds: "The Man Who Dreamed Too Much" - Friends of an apparent suicide reunite on the seventh anniversary of the death to confront the murderer.
21. Loel Yeo: "Inquest" - Apparently the only known work of this writer; a well-crafted tale of murder and non-inheritance, with an unusual motive.
VI. The Master
22. Arthur Conan Doyle: "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" - Holmes and Watson cross to the wrong side of the law in dealing with a blackmailer.
23. Arthur Conan Doyle: "The Adventure of the Creeping Man" - The only Holmes story, I believe, rendered untenable by its faulty science. Monkey gland injections!
24. Arthur Conan Doyle: "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane" - One of two (as I recall) Watson-less stories, narrated by Holmes.
25. Ronald Knox: "The Adventure of the First Class Carriage" - Hardly the "nearly faultless" imitation of the master's style the editor promised, it suffers even compared with the three bottom-drawer Doyle stories which precede it. The Latin tag at the end carries with it the air of the seminary, perhaps a fitting bookend to the Father Brown story that opened the volume.
1. G. K. Chesterton: "The Vampire of the Village" - Father Brown is called in to solve a cold case: the murder of an actor in a conservative village. A story that uses GKC's religious hobby-horse to good effect.
2. Agatha Christie: "The Dream" - Hercule Poirot is called to consult about a recurring dream of suicide, and solves a murder.
3. A. E. W. Mason: "The Ginger King" - Monsieur Hanaud solves a case of arson with the help of a ginger cat.
4. E. C. Bentley: "The Ministering Angel" - Philip Trent finds clues in a rock garden which lead to The Hunting of the Snark and a missing will.
5. H. Warner Allen: "Tokay of the Comet Year" - Oenophile Mr. Clerihew unmasks a BolsheviK agent based on the wines he serves.
II. Legal Niceties
6. W. Somerset Maugham: "A Point of Law" - an interesting story about a dying woman who, after a lifetime tending to her invalid father, marries a fortune-hunter, but the titular legal point is rather too obscure to make a satisfying resolution.
7. Will Scott: "Not Guilty" - A murderess has herself arrested, tried, and acquitted for the murder of her husband before the evidence proving her guilt can be discovered.
8. Sapper: "The Idol's Eye" - a murder is committed under color of an accursed piece of glass, supposedly an eye stolen from a Tibetan idol.
9. Seamark: "The Perfect Crime" - a bank clerk creates a double life for two years before embezzling 40,000 pounds. The slip-up that leads to his capture is believable, but anticlimactic.
10. Augustus Muir: "The Intruder" - a tale of burglary with several reframings in its <4 pages.
11. Richard Keverin: "Cast-Iron Alibi" - a reformed female cat burglar seems to be committing more robberies. Anticipates To Catch A Thief
IV. Rouges, Knaves, and Fortune Hunters
12. Aldous Huxley: "A Deal in Old Masters" - An imaginative art dealer sells an 18th century Venetian portrait to a nouveau riche client based on its romantic backstory. The ending is not as twisty as it imagines itself to be.
13. A. J. Alan: "Private Water" - The witty voice of the narrator is the only distinguishing feature of this humorous tale of suburban problems and smuggling.
14. D. L. Murray: "A Gift from the Nabob" - Beau Brummel attains a precious pearl because he knows the kind of face to pull when examining it.
15. J. Maclaren-Ross: "The Episcopal Seat" - A witty portrait of a Falstaffian rogue.
V. Mostly Murder
16. W. W. Jacobs: "The Interruption" - An uxoricide and a blackmailing servant engage in a battle of wits to the death.
17. Edgar Wallace: "The Chobham Affair" - A double murder is explained a this coincidence-heavy tale. The set up is rather rough, detailing the career of one of the victims rather than starting with the discovery of the bodies.
18. Hylton Cleaver: "By Kind Permission of the Murdered Man" - A terminally ill man plans to make his suicide look like murder; he is actually murdered, but his hidden confession exonerates the killer. A clever story that exemplifies the attractions and limitations of the genre.
19. Marguerite Steen: "In View of the Audience" - An elaborate variation on "return to the scene of the crime". I would say that a story is in trouble when one character in it says to another, ”Look here, although this allusive style of yours is very – what’s it – provocative, hadn’t you better get down to brass tacks and tell me the whole tale, straight through?”
20. Quentin Reynolds: "The Man Who Dreamed Too Much" - Friends of an apparent suicide reunite on the seventh anniversary of the death to confront the murderer.
21. Loel Yeo: "Inquest" - Apparently the only known work of this writer; a well-crafted tale of murder and non-inheritance, with an unusual motive.
VI. The Master
22. Arthur Conan Doyle: "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" - Holmes and Watson cross to the wrong side of the law in dealing with a blackmailer.
23. Arthur Conan Doyle: "The Adventure of the Creeping Man" - The only Holmes story, I believe, rendered untenable by its faulty science. Monkey gland injections!
24. Arthur Conan Doyle: "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane" - One of two (as I recall) Watson-less stories, narrated by Holmes.
25. Ronald Knox: "The Adventure of the First Class Carriage" - Hardly the "nearly faultless" imitation of the master's style the editor promised, it suffers even compared with the three bottom-drawer Doyle stories which precede it. The Latin tag at the end carries with it the air of the seminary, perhaps a fitting bookend to the Father Brown story that opened the volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
July 7, 2024Read so far:
The vampire of the village / G.K. Chesterton --2
The dream / Agatha Christie --3
The ginger king / A.E.W. Mason --3
The ministering angel / E.C. Bentley --3
Tokay of the comet year / H. Warner Allen --
A point of law / Somerset Maugham --3
Not guilty / Will Scott --
The idol's eye / Sapper --
The perfect crime / Seamark --3
The intruder / Augustus Muir --
Cast-iron alibi / Richard Keverne --3
*A deal in old masters / Aldous Huxley --
*Private water / A.J. Alan --
A gift from the Babob / D.L. Murray --
The episcopal seal / J. Maclaren-Ross --2
The interruption / W.W. Jacobs --2
The Chobham affair / Edgar Wallace --2
By kind permission of the murdered man / Hylton Cleaver --3
In view of the audience / Marguerite Steen --2
The man who dreamed too much / Quentin Reynolds --
Inquest / Loel Yeo --3
*The adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton / Arthur Conan Doyle --
*The adventure of the creeping man / Arthur Conan Doyle --
The adventure of the lion's mane / Arthur Conan Doyle --3
The adventure of the first class carriage / Ronald Knox--2
The vampire of the village / G.K. Chesterton --2
The dream / Agatha Christie --3
The ginger king / A.E.W. Mason --3
The ministering angel / E.C. Bentley --3
Tokay of the comet year / H. Warner Allen --
A point of law / Somerset Maugham --3
Not guilty / Will Scott --
The idol's eye / Sapper --
The perfect crime / Seamark --3
The intruder / Augustus Muir --
Cast-iron alibi / Richard Keverne --3
*A deal in old masters / Aldous Huxley --
*Private water / A.J. Alan --
A gift from the Babob / D.L. Murray --
The episcopal seal / J. Maclaren-Ross --2
The interruption / W.W. Jacobs --2
The Chobham affair / Edgar Wallace --2
By kind permission of the murdered man / Hylton Cleaver --3
In view of the audience / Marguerite Steen --2
The man who dreamed too much / Quentin Reynolds --
Inquest / Loel Yeo --3
*The adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton / Arthur Conan Doyle --
*The adventure of the creeping man / Arthur Conan Doyle --
The adventure of the lion's mane / Arthur Conan Doyle --3
The adventure of the first class carriage / Ronald Knox--2
July 18, 2011
Lucky enough to pick this book up at a used book store for a dollar. What a steal! I enjoyed reading the editor's selections of stories from the famous detective/mystery/suspense magazine The Strand.
As with any compilation, there are stories that are stronger or weaker than others, but on the whole, excellent quality stories, with a few introductions to let the reader understand more about the stories and authors we may nit be familiar with.
As with any compilation, there are stories that are stronger or weaker than others, but on the whole, excellent quality stories, with a few introductions to let the reader understand more about the stories and authors we may nit be familiar with.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews