Murder British Style

 Murder British Style (1993) ~Martin H. Greenberg (ed)

A collection of short British mystery stories plus one novella by John Dickson Carr. I've read a number of the short stories before and those that I had read were all quite good (both times of reading). Of those that are new (Rendell, Keating, Aiken, Symons, Lovesey, Meade & Eustace, Morrison, and Brett), I have to say that I didn't care for most of them. As I mention below, Keating's Holmes pastiche is one of the all-time worst I've read in short form. And it gives The Veiled Detective (novel-length) by David Stuart Davies a good run for its money as all-time worst in any form. The Simon Brett is just icky. The best of the new-to-me stories are the two by Morrison and "Madame Sara" by Meade & Eustace. Overall, ★★★ and 1/2 for the collection,.

"The Four Suspects" by Agatha Christie: Sir Henry Clithering gives us a tale about Dr. Rosen who was instrumental in the downfall of a secret German organization. The doctor knew that eventually members of the group who had escaped punishment would seek him out and exact revenge, but he was satisfied that he had done the right thing and hoped to finish a research project before they got to him. He is found dead at the bottom of his staircase--possibly an accident, possibly not. The four members of his household fall under suspicion, but they all claim to have been out at the time (but no corroboration of their whereabouts). Miss Marple uses clues from the story and her own knowledge of gardens to point out the culprit. [one fell from height]

"Silver Blaze" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [one hit on head]: Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson are off to Dartmoor to investigate the disappearance of a famous race horse and the murder of the horse's trainer. Inspector Gregory & company have been on the case, but have made no headway. Holmes is in the area for a mere afternoon and soon has all the threads in his hand. The story has one one of Holmes's most famous exchanges:

          "Is there any point to which you wish to draw my attention?"
          "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
          "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
          "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

"The Adventure of the Suffering Ruler by H. R. F. Keating (Holmes pastiche): When Watson is called to Hertfordshire to tend to a mysterious patient who mistrusts his neighbors, Holmes is sure that the patient is a foreign royal in disguise. 

Holmes has rarely been so poorly dealt with by an author of pastiche (though I could name others...). The more I read of Keating's work, the less I like it. Holmes may not be perfect--everyone makes mistakes, but I certainly can't seem him jumping to the outlandish conclusions that Keating foists upon him. Yikes.

"Rats!" by Dorothy J. Cannell: A wife takes an unusual (and unusually cruel) revenge on the other woman....Miss Gilda Sweet is used to receiving gifts from guilty husbands hoping to keep her as sweet as her name. So the fur coat that arrives through the delivery service is just the ticket. Or is it? [one death--to reveal how would be a spoiler]

"The Convolvulus Clock" by Ruth Rendell: Trixie swears that all her friends are "getting on" and "going a bit funny," but Trixie is the one overly fixated on a very special clock.[one hit by bus]

"Fair & Square" by Margaret Yorke: Mrs. Ford can't stand to see her old flame's granddaughter being "managed" by the daughter of the overbearing woman who stole Michael away from her. [2 natural; one fell from height]

"The Uninvited" (apa "A Prince of Abyssinia") by Michael Gilbert: Mr. Calder lives alone on the Kentish Downs with only Rasselas, a loyal and beloved deerhound, for constant companionship. Mr. Behrens, a retired schoolmaster, comes periodically to visit. But then an uninvited visitor arrives in the neighborhood...looking for revenge. [one hit on head; one shot]

"The Black Cliffs" by Joan Aiken: Irving thinks he's found a great way to get rid of his annoying friend Charley...and no one will ever know. Or will they? [one hit on head]

"The Dream is Better" by Julian Symons*: Andrew Blood's mother always told him hed' never marry--that the dream would always be better than reality. But what if the dream is a nightmare? [one natural; one stabbed]

"Behind the Locked Door" by Peter Lovesey: When a police inspector comes to inquire about his tenant, Mr. Braid can't help but wonder just what exactly Mr. Messiter has locked up behind that door in the apartment. The door with a lock Braid can no longer open.

"The Invisible Man" by G. K. Chesterton: Father Brown explains how a man can become invisible to harass not only the woman he claimed he wanted to marry but his rival in love. [one stabbed]

"Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl: The well-known mystery that features a very clever way to get rid of the evidence.... [one hit on head]

"Madame Sara" by L. T. Meade & Robert Eustace: Madame Sara is a beautiful but evil femme fatale. This time she has her sights set on a family's fortune. [one poisoned; one natural]

"The Case of Mr. Foggatt" by Arthur Morrison: Martin Hewitt identifies the killer of Mr. Foggatt--based on the trifling little clue of a half-eaten apple. [one shot; two natural]

"The Case of the Late Mr. Rewse" by Morrison: A lawyer asks Martin Hewitt to investigate the death of his young client--a man who supposedly died of small pox just a month or two shy of inheriting a fortune. The lawyer suspects foul play and wants Hewitt to find out how it was done. [one death--to reveal how would spoil the suspense]

"In the Fog" by Richard Harding Davis: The members of the exclusive Grill Club gather on a foggy night in London and hear the story from an American diplomat about a recent night when he was lost in the fog and heard someone scream. When he follows the sound, he finds a man dead in a strange house. Scotland Yard is baffled, but will the Grill Club solve the murder? [2 stabbed; one natural]

"Big Boy, Little Boy" by Simon Brett: Larry Renshaw is tired of living under his rich wife's thumb and decides to get rid of her. When the plan goes awry, he relies on his ever-loyal "Little Boy" from boarding school days to keep him away from the gallows. Peter Mostyn is eager to help...maybe a little too eager. [one shot; one fire]

"The Story of the Lost Special" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: As Mr. Bland the Superintendent of the Central L. & W. Railway Company says in the story, "Does a train vanish into thin air in England in broad daylight? The thing is preposterous. An engine, a tender, two carriages, a van, five human beings--and all lost on a straight line of railway." And yet, it does happen [three fell from height]

The Three Coffins by John Dickson Carr: see separate review

*Symons owes a huge debt to Robert Bloch for this one.

First line (1st story): The conversation hovered round undiscovered and unpunished crimes.

Mr. Gladstone sought relaxation in the Greek poets, Sir Andrew finds his in Gaboriau. Since I have been a member of Parliament I have never seen him in the library withoug a shilling shocker in his hands. He brings them even into the sacred precincts of the House, and from the Government benches reads them concealed in his hat. ("In the Fog" by Richard Harding Davis)

Last lines (last story): "I have committed another crime, Hadley," he said. "I have guessed the truth again."