Member Reviews

A collection of short stories all set in Scotland or by Scottish writers. I especially enjoyed the stories by Orczy, Wynne and Bashford.
Overall an entertaining read with some well-written stories.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

1. Markheim - Robert Louis Stevenson (1885) On Christmas Day Markheim is looking for a present for a lady. But he kills the shop owner. Will his day get worse or will he survive.
2. The Field Bazaar - Arthur Conan Doyle (1896) Watson has received a letter and Holmes deducts
3. The Edinburgh Mystery - Baroness Orczy (1902) The man in the cafe gives his theory on the death of Lady Donaldson abd the theft of her jewels
4. The Honour of Israel Gow - G.K. Chesterton (1911) Father Brown investigates the mystery of the odd objects found after the death of Lord Glengyle
5. A Medical Case - J. Storer Clouston (1920) P.I. Carrington is requested to come to Kinbuckie, to investigate 5 burglaries which had strange items taken
6. Footsteps - Anthony Wynne (1926) Dr Eustace Hailey, amateur investigator is asked to Ardvore Castle by Lord Tarbet and the case of the mysterious footsteps.
7. The White Line - John Ferguson (1929) Can Francis McNab discover the thief aboard the ship Magnificent
8. The Body of Sir Henry - Augustus Muir (1929) while on duty in Battlekirk, MacIver becomes suspicious of a car and its occupants.
9. Madame Ville d'Aubier - Josephine Tay (1930) A couple on walking to the Ville d'Aubier receive a hostile reception in a cafe and later they read..
10. The man on Ben Ne Garve - H.H. Bashford (1933) At a dinner party, guest Wentworth tells of an event he saw while visiting Ross-shire the previous year. Should he go to the police or wait for an explanation
11.Before Insulin - J.J.Connington (1936) Is the will of dead diabetic Robin Ashby, valid.
12. The Case of The Frugal Cake - Margot Bennett (1955) Who did kill rich and miserly Aunt Allen
13. Thursday's Child - Cyril Hare (1959) On the island of Cara who is James Filby
14. The Alibi Man - Bill Knox (1965) Why has Manny Davis been locked in a cellar for 7 days
15. The Fisherman - Michael Innes (1970) playwright Freddie Vivarini arranges a fishing party in Dunwinnie which includes ex-policeman Appleby. When a body is discovered can he solve the case.
16. The Running of the Deer - P.M. Hubbard (1974) it is time for the hind season on Colonel Guthrie's estate but the keeper is ill. Without his expertise what could happen
17. Hand in Glove - Jennie Melville (1974) Mr Macaulay always wore gloves even when intimate with Desiree Lindsay. But why does he want the letters written to her back.

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Unfortunately this collection is a solid "meh"/shrug emoji. The writing wasn't compelling and the mysteries were only competent at best; it's possible that The Edinburgh Mystery suffers by comparison to previous stellar anthologies from the British Library Crime Classics series but the standard they've set themselves is just not met here.

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The Edinburgh Mystery is a collection of older short stories with some link to Scotland. I liked some but didn't like them all. Given the book's title, I was expecting an Edinburgh setting more than is in the book.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

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These are "new to me mysteries" set in Scotland from the writers of the golden age and some. They are short stories, quickly read and much enjoyed. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

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A Plethora…
Following the usual informative and interesting introduction from Martin Edwards comes a new collection of vintage mysteries - this time based around the Highlands and from a plethora of authors, some Scottish and some not. A mixed bag as always in any collection and seventeen tales to devour, each a strong and suitable offering - from Baroness Orczy to Cyril Hare and many in between - and also includes a rare short story from Josephine Tey. Excellent.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of The Edinburgh Mystery.

Anthologies like this are always a mixed bag, you’ll enjoy some, may not enjoy the others. However I was slightly disappointed in this particular collection. I was happy with the Sherlock Holmes inclusion, but even then some of the starting points and the stories they used cause a lot of confusion about the stories themselves.

Overall if you’re a classic mystery fan, I think you could get some enjoyment out of this.

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Another anthology from the British Library Crime Classics series, this time with the focus on Scotland, either set there or written by Scottish authors. As always, a mixed bag, there is a very slight Sherlock Holmes story that is a little disappointing, but others that make up for it. I particularly enjoyed A Medical Crime by J. Stored Clouston, and I was pleased to read one of the Tea House Detective stories by Baroness Orczy.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

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Another wonderful collection by British Library Crime Classics.
I love to discover 'forgotten' authors, and I especially like the short story collections. This one has the big plus of featuring Scottish authors.
This book is worth buying just for the disturbing short story by Josephine Tey, the one by Michael Innes I hadn't read before or the one by Baroness Orczy. I also especially liked Hand in Glove by Jennie Melville (Gwendoline Butler).
I'm not a fan of the really old stories, I see them as just filler.
All in all a delightful book.

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This collection of stories is all about Scotland: either Scottish authors or settings. Other than that, the stories are very individual in tone, and some are excellent while others are forgettable and a few are just confusing. There's even a Sherlock Holmes story which is amusingly meta, though very slight and plotless. Stand-out stories include The Edinburgh Mystery by Baroness Orczy (of Scarlet Pimpernel fame), The Honour of Israel Gow by GK Chesterton, A Medical Crime, Footsteps, and The White Line. As a collection, it's fairly uneven, but fans of Golden Age detection will find things to interest them.

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I'm not usually a fan of anthologies of short stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Martin Edwards and Poison Pen Press. The introduction to the author at the beginning of each mystery was interesting and gave a historical perspective. I found this to be a fast-paced read and, except for two or three stories, engaging. I also enjoyed getting a taste of the Scottish landscape and history through these short stories. Definitely a thumbs-up!

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