The Case of Miss Elliott: The Teahouse Detective

short-stories, anthology, mystery *****

Can you solve these "Minute Mysteries" without fingerprints, DNA, CCTV, or any other modern means using only the observations of a rather odd man and your own deductive reasoning? That's the challenge posed by each of the twelve examples included in this challenging little book written by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel which is more intriguing than a Sunday Times crossword! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Steerforth Press and Hanover Publisher Services via NetGalley. Thank you!

Ah- a classic crime book that never disappoints!
I love these stories as they're really bite size and good fun. Highly recommended for both crime and short story lovers.

I do enjoy these short stories by Baroness Orczy, this is another from the Old Man in the Corner stories, they are very intriguing and clever, I just wish they had a little more ending. I do like a cause and effect ending.
Forgetting my foibles, I did enjoy them - the twist and plots where very clever especially considering they are short stories.

Written by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel. These stories were initially serialised in magazines, then later published in a book and have since been adapted for radio, television and film.
They are quite Sherlock Holmesesque and quite clever and easy to read.

Two people meet in the teahouse to discuss cases , ‘the odd man in the corner and the writer’. They discuss recent cases that have happened , not always murder, and the man in the corner explains to the writer exactly how and what happened in all these cases. He attends all the courthouse/ inquests and somehow always gets a front row seat – making it seem he might be someone of importance.

There are twelve "Minute Mysteries" of the era and it’s quite fascinating how the man in the corner without fingerprints, DNA, CCTV, or any other modern methods we are now use to, deducts what actually happened in a very clever way.
The cases always seem to work out for the best in a chain of events way.

If you like Sherlock Holmes but would like a shorter , less ambling descriptive mini story, then these are perfect. I loved this collection and read them wanting more. Will be reading more from this author.

This collection of twelve short stories will give anyone a delightful few hours of reading. Orczy has created a group of stories that are sure to puzzle you. Whether it is a baffling disappearance, a fraud, a theft, or even a murder, we are invited to hear the case out and find the true solution.
These stories have a unique twist. Instead of the detective scrambling around after clues and vigorously chasing criminals, this hero just sits, usually in a corner of an ABC shop and logically works his way around to the truth. Of course, he needs someone to show his brilliance to, and the narrator knows just the right tricks to make him let us in on his solution.
The only thing I dislike about this whole series of stories is the lack of real resolution. Oh, we always learn the truth, but the perpetrators are always allowed to get away with it. After a few stories like that, I really want someone to receive some sort of justice. Other than that it is always fun to see if I can figure out the solution before ‘the old man’.
I received this as a free ARC through NetGalley and Pushkin Press. No favorable review was required. It has been my pleasure to provide my honest opinions.

A collection of lovely and entertaining stories. They are well written and keeps you reading one after the other.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

"A classic collection of mysteries from the Golden Age of British crime writing, by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Mysteries! There is no such thing as a mystery in connection with any crime, provided intelligence is brought to bear upon its investigation.

So says a rather down-at-heel elderly gentleman to young Polly Burton of the Evening Observer, in the corner of the ABC teashop on Norfolk Street one afternoon. Once she has forgiven him for distracting her from her newspaper and luncheon, Miss Burton discovers that her interlocutor is as brilliantly gifted as he is eccentric - able to solve mysteries that have made headlines and baffled the finest minds of the police without once leaving his seat in the teahouse.

The Old Man in the Corner is a classic collection of mysteries featuring the Teahouse Detective - a contemporary of Sherlock Holmes, with a brilliant mind and waspish temperament to match that of Conan Doyle's creation."

I am IN LOVE with these Baroness Orczy re-issues from the Golden Age of detective fiction!

This set of twelve short stories by Baroness Orczy (1865 – 1947) were published in The Royal Magazine in 1904-5 and were first gathered into a book in 1905. Although this book was published before The Old Man in the Corner, the stories in the latter book appeared in magazine form before those in the Case of Miss Elliott. Given the early date, these stories pre-date what is generally accepted as the start of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction in the 1920s.

Once again, the stories are told by the eponymous “old man in the corner” of a London ABC tea-room to Polly Burton, a journalist. The old man constantly fiddles with a piece of string (hence the title of the third and final collection, published in 1926, Unravelled Knots). Although Polly claims to be aware of each case mentioned by the old man, she can’t remember the details and so the old man gives the full background; describes the parties and the baffling mystery involving them; before demonstrating that his explanation is the only one possible solution.

I really enjoyed the stories. I find the atmosphere engendered to be very similar to that of the Sherlock Holmes stories. And, although the old man has exasperating mannerisms, I resemble Polly in wanting him to explain what happened.

#TheCaseOfMissElliott #NetGalley

An entertaining group of stories.Love the vintage feel of the writing .I picked the book up and found myself enjoying the stories so much I read from beginning to end.Will be recommending to friends.#netgalley#pushkinpress

Entertaining And Atmospheric.....
Classic mysteries with The Teahouse Detective. The old gentleman in the teahouse corner - an unparalleled solver of mysteries; the journalist who is enraptured by his capabilities. Entertaining and atmospheric- guaranteed to please. Enchanting reading.

This collection of 12 short mysteries is a great way to spend a reading afternoon. You can read them all in one shot or read them individually whenever you have a bit of time to spare.

Each story in the collection takes the same format: Polly reads about a case in the newspaper that the police aren’t able to solve, and presents it to ‘The Teahouse Detective’ – an old man who sits in the cafe, eating cake and playing with a bit of string. The cases run the gamut of crime – a murder, a theft, a disappearance, and more. The Old Man usually already knows about the case, and tells Polly what the solution (as he believes) is.

The mysteries (and the solution) are well laid out and remind me of Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie (both of home wrote many short mystery stories). The solutions aren’t always obvious and it’s fun to try and work out the answer before the Old Man lays it out.

Normally, I would blaze my way through a collection like this, but there are two things that make this book a touch less enjoyable for me.

First, the Teahouse Detective himself. He can sometimes act like a petulant child – playing with his string and having to be coaxed to discuss the cases (Polly is quite patient!) I could forgive this behaviour (Sherlock Holmes isn’t the most sociable person) but it’s the ‘shrieking’ that annoys me. This old man shrieks A LOT. He’s in a small cafe – there’s no need to shriek.

The other thing that bothered me (and this might be just me) is that there’s no clear resolution to the crimes. The Teahouse Detective enjoys solving the cases to show off his intelligence, but he doesn’t care about assisting the police or seeing justice delivered. So, while he shows us the solution, we never know if anyone ever gets punished for their crimes. It’s a small thing, but it’s just not the way I like my mystery stories to end. It seems like everyone just gets away with their crimes. And that gets tiring after awhile.

Other than those two criticism (which other readers may easily overlook), Orczy is a strong writer and the mysteries are all really well done. There are unique twists in the crimes and they aren’t always so easy to solve. And this is a great collection of cozy mysteries in the classic, traditional style. If you’re a fan of Conan Doyle or Christie, then you will enjoy this collection.

Great writing, fun stories, and lively characters. All ingredients needed to make this a winner!

Highly recommend.

This one I liked way better then the first one , instead of trying to read it in one setting i would read a story every day, that way i could enjoy them since for some unknown reason I always seem to have trouble getting into short stories.

An enjoyable selection of short standalone stories that are best suited as palate cleansers between longer novels. It’s easy to see why they were received as companion stories to those of Sherlock Holmes, the crowned prince of induction. The teahouse detective is a fount of knowledge and loves solving and recounting mysteries as much as he loves cheesecake.
Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.