The Notting Hill Mystery

A British Library Crime Classic

by Charles Warren Adams

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Pub Date Aug 04 2015 | Archive Date Aug 04 2015

Description

The Notting Hill Mystery was first published between 1862 and 1863 as an eight-part serial in the magazine Once a Week. Widely acknowledged as the first detective novel, the story is told by insurance investigator Ralph Henderson, who is building a case against the sinister Baron R-, who is suspected of murdering his wife. Henderson descends into a maze of intrigue including a diabolical mesmerist, kidnapping by gypsies, slow-poisoners, a rich uncle's will and three murders.

Presented in the form of diary entries, letters, chemical analysis reports, interviews with witnesses and a crime scene map, the novel displays innovative techniques that would not become common features of detective fiction until the 1920s.

The Notting Hill Mystery was first published between 1862 and 1863 as an eight-part serial in the magazine Once a Week. Widely acknowledged as the first detective novel, the story is told by...

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781464204807
PRICE	$12.95 (USD)

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Featured Reviews

Deborah W, Reviewer

"The Notting Hill Mystery" is a historical mystery novel set in 1856 in England. It's actually a reprint of a story written as a contemporary mystery. This book was written in a unique format, even for the time. The narrator is a man who was sent to investigate a suspicious death for an insurance agency who wanted to make sure the death was not murder. The investigation has concluded and the story is essentially his report written in chronological order of the victims life. So we get letters that set the whole thing up, then statements and reports about events that led up to the death. It's essentially a detective book filled only with interviews.

I loved how the story unfolded and I could see how it was all slowly connecting together. There is a section at the end where it's all explained for those who missed the clues. The narrator thinks it murder but can't quite believe how it was done. It's based on the idea that these twin sisters will react to the illnesses and injuries of the other, plus that hypnotism was used. It's meant to leave the reader a little uncertain--could it really happen? I think it did an excellent job at what it was trying to do.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this intriguing mystery to those interested in mystery stories before the genre got it's modern rules.