The Edinburgh mystery And other tales of Scottish crime

Book - 2023

"From the Highlands to the borders, the bustling cities to the remote isles in cold seas, the unique landscapes and locales of Scotland have long inspired writers of the very best Golden Age mysteries. Beginning with the adventures of Sherlock Holmes from Edinburgh-born Arthur Conan Doyle, this new collection includes the ingenious scientific mysteries of Anthony Wynne, the dark and sardonic work of Margot Bennett and contributions from neglected yet brilliant authors such as Scobie Mackenzie and R. T. Campbell"--

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  • Markheim / Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The field bazzar / Arthur Conan Doyle
  • The Edinburgh mystery / Baroness Orczy
  • The honour of Israel Gow / G.K. Chesterton
  • A medical crime / J. Storer Clouston
  • Footsteps / Anthony Wynne
  • The white lie / John Ferguson
  • The body of Sir Henry / Augustus Muir
  • Madame Ville d'Aubier / Josephine Tey
  • The man on Ben Na Garve / H. H. Bashford
  • Before insulin / J. J. Connington
  • The case of the frugal cake / Margot Bennett
  • Thursday's child / Cyril Hare
  • The alibi man / Bill Knox
  • The fisherman / Michael Innes
  • The running of the deer / P. M. Hubbard
  • Hand in glove / Jennie Melville.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Endlessly resourceful editor Edwards reprints 17 tales by authors who were Scottish, or part Scottish, or set at least some parts of some of their stories in Scotland. Eleven of the stories were first published before 1940, and none after 1974. Despite, or because of, the collection's tendency toward the golden age, the quality is consistently high. The keynote in nearly every case is ruthless economy. Edwards has dug deep into the archives to unearth brief, mostly forgotten stories by Josephine Tey, H.H. Bashford, Margot Bennett, Cyril Hare, and, yes, Arthur Conan Doyle (a characteristic Sherlock-ian mind-reading). J. Storer Clouston's private detective solves a series of burglaries during a hurried visit to Kinbuckie. John Ferguson's sleuth steps back from a shipboard sweepstakes concerning which suitor Sally Silver will accept to locate her missing necklace. J.J. Connington's Sir Clinton Driffield subjects a suspicious will to rewardingly close examination. Bill Knox's perpetrator kidnaps the man who pulled the wool over his eyes in order to frame him for a crime spree; Michael Innes brings Sir John Appleby together with four other fishermen, one of whom is after more than fish; Jennie Melville spins a wicked tale of a discarded mistress's revenge on the ambitious lover looking to discard her after his wife's murder. But none of these tops the three best-known items here: Baroness Orczy's "The Edinburgh Mystery," a classic of armchair detection by the acknowledged pioneer of the form; G.K. Chesterton's "The Honour of Israel Gow," an atmospheric Father Brown tale notable for its remarkably inventive puzzle and clues; and Robert Louis Stevenson's imperishable "Markheim," an extended dialogue between a murderer and the devil who offers to help him escape. Readers who know Scotland will glow with recognition; those who don't will want to pack their bags and maybe a gun. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.