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E-artnow presents to you this unique collection of the greatest classics of thriller and mystery every fan of the genre should experience at least once in their life: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie) The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Agatha Christie) The Secret Adversary (Agatha Christie) The Murders in the Rue Morgue (Edgar Allan Poe) The Masque of the Red Death (Edgar Allan Poe) The Purloined Letter (Edgar Allan Poe) A Study in Scarlet (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Sign of Four (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Innocence of Father Brown (G. K. Chesterton) The Abbey Court Murder (Annie Haynes) The Man Who Knew Too Much (G. K. Chesterton) The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins) Bleak House (Charles Dickens) Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy) Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad) Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain) Tom Sawyer, Detective (Mark Twain) The Turn of the Screw (Henry James) Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) The Shooting Party (Anton Chekhov) Guy Mannering (Walter Scott) The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) The Invisible Man (H. G. Wells) The Four Just Men (Edgar Wallace) The Red Thumb Mark (R. Austin Freeman) The Leavenworth Case (Anna Katharine Green) The Circular Staircase (Mary Roberts Rinehart) Bulldog Drummond (Sapper) Martin Hewitt Investigator (Arthur Morrison) The Lodger (Marie Belloc Lowndes) Whose Body? (Dorothy L. Sayers) The Thirty-Nine Steps (John Buchan) The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) Arsène Lupin (Maurice Leblanc) The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux) The Widow Lerouge (Émile Gaboriau) Fantômas (Marcel Allain) Dracula (Bram Stoker) Uncle Silas (Sheridan Le Fanu) The Call of Cthulhu (H. P. Lovecraft) The House on the Borderland (William Hope Hodgson) The Willows (Algernon Blackwood) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Washington Irving) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Charles Dickens)

This meticulously edited and unique collection includes the greatest mystery cases and puzzles for you to solve and relax with during Christmas and winter holidays: Agatha Christie: The Mysterious Affair at Styles The Murder on the Links The Kidnapped Prime Minister The Million Dollar Bond Robbery The Secret Adversary R. Austin Freeman: Dr. Thorndyke's Cases The Adventures of Dr. Thorndyke Dr. Thorndyke's Casebook Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes A Study in Scarlet The Sign of Four The Hound of the Baskervilles The Valley of Fear A. E. W. Mason: At the Villa Rose The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel Mary Roberts Rinehart: The Circular Staircase The Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry Tish – The Chronicle of Her Escapades and Excursions More Tish Edgar Allan Poe: The Murders in the Rue Morgue The Mystery of Marie Rogêt The Purloined Letter Charles Dickens: Hunted Down Wilkie Collins: The Moonstone The Woman in White The Haunted Hotel Robert Barr: The Triumph of Eugéne Valmont Jennie Baxter, Journalist The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs The Adventure of the Second Swag E. W. Hornung: The Amateur Cracksman The Black Mask; or, Raffles: Further Adventures A Thief in the Night Mr. Justice Raffles John Kendrick Bangs: Mrs. Raffles R. Holmes & Co Melville Davisson Post: The Sleuth of St. James's Square Edgar Wallace: The Four Just Men The Clue of the Twisted Candle Victor L. Whitechurch: The Canon in Residence Anna Katharine Green: The Leavenworth Case A Strange Disappearance The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow That Affair Next Door Lost Man's Lane The Circular Study G. K. Chesterton: The Innocence of Father Brown The Wisdom of Father Brown The Donnington Affair Ellis Parker Butler: Philo Gubb Correspondence-School Detective Maurice Leblanc: Arsene Lupin The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin Mabel & Paul Thorne: The Sheridan Road Mystery Marion Harvey: The Mystery of the Hidden Room Grace Livingston Hill: The Mystery of Mary

This collection includes the great masterpieces of thriller and mystery every fan of the genre should experience: Agatha Christie: The Mysterious Affair at Styles The Murder on the Links The Secret Adversary The Man in the Brown Suit The Secret of Chimneys The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Edgar Allan Poe: The Murders in the Rue Morgue The Masque of the Red Death The Fall of the House of Usher The Tell-Tale Heart The Cask of Amontillado The Purloined Letter Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study in Scarlet The Sign of Four The Valley of Fear The Hound of the Baskervilles Sherlock Holmes Stories G. K. Chesterton: Father Brown Mysteries The Man Who Knew Too Much The Man Who Was Thursday Wilkie Collins: The Woman in White The Moonstone Charles Dickens: Bleak House Great Expectations The Mystery of Edwin Drood Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë) Tenant of Wildfel Hall (Anne Brontë) The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy) Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad) Nostromo (Joseph Conrad) Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson) Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne) The Mysterious Island (Jules Verne) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain) Tom Sawyer, Detective (Mark Twain) The Turn of the Screw (Henry James) The Wings of the Dove (Henry James) Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) The Double (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) The Shooting Party (Anton Chekhov) The Mysterious Portrait (Nikolai Gogol) Guy Mannering (Walter Scott) Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe) The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) The Plumed Serpent (D. H. Lawrence) The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) The Invisible Man (H. G. Wells) The Four Just Men (Edgar Wallace) The Clue of the Twisted Candle (Edgar Wallace) The Red Thumb Mark (R. Austin Freeman) The Leavenworth Case (Anna Katharine Green) That Affair Next Door (Anna Katharine Green) The Bat (Mary Roberts Rinehart)

E-artnow presents to you this unique collection of the carefully picked greatest mystery classics of all time 100 classics: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Agatha Christie) The Murder on the Links (Agatha Christie) The Secret Adversary (Agatha Christie) The Man in the Brown Suit (Agatha Christie) The Secret of Chimneys (Agatha Christie) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie) The Murders in the Rue Morgue (Edgar Allan Poe) The Masque of the Red Death (Edgar Allan Poe) The Fall of the House of Usher (Edgar Allan Poe) The Tell-Tale Heart (Edgar Allan Poe) The Cask of Amontillado (Edgar Allan Poe) The Purloined Letter (Edgar Allan Poe) A Study in Scarlet (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Sign of Four (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Valley of Fear (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Hound of the Baskervilles (Arthur Conan Doyle) Sherlock Holmes Stories (Arthur Conan Doyle) Father Brown Mysteries (G. K. Chesterton) The Man Who Knew Too Much (G. K. Chesterton) The Man Who Was Thursday (G. K. Chesterton) The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins) The Moonstone (Wilkie Collins) Bleak House (Charles Dickens) Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë) Tenant of Wildfel Hall (Anne Brontë) The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy) Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad) Nostromo (Joseph Conrad) Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson) Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne) The Mysterious Island (Jules Verne) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain) Tom Sawyer, Detective (Mark Twain) The Turn of the Screw (Henry James) The Wings of the Dove (Henry James) Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) The Double (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) The Shooting Party (Anton Chekhov) The Mysterious Portrait (Nikolai Gogol) Guy Mannering (Walter Scott) Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe) The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)…

E-artnow presents to you this unique collection of the greatest classics of thriller and mystery every fan of the genre should experience at least once in their life: The Hound of the Baskervilles (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Valley of Fear (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) His Last Bow (Arthur Conan Doyle) The Double (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) The Murder on the Links (Agatha Christie) The Man in the Brown Suit (Agatha Christie) The Secret of Chimneys (Agatha Christie) The Fall of the House of Usher (Edgar Allan Poe) The Tell-Tale Heart (Edgar Allan Poe) The Cask of Amontillado (Edgar Allan Poe) The Clue of the Twisted Candle (Edgar Wallace) That Affair Next Door (Anna Katharine Green) The Wisdom of Father Brown (G. K. Chesterton) The Incredulity of Father Brown (G. K. Chesterton) The Man Who Was Thursday (G. K. Chesterton) The Moonstone (Wilkie Collins) Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë) The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Nostromo (Joseph Conrad) Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) The Mysterious Island (Jules Verne) The Wings of the Dove (Henry James) The Mysterious Portrait (Nikolai Gogol) Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe) The Plumed Serpent (D. H. Lawrence) The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) The Bat (Mary Roberts Rinehart) Max Carrados (Ernest Bramah) The King in Yellow (Robert William Chambers) The Great Impersonation (E. Phillips Oppenheim) The Middle Temple Murder (J. S. Fletcher) The Beetle (Richard Marsh) The Man in the Iron Mask (Alexandre Dumas) The Hollow Needle (Maurice Leblanc) The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Gaston Leroux) Monsieur Lecoq (Émile Gaboriau) The Jewel of Seven Stars (Bram Stoker) In a Glass Darkly (Sheridan Le Fanu) At the Mountains of Madness (H. P. Lovecraft) Carnacki, the Ghost Finder (William Hope Hodgson) The Horla (Guy de Maupassant) Trent's Last Case (E. C. Bentley) The Red House Mystery (A. A. Milne) The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu (Sax Rohmer) The Riddle of the Sands (Erskine Childers) The Amateur Cracksman (E. W. Hornung) The House Without a Key (Earl Derr Biggers) The Benson Murder Case (S. S. Van Dine)

e-artnow presents to you a collection of the greatest mystery cases and puzzles for you to solve and relax with: R. Austin Freeman: Dr. Thorndyke's Cases The Adventures of Dr. Thorndyke Dr. Thorndyke's Casebook Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study in Scarlet The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes A. E. W. Mason: At the Villa Rose The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel Mary Roberts Rinehart: The Circular Staircase The Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry Tish – The Chronicle of Her Escapades and Excursions More Tish Edgar Allan Poe: The Murders in the Rue Morgue The Mystery of Marie Rogêt The Purloined Letter Charles Dickens: Hunted Down Wilkie Collins: The Moonstone The Woman in White The Haunted Hotel Robert Barr: The Triumph of Eugéne Valmont Jennie Baxter, Journalist The Adventures of Sherlaw Kombs The Adventure of the Second Swag E. W. Hornung: The Amateur Cracksman The Black Mask; or, Raffles: Further Adventures A Thief in the Night Mr. Justice Raffles John Kendrick Bangs: Mrs. Raffles R. Holmes & Co Melville Davisson Post: The Sleuth of St. James's Square Edgar Wallace: The Four Just Men The Clue of the Twisted Candle Victor L. Whitechurch: The Canon in Residence Anna Katharine Green: The Leavenworth Case A Strange Disappearance The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow That Affair Next Door Lost Man's Lane The Circular Study G. K. Chesterton: The Innocence of Father Brown The Wisdom of Father Brown The Donnington Affair Ellis Parker Butler: Philo Gubb Correspondence-School Detective Maurice Leblanc: Arsene Lupin The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin Agatha Christie: The Mysterious Affair at Styles The Murder on the Links The Kidnapped Prime Minister The Million Dollar Bond Robbery The Secret Adversary

First published in 1905, A Thief in the Night is the third collection of stories detailing the exploits and intrigues of gentleman thief A. J. Raffles in late Victorian England. In public a popular sportsman, in private a cunning burglar with a weakness for valuable jewelery, Arthur Raffles, with the help of his side-kick Bunny Manders, always manages to thwart the investigations of Scotland Yard's Inspector Mackenzie. Popular in its day, this is the last collection of short stories about E. W. Hornung's most famous character - followed only by a novel, Mr. Justice Raffles. As part of our mission to publish great works of literary fiction and nonfiction, Sheba Blake Publishing Corp. is extremely dedicated to bringing to the forefront the amazing works of long dead and truly talented authors.

The Amateur Cracksman is an 1899 short story collection by E. W. Hornung. A national sporting hero, Arthur J. Raffles[note 1] is a prominent member of London society. As a cricketer, he regularly represents England in Test matches. He uses this as cover to commit a number of burglaries, primarily stealing valuable jewellery from the elite of London, for thrill and profit. He is assisted in this by his friend, the younger Harry'Bunny'Manders, who idealizes Raffles as a sportsman. Both men are constantly under the surveillance of Inspector Mackenzie of Scotland Yard, who is always thwarted in his attempts to pin the crimes on Raffles.

Raffles: Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman. It is the second collection of stories in Hornung's series concerning A. J. Raffles, a gentleman thief in late Victorian London. Following the events of the final story of the preceding short story collection, the reputations of A. J. Raffles and his companion Bunny Manders are ruined. Raffles is assumed to have drowned in the Mediterranean, and Bunny has faced eighteen months in prison and is struggling to get back on his feet. The eight stories in this collection follow their remarkable reunion, and their joint return to crime, though as hardened criminals rather than respectable gentlemen. The stories are in chronological order, yet each is mostly independent and can be read separately.

The classic story ties together themes of adventure and romance. Hornung's traditional writing style is incredibly descriptive and can be often relaxing to read. The story of Dead Men Tell No Tales doesn't rush but rather takes it's time to develop characters and provide indulgent details for readers. The tale of Mr. Cole and Ms. Eva is an excellent addition to any library and showcases some of Hornung's greatest strengths as an author. (Goodreads)

Excerpt:''There's our hut!'said the young hut-leader, pointing through iron palings at a couple of toy Noah's Arks built large.'No—that's the nth Division's cinema. The Y.M.C.A. is the one beyond.'The enclosure behind the palings had been a parade-ground in piping times; and British squads, from the pink French barracks outside the gates, still drilled there between banks of sterilised rubbish and lagoons of unmedicated mud. The place was to become familiar to me under many aspects. I have known it more than presentable in a clean suit of snow, and really picturesque with a sharp moon cocked upon some towering trees, as yet strangely intact. It was at its best, perhaps, as a nocturne pricked out by a swarm of electric torches, going and coming along the duck-boards in a grand chain of sparks and flashes. But its true colours were the wet browns and drabs of that first glimpse in the December dusk, with the Ark hull down in the mud, and the cinema a sister ship across her bows. The hut-leader ushered me on board with the courtesy of a young commander inducting an elderly new mate; the difference was that I had all the ropes to learn, with the possible exception of one he had already shown me on our way from the local headquarters of the Y.M.C.A. The battered town was full of English soldiers, to whom indeed it owed its continued existence on the right side of the Line. In the gathering twilight, and the deeper shade of beetling ruins, most of them saluted either my leader's British warm, or my own voluminous trench-coat (with fleece lining), on the supposition of officers within. Left to myself, I should have done the wrong thing every time. It is expressly out of order for a camp-follower to give or take salutes. Yet what is he to do, when he gets a beauty from one whose boots he is unfit to black? My leader had been showing me, with a pleasant nod and a genial civilian gesture, easier to emulate than to acquire.'

Excerpt:''And you're quite sure the place doesn't choke you off?''The place? Why, I'd marry you for it alone. It's just sweet!'Of course it was nothing of the kind. There was the usual galaxy of log huts; the biggest and best of them, the one with the verandah in which the pair were sitting, was far from meriting the name of house which courtesy extended to it. These huts had the inevitable roofs of galvanised iron; these roofs duly expanded in the heat, and made the little tin thunder that dwellers beneath them grow weary of hearing, the warm world over. There were a few pine-trees between the buildings, and the white palings of a well among the pines, and in the upper spaces a broken but persistent horizon of salt-bush plains burning into the blinding blue. In the Riverina you cannot escape these features: you may have more pine-trees and less salt-bush; you may even get blue-bush and cotton-bush, and an occasional mallee forest; but the plains will recur, and the pines will mitigate the plains, and the dazzle and the scent of them shall haunt you evermore, with that sound of the hot complaining roofs, and the taste of tea from a pannikin and water from a water-bag. These rude refinements were delights still in store for Moya Bethune, who saw the bush as yet from a comfortable chair upon a cool verandah, and could sing its praises with a clear conscience. Indeed, a real enthusiasm glistened in her eyes. And the eyes of Moya happened to be her chief perfection. But for once Rigden was not looking into them, and his own were fixed in thought.'

Excerpt:'The two new boys in Heriot's house had been suitably entertained at his table, and afterwards in his study with bound volumes of Punch. Incidentally they had been encouraged to talk, with the result that one boy had talked too much, while the other shut a stubborn mouth tighter than before. The babbler displayed an exuberant knowledge of contemporary cricket, a more conscious sense of humour, and other little qualities which told their tale. He opened the door for Miss Heriot after dinner, and even thanked her for the evening when it came to an end. His companion, on the other hand, after brooding over Leech and Tenniel with a sombre eye, beat a boorish retreat without a word. Heriot saw the pair to the boys'part of the house. He was filling his pipe when he returned to the medley of books, papers, photographic appliances, foxes'masks, alpen-stocks and venerable oak, that made his study a little room in which it was difficult to sit down and impossible to lounge. His sister, perched upon a coffin-stool, was busy mounting photographs at a worm-eaten bureau.'

The story is largely one of sin and redemption. It emphasizes the intolerance of the late Victorian society by drawing from the prejudice and rigidity of Long Stow's inhabitants. The parishioners of the aforementioned village had condemned their parson as worthless upon discovering his affair with a choir girl notwithstanding the fact that he had willingly confessed to his own sin and taken responsibility, setting thus an example of Christian redemption. (Goodreads)

Excerpt:'Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life. He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots. He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep. Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border. Harry started up, the early sun in his sleepy eyes, and for an instant the first-class smoking-compartment was his state-room aboard the ship Sobraon, and the guard one of his good friends the officers. Then with a rush of exquisite joy the glorious truth came home to him, and he was up and out that instant—the happiest and the luckiest young rascal in the land.'

Excerpt:'Last summer, centuries ago, I watched the postman's lantern glow, As night by night on leaden feet He twinkled down our darkened street. So welcome on his beaten track, The bent man with the bulging sack! But dread of every sleepless couch, A whistling imp with leathern pouch! And now I meet him in the way And earth is Heaven, night is Day, For oh! there shines before his lamp An envelope without a stamp!'

Excerpt:'It is the story of Ensign Joy And the obsolete rank withal That I love for each gentle English boy Who jumped to his country's call. By their fire and fun, and the deeds they've done, I would gazette them Second to none Who faces a gun in Gaul!'

Excerpt:'A hooded wagon was creeping across a depressing desert in the middle of Australia; layers of boxes under the hood, and of brass-handled, mahogany drawers below the boxes, revealed the licensed hawker of the bush. Now, the hawker out there is a very extensive development of his prototype here at home; he is Westbourne Grove on wheels, with the prices of Piccadilly, W. But these particular providers were neither so universal nor so exorbitant as the generality of their class. There were but two of them; they drove but two horses; and sat shoulder to shoulder on the box. The afternoon was late; all day the horses had been crawling, for the track was unusually heavy. There had been recent rains; red mud clogged the wheels at every yard, and clung to them in sticky tires. Little pools had formed all over the plain; and westward, on the off-side of the wagon, these pools caught the glow of the setting sun, and filled with flame. Far over the horses'ears a long low line of trees was visible; otherwise the plain was unbroken; you might ride all day on these plains and descry no other horse nor man.'

A Thief in the Night is a 1905 collection of short stories by E. W. Hornung. The stories feature Hornung's popular character A. J. Raffles. It was the third book in the series, and the final collection of short stories. In it, Raffles, a gentleman thief, commits a number of burglaries in late Victorian England. A full-length Raffles novel, Mr. Justice Raffles, would follow in 1909.

Excerpt:''Land ahead!'The North Foreland had been made advisedly snug for the night. In the middle watch she was under her three lower topsails and fore topmast staysail only. Not that it blew very hard, but the night was dark and hazy, with a heavy swell. And it was the last night of the voyage. At eight bells there had been a cast of the deep-sea lead, with the significant result that the skipper had been the first to turn in; gradually the excited passengers had followed his example, instead of staying on deck to see the Otway light. The second mate had said there would be no Otway that night, and what the second said was good enough for most. The saloon skylight had become a clean-edged glimmer in the middle of the poop, the binnacle a fallen moon; not a port-hole twinkled on the rushing ink; and the surviving topsails, without visible stitch or stick aloft or alow, hovered over the ship like gigantic bats. Four persons remained upon the poop: the middy of the watch, tantalized by muffled guffaws from the midshipmen's berth in the after-house; the man at the wheel, in eclipse above the belt, with the binnacle light upon one weather-beaten hand; and on the weather side, the second mate in reluctant conversation with a big cigar that glowed at intervals into a bearded and spectacled face, the smooth brown one of the young officer sharing the momentary illumination.'It's all very well,'said the senior man, in low persistent tones,'but if we don't have it out now, when are we to? You know what it will be like to-morrow: we shall land first thing, and you'll be the busiest man on board. As for the rules of the ship, if an owner can't use his discretion he might as well travel by some other line.''

Mr. Justice Raffles is a 1909 novel written by E.W. Hornung. It featured his popular character A. J. Raffles a well-known cricketer and gentleman thief. It was the fourth and last in his four Raffles books which had begun with The Amateur Cracksman in 1899. Unlike the three previous works, the book was a full-length novel and featured darker elements than the earlier collections of short stories. In it a jaded Raffles is growing increasingly cynical about British high society. He encounters Dan Levy, an unscrupulous moneylender, who manages to entrap a number of young men, mostly sons of the wealthy, by giving them loans and then charging huge amounts of interest. Raffles takes it upon himself to teach Levy a lesson.

Excerpt:'Arabella was the first at the farm to become aware of Mr. Teesdale's return from Melbourne. She was reading in the parlour, with her plump elbows planted upon the faded green table-cloth, and an untidy head of light-coloured hair between her hands; looking up from her book by chance, she saw through the closed window her father and the buggy climbing the hill at the old mare's own pace. Arabella went on reading until the buggy had drawn up within a few feet of the verandah posts and a few more of the parlour window. Then she sat in doubt, with her finger on the place; but before it appeared absolutely necessary to jump up and run out, one of the men had come up to take charge of the mare, an Arabella was enabled to remove her finger and read on. The parlour was neither very large nor at all lofty, and the shut window and fire-place closely covered by a green gauze screen, to keep the flies out, made it disagreeably stuffy. There were two doors, but both of these were shut also, though the one at the far end of the room, facing the hearth, nearly always stood wide open. It led down a step into a very little room where the guns were kept and old newspapers thrown, and where somebody was whistling rather sweetly as the other door opened and Mr. Teesdale entered, buggy-whip in hand.'

Catherine'Tiny'Luttrell is the daughter of a sheep ranch owner in Australia. and is the youngest of three siblings, who are her brother Herbert and sister Ruth. The story opens with Tiny saying good bye to her childhood home at the ranch before going to London for the season to visit the recently married Ruth. But, she also says goodbye to Jack Swift the recently promoted ranch hand who was one of her early meaningless love affairs as everyone knows Tiny loves to flirt and has many admirers. (Goodreads)

Excerpt:'Cazalet sat up so suddenly that his head hit the woodwork over the upper berth. His own voice still rang in his startled ears. He wondered how much he had said, and how far it could have carried above the throb of the liner's screws and the mighty pounding of the water against her plates. Then his assembling senses coupled the light in the cabin with his own clear recollection of having switched it off before turning over. And then he remembered how he had been left behind at Naples, and rejoined the Kaiser Fritz at Genoa, only to find that he no longer had a cabin to himself.'

A gruesome tale! A somewhat immature teenage boy, Tony'Pocket'Upton, goes to London to consult a doctor about his asthma and finds himself without a place to stay. He decides to spend the night in the park. The next thing he knows he is standing with a gun in his hand, and a body at his feet. The inescapable conclusion is that Pocket has shot him while sleep-walking. Another man is looking at him in horror but agrees to harbour him. Should he go to the police and confess all? Can he let someone else take the blame? And is Dr Baumgartner all he seems? (Goodreads)

Stingaree is a 1905 novel by E. W. Hornung about an Australian bushranger. It was allegedly based on the Kelly Gang.

Classic British murder/mystery written in 1906; notable for portraying women in a rather modern, favourable light, showing concern for their unequal position in society. Rachel Minchin is charged for the murder of her husband and yes the jurors are all men... (Goodreads)

An interesting and easy to read story about an Australian bride of an upperclass Englishman and the problems both she and her in-laws have adjusting to each other. (Goodreads)

Witching Hill is a collection of short stories by E. W. Hornung. The stories revolve around the apparently supernatural happenings that occur on the housing estate of Witching Hill, and the combined efforts of the estate's clerk, Gillon, and a resident, Delavoye, to manage them.

Excerpt:'Kenyon had been more unmanageable than usual. Unsettled and excitable from the moment he awoke and remembered who was coming in the evening, he had remained in an unsafe state all day. That evening found him with unbroken bones was a miracle to Ethel his sister, and to his great friend John, the under-gardener. Poor Ethel was in charge; and sole charge of Kenyon, who was eleven, was no light matter for a girl with her hair still down. Her brother was a handful at most times; to-day he would have filled some pairs of stronger hands than Ethel's. They had begun the morning together, with snob-cricket, as the small boy called it; but Kenyon had been rather rude over it, and Ethel had retired. She soon regretted this step; it had made him reckless; he had spent the most dangerous day. Kenyon delighted in danger. He had a mania for walking round the entire premises on the garden wall, which was high enough to kill him if he fell, and for clambering over the greenhouses, which offered a still more fascinating risk. Not only had he done both this morning, he had gone so far as to straddle a gable of the house itself, shrieking good-tempered insults at Ethel, who appealed to him with tears and entreaties from the lawn below.'

Excerpt:'They were terribly sentimental words, but the fellow sang them as though he meant every syllable. Altogether, the song was not the kind of thing to go down with a back-block audience, any more than the singer was the class of man. He was a little bit of a fellow, with long dark hair and dark glowing eyes, and he swayed on the music-stool, as he played and sang, in a manner most new to the young men of Taroomba. He had not much voice, but the sensitive lips took such pains with each word, and the long, nervous fingers fell so lightly upon the old piano, that every one of the egregious lines travelled whole and unmistakable to the farthest corner of the room. And that was an additional pity, because the piano was so placed that the performer was forced to turn his back upon his audience; and behind it the young men of Taroomba were making great game of him all the time.'

In the tradition of the Great Detective, Sherlock Holmes, we present E.W. Hornung's THE CRIME DOCTOR. John Dollar, a former soldier recovering from a head injury, becomes an amateur sleuth as well as a man of medical science- one with a unique outlook on the criminal mind, and how to treat this growing threat to Crown and Country; and as the villains will discover, he stands ready to use the black arts of subterfuge, disguise, and violence in the service of a good cause. In his exploits throughout Europe, he encounters mystery and deception beginning with a theft from Britain's secretary of state; a race to save a wrongly condemned man; the questionable rehabilitation of a career criminal; a spy with access to the Admiralty's most secret blueprints; an intrigue-ridden Continental train trip; a Swiss trek to aid the surgeon who healed him of his kleptomania, a haunting at an English manor; an encounter with arson-minded suffragettes; and finally, a showdown with a murderous arch-foe. (Goodreads)

A simple plot that steadily grows more complex. The book opens with supposed Duke Claude Lafont discussing the whereabouts of his lawyer, who he sent to Australia to search for the hitherto unkwn heir to his Uncle's Dukedom. Jake Darrendall a cat loving sheepherder from the bush of Australia. Hornung gets all the mileage he can out of such a simple premise with several twists. Every character has an arc even the character who talks about exclusively golf.

This book, newly updated, contains now several HTML tables of contents that will make reading a real pleasure! The first table of contents (at the very beginning of the ebook) lists the titles of all novels included in this volume. By clicking on one of those titles you will be redirected to the beginning of that work, where you'll find a new TOC that lists all the chapters and sub-chapters of that specific work. This book contains the following works arranged alphabetically by authors last names In a Grove [Ryūnosuke Akutagawa] Fantômas [Marcel Allain] The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont [Robert Barr] The Woman in Black [E.C. Bentley] The Island Mystery [George A. Birmingham] Four Max Carrados Detective Stories [Ernest Bramah Smith] The Wisdom of Father Brown, The Innocence of Father Brown [G.K Chesterton] The Secret Adversary [Agatha Christie] The Mysterious Affair at Styles [Agatha Christie] No Name [Wilkie Collins] The Woman in White [Wilkie Collins] Hunted Down [Charles Dickens] The Trial for Murder [Charles Dickens] The Mystery of Cloomber [Arthur Conan Doyle] The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [Arthur Conan Doyle] The Spider [Hanns Heinz Ewers] The Middle Temple Murder [Joseph Smith Fletcher] Dead Men's Money [Joseph Smith Fletcher] The Red Thumb Mark [R. Austin Freeman] The Cat's Eye [R. Austin Freeman] The Honor of the Name [Émile Gaboriau] The Man Who Ended War [Hollis Godfrey] The Rome Express [Arthur Griffiths] Arson Plus [Samuel Dashiell Hammett] Desperate Remedies [Thomas Hardy] Green Tea [Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu] The Seven Secrets [William Le Queux] Eight Strokes of the Clock [Maurice Leblanc] The Phantom of the Opera [Gaston Leroux] The Lodger [Marie Adelaide Lowndes] The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel [A. E. W. Mason] The Mysterious Card Unveiled [Cleveland Moffett] The Mysterious Card [Cleveland Moffett] The Evil Shepherd [Edward Phillips Oppenheim] The Double Four [Edward Phillips Oppenheim] The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective [Catherine Louisa Pirkis] The Mystery of Marie Rogêt [Edgar Allan Poe] The Murders in the Rue Morgue [Edgar Allan Poe] The Black Cat [Edgar Allan Poe] The Fall of the House of Usher [Edgar Allan Poe] The Green Eyes of Bâst [Sax Rohmer] Whose Body? [Dorothy Leigh Sayers] The Lady, or the Tiger? [Frank R. Stockton] Catherine: A Story [William Makepeace Thackeray] Tom Sawyer, Detective [Mark Twain] An Antarctic Mystery [Jules Verne] The Daffodil Mystery [Edgar Wallace] The Angel of Terror [Edgar Wallace] The Master Criminal [Merrick White] Also Available : 50 Mystery and Detective masterpieces you have to read before you die vol: 2 50 Masterpieces you have to read before you die Vol: 1 (Golden Deer Classics) 50 Masterpieces you have to read before you die Vol: 2 (Golden Deer Classics) 50 Masterpieces you have to read before you die Vol: 3 (Golden Deer Classics)

In'Murder Mystery for Christmas,'an anthology of suspense and intrigue, readers are invited to explore the chilling underbelly of the holiday season through a collection of masterfully crafted narratives. This compendium presents a diverse array of literary styles, from the gothic echoes of Edgar Allan Poe to the intricate plotting reminiscent of Agatha Christie. Showcasing the evolution of the murder mystery genre, the collection spans an array of settings and tones, ensuring that every reader finds a narrative to capture their imagination. Standout tales featured within this anthology deftly weave tension and atmosphere, engaging the reader in a maze of clues and red herrings that demand attention and critical thought. Drawing from a revered lineage of literary figures,'Murder Mystery for Christmas'assembles an impressive roster of authors who each offer unique angles on the theme of criminal intrigue. Such iconic voices as Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle engage with their era's fascination with crime and morality, while contemporary narratives, such as those by Agatha Christie and Anna Katharine Green, infuse a modern sensibility. Together, these writers encapsulate the literary movements that shaped detective fiction, delivering a tapestry of historical and cultural insights into the genre's enduring popularity. This anthology beckons readers to partake in a distinctive journey through the minds of literary giants, offering a rich mosaic of perspectives and styles within a single, captivating volume. A perfect companion for the holiday season, it presents an opportunity to travel through the ingenious constructs of some of the most acclaimed authors in suspense and mystery. Whether for keen aficionados of the genre or curious novices,'Murder Mystery for Christmas'promises not only thrilling escapades but also an enlightening examination of the interplay between narrative art and societal themes in detective fiction.

This book contains 350 short stories from 50 classic, prize-winning and noteworthy authors. Wisely chosen by the literary critic August Nemo for the book series 7 Best Short Stories, this omnibus contains the stories of the following writers: - Mary Shelley - D. H. Lawrence - Ellis Parker Butler - Anthony Trollope - Zona Gale - Emma Orczy - Don Marquis - Charles W. Chesnutt - Kathleen Norris - Stanley G. Weinbaum - Honoré de Balzac - M. R. James - Banjo Paterson - Bret Harte - Henry Lawson - W. W. Jacobs - Charlotte M. Yonge - Mary E. Wilkins Freeman - L. Frank Baum - O. Henry - William Dean Howells - T. S. Arthur - Sherwood Anderson - Robert Barr - Lafcadio Hearn - Giovanni Verga - Hamlin Garland - Émile Zola - Stewart Edward White - Sarah Orne Jewett - Willa Cather - George Ade - Robert W. Chambers - Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson - Ruth McEnery Stuart - Lord Dunsany - George Gissing - Théophile Gautier - Paul Heyse - Selma Lagerlöf - Thomas Burke - Edith Nesbit - Arthur Morrison - Stacy Aumonier - John Galsworthy - E. W. Hornung - Ernest Bramah

The Art of Detection is an exquisite anthology that delves into the world of mystery and suspense, providing readers with a compendium of the finest detective stories penned by illustrious authors across generations. This collection captures the essence and evolution of detective fiction from the intricate narratives of Victorian England to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, blending gothic elements with the shrewd observations of the sleuths. With a diverse range of literary styles, the anthology presents tales that challenge readers to untangle cleverly woven plots, each embodying the timeless allure of deduction, insight, and revelation. Highlights of the collection include ingenious puzzles that engage readers in a game of wit and reasoning, quintessential to the genre's appeal. The esteemed roster of authors, including visionaries such as Edgar Allan Poe and Agatha Christie, showcases a breadth of talent united in their pursuit of the mystery genre's artistry. This assembly includes pioneers who shaped detective fiction, reflecting on various social and cultural perspectives rooted in different historical epochs. Collectively, they engage with complex themes of morality, justice, and human behavior, enriching the anthology with a multitude of narratives that transcend cultural influences, offering a prism through which the evolution of mystery writing can be appreciated. This anthology provides an invaluable opportunity to immerse oneself in the artful interplay of perception and intellect characteristic of each author's work. Its rich blend of perspectives not only entertains but also educates, urging readers to engage with these timeless works through an analytical lens. The Art of Detection is an essential companion for those who relish unraveling tales of intrigue, making it a significant contribution to the literary understanding of detective fiction.

Welcome to the Essential Novelists book series, were we present to you the best works of remarkable authors. August Nemo has chosen the two most important and meaningful novels of E. W. Hornung which are Dead Men Tell No Tales and The Shadow of the Rope. E. W. Hornung was an English author and poet known for writing the A. J. Raffles series of stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. Hornung's stories dealt with a wider range of themes than crime: he examined scientific and medical developments, guilt, class and the unequal role played by women in society. Novels selected for this book: - Dead Men Tell No Tales - The Shadow of the Rope This is one of many books in the series Essential Novelists. If you liked this book, look for the other titles in the series, we are sure you will like some of the authors.

This book contains 70 short stories from 10 classic, prize-winning and noteworthy authors. The stories were carefully selected by the critic August Nemo, in a collection that will please the literature lovers. For more exciting titles, be sure to check out our 7 Best Short Stories and Essential Novelists collections. This book contains: - John Galsworthy:The First and Last A Stoic The Apple Tree The Juryman Indian Summer of a Forsyte The Hedonist Buttercup Night - Théophile Gautier:Clarimonde The Mummy's Foot One Of Cleopatra's Night Omphale: A Rococo Story King Candaules Arria Marcella The Romance of a Mummy - Paul Heyse:The Dead Lake Doomed Beatrice Beginning, and End L'Arrabiata! Count Ernest's Home Blind - Selma Lagerlöf:The Holy Night The Emperor's Vision The Wise Men's Well Bethlehem's Children The Flight Into Egypt In Nazareth In The Temple - Thomas Burke:The Chink and the Child The Father of Yoto Gracie Goodnight The Paw The Cue Beryl, the Croucher and the Rest of England The Sign of the Lamp - E. Nesbit:The Ebony Frame John Charrington's Wedding Uncle Abraham's Romance The Mystery Of The Semi-Detached From The Dead Man-Size In Marble The Mass For The Dead - Arthur Morrison:That Brute Simmos A Poor Stick Behind the Shade To Bow Bridges A Conversation All That Messuage Three Hounds - Stacy Aumonier:A Source of Irritation Where Was Wych Street? Burney's Laugh The Chinese Philosopher and the European War Cricket George'Solemn-Looking Blokes'

The'Murder Mystery Anthology'stands as a testament to the genre's evolution, weaving intricate tales of intrigue and deduction that capture the imagination. Encompassing a broad spectrum of literary styles, from Gothic suspense to classic detective narratives, this collection introduces readers to a vibrant array of mysteries. Amidst its pages lie the suspenseful twists and intellectual puzzles that have defined and redefined the genre, showcasing stories that are both time-honored and groundbreaking. Featuring a tapestry of narratives, the anthology includes standout masterpieces that challenge the mind and stir the soul, accentuating the diversity and richness of murder mystery literature. The anthology brings together an illustrious assembly of authors whose backgrounds span different eras and literary movements. With contributions from revered figures such as Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie, the collection traverses the Victorian origins of mystery to the Golden Age of detective fiction. The authors'diverse cultural insights and storytelling prowess coalesce to explore themes of justice, morality, and the human psyche, offering a comprehensive portrayal of the genre's evolution. By juxtaposing traditional intrigue with inventive plots, these writers leave an indelible mark on the literary map, echoing the ethos of their times. A must-read for enthusiasts of the macabre and intellectually curious alike, the'Murder Mystery Anthology'offers an unparalleled window into the evolution of detective fiction. Readers will find themselves immersed in a world where each story presents not only a mystery to be solved but also a refreshing perspective into the fabric of human nature. This compilation is an invaluable resource for those who seek to appreciate the genre's breadth and the myriad voices that have contributed to its lasting appeal, encouraging a deeper dialogue with the past and present of murder mysteries.

The Hidden Clue unveils a constellation of mystery and intrigue through a masterful anthology that spans the breadth of the detective fiction genre. Ranging from the gothic melancholy of Edgar Allan Poe's groundbreaking tales to the cerebral puzzles posed by Arthur Conan Doyle, this collection offers readers a rich tapestry of narrative styles and curious perspectives. Each story in this volume promises a journey into the unexpected, where suspenseful plots and intricate character studies converge to embody the art of unraveling the unknown. Whether shedding light on an overlooked detail or leading the reader down a twisting path of misdirection, these works are emblematic of the genre's enduring allure. This distinguished assembly of authors, from the ingenious deductions of G. K. Chesterton to the domestic sleuthing of Christie, reflects the dynamic evolution of detective fiction. Drawing from their diverse backgrounds and distinct voices, the contributors illuminate a range of societal reflections mirrored through the lens of criminology and moral ambiguity. As each author weaves their own narrative threads from the complexities of their time, The Hidden Clue captures the Zeitgeist of an era fascinated by the boundaries of perception and reason. For both seasoned mystery aficionados and newcomers alike, The Hidden Clue offers a singular exploration of the literary nuances and thematic depth that anchor the genre. This curated compendium not only entertains but also educates, inviting readers to consider the multifaceted dialogue between crime and consequence. Embark on this captivating journey as the collection promises to captivate with its breadth of human emotion and intellect, providing a scholarly yet thrilling odyssey into the minds of some of history's most ingenious storytellers.

Murder Mysteries for the Summertime offers an enthralling tour through the golden age of detective fiction, where the art of the mystery story finds its most verdant expression. This anthology captures the essence of intrigue and suspense, presenting a kaleidoscope of narratives that reflect the hazardous allure of a seemingly endless summer. Featuring an assortment of both head-scratching puzzles and heart-pounding thrills, the collection is a testament to the enduring appeal of the murder mystery, encompassing a breadth of styles from the psychological complexities to the classic whodunit, all set against an idyllic backdrop that belies darker undertones. The anthology brings together an illustrious ensemble of literary virtuosos, each contributing their acumen to craft tales that both entertain and provoke critical reflection. These authors, icons of the mystery and crime genre, have collectively shaped a literary movement that delights in subverting expectations and probing the moral ambiguities of justice. From classic figures like Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe to the ingenious puzzles of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, this collection echoes the evolution of the genre and the rich literary heritage from which these tales emerge. Readers are invited to immerse themselves in this collection as a veritable feast of deduction and drama, fostering a deep appreciation for the mysterious and unknown. The anthology showcases a mosaic of cultures and eras, providing a unique opportunity for exploration and discovery within the realm of murder mysteries. Aimed at both aficionados of the genre and newcomers alike, this compendium offers invaluable insights and fosters a vibrant dialogue among the included works, making it an essential addition to any literary bookshelf.

Classic mystery/detective novel. According to Wikipedia:'Ernest William Hornung (June 7, 1866 – March 22, 1921)... was an English author, most famous for writing the Raffles series of novels about a gentleman thief in late Victorian London. Hornung was the third son of John Peter Hornung, a Hungarian, and was born in Middlesbrough, England. He was educated at Uppingham School during some of the later years of its great headmaster, Edward Thring. He spent most of his life in England and France, but in 1884 left for Australia and stayed for two years where he working as a tutor at Mossgiel station. Although his Australian experience had been so short, it coloured most of his literary work from A Bride from the Bush published in 1899, to Old Offenders and a few Old Scores, which appeared after his death. He returned from Australia in 1886, and married Constance ('Connie') Doyle (1868-1924), the sister of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1893. Hornung published the poems Bond and Free and Wooden Crosses in The Times. The character of A. J. Raffles, a'gentleman thief', first appeared in Cassell's Magazine in 1898 and the stories were later collected as The Amateur Cracksman (1899). Other titles in the series include The Black Mask (1901), A Thief in the Night (1905), and the full-length novel Mr. Justice Raffles (1909). He also co-wrote the play Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman with Eugene Presbrey in 1903.'

Classic mystery/detective novel. According to Wikipedia:'Ernest William Hornung (June 7, 1866 – March 22, 1921)... was an English author, most famous for writing the Raffles series of novels about a gentleman thief in late Victorian London. Hornung was the third son of John Peter Hornung, a Hungarian, and was born in Middlesbrough, England. He was educated at Uppingham School during some of the later years of its great headmaster, Edward Thring. He spent most of his life in England and France, but in 1884 left for Australia and stayed for two years where he working as a tutor at Mossgiel station. Although his Australian experience had been so short, it coloured most of his literary work from A Bride from the Bush published in 1899, to Old Offenders and a few Old Scores, which appeared after his death. He returned from Australia in 1886, and married Constance ('Connie') Doyle (1868-1924), the sister of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1893. Hornung published the poems Bond and Free and Wooden Crosses in The Times. The character of A. J. Raffles, a'gentleman thief', first appeared in Cassell's Magazine in 1898 and the stories were later collected as The Amateur Cracksman (1899). Other titles in the series include The Black Mask (1901), A Thief in the Night (1905), and the full-length novel Mr. Justice Raffles (1909). He also co-wrote the play Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman with Eugene Presbrey in 1903.'