This beautifully illustrated edition brings together some of the finest works by Vernon Loder, a master craftsman of Golden Age detective fiction. With a talent for intricate plots, sharp dialogue, and atmospheric settings, Loder's mysteries remain a compelling experience for readers who enjoy clever puzzles wrapped in polished prose. In Between Twelve and One, a mysterious death during the midnight hours sets the stage for a suspenseful investigation full of secrets and twists. The Vase M...

When a guest at Stowe House is found dead, killed by a lethal dart, suspicion naturally falls on the resident collector of poisoned weapons from tribes in South America. With the entire house party as potential suspects, what part did the woman explorer play in this sinister tragedy? The local police are baffled, and call on the help of an amateur, whose recent assignment working with bushmen in Africa brings new insight into an increasingly unconventional investigation.

MR TOBIAS MANDER’S NEW STORES in Gaffikin Street had been a public wonder from start to finish. From the moment that this almost unknown man from the west country had visualised the idea of a store that would beat all other stores for cheapness combined with luxury, a highly-paid press-agent had seen to it that the country should join vicariously in the building and equipment.

When Colonel Coppe, an elderly bachelor, inherits a fortune from his father, he is keen to do right by his large extended family. As well as setting up his various nieces and nephews in appropriate professions, he takes care to make the necessary provisions in his will. Everyone is content - until, that is, the Colonel becomes engaged to a local widow, Mrs. Brown. On the evening the Colonel announces his engagement, and the terms of his new will, one of the family resorts to murder in orde...

Old Dr. Purton has always been a mystery to the gossipers of Lower Plaine. His grandiose living arrangements at Rampole Manor hint at a hidden source of income, outside the remit of a simple country doctor. When Purton is found murdered, his head battered in, the local police, aided by Purton’s solicitor Mr. Gayte, get busy. What is the significance of the pages torn from Purton’s case-books? And how justified was the gossip about Purton’s unexplained wealth?Originally published in...

The little town of Martley is alive with gossip concerning Julius Hennessy, who has been spending a great deal of time on the golf links with the young and pretty wife of Mr. Holt the solicitor. Mrs. Hennessy, meanwhile, has also been exciting gossip, on account of the amount of time she has been spending on the river fishing in the company of Bill French. Thomas Brown, a man whose interest in criminology has led to a growing friendship with Captain Maylem of the local police, has also att...

The Classic Collection of John Haslette Vahey is an extensive illustrated anthology of classic mystery, detective, and adventure fiction featuring fifteen captivating works . Blending traditional detective fiction with elements of psychological drama, espionage, and adventurous intrigue, these novels capture the atmosphere of early twentieth-century mystery literature. Each story presents a carefully constructed puzzle filled with unexpected twists, suspicious characters, concealed motives...

Originally published in 1930, The Shop Window Murders is a stylish and cleverly plotted mystery by Vernon Loder, one of the key contributors to Britain’s Golden Age of detective fiction. With its unique setting and surprising twists, this novel stands out as one of Loder’s most inventive and engaging works. The story begins with a gruesome discovery in the heart of London: a corpse displayed behind the glass of a department store window. The shocking tableau stops pedestrians in their trac...

The Mystery at Stowe (1928) marks one of the earliest and most notable entries in Vernon Loder’s career as a master of Golden Age detective fiction. Set in the elegant and secretive world of an English country house, this novel offers everything fans of classic mysteries love: a suspicious death, a closed circle of suspects, and a detective determined to untangle the truth. When a weekend gathering at the grand estate of Stowe ends in a sudden death, what first appears to be suicide quickl...

The Vase Mystery is a gripping and cleverly constructed detective novel by Vernon Loder, a notable figure of the Golden Age of British crime fiction. Known for his clean prose, tightly woven plots, and atmospheric settings, Loder once again delivers a suspenseful and satisfying mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the final reveal. The story centers around a seemingly simple object—an ornate antique vase—that becomes the key to a dark and puzzling crime. When a murder occurs in an ...

Originally published in the Golden Age of detective fiction, Between Twelve and One by Vernon Loder is a tightly plotted, atmospheric mystery that blends classic whodunit structure with a touch of psychological complexity. Set in a quiet English town shaken by a chilling murder, the novel showcases Loder’s gift for suspense, character development, and ingenious plotting. The story begins with the discovery of a dead body shortly after midnight—an apparent accident or suicide at first glanc...

When a policeman patrolling a country market in the sleepy village of Sulcote spots a car parked illegally on the Green, he knows he must wake the sleeping occupant and move him along. But the policeman is in for a shock. The Sulcote constabulary are about to encounter their first murder investigation for over a century - and the victim is a Chief Inspector from Scotland Yard...  Originally published in 1933 in Collins's celebrated 'Crime Club' imprint, this is an intrigu...