Messrs. Frobisher & Haslitt, the solicitors on the east side of Russell Square, counted amongst their clients a great many who had undertakings established in France; and the firm was very proud of this branch of its business."It gives us a place in history," Mr. Jeremy Haslitt used to say. "For it dates from the year 1806, when Mr. James Frobisher, then our very energetic senior partner, organised the escape of hundreds of British subjects who were detained in France by the edict o...

A scintillating collection of mysteries and adventures from the brilliant mind of A. E. W. MasonWhen Archie Cranfield's father asked Mr. Twiss to look after his son as well as advise him financially, the solicitor had no idea what he was agreeing to. A furtive smile permanently etched on his face, Archie lives alone in the countryside. His neighbors do not like him, and Captain Brayton, a former schoolmate, had a falling-out with him years ago and has not seen him s...

Filmed three times, At the Villa Rose is Mason and his cunning detective Hanaud at their best.In this gripping classic mystery, a quiet villa in the French spa town of Aix-les-Bains becomes the scene of a shocking crime. When a wealthy woman is found murdered and her jewels disappear, suspicion falls quickly—but the truth is far more elusive than it first appears. Enter Inspector Hanaud, the brilliant and unconventional French detective whose sharp mind cuts through fear, g...

Published in 1924, The House of the Arrow is one of A.E.W. Mason's most accomplished detective novels, a deftly engineered mystery set amid provincial French respectability and private greed. Centered on Inspector Hanaud's investigation into a disputed inheritance and a death that may be murder, the novel combines the puzzle mechanics of Golden Age crime fiction with Mason's taste for atmosphere, theatrical misdirection, and psychological unease. Its prose is urbane and measured, less flam...

They Wouldn't Be Chessmen is one of A.E.W. Mason's late Inspector Hanaud mysteries, a polished work of Golden Age detection in which crime is imagined as strategy—only to reveal that human beings refuse the neat logic of the board. Mason blends the puzzle structure of the classic detective novel with theatrical pacing, urbane dialogue, and psychological nuance, placing Hanaud's patient intelligence against deception, social performance, and emotional impulse. The result belongs to the inte...

This issue features a pair of original tales: a mystery from Kaye George (thanks to acquiring editor Michael Bracken) and a fantasy from Adrian Cole (written especially for this Halloween issue).On the mystery front, we have a pair of great modern tales by William Dylan Powell (thanks to acquiring editor Barb Goffman) and James Holding, plus a classic novel by British master A.E.W. Mason, who is best known for his tale of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers...

In 'They Wouldn't Be Chessmen,' A.E.W. Mason weaves a gripping tale that explores the intricacies of human motives against the backdrop of espionage in World War I. Set amidst the chaotic landscape of international politics and personal ambition, Mason employs a captivating narrative style filled with rich characterization and vivid descriptions. The novel is marked by its clever dialogue and suspenseful pacing, drawing readers into a world where loyalty and treachery intertwine, making it...

A.E.W. Mason's "The House of the Arrow" is a masterful blend of psychological intrigue and detective fiction that delves into themes of betrayal, revenge, and familial secrets. Set against the backdrop of an English country estate, the narrative unfolds through a series of meticulously crafted characters and a labyrinthine plot that keeps readers engaged. Mason employs a rich, descriptive style that captures the nuances of human relationships and the moral ambiguities faced by the protagon...

The second volume in the Detective Fiction Collection!Featuring:The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel, by A. E. W. MasonThe Mysterious Card, by Cleveland MoffettThe Mysterious Card Unveiled, by Cleveland MoffettThe Double Four, by Edward Phillips OppenheimThe Evil Shepherd, by Edward Phillips OppenheimThe Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective, by Catherine Louisa PirkisThe Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan PoeThe ...

Mr. Mason is here at his best. While working out very deftly an extremely intricate and clever plot, he gives us excellent characterization and a remarkably vivid series of glimpses into different settings and phases of life. Colonel John Strickland, wandering the earth in a vain attempt to forget his apparently hopeless passion for a famous young society beauty, visits Burma, where he buys a precious ruby for his lady and is induced to go tiger-hunting. He encounters "no other tiger," how...

In 'At the Villa Rose' we meet French Inspector Gabriel Hanaud for the first time. Hanaud is a towering figure in the history of genre mystery fiction as he is the obvious inspiration for Hercule Poirot. Whilst on holiday in Aix-les-Bains Inspector Hanaud is approached by Harry Wethermill to help investigate the murder of wealthy Madame Dauvray. Wethermill is in love with the prime suspect, Celia Harland. His unshaking faith in Harland moves inspector Hanaud to the case. Intrigue and myste...

Captain Harry Luttrell is a soldier who is not happy where he's currently stationed - in England, where he's grown fat with boredom and fears that he will do nothing with his life - and so he's requested a transfer to Cairo, Egypt. The Olympic Games are currently being held in Cairo and if he transferred, he would have much to do.Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (1865 – 1948) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartim...