First published in 1946 and set in the fell country of Lunesdale over the course of a rainy September, The Theft of the Iron Dogs is the very picture of a cosy crime mystery and showcases Lorac's masterful attention to detail and deep affection for both Lunesdale and its residents.While hot on the heels of serial coupon-racketeer Gordon Ginner, Chief Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard receives word of an intriguing incident up in Lancashire – the summer cottage of local farmer Gi...

Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction."...this crime is conditioned by the place. To understand the one you've got to study the other."The Garths had farmed their fertile acres for generations, and fine land it was with the towering hills of the Lake Country on the far horizon. Here...

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of MurderIt is a dark and misty night—isn't it always?—and bachelors Nicholas and Ian are driving to the ball at Fordings, a beautiful concert hall in the countryside. There waits the charming Dilys Maine, and a party buzzing with rumours of one Rosemary Reeve who disappeared on the eve of this event the previous year, not found to this day. With thoughts of mysterious case ringing in their ears, Dilys and Nicholas st...

The Robert Macdonald Mysteries: Volume One brings together three of E.C.R. Lorac's finest works, offering a masterclass in Golden Age detective fiction. This illustrated collection introduces Inspector Robert Macdonald, a sharp-witted and steadfast investigator whose logical mind and empathetic approach make him a standout among classic literary detectives. - Death on the Oxford Road A seemingly routine accident on the iconic Oxford Road reveals a sinister truth: a murder cloaked in deceit...

[A] twisty "snake in the garden" country-house mystery [where] Lorac constructs a challenging puzzle and provides a marvelous glimpse into pre-WWII Oxford life." — Booklist, Starred Review"Lorac keeps everything professional and smartly paced"— Kirkus Reviews"Now tell us about your crime novel. Take my advice and don't try to be intellectual over it. What the public likes is blood."The Surrays and their fi...

E. C. R. Lorac spins a twisting tale full of wry humor and red herrings, poking some fun at her contemporary reviewers, who long suspected the Lorac pseudonym to belong to a male author.Vivian Lestrange—celebrated author of the popular mystery novel The Charterhouse Case and total recluse—has apparently dropped off the face of the Earth. After he was reported missing by his secretary Eleanor, whom Inspector Bond suspects to be the author herself, crime and murder a...

"An invitation to a "treasure hunt" open to thriller writers and lesser mortals confronts Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Macdonald with two baffling deaths."— Kirkus ReviewsIt's all fun and games (and fake names) until someone ends up dead…Amidst the confusion of too many fake names, clues, ciphers, and convoluted alibis, Chief Inspector Macdonald and his allies in the CID must unravel a truly tangled case in this metafictional masterpiec...

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder"Readers will enjoy watching the conflicts that arise between the wary country folk and the cocktail-drinking Londoners invading their habitat. In sum, this is jolly good fun." —Publishers WeeklyThe Second World War is drawing to a close. Nicholas Vaughan, released from the army after an accident, takes refuge in Devon—renting a thatched cottage in the beautiful countryside a...

Dive into the captivating world of classic British crime fiction with The Robert Macdonald Mysteries: Volume Two, a collection of three intricately plotted tales by master storyteller E.C.R. Lorac. This illustrated volume brings together three of Inspector Macdonald’s most compelling cases: Bats in the Belfry, Black Beadle, and Death at Dyke's Corner. In Bats in the Belfry, the disappearance of a London artist leads to a chilling discovery in the bell tower of an abandoned church. Macdonal...

Dive into the captivating world of E.C.R. Lorac with The Robert Macdonald Mysteries: Volume Four. This illustrated collection features three masterfully crafted detective stories: Murder by Matchlight, Checkmate to Murder, and Fell Murder. Each tale showcases the brilliance of Inspector Robert Macdonald as he delves into complex crimes with his characteristic wit and determination. In Murder by Matchlight, the blackout of wartime London becomes the backdrop for a chilling murder. A fleetin...

"[An] excellent fair-play mystery...this British Library Crime Classic more than deserves that status."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED ReviewOn a dismally foggy night in Hampstead, London, a curious party has gathered in an artist's studio to weather the wartime blackout.As World War II takes its toll around them, a civil servant and a government scientist are matching wits in a game of chess, while an artist paints the portrait of his...

Step into the world of classic British crime with The Robert Macdonald Mysteries. Volume Three, a collection of four intricately crafted novels from the celebrated Golden Age author E.C.R. Lorac. This volume showcases Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald at his finest, unraveling complex cases with his trademark logic and sharp observational skills. Included Titles: Case in the Clinic: When a doctor's office becomes the unlikely setting for a murder, Macdonald must probe the tangled lives of t...