“GOOD GOD, YOU DON’T THINK IT WAS AN ACCIDENT?”Wealthy industrialist Antony Mullins is found dead after a fire in a locked garage. The locals assume it was an accident, or perhaps suicide. But when the autopsy reveals a bullet wound to Mullins’ head and no revolver is found, a murder investigation ensues. Was the killer disgraced nephew Holliday, rumoured to be close to Mullins’ wife? Or Patricia Mullins herself, whose inheritance relied on her husband’s death from...

There is something about the number 3.The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two.Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more modern times, three’s a crowd may be too many, except when it’s a ménage à trois. It seems good things usually come in threes. Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and ...

There is something about the number 3.The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two.Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more mode

There is something about the number 3.The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two.Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more mode

A YOUNG WOMAN with a reddish face and horn-rimmed glasses appeared suddenly out of a door marked "Manager, Baston Aero Club"."Well, young man, what do you want?" she asked sharply.The middle-aged man in grey flannels who was standing in the club hall looked round to see who was being spoken to, and then perceptibly started when he realized that it was he who was being addressed."Are you the manager of the Baston Aero Club?" he asked."Manager and secretary. In fa...

The Detective Stories Library is a rich and engaging collection of classic mysteries by some of the greatest writers of the genre. This illustrated volume brings together brilliant tales of crime, deduction, and suspense, featuring works by masters of the Golden Age of detective fiction such as Dorothy L. Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Ngaio Marsh, John Rhode, and Christianna Brand. Among the highlights are intriguing stories such as The House of the Poplars, Grand Guignol, Boots, The Yellow S...

Charles Venables, journalist and ex-detective, is looking for lodgings in London and decides to investigate the Garden Hotel in Kensington, where his friend Lady Viola is also staying. Some of the other guests are less amenable, however, and Charles's suspicions are instantly aroused when the first thing he hears on approaching the hotel is a threat of murder. Shortly afterwards, the hotel's proprietor, Mrs. Budge, is attacked and apparently kidnapped. A further gruesome discovery reveals ...

The Case of the Unlucky Airman by Christopher St John Sprigg is a lively and intelligent Golden Age mystery featuring the resourceful poet-detective and reluctant sleuth, Algernon Vereker. Combining sharp wit, political undercurrents, and a cleverly constructed puzzle, Sprigg delivers a detective story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. When an airman is found dead under circumstances that suggest either a tragic accident or something far more sinister, the case quickly becom...

C. St. John Sprigg's Death of an Airman. Illustrated is a quintessential Golden Age detective novel that masterfully combines suspense, wit, and an intriguing backdrop of early aviation. The story begins with what appears to be a tragic accident: the death of a skilled pilot during a routine training flight at a small aerodrome. However, Bishop Marriott, an insightful clergyman and amateur detective who witnesses the event, quickly suspects that there is more to the crash than meets the ey...

The Christopher St. John Sprigg Collection. Illustrated brings together some of the finest works by this master of Golden Age detective fiction. Featuring beloved titles such as The Perfect Alibi, Fatality in Fleet Street, Death of a Queen, Crime in Kensington, and Death of an Airman, this anthology showcases Sprigg's unparalleled ability to craft ingenious plots filled with sharp twists, engaging characters, and a delightful sense of humor. Each story immerses readers in a world of intrig...

How many times have I told you that we must appear to run this hotel as commercial proposition?"Newly arrived in London, journalist Charles Venables has been invited by his friend Viola to stay - at least temporarily - at a residential hotel in Kensington. But there is something amiss at the genteel Garden Hotel. The prices are far too low. The residents are jittery and upset. On arriving, Charles overhears a threatening discussion between the proprietors Mr & Mrs Budge th...

“THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, LORD CARPENTER, I’D HAVE HAD YOUR HEAD ON A SPIKE ON TOWER HILL.”As head of the largest newspaper group in the world, Carpenter has used the Mercury to promote an anti-Russia agenda. Over the objections of the prime minister, Carpenter is about to publish a front-page story that will guarantee war. But before the paper can go to print, he is found stabbed in his office, and circumstances suggest the killer is one of the Mercury staff. Ever...