Customer Reviews

Crime through Time: New and Original Tales of Historical Mystery

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked this book up at a library sale, and have been browsing through the stories one at a time. The origins of the historical mystery in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series is explained, and Cadfael is what turned me onto this genre in the first place. Some of the stronger stories are the story by Steven Saylor(featuring Cicero and an elegant explanation of the Archimedes Principle) and a story featuring Sir Francis Drake and several sailors on the High Seas. A story about a Regency dandy turned detective reminded me of other Regency-based mysteries authored by Rosemary Stevens and Alice Chetwynd Ley (however, I found the "fancy" names given to servants slightly unconvincing); the motive was compelling and the plot well-researched. "Death of a Place-Seeker" which I read three times, seeking to spot all the clues I had missed the first time. [That, in my view, is the true test of a strong story]. I made a mental note of certain authors I intend to try later, having already discovered Steven Saylor and Peter Tremayne from other anthologies.

While this anthology has been interesting and entertaining, there were some weaker stories, notably the contribution by Anne Perry, where the story seemed oddly incomplete (what happened to the villain? What did the hint about the villain profiting from the letters mean exactly?). On the other hand, the story about Mrs Hudson as a sleuth-cum-social worker was delightful - and it was rather fun to see Sherlock Holmes get his comeuppance. The story about the Salem witchcraft trials was interesting to me, given my study of the patterns of accusation at some point in my college career.

The reason I assign this collection only four stars (about 4.4) is because some of the stories seem incomplete or hastily written. Some of the historical settings seemed unconvincing, while others were simply brilliant. Compared to the second volume CRIME THROUGH TIME II (which I read first), this collection comes off badly. If possible, I would recommend reading the volumes in order. On the whole, this is a good introduction to many interesting authors.

Luckily, you don't have to have a history degree to enjoy this book. The joy of an anthology is finding new authors. In this book, there is a broad span of well-known writers, and some that are not so well-known. It will be fun to find other works by some of these writers. It's worth the money

This was an enjoyable collection of historical crime stories, although not as good, I think as Mike Ashley's Historical Whodunnit collections. This is a trifle more literary, not necessarily a good thing to my mind. Most of the stories are detective fiction, but a few are simply short stories about grim events, which I didn't find as interesting. But I include the contents, so you can look and see if your favorite authors are represented.

CONTENTS: Death of a Place Seeker by Lynda S. Robinson -- Archimedes' Tomb by Steven Saylor -- Solomon's Decision by Sharan Newman -- Murder at Anchor by Edward Marston -- The Hangman's Apprentice by Leonard Tourney -- Suffer a Witch by Miriam Grace Monfredo -- The Lullaby Cheat by Kate Ross -- Anything in the Dark by Edward D. Hock -- Bertie and the Boatrace by Peter Lovesey -- The High Constable and the Visiting Author by Maan Meyers -- Look to the Lady by Alanna Knight -- Mrs. Hudson's Case by Laurie King -- Exit Centre Stage by M. J. Trow -- Decision of the Umpire by Troy Soos -- Uncle Charlie's Letters by Anne Perry -- Killing the Critic by Gillian Linscott -- Portrait of the Artist as a Young Corpse by Barbara Paul -- The Mamur Zapt and the Kodaker's Eye by Michael Pearce -- Storm in a Tea Shop by Carola Dunn -- The Enemy by Ken Kuhlken -- The Soldier and his Dead Companion by Nicholas A. DiChario

Worth it for the Steven Saylor Roma Sub Rosa story alone..

This book is good if you're taking a break, sitting on the porch with an iced tea. Doesn't tax the brain...some of the stories are too simplistic and not very interesting but I don't think it's aiming for "literature." It's a book that probably won't be headed for a spot your bookshelf when you're done reading it but instead will go straight to the library book sale. Which is okay if a light read is all you want.

Laurie R. King is a marvelous writer. Her stories are captivating and beautifully written. I'm hooked on her Mary Russell series... and while waiting for the next book, was hungrily searching for other Laurie King works to fill the gap. I ordered CRIME THROUGH TIME because it contained a short story by Laurie R. King. To my delight, it was a Mary Russell story - "Mrs. Hudson's Case". Great little story! I'm so grateful for the Mary Russell novels and this short story because while they are sophisticated enough for the adult reader, there are no moral or language issues... so I can share them with our teen granddaughter who is an avid reader. She's read two novels in the Mary Russell series so far and "loved" them.