Customer Reviews

The Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives

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It was a mistake to end this volume with a "Solar Pons" story.

The editor, Mike Ashley, imagined that he was paying homage to Sherlock Holmes, of all things, when he chose to do so, but Solar Pons and his associate, Dr. Parker, are such obvious rip-offs of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson that the inclusion of a "Solar Pons" story could hardly qualify as a tribute.

The original Conan Doyle stories have received a wide enough circulation, but there are a number of Holmes "pastiche" stories written since Conan Doyle's time - of varying quality - and the better ones would have provided more effective homage to the master than any Solar Pons story.

(...)
Nevertheless, historical detective stories are my favorite genre, and most of the other stories in this volume are quite good. The stories run much of the gamut of human history, starting from the very first story, set in about 35,000 B.C. among the ancient aborigines of (what is now) Australia. Ashley speculates in his intro that this is the earliest setting ever for any detective story, but I am fairly certain that years ago, I read one set in the Stone Age.

Included within the volume is also a Lillian de la Torre story in which none other than Dr. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell are the twin detectives - one of several such stories that she wrote over the course of her career. This one, intriguingly enough, is set at the time of the American Revolution. I was also delighted to see one of Melville Davisson Post's "Uncle Abner" stories (set in early 19th century Virginia) included - one I had not seen before.

Edward D. Hoch never disappoints, and he contributes a story set in the old West, in which a Billy the Kid doppelganger solves a mystery of identification.

Maybe most thrilling of all is the Amazon bibliography of more books in a similar vein edited by Mike Ashley and others, promising a rich treasure trove of unread like tales.

This was an easy book to get right into. Even though it is a collection of stories it does keep your interest. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery

This is the second in Mike Ashley's series of wide-ranging historical detective stories. The reader should be aware that in addition to these, he also has anthologies keyed to particular eras, such as the classical world. What an amazing breadth of knowledge about the mystery field he must have!

I particularly like Ashley, not only for the quality, but also the variety of stories that he includes. Some of these stories appear here for the first time, but he also includes stories that were popular decades ago. Doubly historic, one might say. It's a great place to discover new authors and series. He has introductions about the authors and also about the series, when the latter applies.

Below is a list of the contents for your edification. When I know that a story is in a series, I've noted that in brackets.

CONTENTS:
PART I: THE ANCIENT WORLD
1. Death in the Dawntime by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
2. The Judgement of Daniel
3. Death Wears a Mask by Steven Saylor [Gordianus the Finder or Roma sub Rosa]
4. The King of Sacrifices by John Maddox Robberts [SPQR]
5. The Three Travellers by R. L. Stevens
6. The Case of the Murdered Senator by Wallace Nichols [Sollius, the Slave Detective]
7, A Mithraic Mystery by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer [John the Eunuch]
8. Abbey Sinister by Peter Tremayne [Sister Fidelma]
9. The Two Beggers Robert van Gulik [Judge Dee]

PART II: THE MIDDLE AGES
10, The Investigation of Things by Charles Ardai
11. The Midwife's Tale by Margaret Frazer [Sister Frevisse]
12. The Duchess and the Doll by Edith Pargeter (Ellis Peters)
13. Ordeal by Fire by Mary Monica Pulver [Father Hugh]
14. The Chapman and the Tree of Doom by Kate Seley [Roger the Chapman]

PART III: THE AGE OF DISCOVERY
15. The Murder of Innocence by P.C. Doherty [Mary Frith: Elizabethan Secret Service: the Office of the Night
16. Cassandra's Castle by J. F. Peirce [Shakespeare detective stories
17. Man's Inherited Death by Keith Heller [Man series]
18. The Curse of the Connecticut Clock by S. S. Rafferty [Captain Jeremy Cork]
19, The Scent of Murder by Theodore Mathieson [The Great Detectives]
20. The Inn of the Black Crow by William Hope Hodgson
21. The Spirit of '76 by Lillian de la Torre [Dr. Sam: Johnson, Detector]

PART IV: REGENCY AND GASLIGHT
22. Deadly Will and Testament by Ron Burns [Harrison Hull]
23. The God of the Hills by Melville Davisson Post [Uncle Abner]
24. The Admiral's Lady by Jane Aikens
25. The Eye of Shiva by Peter MacAlan
26. The Trail of the Bells by Edward D. Hoch [Ben Snow]
27 Murdering Mr. Boodle by Amy Myers [Auguste Didier]

PART V: HOLMES AND BEYOND
28 The Phantom Pistol by Jack Adrian
29. The Adventure of the Frightened Governess by Basil Copper [Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker]