Murder, Ancient and Modern [Paperback]

Edward Marston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF MURDER!!!! Iddo the Samaritan finds a severed head in a barrel of fish. A stammerer tries to save the life of the Emperor Charlemagne. William the Conqueror stares death in the face. Gerald of Wales solves a crime with the help of a shoulder blade of a ram. Nicholas Bracewell encounters murder on the high seas. A deadly assassin stalks a Victorian politician. A mild-mannered author is driven to an act of slaughter. Someone steals the statue of Nelson from the top of his column in Trafalgar Square. A violinist plots the death of a female musician. Friends fall out on a boat trip to France and one of them disappears overboard. Edward Marston's mystery stories cover two thousand years of history yet they all have an eerie topicality. What does vary is the mode of detection. While a Samaritan in the Holy Land has to rely on instinct to catch a villain, the Scotland Yard detectives who hunt for the missing Lord Nelson can call on all the resources of modern technology. Horror and humor walk hand in hand in these yarns. Crimes of all kinds are woven into them but the abiding theme is murder - of a person, of a hope, of a reputation. The Guardian wrote: “Consummate storytelling, a love of period and astute characterisation and plotting are the hallmarks of all Marston's books.”

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Crippen & Landru, Publishers (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932009396
• ISBN-13: 978-1932009392
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,635,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short Murder Mysteries from a Master!, February 15, 2007

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder, Ancient and Modern (Paperback)

Edward Marston is simply one of the best authors extant when it comes to murder mysteries. A master storyteller, his novels and short stories feature clever plots, interesting characters and settings that resonate with authenticity. This volume, published by Crippen & Landru, is a compilation of previously published short stories and new pieces.

The stories in this anthology span the eons from Biblical times to the present, featuring fictional characters like Iddo, a merchant from Samaria, Nicholas Bracewell, an Elizabethan stage manager, Ben Spiggott, a Bow Street Runner, to historical figures like Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and Francis Drake. The plots run the gamut from uncovering which of Charlemagne's sons is plotting his death to discovering who stole Nelson's statue from Trafalgar Square!

Even if you have previously read some of these stories, you will enjoy revisiting the scene of the crime!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MURDER, ANCIENT AND MODERN, January 3, 2007

By 

Laurie M. Fox (Madison, Wi, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder, Ancient and Modern (Paperback)

I DON'T USUALLY ENJOY SHORT STORIES, BUT COULDN'T RESIST A NEW EDWARD MARSTON. THIS ANTHOLOGY IS EXCELLENT. MUCH ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO DETAIL AND HISTORY. THE TIMES IN WHICH THE MYSTERIES TAKE PLACE IS MOST IMPORTANT TO THE STORY. I'M ALWAYS PLEASED TO HAVE A WELSH SETTING IN HIS STORIES.