Detective Short Stories Mysteries

There is a persistent and incorrect idea, reinforced by countless film misrepresentations, that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were always staid and dull British chaps of middle years (or older), with Holmes a spry, cranky, and impatient eccentric, and Watson a white-haired and portly Boobus Brittanicus, a la Nigel Bruce. Students of the true and Canonical Sherlock Holmes know this to be a falsehood. When we first meet them on January 1, 1881, Holmes is still 26 years old (although he will turn 27 in just a few days), and Watson, already a wounded war veteran, is only 28.

Holmes and Watson are handed the challenge of solving the London Tarot Murders, a dark episode which, to quote Dr. Watson's in his memoirs, "occupies a lofty place in the annals of all black deeds ever committed in the long memory of the ancient, regal city, higher even than the infamous affair with the Ripper."

I watched as the policeman took out a notebook and read from an open page. He spoke in a whisper. Inspector Lestrade's face turned ashen. He turned towards me, looking grim.

"I LOVED THE IMAGINATION OF THIS AUTHOR!"~Satisfied Kindle Reader "FIVE STARS!"~ Multiple Fans "Alice Crowley is one of our best living authors!"~ G. Taylor In this searing-hot sexy 14,000-word story, a young woman and an older man go on the adventure of their lifetimes as they begin a passionate intimate relationship. Kiera Harper is a sassy, quick-witted computer hacker living in Chicago when she gets hired for some field work to conduct surveillance. The next thing she knows, she is embroiled in a labyrinthine plot and a grand conspiracy, and the only way to save the day is by starting a...

Gus has the unfortunate task of judging the local art show at the Tannehill Ranch. The only thing Gus knows about art is you shouldn’t eat the macaroni after your child has glued to their artwork. Given the art show is displaying art from the daughters of most of the wealthier members of society in his state, Gus could hardly have said no to the request to be a judge. Things heat up at the art show when one of the teenage contestants ends up missing. It is the sort of news that isn’t exactly easy to tell parents with large bank accounts. Worse, it turns out she’s likely run away with ...

The Problem of Cell 13 is a short story by Jacques Futrelle. It was first published in 1905 and later collected in The Thinking Machine (1907), which was featured in crime writer H. R. F. Keating's list of the 100 best crime and mystery books ever published. Like Futrelle's other short stories, The Problem of Cell 13 features Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen as the main character, although most of the story is seen through the perspective of a prison warden.

The best of the golden age crime writers, praised by all the top modern writers in the field including P. D. James and Ruth Rendell, Dorothy L. Sayers created the immortal Lord Peter Wimsey. This book of short stories is his ninth appearance and introduces another detective, Montague Egg. Poisoned port, pet cats in peril, purloined pearls... Lord Peter Wimsey solves the mysteries of the man who was blown into the fourth dimension and the murder in fancy dress.

Spring has arrived in Glasgow and Leger has a new mystery to solve! When his neighbours return from their winter break in Spain, they begin fighting with the other residents on a daily basis and losing friends at every turn. Someone deliberately sets their garden shed on fire, endangering all humans and animals in the nearby homes. Leger then learns that his hedgehog friend was hibernating in the shed has suddenly vanished and he knows he must track down the arsonist. It won't be easy but this time he has the help of not one but two mollies. Ginger's daughter Amber has finally come of age ...

A retelling of the Christmas Story in a way you've never heard it before.... The fable of a donkey who carries a mother and child safely to Egypt.... The tale of a widow who dislikes people until she meets a stranger.... From the most popular writer of all time comes a treasured collection of short stories and poems celebrating the holiday season. This special edition also contains a wealth of Agatha Christie rarities - not only all the stories, poems, and illustrations from her long out-of-print book Star over Bethlehem (1965) but also a reproduction of all her rare poetry.

The 13 mysteries in this collection were originally published in The Strand Magazine and Collier's in Great Britain and the United States. Published in 1905, this book was the first Holmes collection since 1893, when Holmes died in a confrontation with his arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty in "The Final Problem". The success of The Hound of the Baskervilles, which was published in 1901-1902 and is set before Holmes's death, created great pressure on Doyle to revive his famous character.

Mr. Parker Pyne is having trouble trying to get to Beirut, what with his rusty linguistic skills and the less-than-comfortable traveling arrangements. But, with the help of a German pilot, Herr Schlagel, he is soon able to get his bearings. Herr Schlagel confesses that his thoughts are dominated by the mysterious and sudden death of one of his last passengers, who was in the company of Lady Esther from the House of Shiraz. Taking the initiative, Pyne writes to Lady Esther offering his services. When he arrives at the House of Shiraz, he waits to see what the infamously mad Lady Esther has to say for herself....

Disillusioned, with their dreams of running an island hotel shattered, the McInnes family return to Glasgow. Hugh and Annabella are planning to go travelling, leaving Leger in the care of the Goldsworthy family while they are gone. He wastes no time on self-pity though and throws himself back into his work. Shortly before arriving back in the city, he learns Nicole has been attacked. With the police taking too long to track down the culprit, Leger and Bob get on the case. However, Isabella can't stop flirting, Ginger is acting out of character and Amber is taking risks that put lives in ...

Two days before Hogmanay, after the Christmas glitter has settled, a mysterious new neighbour is poisoned. Knowing that Amber and this young man could not have met the same fate by coincidence, Leger begins the investigation into what happened, with Lily's help. When that leads him to the newly opened Queen Languoreth pub, he comes face to face and clashes with the new manager. To put his own safety and Annabella's happiness first, he resolves never to go back to the pub, even if this means that another life could be at stake. However, Lily has other ideas.

Leger isn't the detective this time - he's the witness. After saving Poppy from an attack, Leger must guide troubled teenager Daniel Goldsworthy on the right path to discovering the crime has been committed, solving the mystery and putting the perpetrator behind bars. However, it proves an almost impossible task since Leger himself has a lot to deal with. Between a potentially lethal trapped hairball causing him extreme pain, a group of friends who are determined to do his job for him and a mischief of vigilante mice, Leger finds it difficult to tackle the task. Will Leger put his own ...

Refreshed after his recent trip to the island, Leger is back in Glasgow but finds there are matters which require his attention. His girlfriend is angry that he disappeared to the island without saying goodbye and issues an ultimatum; take a break from sleuthing or lose her. Leger must also find a home for Lily, the island sleuth who returned to Glasgow with him and it seems a local cat loving criminal, Malky Maguire, is the perfect person to adopt her. Undeterred by a series of break-ins and acts of vandalism at the Maguire home, Lily settles in and is soon part of the family. However, the...

The festive season should be a time for generosity and goodwill, but in Glasgow, Leger finds that is not the case. His human companion's attempt to raise funds for a CT scanner for a local hospital has been thwarted by a callous thief who has stolen decorations from her seasonal garden display. Now Leger resolves to mend Annabella's broken heart by finding the thief. With Ginger nursing her newborn kittens, Isabella confusing him with erratic behaviour and Bob more interested in Hugh's discarded slipper than helping solve this mystery, Leger's only clue comes from an unexpected source - a ...

Leger witnesses the kidnapping of a small child and pursues the victim and the perpetrator onto a long-distance train. Unknown to Leger, he is followed by Annabella and Nicole who are determined to get him off the train. Leger must uncover the truth about this kidnapping and put right the wrongs, with a little help from another non-human passenger. What Leger doesn't realise is, he isn't the only one watching this situation closely...

There's no such thing as magic. That's what Leger keeps telling himself. But following a girls' night out, Leger finds that he is gifted a voodoo doll of Peter. He can't help himself from whispering his thoughts to the effigy before Bob gets a hold of the doll and mistakes it for a chew toy. Within hours, Peter is found beaten to within an inch of his life. Leger takes on the case, determined to find those responsible for the assault on Peter. With the help of his daughter, Sparkle and her best friend, a frog named Simpson, he starts piecing together clues. When a dead black cat turns up on...

He thought she was lost forever but he has finally tracked her down. Leger reunites with his friend, former housemate and fellow detective, Lily and she's back in his life just in time to help him solve a mystery. When John, the man of the house in Leger's temporary home, unexpectedly vanishes, Leger initially is not concerned. After all, he and John have never really seen eye to eye. Why would he care if John went for a really long walk? But, Lily suspects that John is in danger and with very little in the way of clues, something Lily heard might transpire to be invaluable to the ...

Everything is not always as it seems... Rachel Bacar needs a job. She's a talented computer programmer and app developer but she has a visa problem. With only temporary working papers, she takes the only job offered, one as a courier for a posh Manhattan based company. If only Rachel could figure out what RHS actually does. That might appease her fiancee Amelie that her job and the company are legitimate and there's future potential for her. Alas, figuring it all out proves to be hard, even for a tech geek. When strange things start to happen, Rachel and Amelie get caught up in a high ...