Crime & Mystery Fiction

Frederick Irving Anderson was a New York newspaperman who had a second career writing mystery stories for the “slick” magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post. The Infallible Godahl is a collection of some of his first stories. Godahl is a clever gentleman thief, who might be thought of as an American version of Raffles or Arsene Lupin. – Summary by Winston Tharp

A universally beloved woman has been murdered. But who would have the heart to kill Agatha Webb? Would her husband do it for money matters? Or would it be the cook, who died at about the same time? Or would it be the rich and well-connected Mr. Frederick, who ran away into the woods? Miss Page, a servant and the sweetheart of the same Mr. Frederick, wants to join the investigation, but is constantly prevented from doing so. (summary by Stav Nisser)

“My name is Seymour Wilbraham Wentworth. I am brother-in-law and secretary to Sir Charles Vandrift, the South African millionaire and famous financier. Many years ago, when Charlie Vandrift was a small lawyer in Cape Town, I had the (qualified) good fortune to marry his sister. Much later, when the Vandrift estate and farm near Kimberley developed by degrees into the Cloetedorp Golcondas, Limited, my brother-in-law offered me the not unremunerative post of secretary; in which capacity I have ever since been his constant and attached companion.” An illustrious scientist, Allen came to fiction as a more lucrative avenue than more serious writing. As well as writing ghost and detective stories, he introduced us to the illustrious Colonel Clay, a precursor of other gentleman rogue characters; he notably bears a strong resemblance to Maurice Leblanc’s Ars?ne Lupin, introduced some years later. – Summary by Lynne Thompson, quote from the first chapter

Eric Stannard, wealthy artist and portrait painter of international reputation is found dead in his studio, an etching needle protruding from his chest. The lights had gone out momentarily just before he was found by a footman and a long-time friend. Standing beside the victim is Joyce his wife and his model Natalie both seeming to be struck with terror and shock!! At first glance the suspects seem obvious…but what about the artist’s son who is in love with Natalie, the neighbor in love with the wife, a burglar? Will a psychic help find the murderer? Or will it fall upon the great detective Alan Ford to solve this one? – Summary by Celine Major

Sanford Quest, the master criminologist of the world, attempts to bring to justice the murderer of Lord Ashleigh’s daughter. But he soon discovers that he has just entered a life-and-death struggle with a mysterious master criminal. (Summary by Richard Kilmer)

“In the whole history of man there is no chapter more instructive for the heart and mind than the annals of his errors. On the occasion of every great crime a proportionally great force was in motion. If by the pale light of ordinary emotions the play of the desiring faculty is concealed, in the situation of strong passion it becomes the more striking, the more colossal, the more audible, and the acute investigator of humanity, who knows how much may be properly set down to the account of the mechanism of the ordinary freedom of the will, and how far it is allowable to reason by analogy, will be able from this source to gather much fresh experience for his psychology, and to render it applicable to moral life.” (Introductory Paragraph) Christian Wolf is a man not endowed with any special features, host of the inn the Sun, in need of money, and unhappily in love. The want of money leads him to minor crimes, and the disproportionally severe punishments spark in him an overpowering thirst for revenge, spiraling him ever deeper into trouble. This short story is at the same time a work of fiction, relating the story of an individual through his criminal career, and a work of enlightenment, showing how external circumstances can slowly transform a good man into a criminal. – Summary by Carolin.