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Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'
In Shadow of Agatha Christie: Classic Crime Fiction by Forgotten Female Writers: 1850-1917 by Leslie S. Klinger
1 review
mariahmmm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A collection of 16 short amateur and professional detective stories written by 16 distinguished, yet overlooked, female authors from the "Agatha Christie era". There are a few gems but many of the stories were rightfully overshadowed by much better story tellers. Many failed to even have a mystery element.
The Advocate's Wedding Day- Catherine Crowe (3 stars)
Rivalry and hatred between two young men comes to a head when one prosecutes the other for a crime they are innocent of.
This story was not a detective mystery but just a thriller masquerading as a supernatural.
The Squire's Story- Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (2 stars)
A well-received gentleman confides details of a ghastly crime he shouldn't know to a fellow pub dweller.
This reads as a biography and is clearly not a mystery, spending most of the story describing the life of the gentleman before the crime is then essentially confessed.
Traces of Crime- Mary Fortune (2 stars)
A dead man's body surfaces on the goldfields while a detective hunts undercover for a man guilty of assault.
Less a detective story, and moreso an act of providence in being in the right place at the right time.
Mr Furbush- Harriet Prescott Spofford (2 stars)
Efforts to find the murderer of a much loved adopted daughter are rewarded when a chance photo of the crime surfaces.
An unbelievable and disappointing "coincidence" overshadows what could have been an interesting detective hunt.
Mrs Todhetley's Earrings- Ellen Wood (2 stars)
When a topaz and diamond earring goes missing, all fingers point to a passing tramp, but will a private detective recover it?
An obvious crime leaning more towards a discussion on human character than a mystery.
Catching a Burglar- Elizabeth Corbett (3 stars)
After a house is burgled twice, a female detective goes undercover to spy on the staff.
No real detective work but still an interesting view on catching the culprits.
The Ghost of Fountain Lane- C.L. Pirkis (3 stars)
Miss Loveday Brooke's holiday is interrupted when a Vicar's blank cheque is forged for £600 and a ghostly Napoleon terrorises London.
Sherlockian thinking and story but relied too strongly on the reader's understanding of religious sects long forgotten in the 21st century.
The Statement of Jared Johnson- Geraldine Bonner (4 stars)
When the death of an artist's model is blamed on the building manager, a young journalist steps in to investigate.
A fantastic mystery! The smattering of clues was just enough to let the reader piece the story together without being too obvious or vague.
Point in Morals- Ellen Glasgow (2 stars)
Peer into a conversation where a psychologist shares his tale of the moral and ethical dilemmas behind conscientious murder.
Truly not a mystery although there was somewhat of a crime committed, the story was obnoxious and without meaning.
The Blood-Red Cross- L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace (3 stars)
A coveted pearl necklace, an orphaned bride, and a wicked plot to destroy them both.
A clever story and revelations marred by a confusing start as the editor set it up as the villain being the story's hero.
The Regent's Park Murder- Baroness Orczy (3 stars)
The murder of a winning gambler throws the sore loser into handcuffs, but a solid alibi and thick fog make it a difficult case for the police, but not for the Old Man in the Corner.
The sticking point is the inability for an accurate time of death, which would have overthrown all the clever planning.
The Case of the Registered Letter- Augusta Groner (3 stars)
When a dead man is discovered in an overturned room next to a distinctive pistol, all evidence points towards a deadly quarrel with his betrothed's guardian.
A solid mystery with a disappointing conclusion.
The Winning Sequence- M.E. Braddon (2 stars)
A sorrowful tale is shared concerning the ghostly card player that haunts the halls.
Disappointingly, this is another biography with an element of supernatural rather than a mystery.
Missing: Page Thirteen- Anna Katherine Green (4 stars)
Called away from the midst of a ball to a dark manor house in the country, Miss Violet Strange uses her logic and wits to find the thirteenth page of a manuscript detailing a revolutionary formula. But what else will she discover?
A fantastic mystery with great detective work. The setting was really well immersive, with a dark gothic atmosphere heightening the story's haunting tale.
The Adventure of the Clothes-Line- Carolyn Wells (4 stars)
President Holmes sets the Society of Infallible Detectives the task of discovering why a gentlelady was hanging from a clothesline suspended between buildings 100 feet off the ground.
A humorous poke at the many fictional detectives of the time and their wild theories.
Jury of her Peers- Susan Glaspell (3 stars)
Mrs Hale provides company, and a shrewd eye, to the sheriff's wife as he investigates the murder of a local villager.
A strange, half-told story written with such nervous energy.
The Advocate's Wedding Day- Catherine Crowe (3 stars)
Rivalry and hatred between two young men comes to a head when one prosecutes the other for a crime they are innocent of.
This story was not a detective mystery but just a thriller masquerading as a supernatural.
The Squire's Story- Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (2 stars)
A well-received gentleman confides details of a ghastly crime he shouldn't know to a fellow pub dweller.
This reads as a biography and is clearly not a mystery, spending most of the story describing the life of the gentleman before the crime is then essentially confessed.
Traces of Crime- Mary Fortune (2 stars)
A dead man's body surfaces on the goldfields while a detective hunts undercover for a man guilty of assault.
Less a detective story, and moreso an act of providence in being in the right place at the right time.
Mr Furbush- Harriet Prescott Spofford (2 stars)
Efforts to find the murderer of a much loved adopted daughter are rewarded when a chance photo of the crime surfaces.
An unbelievable and disappointing "coincidence" overshadows what could have been an interesting detective hunt.
Mrs Todhetley's Earrings- Ellen Wood (2 stars)
When a topaz and diamond earring goes missing, all fingers point to a passing tramp, but will a private detective recover it?
An obvious crime leaning more towards a discussion on human character than a mystery.
Catching a Burglar- Elizabeth Corbett (3 stars)
After a house is burgled twice, a female detective goes undercover to spy on the staff.
No real detective work but still an interesting view on catching the culprits.
The Ghost of Fountain Lane- C.L. Pirkis (3 stars)
Miss Loveday Brooke's holiday is interrupted when a Vicar's blank cheque is forged for £600 and a ghostly Napoleon terrorises London.
Sherlockian thinking and story but relied too strongly on the reader's understanding of religious sects long forgotten in the 21st century.
The Statement of Jared Johnson- Geraldine Bonner (4 stars)
When the death of an artist's model is blamed on the building manager, a young journalist steps in to investigate.
A fantastic mystery! The smattering of clues was just enough to let the reader piece the story together without being too obvious or vague.
Point in Morals- Ellen Glasgow (2 stars)
Peer into a conversation where a psychologist shares his tale of the moral and ethical dilemmas behind conscientious murder.
Truly not a mystery although there was somewhat of a crime committed, the story was obnoxious and without meaning.
The Blood-Red Cross- L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace (3 stars)
A coveted pearl necklace, an orphaned bride, and a wicked plot to destroy them both.
A clever story and revelations marred by a confusing start as the editor set it up as the villain being the story's hero.
The Regent's Park Murder- Baroness Orczy (3 stars)
The murder of a winning gambler throws the sore loser into handcuffs, but a solid alibi and thick fog make it a difficult case for the police, but not for the Old Man in the Corner.
The sticking point is the inability for an accurate time of death, which would have overthrown all the clever planning.
The Case of the Registered Letter- Augusta Groner (3 stars)
When a dead man is discovered in an overturned room next to a distinctive pistol, all evidence points towards a deadly quarrel with his betrothed's guardian.
A solid mystery with a disappointing conclusion.
The Winning Sequence- M.E. Braddon (2 stars)
A sorrowful tale is shared concerning the ghostly card player that haunts the halls.
Disappointingly, this is another biography with an element of supernatural rather than a mystery.
Missing: Page Thirteen- Anna Katherine Green (4 stars)
Called away from the midst of a ball to a dark manor house in the country, Miss Violet Strange uses her logic and wits to find the thirteenth page of a manuscript detailing a revolutionary formula. But what else will she discover?
A fantastic mystery with great detective work. The setting was really well immersive, with a dark gothic atmosphere heightening the story's haunting tale.
The Adventure of the Clothes-Line- Carolyn Wells (4 stars)
President Holmes sets the Society of Infallible Detectives the task of discovering why a gentlelady was hanging from a clothesline suspended between buildings 100 feet off the ground.
A humorous poke at the many fictional detectives of the time and their wild theories.
Jury of her Peers- Susan Glaspell (3 stars)
Mrs Hale provides company, and a shrewd eye, to the sheriff's wife as he investigates the murder of a local villager.
A strange, half-told story written with such nervous energy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, and Abandonment
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