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Detection by Gaslight: 14 Victorian Detective Stories (Dover Thrift Editions) Paperback – July 10, 1997

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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Rich, varied collection of 14 extraordinary Victorian and Edwardian crime stories, many never before published in book form: Kipling's "The Return of Imray"; "The Tragedy of the Life Raft" by Jacques Futrelle; "The Copper Beeches" by Arthur Conan Doyle; plus hard-to-find tales by G. K. Chesterton, Catherine L. Pirkis, Silas K. Hocking, others.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dover Publications
  4. Publication date
    July 10, 1997
  5. Reading age
    14 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0486299287
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0486299280
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications; First Edition (July 10, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0486299287
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486299280
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

KCHolm
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice collection
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2009
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A collection put together by mystery authority Douglas Greene, this 258-page volume gathers stories from writers as well known as Kipling ("The Return of Imray") and G.K. Chesterton ("The Eye of Apollo"). Also included is A. Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches".

Other writers and stories:

Robert W. Chambers -- The Purple Emperor
R. Austin Freeman -- The Dead Hand
Jacques Futrelle -- The Tragedy of the Life Raft
E. and H. Heron -- The Story of Baelbrow
Headon Hill -- The Divinization of the Zagury Capsules
Silas K. Hocking -- A Perverted Genius
L.T. Meade & Robert Eustace -- Mr. Bovey's Unexpected Will
Arthur Morrison -- The Case of the Lost Foreigner
Baroness Orczy -- The York Mystery
Catherine L. Pirkis -- The Ghost of Fountain Lane
George R. Sims -- The Haverstock Hill Murder

The book also contains a two-page introduction by mystery authority Douglas G. Greene, as well as interesting under-one-page biographical notes about each author.

Recommended as a nice mind-trip to Victorian times for mystery readers, for a more-than-reasonable price.
24 people found this helpful
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Patto
5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful tribute to Victorian sleuths
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2010
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I love the format of this collection. Each story has a short preface that gives some biographical info and tells how the story fits into the early history of detective fiction. So you get a bit of an education along with your thrills and chills.

The editor was interested in showing the amazing variety of investigators that arose in the wake of Sherlock Holmes. We meet with lady detectives, clergymen sleuths, scientific investigators, detectives both brave and cowardly - and even an agent who employs a Hindu snake charmer to see into mysteries.

There are fourteen stories, and I liked every one very much, with two exceptions (but what editor can please everyone?). The creators of famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown and The Thinking Machine are in company with authors long since forgotten. And the mix is very successful.

The stories illustrate the incredibly fertile imaginations of Victorian and Edwardian mystery writers. A lecture on sea worms leads to the apprehension of a murderer. A fly fisherman solves a crime among butterfly collectors. A house ghost who has behaved well for centuries suddenly turns violent.

Fans of vintage detection can pick up some fascinating facts, such as who invented the inverted detective story and who first filled the void when Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Holmes. And those who take pleasure in historic atmosphere will find plenty of it here.

Detection by Gaslight is a fun introduction to Victorian mystery writing - but also a welcome supplement for those who have read widely in the period.
2 people found this helpful
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charles r.
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2017
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It's ok, a little dated.
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Deb N.
4.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of Old Time Detective Stories
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2016
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Nice collection of Victorian Era detective stories, some with supernatural elements. Solid Authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, Robert W. Chambers that can always be counted on for a good story. Holmes fans would enjoy it, mystery and detective fans, and even those inclined to like ghost stories, pleasing to readers of various genres and those who like older literature.
One person found this helpful
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James
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun stories and inexpensive
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2017
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I highly recommend. Public domain stories and no frills so that they can sell it on the cheap. The stories are pretty good. The editor definitely made good choices that lead me to some good authors. Good starting point if you like Sherlock and want more in that genre
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2016
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Some good stories, some dull.
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Katy Hoster
5.0 out of 5 stars Good selection, kudos to the editor
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2013
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Lots of good stories in here and wide variety of themes and styles for being about a very specific time, place and genre. I found several authors whose work I am now going to dig up.
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Denise
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2015
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Great
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