Category: Detective fiction

The String of Pearls – audiobook

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The String of Pearls - audiobook UNKNOWN ( - ) The tale of Sweeney Todd has had many incarnations, most famously the stage and movie musical by Stephen Sondheim. But it all started in 1846 with a serialized telling of the story titled "The String of Pearls" in the weekly magazine "The People's Periodical and Family Library". Called by some a romance, by others a horror story, it is one of the earliest murder mysteries. In "The String of Pearls", Sweeney Todd is less sympathetic than in some of Read more [...]

The Beetle (FULL Audiobook)

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The Beetle - audiobook Richard MARSH (1857 - 1915) A story about a mysterious oriental figure who pursues a British politician to London, where he wreaks havoc with his powers of hypnosis and shape-shifting, Marsh's novel is of a piece with other sensational turn-of-the-century fictions such as Stoker's Dracula, George du Maurier's Trilby, and Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu novels. Like Dracula and many of the sensation novels pioneered by Wilkie Collins and others in the 1860s, The Beetle is narrated Read more [...]

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab – audiobook

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The Mystery of a Hansom Cab - audiobook Fergus HUME (1859 - 1932) "The following report appeared in the Argus newspaper of Saturday, the 28th July, 18-- "Truth is said to be stranger than fiction, and certainly the extraordinary murder which took place in Melbourne on Thursday night, or rather Friday morning, goes a long way towards verifying this saying. A crime has been committed by an unknown assassin, within a short distance of the principal streets of this great city, and is surrounded by Read more [...]

The Lodger – audiobook

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The Lodger - audiobook Marie Belloc LOWNDES (1868 - 1947) "The story is about a Jack the Ripper-type murderer known only as "The Avenger" in London, who has been killing young blonde women. Meanwhile, a mysterious man arrives at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Bunting looking for a room to rent. The Bunting's daughter, Daisy — a blonde model — becomes enamored with the lodger. At the same time, Joe — Daisy's boyfriend and a detective assigned to The Avenger case — becomes jealous of the lodger Read more [...]

It Happened in Egypt – audiobook

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It Happened in Egypt - audiobook Charles Norris WILLIAMSON (1859 - 1920) and Alice Muriel WILLIAMSON (1869 - 1933) Lord Ernest Borrow and Captain Anthony Fenton think they know a secret - a secret that could make them both rich. En route, they are sidetracked by Sir Marcus Antonius Lark, a woman who thinks she's Cleopatra reincarnate, a Gilded Rose of an American Heiress, and Mrs. Jones, a mysterious Irish woman with a past. Will they find the secret? Or will the trip up the Nile on the Enchantress Read more [...]

A Double Barreled Detective Story – audiobook

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A Double Barreled Detective Story - audiobook Mark TWAIN (1835 - 1910) A Double Barrelled Detective Story is a novel by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), in which Sherlock Holmes finds himself in the American west. At a mining camp in California, Fetlock Jones, a nephew of Sherlock Holmes, kills his master, a silver-miner, by blowing up his cabin. Since this occurs when Holmes happens to be visiting, he brings his skills to bear upon the case and arrives at logically worked conclusions that are proved Read more [...]

The Bat Audiobook

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The Bat Mary Roberts RINEHART (1876 - 1958) audiobook The novelization of the play of the same name that had an initial run of 867 shows on Broadway and has been performed all over the world and been made into three movies over a span from 1926 to 1959. An intricate mystery, with a wide cast of characters. (Summary by Alan Winterrowd) Genre(s): Detective Fiction Language: English (FULL Audiobook)   Read more [...]

The Film Mystery audiobook

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The Film Mystery audiobook Arthur B. REEVE (1880 - 1936) The Film Mystery is one of eighteen detective novels by Arthur B. Reeve starring his best known character Professor Craig Kennedy and his trusty sidekick Walter Jameson, a newspaper reporter. The pair bears an unmistakable resemblance to the more famous British master sleuth and his doctor friend. The setting of this mystery is the early days of movie making, and the murder victim is Stella Lamar, "the beautiful idol of the screen, beloved Read more [...]

Bat Wing audiobook

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Bat Wing audiobook Sax ROHMER (1883 - 1959) Private detective Paul Harley investigates a mysterious case involving voodoo, vampirism, and macabre murder in the heart of London. The first book in the Paul Harley series, written by Sax Rohmer, author of The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu. (Summary by Mark Nelson) Genre(s): Detective Fiction Language: English (FULL Audiobook)   Read more [...]

Hollow Needle, The: Further Adventures of Ars?ne Lupin audiobook

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Hollow Needle, The: Further Adventures of Ars?ne Lupin audiobook Maurice LEBLANC (1864 - 1941), translated by Alexander TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS (1865 - 1921) Ars?ne Lupin returns in a wonderful story of disguises, love, and of course treasure. Once again, Lupin crosses paths with the famous Holmlock Shears. But this time Ars?ne matches wits with Isidore Beautrelet, Sixth-form Schoolboy. Every step that Lupin takes has Beautrelet right on his heels. Has Lupin finally met his match? Will Beautrelet discover Read more [...]

The Eight Strokes of the Clock audiobook

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The Eight Strokes of the Clock audiobook Maurice LEBLANC (1864 - 1941) The Eight Strokes of the Clock is a collection of eight short stories by Maurice Leblanc. The stories have his most famous creation, Ars?ne Lupin, gentleman-thief, as main character. The eight stories, even though independent, have a leading thread: Lupin, under the name of Serge R?nine, trying to conquer the heart of a young lady, travels with her, solving eight mysteries on the way. (Summary by Leni) Genre(s): General Fiction, Read more [...]

Murder in the Gunroom audiobook

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Murder in the Gunroom audiobook H. Beam PIPER (1904 - 1964) The Lane Fleming collection of early pistols and revolvers was one of the best in the country. When Fleming was found dead on the floor of his locked gunroom, a Confederate-made Colt-type percussion .You can read  this content to know more about guns and its causation. 36 revolver in his hand, the coroner's verdict was "death by accident." But Gladys Fleming had her doubts. Enough at any rate to engage Colonel Jefferson Davis Rand—better Read more [...]

The Hampstead Mystery audiobook

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The Hampstead Mystery audiobook Arthur J. REES (1872 - 1942) and John R. WATSON (1872 - ?) A murder whodunit... Location: Hampstead, England. Victim: Sir Horace Fewbanks, a distinguished High Court judge. Cause of death: gun shot wound. Investigator: Private Detective Crewe, a wealthy bachelor who has taken up crime detection as a hobby, because it provides intellectual challenges more satisfying even than playing twelve simultaneous boards against Russian chess champion Turgieff. His sidekick: Read more [...]

The Case of Jennie Brice audiobook

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The Case of Jennie Brice audiobook Mary Roberts RINEHART (1876 - 1958) The flood brings in not only the muddy waters but a series of suspicious clues that convinced Mrs. Pitman, a boarding house keeper, that a murder has been committed at her boarding house. Jennifer Ladley aka Jennie Brice is missing and with the help of Mr. Holcombe, a quirky gentleman with a passion for mysteries, they embark on a quest for the truth behind the disappearance of Jennie Brice. (summary by Wina Hathaway) Genre(s): Read more [...]

The Haunted Bookshop audiobook

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The Haunted Bookshop audiobook Christopher MORLEY (1890 - 1957) Roger Mifflin is the somewhat eccentric proprietor of The Haunted Bookshop, a second-hand bookstore in Brooklyn that is "haunted by the ghosts of all great literature." Beginning with the arrival of a young advertising man and the mysterious disappearance of a certain volume from the shelves of the bookshop, a lively and often humorous tale of intrigue unfolds, generously sprinkled with liberal doses of Roger's unique philosophy on Read more [...]

The American Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Audiobook

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The American Rivals of Sherlock Holmes audiobook VARIOUS ( - ) To follow up on the heels of volumes 1 and 2 of "The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes" released on Librivox, here is a collection of stories starring his contemporary American rivals. Brought together and re-published in a single volume by Hugh Greene in 1979, this set of readings goes back to and uses the original source material. (Summary by ToddHW) Genre(s): Detective Fiction Language: English (FULL Audiobook)   Read more [...]

The Dragon’s Secret Audiobook

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The Dragon's Secret audiobook Augusta Huiell SEAMAN (1879 - 1950) Sixteen year old Leslie Crane has come to the New Jersey shore as a companion to ailing Aunt Marcia, whose doctor has sent her there for a some quiet rest and recuperation. While the beach is lovely in October, Leslie quickly finds herself getting lonely with no one her own age to talk to. Little does she realize that she will not only soon make a new friend, but that they will both end up in the midst of a puzzling mystery centered Read more [...]