Classic Mystery Short Stories

A gripping collection of the very best classic mystery and adventure stories. 1. "Rose Rose" by Barry Pain 2. "The Perfect Crime" by Seamark 3. "The Well" by W. W. Jacobs 4. "The Tea-Leaf" by Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace 5. "The Step" by E. F. Benson 6. "The Queer Feet" by G. K. Chesterton 7. "The Beast with Five Fingers" by W. F. Harvey 8. "The Enemy" by Hugh Walpole 9. "An Impromptu Dance" by A. J. Alan 10. "The Red-Headed League" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 11. "The Wedding Guest" by Guy Boothby

In Agatha Christie’s short story, “The Lost Mine,” Poirot investigates the suspicious disappearance of a Chinese businessman in London. Suspicion is focused on two Englishman, one of whom has an alibi and another who was in an opium den the night of the disappearance. A clear-cut case for Poirot soon becomes murky however. This short story originally appeared in the November 21, 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

The description “consulting detective” was often a reference to Sherlock Holmes, but that was inadequate to tell about his unusual characteristics. He was a loner who preferred to keep to himself and kept many secrets from others, including the few friends he had. Holmes did have a constant professional relationship with Dr. Watson, and it was the faithful Watson who once said, “I had no idea that such personalities exist outside of stories.”

When a young governess is hired to care for two orphans in a country estate, she soon realises that something is lurking in the grounds of the house. But is it a mere ghost or an altogether more sinister presence at work? The tension of this timeless horror is perfectly captured by stage and screen actress Virginia McKenna.

The masterful stories in this collection relate Holmes and Watson's involvement with the case of an eminent physiologist inexplicably savaged by his faithful wolfhound, of the priceless stolen Crown diamond found in the pocket of a peer, and of the mysterious figure who means to buy Mrs Maberley's house and all of its contents, whatever the cost, while Holmes himself tells the story of a Boer war hero set to inherit a fortune who mysteriously disappears from the family seat.

In Agatha Christie’s short story, “The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge,” Poirot and Hastings are enlisted by a Mr. Roger Havering to help investigate the murder of his aristocrat uncle at his hunting lodge. Hastings discusses the murder with the housekeeper on the scene, but Poirot quickly deduces that her story doesn’t add up. This short story appeared in the May 16, 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

Edgar Allan Poe's early literary works were poetic, but he quickly turned to prose. He worked for several magazines and journals till in January 1845, The Raven was published and became an instant classic. Poe was also an early proponent of the detective story and announced his entry to this genre with the classic short story 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'.

This is a cult classic in the gothic horror and suspense genre! Our hero Richard is a young Englishman abroad in Napoleonic-era France. He falls in love with a mysterious and endangered Countess, whom he glimpsed behind her black veil. To be close to her, he checks into a room in the Dragon Volant (the Flying Dragon), a haunted hotel that has seen many mysterious disappearances.

The dark strains of madness that permeate many of the works of Edgar Allan Poe make their way through this macabre story. This memorable short story bears a resemblance to Poe's Tell Tale Heart. In both stories guilt leaves a murderer with a singular choice.

A Manhattan gumshoe pursues a convict to St. Louis, where he gets mixed up in a cop killing and nearly loses his own life at the hands of a B girl.

Con ánimo de vengarse de una pasada humillación, Montresor busca a Fortunato en plenos carnavales de alguna ciudad italiana (al parecer, Venecia) del siglo XIX. Ambos van disfrazados y gracias a que Fortunato está ebrio, el narrador logra convencerlo de que lo acompañe a la cueva de su palacio, las catacumbas de los Montresor, con el pretexto de probar un nuevo vino amontillado. Anímate a descubrir cómo el vengativo narrador, con una notable maligna inteligencia, humor negro, ironía y sadismo, consuma la más horrible venganza.

First published in 1911, A School Story is a classic paranormal tale written by M. R. James, an author considered to be the originator of the modern-age ghost story. In this particularly story, a Latin teacher is troubled by unusual phrases from the dead language that start to show up among the work he sets his students; something about the phrases remind him of a dark secret from his past.

Possibly the scariest horror story of all time. Captured and condemned to death by the Inquisition at Toledo, the narrator finds that his captors have devised a dungeon for him which exposes him to the most dreadful and drawn out psychological terror before certain death finally catches him. Every time he manages to escape one of their petrifying devices, another even more gruesome mode of execution is deployed.

Cops in romance books are always so sweet and protective. Unfortunately, Evie’s life is no romance book. Bookstore owner Evie Fontenot has a mystery to solve. Someone is messing with her bookstore, and there’s no way someone is going to get away with ruining the successful business she created. Her friends insist she report the issues to the police, but based on her history with the law, she knows they’ll be no help. When she meets the bossy and rigid police chief, she knows she’s right. Jake Wilson isn’t sure what’s going on at Boozy Books, but there’s one thing he does know:...

“The Most Dangerous Game” (1924) is the Richard Connell short story that continues to fascinate readers with its suspense and action. This is the original story—only word order and difficult vocabulary have been updated. Biographical information, end notes, and analysis of the major themes follow the text. AR Quiz No. 8634 EN Fiction Upper Grades - BL: 5.3 - AR Pts: 1.0. For other short stories in easy to understand modern English search the web for “George Lakon.”

Professor Moriarty recounts his first encounter with Sherlock Holmes during the Adventure of the Red-Headed League. You didn't know Moriarty was involved? Neither did Holmes! This short story won Honorable Mention in an international short story competition and was later published in the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine.

When a letter of great significance is stolen from the royal palace in Paris, the prefect of police is at great pains to discover its whereabouts. The identity of the thief is known, but try as the detectives will, they are unable to pinpoint the hiding place where the incriminating letter is secreted. When the Prefect approaches Dupin for his advice on the matter, the latter sees the solution immediately. An insight from which he is able to profit handsomely. Poe at his most ingenious!

Un joven periodista que trabaja para el Manhattan Illustrator se queja a un compañero de las exigencias de su jefe, al que llama el viejo gato capón, que además de hacerle trabajar todas las horas del día sólo le da reportajes tontos y vacíos. El último que le ha encargado tener listo para el día siguiente es sobre los animales del zoológico.

Phil Chenevert narrates this classic Edgar Allan Poe tale of mystery and suspense.

Patricia Highsmith was one of the great 20th-century novelists, celebrated for classics The Talented Mr Ripley, Carol and Strangers on a Train, but she was also a masterful and prolific short-story writer. This definitive new collection, featuring two stories that have never been published before, confirms Highsmith as a genius of the genre. Peerlessly disturbing, exhilarating and savagely funny, Highsmith's stories still have the power to startle, presenting a world that is frighteningly familiar and as relevant today as when they were written.