Old Detective Mysteries

Lieutenant Ethan Hendricks’ greatest nightmare just also happened to be his grandfather’s newest business venture. Logan Hendricks is thrilled about his brand new detective agency’s first case, but things weren’t turning out the way they were supposed to, including the attempted murder of one of his brand new employees. But he figures their next case, which involves finding a missing sister, should go a lot smoother. How dangerous could it really be? Ethan Hendricks wasn’t quite as confident about his grandfather’s new hobby, or that the supposedly straight-forward case of a ...

Suicide? Or Murder? is a gripping murder mystery set in the picturesque but deceptive tranquility of rural England during the early 20th century. Freddie Paxton, a man crafted for the serene niche of a golf club nestled within the decaying grandeur of a once-magnificent estate, is thrust into a whirlwind of intrigue and suspicion. When the mangled body of S. Brotherhood is discovered on the golf course, it initially seems like a tragic accident. However, former military intelligence officer Mordaunt Carroll and his astute friend Alexander Greene suspect foul play. As they dig deeper into ...

A ghostly place with a tragic history: the isolated Chalet Hermitage in the deep shadow of the Matterhorn. A snowstorm hits. A clock strikes. A man dies. An opera diva disappears. A cat yawns . . . Wait, what? The cat, Honorio, and his companions Emma, Hilde, and Vivien—tired of the summer heat on their tour of Europe—have taken Emma’s cousin Cedric’s advice and made their way to the cooler climes of Italy’s Aosta Valley. Here they’ve found exceptional vistas and amazing accommodations, but not everything is as it seems. Shadows play. People lie. And strange sounds and visions ...

Before the beginning of a mystery legend... Trench and Editor Law discover the Stokeham Herald is losing sales fast to a new rival newspaper, the Stokeham Star - whose star reporter always seems to be the first to a news story exclusive. And... why are the Stokeham Star offices so close to Downtown Stokeham? What is the Star's connection to shady businessman, Stonebridge? And does the Star's editor have his own hidden agenda? The investigation will lead Trench to future colleague, Sally-Anne and eventually to the Mayflower Court flats where a certain mysterious and elderly gentleman will be...

What could be better than reading a one-of-a-kind mystery novel on a cold winter night? How about finding out it’s actually evidence of a murder? The manuscript for Murder in Walnut Cove is even more entertaining than Jessica Braun expected it would be when she rescued it from storage. But it isn’t just a thrilling tale of intrigue and criminal behavior. Some of the characters bear an unlikely resemblance to real people, and the town in the book sounds awfully familiar… Sharing news of the story stirs up a hornet’s nest of trouble with Jessica right in the middle, leaving her to ...

"You look as though you need a holiday, Trench.” Old Tom encourages Trench to take a holiday to the Bayview Guest House in sunny Clayton-on-Sea, primarily to see if he can discover anything of a previous guest there, a certain Eleanor. But as Trench steps into the guest house, he finds it curious to say the least. An old-fashioned atmosphere seems to permeate through the very walls. The vintage colour television in the lounge looks like it hails from the 1970s. There is no mobile telephone coverage, and don’t even think about a Wi-Fi signal. Trench considers his fellow guests and ...

Like everything else Mandrake has accomplished in his life, he has meticulously planned and prepared his final memoirs. Mandrake knows that Thomas and Trench will have to, not only examine every word, but also read in-between the lines, if they’re to have any hope of unearthing the clue, for finally finding Eleanor…

"A Housewife comes as standard." The last remaining of the unique and innovative Times Apartments, at One Solo Street, is still available to let. This stunning apartment features: ultra-high specifications throughout, including state-of-the-art appliances that contour seamlessly into the living space, combined with an advanced 100 inch flat screen television which covers one entire wall. Instinctive lighting is combined with unsurpassed comfort and eye-catching austere, minimalistic design. An intuitive Housewife is included with the apartment and you will find the letting price to be the ...

Ten years… Countless mysteries… And it all comes down to this. The armchair detective has left this mortal coil, but there is still one more mystery to solve. As Trench chases figures from his past, he gradually realises that they will eventually lead him to finally finding Eleanor, and to discovering the astonishing secret behind the armchair detective himself…

“I am always happy to help.” Housewife, a virtual assistant, is always keen to assist in each of the four stunning yet minimalistlstically austere, Times Apartments. Whether it's to dispense your favourite coffee, help with the cooking, or simply change television channels, Housewife makes herself indispensable. After eight long years, Trench returns to the Times Apartments - this time bringing Debsy with him. Trench notices that Housewife still seems curiously nosey and reveals perhaps more than she should about the other tenants. Trench can't help but wonder at the true motive behind ...

If you go down to the woods today... Why has the popular Stokeham Woods been cordoned off to the public, by order of the council? As The Fellowship now control Stokeham Council, Trench finds himself with a difficult choice as, seemingly, the only way to find out what's really going on in the woods is for him to become as one with the mysterious and secretive society that is The Fellowship... ... you're in for a big surprise.

I’m Honorio, a noble cat. No brag, just fact. On vacation in a mysterious part of France with pink swamps, wild and free white horses and a wandering ghostly salt-marsh woman. My eccentric “owner,” her two devoted friends, and I, are eye-witnesses to a sudden and shocking murder! Was it murder? It was there in the room of this terribly tragic-looking, twisted, creepy mask that some archaeologists unearthed and maybe should not have. The detective in me that I was . . . that I am . . .moves into action. I detect a number of quirky people who are suspicious, if not downright fishy—...

In 1576, a fleet of fifteen vessels appeared on the south side of the island. Most belonged to the Spanish Empire and five others to the English corsair, Barker. The two sides engaged in a naval battle. By the Egyptian goddess! My excited little claws appeared. The battle raged for ten hours, one of the five pirate ships was burned and abandoned. The gold, pearls, and other lustrous items of unparalleled beauty were swallowed by the sea. Honorio, the detective cat, is at it again, sleuthing with his three lady travelling pals. This time on the lovely island where Cousin Cedric has invited ...

"The end days are upon us." For over a thousand years, The Fellowship has survived, evolved, planned and prepared for one purpose and one purpose only. The Fellowship believe the wrath of the ancient Gods will soon cause a cataclysmic event. They believe, as it is written, that only one person can provide salvation - and that person happens to be Trench. Trouble is, Trench doesn't even know what he's supposed to save them from, never mind how to do it. Perhaps, as always, the final secret lies with his armchair-bound friend, Old Tom...

"Housewife the 'mouse' wife..." What has turned an independent woman into a Stepford Wife? An old college girlfriend of Sally-Anne's has disturbingly changed since her marriage. Is her friend's controlling husband responsible? Trench and Old Tom have plenty to think about. To help, they must uncover a frightening secret from the past...

"You've got the job." "Me? Really? Are you sure?" Why are the most unsuitable applicants suddenly successfully filling the situations vacant in Stokeham? Could the candidates be linked in some way? Trench isn't so sure, but Debsy's 'friend' from holiday, Steven seems really keen to find a connection. And Old Tom starts to think there could be more to this case than simply promoting hopeless hopefuls...

Little has changed structurally to Dreadbury Manor since Trench’s last visit almost six years ago – but other things have: The manor-house is now empty; the Lord of the Manor resides abroad and the sixteenth-century property is up ‘For Sale’. But… What is causing the strange creaking sounds that plague the hallways? Who is the ethereal woman in white who flows between the house and the grounds? And what is the significance of the old coin found near the stables? Trench and Old Tom must look to the past to discover just who is menacing the manor-house of today...

Welcome back to Bayview High.... It is a year after the action of One of Us Is Lying, and someone has started playing a game of truth or dare. But this is no ordinary truth or dare. This game is lethal. Choosing the truth may reveal your darkest secrets, accepting the dare could be dangerous, even deadly. The teenagers of Bayview must work together once again to find the culprit, before it's too late....

Blacklisted by the police. Being sued by a client. And broke. Things can’t get any worse for Brighton’s No. 1 Private Detective, Joe Grabarz, in this blistering debut novel from award-winning writer Tom Trott. That’s when his best friend’s body washes up on the beach. Could it really have been 10 years? How could his life have ended like this? He needs answers. But with the city in the grips of organised crime, and struggling to deal with an influx of legal highs, who cares about just another dead drug dealer?

Assembled and edited by Julian Hawthorne and first published in 1907, the Old Time English volume of The Lock and Key Library features ten classic mysteries and ghost stories by Charles Dickens, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Thomas de Quincey, Charles Robert Maturin, Laurence Sterne, and William Makepeace Thackeray. This volume of The Lock and Key Library is sure to haunt and charm fans of ghost and detective mysteries alike.