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Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries #2
John Thorndyke's Cases related by Christopher Jervis and edited by R. Austin Freeman
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199 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1909
115 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
About the author
R. Austin Freeman
593 books84 followersRichard Freeman was born in Soho, London on 11 April 1862, the son of Ann Maria (nee Dunn) and Richard Freeman, a tailor. He was originally named Richard, and later added the Austin to his name.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 20, 2022
Sherlockian
I won’t place Dr. Thorndyke in the category of pastiche because Freeman’s hero detective doesn’t follow the same maxim.
Yes, he uses unbelievable visionary deductions to solve his problems, but unlike Holmes his Thorndyke character is many times mocked for this ability.
Still, while reading these stories, many times I felt as though I was reading a book about Sherlock Holmes.
Although, I have to say his sidekick Dr. Jervis is a lot better with mysteries than John Watson. But they both make the heroes look very interesting, bright and outstanding.
Anyway, these eight stories were a delight to read. I will definitely be reading more of Dr. Thorndyke.
Four stars! ✨✨✨✨
I won’t place Dr. Thorndyke in the category of pastiche because Freeman’s hero detective doesn’t follow the same maxim.
Yes, he uses unbelievable visionary deductions to solve his problems, but unlike Holmes his Thorndyke character is many times mocked for this ability.
Still, while reading these stories, many times I felt as though I was reading a book about Sherlock Holmes.
Although, I have to say his sidekick Dr. Jervis is a lot better with mysteries than John Watson. But they both make the heroes look very interesting, bright and outstanding.
Anyway, these eight stories were a delight to read. I will definitely be reading more of Dr. Thorndyke.
Four stars! ✨✨✨✨
October 30, 2019
My second Thorndyke book in succession: this one, a collection of stories. I will be staying away from this author for sometime now, as his tales are a set of one-trick ponies which can stale fast.
Doctor Thorndyke is a doctor-cum-lawyer who lectures on medical jurisprudence. He is also a Grade A detective with a first-class brain and superlative powers of observation, as well as a talent for scientific analysis. He helps the ends of justice by reading out a totally unforeseen solution from a set of clues that the authorities have misread, saving some poor soul's neck from the hangman's noose in the process, more often than not.
This book comprises eight stories:
1. The Man with the Nailed Shoes: A plausible and well-structured mystery, where Thorndyke teaches the police (and us readers!) that first impressions - especially of a boot - need not be correct.
2. The Stranger's Latchkey: A child is kidnapped, and Thorndyke solves the case from (again!) footprints in the forest.
3. The Anthropologist at Large: Here, a hat is the clue instead of a shoe. There are some dated racial references to orientals which may feel grating to modern ears.
4. The Blue Sequin: A story in which nobody will be able to guess the murderer! But also, very far-fetched.
5. The Moabite Cipher: Quite a clever story relying on misdirection. The mystery is not very gripping, however.
6. The Mandarin's Pearl: A creepy tale about a cursed Chinese pearl in the best Conan Doyle Tradition. Problem is, anyway halfway intelligent reader will guess the secret easily.
7. The Aluminium Dagger: The best mystery in the book, about a man murdered in a locked room with a strange aluminium dagger. Unfortunately, I could guess the solution because I had read a similar mystery, obviously inspired by this.
8. Message from the Deep Sea: Sand from deep sea, found on the murdered girl's pillow, is the key clue in this tale. Plausible and well-crafted story, but nothing mind-blowing.
Doctor Thorndyke is a doctor-cum-lawyer who lectures on medical jurisprudence. He is also a Grade A detective with a first-class brain and superlative powers of observation, as well as a talent for scientific analysis. He helps the ends of justice by reading out a totally unforeseen solution from a set of clues that the authorities have misread, saving some poor soul's neck from the hangman's noose in the process, more often than not.
This book comprises eight stories:
1. The Man with the Nailed Shoes: A plausible and well-structured mystery, where Thorndyke teaches the police (and us readers!) that first impressions - especially of a boot - need not be correct.
2. The Stranger's Latchkey: A child is kidnapped, and Thorndyke solves the case from (again!) footprints in the forest.
3. The Anthropologist at Large: Here, a hat is the clue instead of a shoe. There are some dated racial references to orientals which may feel grating to modern ears.
4. The Blue Sequin: A story in which nobody will be able to guess the murderer! But also, very far-fetched.
5. The Moabite Cipher: Quite a clever story relying on misdirection. The mystery is not very gripping, however.
6. The Mandarin's Pearl: A creepy tale about a cursed Chinese pearl in the best Conan Doyle Tradition. Problem is, anyway halfway intelligent reader will guess the secret easily.
7. The Aluminium Dagger: The best mystery in the book, about a man murdered in a locked room with a strange aluminium dagger. Unfortunately, I could guess the solution because I had read a similar mystery, obviously inspired by this.
8. Message from the Deep Sea: Sand from deep sea, found on the murdered girl's pillow, is the key clue in this tale. Plausible and well-crafted story, but nothing mind-blowing.
November 30, 2019
The Blue Sequin. 6/10
The Man With the Nailed Shoes. 7/10
The Stranger's Latchkey. 6/10
The Anthropologist at Large. 7/10
The Moabite Cipher. 8/10
The Mandarin's Pearl. 8/10
The Aluminium Dagger. 6/10
A Message From The Deep Sea. 7/10
Overall 7/10
The Man With the Nailed Shoes. 7/10
The Stranger's Latchkey. 6/10
The Anthropologist at Large. 7/10
The Moabite Cipher. 8/10
The Mandarin's Pearl. 8/10
The Aluminium Dagger. 6/10
A Message From The Deep Sea. 7/10
Overall 7/10
January 29, 2014
After two novels this is the first short story collection about Thorndyke I've read. The enjoyment stays the same, Freeman can clearly built engaging cases on 20 pages at well as on 200. However what becomes noticable in now the third book I've read is that Thorndyke is less of a character and more a device to move the plot forward. I hate that in yet another Thorndyke-review I'm making comparisons to Holmes but there are just very obvious parallels. I previously said that I find Thorndyke more approachable than Holmes which is still true but while I wanted to strangle Holmes on occasions there were also those beautiful moments in which he showed how much he cared. About Watson and other people. Thorndyke just exists. There are a couple of occasions where Freeman describes his quirks (his..very peculiar way of reading a newspaper) or lets Jarvis think a bit about his friendship to Thorndyke but it almost seems like they have been added as an afterthought.
I still enjoy the cases itself and the very realistic portrayal of the Victorian-age/turn of the century forensics but I am also beginning to see why Holmes is still popular toay while Thorndyke is almost forgotten. He is just a lot less memorable.
I still enjoy the cases itself and the very realistic portrayal of the Victorian-age/turn of the century forensics but I am also beginning to see why Holmes is still popular toay while Thorndyke is almost forgotten. He is just a lot less memorable.
April 21, 2019
Although I really enjoyed reading these eight short mysteries, I see from these exactly why Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is still popular and Dr. John Thorndyke is for the diehards only. Thorndyke is physically perfect, mentally perfect, and psychically something of a cypher with its older meaning: O. He is basically a logic machine, using early forensic medical and evidential science to collect every fact about a crime scene and make the correct deductions about the crime therefrom. He rarely has to deal with suspects or anything human and messy, aside from there being a little of the human and messy about each case introduction. I do like a well-constructed logic puzzle, so I am the perfect audience for these stories. I'm going to try one of the novels after this. I expect I could get bored before too many of them, so I'll continue reading the early 20th-century mystery authors broadly, not deeply. Not yet. I have to find another Agatha or Dorothy L first.
May 14, 2024
At the end of the first book, Jervis, the narrator, changes his situation in a way that would be a spoiler for that book, so here come the spoiler tags: . This second volume in the series is a collection of short stories, and, presumably not finding that situation interesting anymore, the author gets around it in various ways. The first story is set prior to the first book (thus contradicting that book when it shows us that Jervis didn't know what Thorndyke was doing these days, hadn't been in touch with him for some time, and hadn't met his lab assistant); another story has Jervis go back to his previous job as a locum in order to put him in the midst of a mystery; most of them just ignore the situation entirely. Also largely ignored is Thorndyke's other job, as a lecturer; it doesn't ever seem to prevent him from going off to investigate something, and indeed seldom gets mentioned. It's therefore what I term a "superhero job".
The mysteries are not necessarily as colourful as the Holmes cases, but they are varied and clever and thoroughly researched, including actual scientific microphotographs of things like hair and seafloor sand. They're at the beginning of the forensic detective genre, and indeed of forensic science being a thing (Thorndyke is called a "medico-legal expert," but he's what we'd call a forensic scientist; he consults, rather than being part of the police force), and the emphasis is definitely on the clever unwinding of the case. Because Thorndyke always plays his cards close to his chest, and because his Watson, Jervis, is a bit obtuse (often missing things that were obvious to me), we don't get to see the great detective's chain of reasoning until he reveals it at the end of the story.
In contrast to the author's contemporary and partial namesake, Freeman Wills Crofts, the intelligence is mostly on the part of the detective, rather than the criminals; the crimes are often quite mundane once unwound, but the point is that they would have been misinterpreted if Thorndyke hadn't got involved. His specialty is rescuing suspects from wrongful conviction, some of them having been framed by the actual criminal, while others just happen to be in the vicinity of the crime (or, in one case, accident, as it turns out) with an apparent motive. Justice is done, not by the conviction of the guilty (at least not onscreen), but by the exoneration of the innocent.
Though I could wish for a slightly higher proportion of character development to cleverness sometimes, these are enjoyable, and I will keep reading the series.
The mysteries are not necessarily as colourful as the Holmes cases, but they are varied and clever and thoroughly researched, including actual scientific microphotographs of things like hair and seafloor sand. They're at the beginning of the forensic detective genre, and indeed of forensic science being a thing (Thorndyke is called a "medico-legal expert," but he's what we'd call a forensic scientist; he consults, rather than being part of the police force), and the emphasis is definitely on the clever unwinding of the case. Because Thorndyke always plays his cards close to his chest, and because his Watson, Jervis, is a bit obtuse (often missing things that were obvious to me), we don't get to see the great detective's chain of reasoning until he reveals it at the end of the story.
In contrast to the author's contemporary and partial namesake, Freeman Wills Crofts, the intelligence is mostly on the part of the detective, rather than the criminals; the crimes are often quite mundane once unwound, but the point is that they would have been misinterpreted if Thorndyke hadn't got involved. His specialty is rescuing suspects from wrongful conviction, some of them having been framed by the actual criminal, while others just happen to be in the vicinity of the crime (or, in one case, accident, as it turns out) with an apparent motive. Justice is done, not by the conviction of the guilty (at least not onscreen), but by the exoneration of the innocent.
Though I could wish for a slightly higher proportion of character development to cleverness sometimes, these are enjoyable, and I will keep reading the series.
July 26, 2025
3.5/5
Way better than the Red Thumb Mark.
Way better than the Red Thumb Mark.
Want to read
March 6, 2014
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13882
PROFESSOR POPPELBAUM IS ENLIGHTENED.CONTENTS
I. THE MAN WITH THE NAILED SHOES
II. THE STRANGER'S LATCHKEY
III. THE ANTHROPOLOGIST AT LARGE
IV. THE BLUE SEQUIN
V. THE MOABITE CIPHER
VI. THE MANDARIN'S PEARL
VII. THE ALUMINIUM DAGGER
VIII. A MESSAGE FROM THE DEEP SEA
February 9, 2018
Good set of forensic mystery stories. I also liked the fact that this was illustrated, which allowed the reader to see some of the samples Thorndyke used in proving his cases!
June 9, 2024
The contrariety of human nature is a subject that has given a surprising amount of occupation to makers of proverbs and to those moral philosophers who make it their province to discover and expound the glaringly obvious.
Sherlock Holmes CSI. Self-satisfied genius. Deadpan humor. Bumbling biographer. Antagonistic and clueless police. Incipient race and class-ism. Checks all the boxes.
The newcomer, a very typical Jew of the red-haired type, surveyed us thoughtfully through his gold-rimmed spectacles as he repeated the name.
Quibbles: “I notice a number of chips scattered about between the rails, and some of the chair-wedges look new.” How does one observe the condition of the rail bed while riding in the train?
Thorndyke imitates Dr. Joseph Bell, the inspiration of Doyle’s famous detective. Published 1909. A fun read.
“And you don’t intend to enlighten me?” “My dear fellow, you have all the data. Enlighten yourself by the exercise of your own brilliant faculties. Don’t give way to mental indolence.”
Sherlock Holmes CSI. Self-satisfied genius. Deadpan humor. Bumbling biographer. Antagonistic and clueless police. Incipient race and class-ism. Checks all the boxes.
The newcomer, a very typical Jew of the red-haired type, surveyed us thoughtfully through his gold-rimmed spectacles as he repeated the name.
Quibbles: “I notice a number of chips scattered about between the rails, and some of the chair-wedges look new.” How does one observe the condition of the rail bed while riding in the train?
Thorndyke imitates Dr. Joseph Bell, the inspiration of Doyle’s famous detective. Published 1909. A fun read.
“And you don’t intend to enlighten me?” “My dear fellow, you have all the data. Enlighten yourself by the exercise of your own brilliant faculties. Don’t give way to mental indolence.”
September 19, 2020
This is a compendium of eight short stories written by Freeman before 1909 and compiled into his first collection of short stories. He must have been very popular by then because it was actually the second "Thorndyke" book published. The stories vary from twenty to eight pages and all show the remarkable analytical work of Dr T.
What the modern reader will find interesting (at least I did), is that three of the stories have Hebrews as the primary protagonists, while man of the secondary characters are also Hebrews. In another the stories a "Chinaman" is the primary antagonist. Most of the "bad" people in the book are either foreigners or recent immigrants. Most of today's readers will also notice the condescending was in which all of the characters refer to women.
These give the reader a perspective of how the educated elite of the end of the Victorian era 'looked' at the poor working class characters of the poorer areas of London were held.
What the modern reader will find interesting (at least I did), is that three of the stories have Hebrews as the primary protagonists, while man of the secondary characters are also Hebrews. In another the stories a "Chinaman" is the primary antagonist. Most of the "bad" people in the book are either foreigners or recent immigrants. Most of today's readers will also notice the condescending was in which all of the characters refer to women.
These give the reader a perspective of how the educated elite of the end of the Victorian era 'looked' at the poor working class characters of the poorer areas of London were held.
July 13, 2020
1 - The Man with the Nailed Shoes
Dr Jervis is staying at the seaside village of Little Sundersley, when Dr. Thorndyke comes for a visit. A walk along the beach reveal various footprints and later a dead man. Thorndyke acts in the defence of the accused.
2 - The Stranger's Latchkey
Dr Jervis is staying at The Larches, Burling, at the practice of Dr Hanshaw while he takes a holiday. Apart from Mrs Hanshaw, there is Dr Hanshaw's sister, Mrs Halden. Her son Fred, niece by marriage Miss Lucy Hamden, and expected is her fiance Douglas Winter. Thorndyke is called in to find a missing person.
3 - The Anthropologist at Large
After a burglary the only clue is a retrieved hat. Can Dr Thorndyke solve the case with just this one clue.
4 - The Blue Sequin
Artist model Edith Grant has been discovered dead on a train. Last seen with her, painter Harold Stopford has been arrested.
Quite an implausible cause of death
5 - The Moabite Cipher
Spectators lie the route to watch the arrival of a Russian Grand Duke. When one is killed. A letter, a crytogram is discovered in the dead man. What does the cipher say. Dr Thorndyke investigates.
6 - The Mandarin's Pearl
Solicitor Mr Brodribb has a client, Fred Calverley, who seems to be suffering from delusions. Is there a connection to a recent purchase of jewellery.
Dr Thorndyke investigates.
7 - The Aluminium Dagger
Henry Curtis needs the services of Dr Thorndyke as his brother-in-law, Alfred Hartridge has been murdered. Stabbed with an aluminum dagger in a locked room.
8 - A Message from the Deep Sea
Dr Hart asks that Dr Thorndyke attend to a crime scene. The victim ia a young female called Ninja Adler.
A collection of interesting mysteries, with my favourite being The Mandarin's Pearl, but there is no character development of Thorndyke.
Dr Jervis is staying at the seaside village of Little Sundersley, when Dr. Thorndyke comes for a visit. A walk along the beach reveal various footprints and later a dead man. Thorndyke acts in the defence of the accused.
2 - The Stranger's Latchkey
Dr Jervis is staying at The Larches, Burling, at the practice of Dr Hanshaw while he takes a holiday. Apart from Mrs Hanshaw, there is Dr Hanshaw's sister, Mrs Halden. Her son Fred, niece by marriage Miss Lucy Hamden, and expected is her fiance Douglas Winter. Thorndyke is called in to find a missing person.
3 - The Anthropologist at Large
After a burglary the only clue is a retrieved hat. Can Dr Thorndyke solve the case with just this one clue.
4 - The Blue Sequin
Artist model Edith Grant has been discovered dead on a train. Last seen with her, painter Harold Stopford has been arrested.
Quite an implausible cause of death
5 - The Moabite Cipher
Spectators lie the route to watch the arrival of a Russian Grand Duke. When one is killed. A letter, a crytogram is discovered in the dead man. What does the cipher say. Dr Thorndyke investigates.
6 - The Mandarin's Pearl
Solicitor Mr Brodribb has a client, Fred Calverley, who seems to be suffering from delusions. Is there a connection to a recent purchase of jewellery.
Dr Thorndyke investigates.
7 - The Aluminium Dagger
Henry Curtis needs the services of Dr Thorndyke as his brother-in-law, Alfred Hartridge has been murdered. Stabbed with an aluminum dagger in a locked room.
8 - A Message from the Deep Sea
Dr Hart asks that Dr Thorndyke attend to a crime scene. The victim ia a young female called Ninja Adler.
A collection of interesting mysteries, with my favourite being The Mandarin's Pearl, but there is no character development of Thorndyke.
August 29, 2022
Three and a half stars
Having just started re-reading all the Thorndyke stories in chronological order I find that while the short stories are good, they are not as enjoyable as the full length novels. They are rather formulaic which is much more noticeable when reading them one after the other. Still worth reading though.
Having just started re-reading all the Thorndyke stories in chronological order I find that while the short stories are good, they are not as enjoyable as the full length novels. They are rather formulaic which is much more noticeable when reading them one after the other. Still worth reading though.
January 27, 2025
In this collection of eight tales - short stories and a novelette - Dr. Thorndyke, his associate Dr. Jervis and his lab assistant work together to help solve crimes using forensic techniques that were not widely adopted at the time. These stories were published in 1909.
From pg. 210 -
"An instructive case, Jervis," remarked Thorndyke, as we walked homewards -"a case that reiterates the lesson that the authorities refuse to learn."
"What is that?" I [Jervis] asked?
"It is this. When it is discovered that a murder has been committed, the scene of that murder should instantly become the Palace of the Sleeping Beauty. Not a grain of dust should be removed, not a soul should be allowed to approach it, until the scientific observer has seen everything in situ and absolutely undisturbed. No tramplings of excited constables, no rummaging by detectives, no scrambling to and fro of bloodhounds. Consider what would have happened in this case if we had arrived a few hours later. The corpse would have been in the mortuary, the hair in the sergeant's pocket, the bed rummaged and the sand scattered abroad, the candle probably removed, and the stairs covered in fresh tracks.
"There would not have been the vestige of a clue."
Perhaps a little far-fetched, but still extremely illustrative of the significance of proper scene of crime investigation. Ahead of its time, for sure. Some stories were better than others as is the usual case. Recommended for fans of the Golden Age of British mysteries.
From pg. 210 -
"An instructive case, Jervis," remarked Thorndyke, as we walked homewards -"a case that reiterates the lesson that the authorities refuse to learn."
"What is that?" I [Jervis] asked?
"It is this. When it is discovered that a murder has been committed, the scene of that murder should instantly become the Palace of the Sleeping Beauty. Not a grain of dust should be removed, not a soul should be allowed to approach it, until the scientific observer has seen everything in situ and absolutely undisturbed. No tramplings of excited constables, no rummaging by detectives, no scrambling to and fro of bloodhounds. Consider what would have happened in this case if we had arrived a few hours later. The corpse would have been in the mortuary, the hair in the sergeant's pocket, the bed rummaged and the sand scattered abroad, the candle probably removed, and the stairs covered in fresh tracks.
"There would not have been the vestige of a clue."
Perhaps a little far-fetched, but still extremely illustrative of the significance of proper scene of crime investigation. Ahead of its time, for sure. Some stories were better than others as is the usual case. Recommended for fans of the Golden Age of British mysteries.
June 13, 2024
I think this is the third Dr. Thorndyke book I've read, and I'll definitely be looking for more. I enjoy seeing what facilities were available for solving crime back in the day, and the idea of a doctor in the early 1900s with a portable detective kit (microscope and all) quite appeals to me. He's somewhat similar to Sherlock Holmes, right down to having a doctor as a sidekick, except I find him more believable and I think I'd like him better than Sherlock if it were possible to meet them both in real life.
This book is a collection of short stories, and they don't seem to be in chronological order so you can read whichever ones you like in any order. Most deal with murder, though there is at least one robbery and one dealing with anarchists--seemed to be a thing at the time. I didn't like the ending of the Mandarin Pearl, though I give it full marks for spookiness. And if you don't like stories with missing kids, you might want to skip the second one in the book, The Stranger's Latchkey.
This book is a collection of short stories, and they don't seem to be in chronological order so you can read whichever ones you like in any order. Most deal with murder, though there is at least one robbery and one dealing with anarchists--seemed to be a thing at the time. I didn't like the ending of the Mandarin Pearl, though I give it full marks for spookiness. And if you don't like stories with missing kids, you might want to skip the second one in the book, The Stranger's Latchkey.
May 7, 2025
The detective stories of Austin Freeman are quite a recent discovery for me and I have to say that I am beyond impressed. Of course his novels are not to all tastes, far from it - they are verbose, so detailed as to test one's concentration, and very much of a period (around the turn of the 19th/20th centuries) with all the social inequalities, snobbish attitudes and mawkish sentimentality of the late Victorian period. At first sight they seem to be a kind of homage to Sherlock Holmes.
All that said, they are very beautifully written in impeccable English, they effortlessly conjure up the damp, foggy London streets in which they are set, and the plots are complex and highly original, seemingly insoluble and, in the end, perfectly logical. I suspect they will only appeal to a narrow readership, but those with patience, a love for our language and a respect for scientific invention will find them as rewarding as I do.
Incidentally, I came to them because of something said in "Five Red Herrings" (Dorothy Sayers) by Lord Peter Wimsey himself. That's quite a recommendation!
All that said, they are very beautifully written in impeccable English, they effortlessly conjure up the damp, foggy London streets in which they are set, and the plots are complex and highly original, seemingly insoluble and, in the end, perfectly logical. I suspect they will only appeal to a narrow readership, but those with patience, a love for our language and a respect for scientific invention will find them as rewarding as I do.
Incidentally, I came to them because of something said in "Five Red Herrings" (Dorothy Sayers) by Lord Peter Wimsey himself. That's quite a recommendation!
November 27, 2019
Look, I wanted to like this book. It does have good mysteries and a lot of heartwarming interactions between Thorndyke, Jervis, and Polton. But also, it has some extremely questionable depictions of Asian people, and an uncomfortable amount of antisemitism.
I read a lot of old mysteries, and this sort of shit is unfortunately common, but that still doesn't make it pleasant to encounter.
He is a Jew, and he has that passion for things that are rich and costly that has distinguished our race from the time of my namesake Solomon onwards.
At this moment I became aware of a man who, as he approached, seemed to eye my friend with some curiosity and more disfavour; a very short, burly young man, apparently a foreign Jew, whose face, naturally sinister and unprepossessing, was further disfigured by the marks of smallpox.
I read a lot of old mysteries, and this sort of shit is unfortunately common, but that still doesn't make it pleasant to encounter.
July 1, 2022
Although this collection of early crime short stories is entertaining, it loses out in two areas. There are several instances where the attitudes to race of the time of writing are more obvious than can be explained away by saying that was how the world was - Freeman was apparently interested in racial politics and a supporter of eugenics, and this shows. The other thing, made more obvious in a collection of short stories than in Freeman's novels, is the over use of obscure forensic clues - matching a sample of sand from a crime scene with a particular spot in the Mediterranean and therefore with a specific warehouse in London is one example. This makes the detective Thorndyke seems very clever, but not very plausible, as well as not being entirely fair on the reader.
January 29, 2025
Mysteries, Mysteries!
🖊 What fun, cleverness, and intelligence! I enjoyed each short mystery in this collection.
📕Published in 1909.
🎨 Illustrated.
CONTENTS:
I. THE MAN WITH THE NAILED SHOES★★★★★
II. THE STRANGER'S LATCHKEY★★★★★
III. THE ANTHROPOLOGIST AT LARGE★★★★★
IV. THE BLUE SEQUIN★★★★★
V. THE MOABITE CIPHER★★★★★
VI. THE MANDARIN'S PEARL★★★★★
VII. THE ALUMINIUM DAGGER★★★★★
VIII. A MESSAGE FROM THE DEEP SEA★★★★★
જ⁀🟢 E-book version on Project Gutenberg.
༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻ ༺ ༅ ✬ ༅ ༻
My rating breakdown:
Plot: ★★★★★
Content: ★★★★★
Grammar: ★★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★★
Ease of reading: ★★★★★
My recommendation: ★★★★★
My total rating for this work: ★★★★★ (5.0)
🖊 What fun, cleverness, and intelligence! I enjoyed each short mystery in this collection.
📕Published in 1909.
🎨 Illustrated.
CONTENTS:
I. THE MAN WITH THE NAILED SHOES★★★★★
II. THE STRANGER'S LATCHKEY★★★★★
III. THE ANTHROPOLOGIST AT LARGE★★★★★
IV. THE BLUE SEQUIN★★★★★
V. THE MOABITE CIPHER★★★★★
VI. THE MANDARIN'S PEARL★★★★★
VII. THE ALUMINIUM DAGGER★★★★★
VIII. A MESSAGE FROM THE DEEP SEA★★★★★
જ⁀🟢 E-book version on Project Gutenberg.
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My rating breakdown:
Plot: ★★★★★
Content: ★★★★★
Grammar: ★★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★★
Ease of reading: ★★★★★
My recommendation: ★★★★★
My total rating for this work: ★★★★★ (5.0)
July 24, 2023
"The Man with the Nailed Shoes" is implausibly intricate.
Thorndyke specialises in physical evidence: footprints, residues, hairs and stains. This makes him a pretty narrow detective. Where is the knowledge of human nature and the insight into the criminal mind? He also lacks atmosphere: there are no footsteps in the fog, no choking smoke, no ragged urchins, no clatter of hooves on cobbles, no stench of opium: the things that make Sherlock Holmes so fascinating.
What might have saved this book is photographs, so we can look down the microscope, examine the hairs and see for ourselves how the footprints overlap.
Thorndyke specialises in physical evidence: footprints, residues, hairs and stains. This makes him a pretty narrow detective. Where is the knowledge of human nature and the insight into the criminal mind? He also lacks atmosphere: there are no footsteps in the fog, no choking smoke, no ragged urchins, no clatter of hooves on cobbles, no stench of opium: the things that make Sherlock Holmes so fascinating.
What might have saved this book is photographs, so we can look down the microscope, examine the hairs and see for ourselves how the footprints overlap.
March 14, 2024
This collection contains the short story I've been searching for with the lady in the enormous hat who was killed on the train Initially, I thought it was an Agatha Christie short story, then one by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but it was actually by Freeman, who I didn't remember reading at all. Luckily, Thorndyke's name rang a bell, so I decided to give him a try as my next audio binge author, and lo and behold, my long lost favorite short story popped up. It actually isn't my favorite short story anymore, but it was nice to revisit it, along with several more of Thorndyke's adventures.
January 22, 2024
I liked these short stories, but not enough to want to read more of this series afterwards I think.
Still, the characters are well defined, with lots of great details.
I liked the different plots too.
Maybe the problem is the narrator, whose tone is not very lively.
Book 1 was not super great either.
I think I'm going to stop reading them in order, and only pick some of the best? What do you think?
Still, the characters are well defined, with lots of great details.
I liked the different plots too.
Maybe the problem is the narrator, whose tone is not very lively.
Book 1 was not super great either.
I think I'm going to stop reading them in order, and only pick some of the best? What do you think?
December 18, 2022
I appreciate Freeman's sophisticated vocabulary. The stories themselves are pretty contrived and often anti-Semitic (which is prescient, given the purging of Jews from much of Europe that would take place 25-30 years later). The narrator, Jervis, is often just along for the ride in these stories making one wonder about his purpose in the relationship. He's essentially a fly on the wall.
May 26, 2020
Good read
I had never heard of this author but have become hooked. A combination of doctor and detective with more warmth than Sherlock Holmes, Dr Thorndyke excels in rescuing the falsely accused.
I had never heard of this author but have become hooked. A combination of doctor and detective with more warmth than Sherlock Holmes, Dr Thorndyke excels in rescuing the falsely accused.
September 4, 2020
Seven short stories of John Thorndyke cases. Pleasurable, but not memorable. Published in 1909. Be warned, it is a book of its era, like the first book in this series, in the portrayal of Jews and Asians.
June 24, 2017
These stories include a lot of the details that went into a coroner's trial, and tend more towards a police procedural.
January 1, 2019
Early Bird Book Deal
July 28, 2020
Thorndyke definitely works better in short story form. A nice collection of classic forensic mysteries.
February 7, 2021
The early forensic science is good.
The casual bigotry is bad.
Still entertaining and easier to solve than Conan Doyle and Christie.
The casual bigotry is bad.
Still entertaining and easier to solve than Conan Doyle and Christie.
Read
January 26, 2024導讀很讚阿哈哈哈，特別是007的部分。我也是CSI的愛好者其實。
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