Metropolitan Mysteries (2025) is another of Martin Edwards’ wonderful anthologies. This one focuses on London and the mostly famous detectives who investigate the many crimes committed in that city.
If you glance at the Table of Contents, you’ll see a large number of Big Name Mystery Writers–Sayers, Conan Doyle, Baroness Orczy, Anthony Berkley, Anthony Gilbert, Carter Dickson/John Dickson Carr–mixed in with some lesser known authors.
These 18 mystery stories from 1908 to 1963 feature Lord Peter Wimsey, Dr. Gideon Fell, Superintendent Aldgate, and, of course, Sherlock Holmes. If you’re in the mood for some classic mystery stories from that era, check out Metropolitan Crimes. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction / Martin Edwards — ix
A Note from the Publisher — xv
The vindictive story of the footsteps that ran / Dorothy L. Sayers — 1
The adventure of the Bruce-Partington plans / Arthur Conan Doyle — 24
The miser of Maida Vale / Baroness Orczy — 64
The real thing / Henry Wade — 102
These artists! / Henry Wade — 122
The case of the faulty drier / Josephine Bell — 141
Unsound mind / Anthony Berkley — 153
Man in Bond Street / Anthony Gilbert — 173
Death on Nelson’s Column / Eric Bennett — 184
The crime in nobody’s room / Carter Dickson — 208
The locked room / John Dickson Carr — 232
Sergeant Dobbin works it out / J. Jefferson Farjeon — 254
Mum knows best / Margery Allingham — 267
Sergeant Pockle in Parliament / William Fienburgh — 277
Murder in St. James’s / Malcolm Gair — 285
The most hated man in London / Patricia Moyes — 292
The dead man climbed upstairs / Raymond Postgate — 298
Back in five years / Michael Gilbert — 309
Thanks, George. As you know, I read all the Martin Edwards anthologies, as you do. My library has two copies on order, but I was able to download a copy from the Cloud Library.
I know you have this problem too, but all of a sudden, books are pouring in here one after the other! I’m already reading three collections – by Ed Hoch, Colm Toibin and Andrew Sean Greer – and now I have another three on hand, with more on order.
Jeff, I too have an avalanche of books from Libraries and Publishers flowing in each day! Dealing with Diane’s new Subaru Crosstrek, Patrick’s visit, and now Katie’s visit next week to pick up Diane’s Nissan Altima and drive it back to Boston, eats up a lot of Reading Time! I would really love a week of no interruptions so I could catch up on my reading…
And now we’re going to Connecticut and Maine (Portland) next week with my cousins, which will take up even more reading time.
Jeff, I know that feeling well…
That’s a nice-looking collection! I’m sure I’ll never have it in the house!
Bob, if I run across a copy of METROPOLITAN MYSTERIES, I’ll send it your way!
Very kind of you.
Looks like some good writers. I didn’t not know Moyes had written any shorts.
Patti, Martin Edwards claims the story in METROPOLITAN CRIMES was Moyes’ first short story.
There was a collection of Moyes stories published by Crippen & Landru in 1996 – Who Killed Father Christmas? and Other Unseasonable Demises.
Jeff, I might have that Moyes collection from Crippen & Landru around here somewhere…