The Measure of Malice: Scientific Detection Stories
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- Author：Martin Edwards
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Summary
The detective's role is simple: to catch the culprit。 Yet behind each casual observation lies a learned mind， trained on finding the key to the mystery。 Crimes， whatever their form， are often best solved through deliberations of logic - preferably amid complicated gadgetry and a pile of hefty scientific volumes。
The detectives in this collection are masters of scientific deduction， whether they are identifying the perpetrator from a single scrap of fabric， or picking out the poison from a sinister line-up。 Containing stories by R。 Austin Freeman， J。 J。 Connington and the master of logical reasoning， Arthur Conan Doyle， The Measure of Malice collects tales of rational thinking to prove the power of the human brain over villainous deeds。
The detectives in this collection are masters of scientific deduction， whether they are identifying the perpetrator from a single scrap of fabric， or picking out the poison from a sinister line-up。 Containing stories by R。 Austin Freeman， J。 J。 Connington and the master of logical reasoning， Arthur Conan Doyle， The Measure of Malice collects tales of rational thinking to prove the power of the human brain over villainous deeds。
Reviews
Joy
，
I enjoyed this volume of short stories， perhaps the most out of the British library crime classics collections I've read so far。 There were a few stories that were a little implausible but none I actually disliked， and several that I really enjoyed。 The science theme lends itself to the type of logical， puzzle type whodunnits that I enjoy。 I particularly liked the inclusion of a story featuring Lord Peter Wimsey， who is probably my favourite fictional detective。 I enjoyed this volume of short stories， perhaps the most out of the British library crime classics collections I've read so far。 There were a few stories that were a little implausible but none I actually disliked， and several that I really enjoyed。 The science theme lends itself to the type of logical， puzzle type whodunnits that I enjoy。 I particularly liked the inclusion of a story featuring Lord Peter Wimsey， who is probably my favourite fictional detective。 。。。more
Margaret
，
The Measure of Malice edited by Martin Edwards is one of the more enjoyable short story collections that I’ve read。 It contains 14 stories in which scientific/technological methods are used in the detection of crime。 There is an excellent introduction by Martin Edwards with information about the authors， five of whom were doctors， two were engineers and one was an academic chemist。As always with short story collections some stories are better than others。 I’m highlighting a few of the better one The Measure of Malice edited by Martin Edwards is one of the more enjoyable short story collections that I’ve read。 It contains 14 stories in which scientific/technological methods are used in the detection of crime。 There is an excellent introduction by Martin Edwards with information about the authors， five of whom were doctors， two were engineers and one was an academic chemist。As always with short story collections some stories are better than others。 I’m highlighting a few of the better ones here:The Boscombe Valley Mystery by A Conan Doyle was originally published in the Strand Magazine in October 1891， and is the first short story to feature Inspector Lestrade。 It’s a solid story， solved by Sherlock Holmes by inspecting and analysing the footprints and signs at the scene of the crime。The Horror of Studley Grange by L T Meade and Clifford Halifax （1894）， from Stories for the Diary of a Doctor， originally published in the Strand Magazine。 I enjoyed this one although it was pretty easy to predict。 Ostensibly a ghost story， the solution involves the use of a laryngoscope。After Death the Doctor by J J Connington， a Scottish professor of chemistry。 This one was first published in 1934， involving a contemporary scientific gadget。 The doctor in question is Doctor Shefford who together with Sergeant Longridge， investigate the murder of old Barnaby Leadburn， found dead with his throat cut。The next two are the ones I enjoyed the most:The Broken Toad by H C Bailey， first published in 1934， featuring the surgeon and Home Office Consultant， Reggie Fortune as he considers the death of a police constable from poisoning。 I enjoyed all the detailed complications and Bailey’s literary mannered style of storytelling。In the Teeth of the Evidence by Dorothy L Sayers， first published in 1939， about forensic dentistry， which starts as Lord Peter Wimsey is sitting in his dentist’s chair。 The police had just visited the surgery， wanting to see his predecessor’s records to identify the victim of a burnt out garage。 An upper right incisor crown and the filling in a molar provided the clues to his death。 Gory if you actually visualise what is involved！ 。。。more
John
，
There are fourteen tales in this collection， some are good， and some not so good。 These are the five I enjoyed most:1） The Horror Of Studley Grange - L。T。 Meade and Clifford Halifax2） After Death The Doctor - J。J Connington3） The English Filter - C。E。 Bechhofer Roberts4） The Case Of The Chemist In The Cupboard - Ernest Dudley5） In The Teeth Of The Evidence - Dorothy L。 Sayers
Jeff Hobbs
，
Read so far:*The Boscombe Valley Mystery / Arthur Conan Doyle --The Horror of Studley Grange / L。 T。 Meade and Clifford Halifax --3The Tragedy of a Third Smoker / C。 J。 Cutcliffe Hyne --3The Man Who Disappeared / L。 T。 Meade and Robert Eustace --3The Cyprian Bees / Anthony Wynne --3The English Filter / C。 E。 Bechhofer Roberts --The Contents of a Mare's Nest / R。 Austin Freeman --3*After Death the Doctor / J。 J。 Connington --The Broken Toad / H。 C。 Bailey --3In the Teeth of the Evidence / Dorothy Read so far:*The Boscombe Valley Mystery / Arthur Conan Doyle --The Horror of Studley Grange / L。 T。 Meade and Clifford Halifax --3The Tragedy of a Third Smoker / C。 J。 Cutcliffe Hyne --3The Man Who Disappeared / L。 T。 Meade and Robert Eustace --3The Cyprian Bees / Anthony Wynne --3The English Filter / C。 E。 Bechhofer Roberts --The Contents of a Mare's Nest / R。 Austin Freeman --3*After Death the Doctor / J。 J。 Connington --The Broken Toad / H。 C。 Bailey --3In the Teeth of the Evidence / Dorothy L。 Sayers --3The Case of the Chemist in the Cupboard / Ernest Dudley --*The Purple Line / John Rhode --*Blood Sport / Edmund Crispin --The New Cement / Freeman Wills Crofts -- 。。。more
Debra Davidson-Smith
，
This is an interesting group of short stories linked by the use of science with the work of detection。 Beyond some Agatha Christie， this isn't my usual area of interest so all the stories were new to me and I found most of them held my interest although I felt the standard of writing was a little patchy - some were really good and others less so。 I think that might be because as early C20th pieces some of them have aged better than others。 The lovely sense of period adds an extra element of inte This is an interesting group of short stories linked by the use of science with the work of detection。 Beyond some Agatha Christie， this isn't my usual area of interest so all the stories were new to me and I found most of them held my interest although I felt the standard of writing was a little patchy - some were really good and others less so。 I think that might be because as early C20th pieces some of them have aged better than others。 The lovely sense of period adds an extra element of interest on top of what are occasionally slightly underwhelming plotlines and the collection offers a great deal of variety in tone and period ranging from the 1920s to the 1950s。Without going through each story， The Boscombe Valley Mystery was my favourite， although all of them， being fairly bite-size， were well worth reading and work well as a commuter read or a short read before bed。 It's worth three and a half stars but as I can't award that I've opted for 3。 。。。more
Book collector
，
I enjoy these collections on the whole。 As with all collections there are some stories weaker than others and that's just to be expected。 Generally the stories featured in these collections are of a high standard。 They all by their nature are old fashioned which is the main reason I buy them。 This particular set of stories is generally good， with a high standard of writing across the board。 There is one exception and it's purely a personal thing。 I do find my heart sinking when I see the name H。 I enjoy these collections on the whole。 As with all collections there are some stories weaker than others and that's just to be expected。 Generally the stories featured in these collections are of a high standard。 They all by their nature are old fashioned which is the main reason I buy them。 This particular set of stories is generally good， with a high standard of writing across the board。 There is one exception and it's purely a personal thing。 I do find my heart sinking when I see the name H。 C。 Bailey。 I've now read several stories over the British library crime series and in other collections， from bailey and I have yet to enjoy one。 I just find his writing unengaging。 His lead character， reggie fortune I find poorly written。 He talks。 Short。 Sentences。 Broken up。 Irritating。 Very。 As I say it's just me， hopefully other people will enjoy all of the stories and it certainly doesn't affect the overall quality of the book。 It's a great series and I hope there are more。 。。。more
Janet
，
Plenty of variety in this fun collection of old-fashioned mystery stories。
Larry Fontenot
，
This collection edited by distinguish writer Martin Edwards pulls together stories from the Golden Age of detective stories but with a lean towards scientific detective work。 I had not expected to like these stories， having grown accustomed to modern diction， attitudes and detective strategies from Michael Connelly， Louise Penny， James Lee Burke。 etc。 But I found these stories interesting if a bit dated。 I enjoyed the use of science and scientific instruments in the committing， detecting and res This collection edited by distinguish writer Martin Edwards pulls together stories from the Golden Age of detective stories but with a lean towards scientific detective work。 I had not expected to like these stories， having grown accustomed to modern diction， attitudes and detective strategies from Michael Connelly， Louise Penny， James Lee Burke。 etc。 But I found these stories interesting if a bit dated。 I enjoyed the use of science and scientific instruments in the committing， detecting and resolution of the crimes。 Good Stuff！！ 。。。more
joyce w。 laudon
，
The Poisoned Pen Press has published a number of excellent mystery anthologies， of which this is one。 This collection includes stories about cases that were investigated and solved using science and technology， as it existed when each story was written。 A knowledgeable introduction is followed by stories from writers who are both well and lesser known。 Some of the authors represented are Conan Doyle， Dorothy L Sayers and Freeman Wills Crofts。 There are fourteen stories in all。If you find that The Poisoned Pen Press has published a number of excellent mystery anthologies， of which this is one。 This collection includes stories about cases that were investigated and solved using science and technology， as it existed when each story was written。 A knowledgeable introduction is followed by stories from writers who are both well and lesser known。 Some of the authors represented are Conan Doyle， Dorothy L Sayers and Freeman Wills Crofts。 There are fourteen stories in all。If you find that you sometimes have trouble concentrating on a novel， this book provides a nice alternative with its stories。 Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Helen Campbell
，
At the turn of the century （19th to 20th） the forensic science used by today's detectives would have seemed like science fiction。 This book contains 14 short stories written during that time that demonstrate early principles - some valid， some perhaps not - that the authors utilized to solve their fictional crimes。 This volume， part of the British Library Crime Classics is a gem - a wonderful visit to the early days of my favorite genre。 At the turn of the century （19th to 20th） the forensic science used by today's detectives would have seemed like science fiction。 This book contains 14 short stories written during that time that demonstrate early principles - some valid， some perhaps not - that the authors utilized to solve their fictional crimes。 This volume， part of the British Library Crime Classics is a gem - a wonderful visit to the early days of my favorite genre。 。。。more
Laura Hannaway
，
Some excellent stories in this anthology。 I think that there was only one that I didn’t enjoy ‘The Case of the Chemist in the Cupboard’ by Ernest Dudley and it wasn’t that the mystery wasn’t enjoyable， but more that I disliked the protagonist。 There are some really good stories by Arthur Conan Doyle， Dorothy L Sayers， Edmund Crispin and a host of others。 Well worth the money and the time。 Highly recommended。
Elizabeth
，
As with any collection of short stories， there are hits and there are misses。 Overall I enjoyed the book。 My fav was Dorothy Sayers but that is no surprise， I love everything Lord Peter Wimsey。
Susan
，
An eclectic collection of short stories that make some reference to scientific detection。 Best read as period pieces that offer glimpses of life （mainly） between the two world wars。 Even some of the more obscure authors are still quite readable but others， notably Ernest Dudley， are better forgotten。
Julie
，
The solving of murder in fiction has always had its challenges， and this book demonstrates one way of meeting it， with scientific method。 This book of fourteen short stories edited by Martin Edwards is from the wonderful British Library Crime Classics series， and is a representative sample of various authors writing during a “Golden Age” of detective writing。 Featuring well known authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy L。 Sayers as well as stories by Ernest Dudley and J。J。 Connington， all The solving of murder in fiction has always had its challenges， and this book demonstrates one way of meeting it， with scientific method。 This book of fourteen short stories edited by Martin Edwards is from the wonderful British Library Crime Classics series， and is a representative sample of various authors writing during a “Golden Age” of detective writing。 Featuring well known authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy L。 Sayers as well as stories by Ernest Dudley and J。J。 Connington， all the murders are worked out by scientific method。 As may be expected， those writers who favour detectives with medical or other training bring in their expertise。 Happily each expert who spots an obscure poison or unusual clue has time to explain why they are significant and how they managed to work out who was the guilty party。 An interesting introduction by Edwards shows how the need for variation in murder method occupied the minds of various writers， as admitted by Sayers， and two writers co authored these stories while Sayers herself drew on the scientific knowledge of a doctor， Robert Eustace， for an entire novel。 In addition to the informative introduction there is also a short biography of each author putting the story in the context of their career and its original publication。 I was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this book。 Sherlock Holmes is the expert on methodical investigation， but in his story he has to call on various skills to find the truth。 Lady Studley summons the assistance of an eminent doctor when her husband exhibits strange symptoms in a story which also contains elements of gothic horror。 The very existence of bodies exercise some detectives when only tiny hints of the truth remain。 Bees terrify and confuse with some reason in another story。 Doctors and scientists are drawn into the search for the truth， even when they lack social skills。 One extremely clever scientist seems to have an undue influence over his assistant， but she nevertheless manages to have some rather good ideas。 There are elements of fluke as investigators spot a tiny detail of the murder scene and make discoveries on which to base their investigation。 An ancient game proves significant， as specialist knowledge is not limited to chemicals。 A cake recipe provides a clue in one case。 Some professionals are happier to throw themselves into an investigation than others， as a murdered body can throw those who usually work with the living。 Chemicals and their lie at the heart of many stories， and sometimes an investigator has to move fast in order to save lives。This is a book which maintains interest as each story has to introduce characters and context， show a crime or a potential problem， and resolve it all within a limited space。 This is especially so in the case of Edmund Crispin’s “Blood Sport” which draws on a particular little known scientific observation and thus identifies the culprit inside four pages。 Some stories are more based on characters and the methodical examination of motive and then finding the means， however obscure， whereas others are based on the discovery of an anomaly。 These short stories are all little gems， carefully chosen and happily made available once more， all based on the vital scientific detection of experts。 。。。more
William Prystauk
，
Very disappointing。The stories made anything on "Murder She Wrote" look amazing， adult， and well-planned。 Each story felt as if it was written for a G-rated audience a step removed from Nancy Drew。The storytelling was often weighed down with flowery prose and， once again， crucial information was kept from the reader as if the writers weren't smart enough to give us hints we weren't smart enough to catch。Of all the stories， only one stood out for being well written with tighter prose， and that is Very disappointing。The stories made anything on "Murder She Wrote" look amazing， adult， and well-planned。 Each story felt as if it was written for a G-rated audience a step removed from Nancy Drew。The storytelling was often weighed down with flowery prose and， once again， crucial information was kept from the reader as if the writers weren't smart enough to give us hints we weren't smart enough to catch。Of all the stories， only one stood out for being well written with tighter prose， and that is John Rhode's "The Purple Line。" 。。。more
Ed
，
2020 anthology edited by Martin Edwards。 Short stories marked by the growth of forensic sciences between 1891 and 1955。 These British short stories， while of a generally high quality， were products of their era and as such some are less readable than others based on vocabulary and current viability of the science in the story。The detectives in this collection are masters of scientific deduction employing principles of chemistry， the latest technological innovations and an irresistible logical br 2020 anthology edited by Martin Edwards。 Short stories marked by the growth of forensic sciences between 1891 and 1955。 These British short stories， while of a generally high quality， were products of their era and as such some are less readable than others based on vocabulary and current viability of the science in the story。The detectives in this collection are masters of scientific deduction employing principles of chemistry， the latest technological innovations and an irresistible logical brilliance in their pursuit of justice。 01。 Arthur Conan Doyle - The Boscombe Valley Mystery （1891） - Sherlock Holmes investigates the case of a young man accused of murdering his father。02。 L。T。Meade and Clifford Halifax - The Horror of Studley Grange （1894） - Dr。 Halifax investigates a nightly apparition threatening to drive Sir Henry Studley mad。03。 C。J。 Cutliffe Hyne - The Tragedy of a Third Smoker （1898） - A struggle in a railway car leaves one occupant dazed and the other dead of a head injury。 An open and shut case except that the dazed man won't plead guilty and the QC decides to investigate。04。 L。T。 Meade and Robert Eustace - The Man Who Disappeared （1901） - A man enters a mansion against police advice。 When they enter with a warrant， three hours later， he is nowhere to be found。05。 Anthony Wynne - The Cyprian Bees （1924） - Doctor takes the clues of a woman dead of a bee-sting and a box containing 4 bees， and Holmes-like deduces that it was murder and the characteristics of the killer。06。 C。E。 Bechkofer Roberts - The English Filter （1926） - Scientist solves a murder using optography （already widely questioned） and kottabos - an ancient Sicilian game。07。 R。 Austin Freeman - The Contents of a Mare's Nest （1927） - Dr。 Thorndyke investigates a possible case of insurance fraud， but the body's been cremated。08。 J。J。 Connington - After Death the Doctor （1934） - A chance discovery at his doctor's office， allows Inspector Dronfield to cast doubt on an intricate alibi。09。 H。C。 Bailey - The Broken Toad （1934） - Reggie Fortune looks into the poisoning death of a constable。 A complex chain of clues bring him to a surprising conclusion。10。 Dorothy L。 Sayers - In the Teeth of the Evidence （1939） - Lord Peter Wimsey accompanies his dentist to the identification of a burn victim and gets involved in the forensic investigation。11。 Ernest Dudley - The Case of the Chemist in the Cupboard （1943） - Arrogant Dr。 Morelle looks into a missing chemist after his assistant， Miss Frayle， has had a fright。12。 John Rhode - The Purple Line （1950） - Inspector Purley is not satisfied that a woman drowned herself in a rain barrel。13。Edmund Crispin - Brood Sport （1954） - DI Bumbleby investigates the murder of a pregnant woman with her former employer's gun。14。 Freeman Wills Crofts - The New Cement （1955） - Sup't French visits an old friend， a sculptor， and is suspicious of a new modeling material he received in the mail。 。。。more
Liz V。
，
A collection of short stories from the Golden Age of Mystery， mostly by now forgotten authors。 Each story is prefaced by a thumbnail sketch of the author， a surprising number of whom were doctors。 Several have been characterized as "humdrum" and， for the most part， deservedly， although short stories don't afford an author much scope。 Still， I found it interesting to read some of the less well known authors from that period。 A collection of short stories from the Golden Age of Mystery， mostly by now forgotten authors。 Each story is prefaced by a thumbnail sketch of the author， a surprising number of whom were doctors。 Several have been characterized as "humdrum" and， for the most part， deservedly， although short stories don't afford an author much scope。 Still， I found it interesting to read some of the less well known authors from that period。 。。。more
Woolfhead
，
Solidly entertaining and varied collection！
Terri
，
This book is a "British Library Crime Classic， and although dated， these stories are still good to read。 Sometimes， though tere is a word used that was commonly used then that is not coorect to use now。 This book is a "British Library Crime Classic， and although dated， these stories are still good to read。 Sometimes， though tere is a word used that was commonly used then that is not coorect to use now。 。。。more
John Haydon
，
some great stories。
Tonstant Weader
，
The Measure of Malice is a fun anthology of classic mystery short stories from the Golden Age of Mystery。 Martin Edwards has produced several editions for Poisoned Pen Press harvesting stories from authors who have been lost to the passage of time。 This anthology focuses on stories with an element of science。While Edwards includes a few of the most well-known authors like Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy Sayers。 His primary focus， though， is on those who have been lost to time such as Robert Eusta The Measure of Malice is a fun anthology of classic mystery short stories from the Golden Age of Mystery。 Martin Edwards has produced several editions for Poisoned Pen Press harvesting stories from authors who have been lost to the passage of time。 This anthology focuses on stories with an element of science。While Edwards includes a few of the most well-known authors like Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy Sayers。 His primary focus， though， is on those who have been lost to time such as Robert Eustace， L。 T。 Meade， and H。 C。 Bailey。Some of them are very clever such as “The Cyprian Bees” by Anthony Wynne and “The Broken Toad” by H。 C。 Bailey。 “The Case of the Chemis in the Cupboard” on the other hand irritated me with the way the detective treated the woman who worked for him。 “The New Cement” by Freeman Willis Crofts is pure genius。I love mysteries and I love short stories。 When they come together， in a package like The Measure of Malice I am thrilled。 I think Edwards does an excellent job of finding a good mix of the famous and the forgotten and the various kinds of mysteries。 I appreciate that Edwards did not define science to narrowly。 This is is not CSI: The Golden Age。 This is why I always look forward to his anthologies。I received an e-galley of The Measure of Malice from the publisher through NetGalley。The Measure of Malice at Poisoned Pen PressMartin Edwards author sitehttps://tonstantweaderreviews。wordpre。。。 。。。more
Mystica
，
An excellent collection of short stories in the detective genre in the style of Sherlock Holmes。The opening one is actually a Sherlock Holmes wonderful story and sets the tone and elegance of writing which is so characteristic for all the writers。Apart from the style of writing which is calm and collected and not frenzied in the least despite the goriness of the actual murders， there is a great deal of intelligent detective skills utilized throughout and a measure of scientific deduction which a An excellent collection of short stories in the detective genre in the style of Sherlock Holmes。The opening one is actually a Sherlock Holmes wonderful story and sets the tone and elegance of writing which is so characteristic for all the writers。Apart from the style of writing which is calm and collected and not frenzied in the least despite the goriness of the actual murders， there is a great deal of intelligent detective skills utilized throughout and a measure of scientific deduction which adds to the interest。Another great publication under the Classic Crime category。 。。。more
Susan
，
I always enjoy the British Library of Crime Classics short story collections， but this one--though the individual stories are entertaining--perhaps not so much。 The stated theme is "Scientific Detection Stories，" and some of the stories have little of the scientific in them save perhaps a fairly conventional discussion of ballistics， or a location （in a chemical laboratory in "The Case of the Chemist in the Cupboard"）。 Still， there's no need to let a line on the cover of the book ruin one's plea I always enjoy the British Library of Crime Classics short story collections， but this one--though the individual stories are entertaining--perhaps not so much。 The stated theme is "Scientific Detection Stories，" and some of the stories have little of the scientific in them save perhaps a fairly conventional discussion of ballistics， or a location （in a chemical laboratory in "The Case of the Chemist in the Cupboard"）。 Still， there's no need to let a line on the cover of the book ruin one's pleasure in some fine， and little known， short stories by marquee authors and those long forgotten。 。。。more
Jessi
，
Poisoned Pen Press has been rolling out new collections of old stories as part of their British Crime Classic Library and this one is no different。 This one rolls together stories that use science to help solve the mystery。 There are the big names of course， Sir Arthur Conan Doyle， but lesser known names as well。Like any anthology， this one has some good stories and some that are just。。。 odd。 And there is always the fun of reading about things that used to be cutting edge and， in terms of today' Poisoned Pen Press has been rolling out new collections of old stories as part of their British Crime Classic Library and this one is no different。 This one rolls together stories that use science to help solve the mystery。 There are the big names of course， Sir Arthur Conan Doyle， but lesser known names as well。Like any anthology， this one has some good stories and some that are just。。。 odd。 And there is always the fun of reading about things that used to be cutting edge and， in terms of today's scientific knowledge are just sort of funny。 。。。more
Annie
，
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Measure of Malice is a well curated anthology of forensic detective fiction。 Released 4th Feb 2020 by Poisoned Pen Press， it's 336 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。For me， one of the biggest draws of these anthologies is the erudite and always Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Measure of Malice is a well curated anthology of forensic detective fiction。 Released 4th Feb 2020 by Poisoned Pen Press， it's 336 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。For me， one of the biggest draws of these anthologies is the erudite and always interesting introductions by editor Martin Edwards， both to the anthology itself and to each of the individual stories。 Mr。 Edwards has a prodigious knowledge of the genre and writes engagingly and well。Well written， this entry and the series as a whole are well worth seeking out。 This would make a superlative selection for readers of the genre as well as an introduction to classic crime fiction from early 。 I love that these collections have some titans of the genre （Sayers， Doyle， Crispin） alongside lesser known but worthy authors。 The stories are arranged in roughly chronological order from the Victorian through the modern era。This would make a superlative choice for commute reading or short interludes。Four stars。Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
HollyLovesBooks
，
What a pleasure to tread back into these stories of traditional British Crime Classics， like Sherlock Holmes and my favorite was by Dorothy L。 Sayers。 These are your more traditional "who done it" sort of stories， some were more entertaining and better written or more engaging than others。 As with most collections， each story speaks to different people so the collection as a whole may suffer a bit because the stories are varying strengths in writing or tone。 Overall， I would recommend this as an What a pleasure to tread back into these stories of traditional British Crime Classics， like Sherlock Holmes and my favorite was by Dorothy L。 Sayers。 These are your more traditional "who done it" sort of stories， some were more entertaining and better written or more engaging than others。 As with most collections， each story speaks to different people so the collection as a whole may suffer a bit because the stories are varying strengths in writing or tone。 Overall， I would recommend this as an good read and a nudge to pick up some of these authors works again。#TheMeasureofMaliceScientificDetectionStories #Netgalley #BritishLibraryCrimeClassic #MartinEdwards #PoisonedPenPress 。。。more
Anjana
，
I rarely （if ever） review the individual stories in a collection of short stories but given the fact that my varying reactions to the several I encountered in this book， I had to split it up to give a more accurate picture of the book itself。 It is a collection of stories where the detectives use 'scientific methods' to come to their conclusions。 In some cases， the thought process is not as apparent as in some others。The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle [1891]I have read this one be I rarely （if ever） review the individual stories in a collection of short stories but given the fact that my varying reactions to the several I encountered in this book， I had to split it up to give a more accurate picture of the book itself。 It is a collection of stories where the detectives use 'scientific methods' to come to their conclusions。 In some cases， the thought process is not as apparent as in some others。The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle [1891]I have read this one before， and it was never one of the more intriguing ones （to my mind）。 It is a case of a man being found dead just after he has a quarrel with his son。 Within a span of a few minutes， multiple things happen。 Sherlock Holmes and Watson visit the place， and Sherlock analyzes the facts。 It is a very swift analysis in comparison with some other narrations， and once you know or remember the solution， it does not hold the same thrill。 （3 stars）The Horror of the Studley Grange - L。T。Meade & Clifford Halifax [1894]Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith and Edgar Beaumont are the names of the authors。 It had an engaging narrative style， but the plot was very clear from the very beginning with the usage of certain words repeatedly。 Dr Halifax is called to visit a woman's husband who she says will not see anyone for some strange thing plaguing him while the situation does not turn out to be that clear。 I did not dislike the story only because of how the sequence of events rolled out。 （3 Stars）The Tragedy of a Third Smoker by C。J。Cutcliffe Hyne [1989]The title is slightly misleading， but the overall story was surprising。 The analysis that brings the story to light was also unexpected。 A man is found dead in a compartment with a head wound， and the only other man （or was he？） in the compartment was seen leaving in a daze。 The legal team required to build the case actually ends up confirming his role in the events that occurred。 It was surprisingly simple and straightforward。 Not all short stories end up this way。 （4 stars）The Man Who Disappeared by L。T。Meade & Robert Eustace [1901]There is a Spanish woman with an English Step-daughter who wants a house for rent with precise specifications。 This is handed to her when a new player is brought into the scene with information that might prove valuable。 This was also pretty straightforward， but the resolution was not as satisfactory because it seemed too out of the blue。 This， of course， is a very personal reaction to the solution。 （2 stars）The Cyprian Bees by Anthony Wayne [1924]Dr Hailey is brought a bee a story to go with it， this leads to a set of conclusions which in turn leads to action being taken。 That is the format of the narrative， and it involved a lot more questioning than the previous stories。 The plot was not surprising， but the steady method of analysis had me reading it to the end。 （3 stars）The English Filter by C。E。Bechhofer Roberts[1926]This story with the lead character who is named ABC Hawkes and is informed about scientific research that might interest him。 What he finds instead is a sort of character study and the struggle to maintain power by an old man。 I found the resolution and the idea behind it intriguing。 If the concept genuinely existed， it would have made the world of mystery fiction more complicated。 I did not guess the direction the story might take， and it had me curious till the very end。 （3 Stars）The Contents of a Mare's next by R。Austin Freeman [1927]Half-way into the book， I started liking the author's narrative styles more， they seemed more along the lines of the stories I am used to typically enjoying。 This was also an entertaining story。 It is shown from the perspective of an Insurance man and a claim for a death。 This then follows the chain of events following a death， certificates and such。 I got my guess partially wrong， but the writing and the story itself was worth the read。 （4 stars）After Death the Doctor by J。J。Connington [1934]Alfred Walter Stewart is the author's real name， and this story was about the death of a man at his table。 There is a specific cast of possible suspects and innumerous reasons that people did not like the dead man。 This cast is painstakingly examined， but the final revelation happens due to a chance occurrence which took away some of the zeal for me。 （3 stars）The Broken Toad by H。C。Bailey [1935]This started in a very different manner than the story actually went。 It begins as a chance remark at a party and the story behind the comment is mentioned。 The ending surprised me entirely because I was starting to settle into a know-it-all position about the resolution， and things did not turn out the way I thought they would！ A policeman is found dead， and the circumstances are very odd。 By a lucky chance， the oddity is further tracked and analyzed。 （4 stars）In the Teeth of Evidence by Dorothy L。Sayers [1939]This particular story was the best of the lot for me。 I have a feeling I should do my best to lookup more of the author's works because I have only read one so far。 This has Sir Peter Wimsey going to a dentist's appointment and then tagging along to help identify a burnt body。 Although I guessed the way the story was going to go， the short format not leaving much to speculation but it was still a lot of fun。 （5stars）11。 The Case of the Chemist in the Cupboard by Ernest Dudley [1943]Authors name: Vivian Ernest Coltman-AllenThis was an odd story， and a little abrupt but the characters introduced to us in the telling of it were fun。 We have a grumpy boss with exacting standards who is scaring his assistant into submission when she finds a body and then loses it shortly after。 The cracking of the case was not as startling because of the lack of numbers of people introduced to us， but the narration itself was the highlight。 （4 Stars）12。 The Purple Line by John Rhode[1950]This felt like a very swift story。 There is a surprise discovery of a woman in a water butt， and the suspect is the husband， but he has a solid alibi。 The tale then picks up from there and here too an odd random incident precipitates the revelation， but it was still entertaining （4stars）13。 Blood Sport by Edmund Crispin [1954]Author's name: Robert Bruce Montgomery。Although I did not measure the stories， I think this was the shortest of the lot。 I was done before I knew it and knowing I had missed something I had to read it twice to see where that twist lay。 When I did spot it， I found it highly entertaining， even though we are speaking of murder and murderers。 （4stars）14。 The New Cement by Freeman Wills Croft [1955]This final story was pretty straightforward。 It jumps right into sabotage and then from there it is all about tracing the origins of the plot。 （3 Stars）Total Approx: 4 StarsSometimes it was the story， occasionally the writing and very few times it was the mystery plot itself that caught my attention。 I am glad I gave it a shot， but for most of these authors， I think I might prefer their longer stories。I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience。 。。。more
Andréa
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Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。
Annarella
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All British Library Crime Classic books are excellent read and this one was no exception。I already read a couple of story but it was a pleasure to read them again。It's an excellent read that made me discover some interesting and new to me author。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine。 All British Library Crime Classic books are excellent read and this one was no exception。I already read a couple of story but it was a pleasure to read them again。It's an excellent read that made me discover some interesting and new to me author。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine。 。。。more
Brian Williams
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