The Best Max Carrados Detective Stories by Ernest Bramah, 1972 (Dover Mystery Classics, Kindle Edition)
Both the author and character here are new to me, and I was glad to make their acquaintance. The thing that makes this detective distinct is his blindness. It seems impossible that a blind detective / investigator could solve crimes, but a combination of his other senses having heightened reception and his familiarity with the ways of the world allow him to “see” through situations that confound other investigators. A lot of fun.
Contents:
“The Coin of Dionysius”
“The Knight’s Cross Signal Problem”
“The Mystery of the Vanished Petition Crown”
“The Holloway Flat Tragedy”
“The Disappearance of Marie Severe”
“The Mystery of the Poisoned Dish of Mushrooms”
“The Tragedy at Brookbend Cottage”
“The Last Exploit of Harry the Actor”
“The Ingenious Mr. Spinola”
plus Note on Sources
I have not read any of the Max Carrados stories, but I had heard about them. I will have to remedy that after I get through a few of my short story collections.
You may have to read them as an ebook, I don’t think they are available in print, unless you find an old copy. This book has stories from all three of the old original collections.
There is a fourth, I think.
Never read these. I have a vague memory of reading a fantasy by him based in China that was part of the old Del Rey Adult Fantasy series in the early 70’s.
Steve, Jerry has answered that question. Sounds interesting.
The Max Carrados stories, like many others of the time (The Old Man in the Corner, The Thinking Machine, Dr. Thorndyke, Cleek, Craig Kennedy, etc.) can still be read today and enjoyed — something that can not be said of many works of that era.
BTW, the book Steve was referring to was one of Bramah’s Kai Lung collections of oriental fantasies. There wer, I believe six books in the series and Lin carter reprinted three of them in Ballantine’s Adult Fantasy line.
I agree, Jerry, about those other stories. I’ve been enjoying some of them.
And plan to enjoy more.
I’m reading both print and ebook anthologies. Now Barbara has an ebook from the library (a rare thing) so we’re trying to share the iPad. She has priority.
I first read these when Dover came out with their series of trade paperbacks in the ’70s. (The Carrados was published in 1972.) I no longer have those editions (they did Freeman and Orczy and others too), but have since read a “complete” collection of the Carrados stories. There were three collections:
Max Carrados (1914)
The Eyes of Max Carrados (1923)
Max Carrados Mysteries (1927)
Yes, I knew of those from the Introduction. There is a fourth, I believe.
In fact, Wordsworth Editions published the complete Max Carrados stories a few years ago. If it isn’t in print, it should still be easy to find.
Bramah’s Chinoiserie Kai Lung stories are also good, but not detective stories.
There seems to be a complete collection as a P.O.D. on Amazon. However, having read these, and enjoyed them, I will probably move on to something else.
I’ve read some of the Max Carrados stories, but not all of them. I may take Roger Allen’s comment about the Wordsworth Editions to buy the complete set. Now, to find time to read them…
Which is why I’m not going to buy the complete set.