This newly compiled anthology of turn-of-the-century detective stories pays tribute to those days when supersleuth Sherlock Holmes and his fellow investigator dominated fictional crime. A rich and varied collection of short, masterfully written pieces of Victorian and Edwardian crime fiction, the volume comprises a trove of extraordinary and rare material, some of it never before published in book form.

Among the 14 selctions are "The Return of Imray," an unusual detective story by Rudyard Kipling set in India; "The Tragedy of the Life Raft," one of the last stories by Jacques Futrelle before he sailed on the Titanic; "The York Mystery" by Baroness Orczy, an Old Man in the Corner story not in standard collections; "The Copper Beeches" by Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the less frequently anthologized Holmes stories; "The Divination of the Zagury Capsules" by Headon Hill, in which a London detective is assisted by a Hindu mystic; plus tales by G.K. Chesterton, Catherin L. Pirkis, Silas K. Hocking, and others.

Carefully selected by detective fiction authority Douglas G. Greene, who also provides an insightful intruduction and a brief preface to each story, these lesser-known but riveting tales will delight mystery fans and crime fiction buffs alike.

Contents listing:

The First Golden Age of Detective Fiction : Douglas G. Greene
• The Adventure of the Copper Beeches : Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Case of the Lost Foreigner : Arthur Morrison
• The Ghost of Fountain Lane : Catherine L. Pirkis
• The Return of Imray : Rudyard Kipling
• The Divination of the Zagury Capsules: Headon Hill
• The York Mystery : Baroness Orczy
• The Haverstock Hill Murder [two chapters from Dorcas Dene, Detective: Her Adventures] : George R. Sims
• The Dead Hand : R. Austin Freeman
• Mr. Bovey's Unexpected Will : L. T. Meade & Robert Eustace
• A Perverted Genius : Silas Hocking
• The Eye of Apollo : G. K. Chesterton
• The Purple Emperor : Robert W. Chambers
• The Tragedy of the Life Raft : Jacques Futrelle
• The Story of Baelbrow : E. & H. Heron