ie They are NOT coming from overseas !!
BEWARE of the TRAINS
- By Edmund Crispin -
ISBN: 9781448217465
Publisher: Bloomsbury Reader Publishing, London, London, UK
Published: 2018
Binding: SOFTcover 155 pages
Condition: UNread & displayed condition! HERE in MELBOURNE! A retired display
copy as illustrated!
Edition: FIRST EDITION: 1st printing
TIGHT, SCARCE SOFTCOVER ~ IN MELBOURNE ...
WHY do ebayers buy from US?
Because you KNOW what you're getting. My close up photos are of the actual item!!
Remains UNread - it was the display copy instore . It is Tight - neat, no inscriptions or marks within. Appears as in my photos - this is the exact copy!! A nicely preserved copy - superb!
No discernible shelf wear, the interior is tight and spotlessly clean with 155 pages. THIS copy is the FIRST EDITION: First printing from 195 - the UK publishing by Bloomsbury Reader Publishing, London. Sixteen short stories
SCARCE title - this is an UNread copy!!
In original SOFTcover binding, in publisher's glossy covers which are in excellent condition.
(Stored with 2021!)
Measures approx. 8 x 5 inches or 20 x 13cms
SYNOPSIS ....
How acute are your powers of perception? Do they begin to match those of Gervase Fen, Oxford don and sleuth supreme? First published in 1953, Beware of the Trains is a collection of sixteen short mysteries. Fen must link a missing train conductor to the murder of a thief, decipher cryptograms to solve the death of a cipher expert and puzzle out a locked-room mystery on Boxing Day. Erudite and complex, these Gervase Fen cases are classic crime at its finest: plot, atmosphere and anecdote, bound together by Edmund Crispin's inimitable wit and charm.
Who burglarised the train heading for Victoria Station, and whatever became of its conductor?
Did the village idiot or Mrs Foley murder the mean-spirited Edgar Foley, or could the constable be responsible for the devious deed?
Who on Earth will be able to untangle the affair of the disappearing car, the black necktie, and the abortive theft?
Enter Gervase Fen, Oxford professor and sometime super-sleuth, an expert at solving cases that baffle even the most astute policemen. These sixteen short classics by a master of the modern detective story will test your crime solving abilities as well; Edmund Crispin has provided all the clues you need to detect the solution, using logic and common sense. Can you meet the challenge?
First published in 1953, these sixteen short stories are classic examples of Fen's crime-solving prowess. A professor of English at Oxford by trade, he is also an eager amateur criminologist and this leads to him becoming involved in a whole host of compelling murder mysteries. His intuition uncovers the most insoluble clues whenever even the best brains in the police force are frankly baffled. These stories also allow you, the reader, to flex your own crime-solving muscles: each one contains all the clues needed to anticipate its outcome, using a delicate combination of logic and common sense... with a bit of ingenuity thrown in!
Do you dare to take them on?
Contents:
Beware of the trains.
Humbleby Agonistes.
The drowning of Edgar Foley
“Lacrimae rerum”
Within the gates
Abhorrèd shears
The little room
Express delivery
A pot of paint
The quick brown fox
Black for a funeral
The name on the window
The golden mean
Otherwhere
The evidence for the Crown
Deadlock
About the Author
Edmund Crispin was the pseudonym of (Robert) Bruce Montgomery (1921-1978). His first crime novel and musical composition were both accepted for publication while he was still an undergraduate at Oxford. After a brief spell of teaching, he became a full-time writer and composer (particularly of film music. He wrote the music for six of the Carry On films. But he was also well known for his concert and church music). He also edited science fiction anthologies, and became a regular crime fiction reviewer for The Sunday Times. His friends included Philip Larkin, Kingsley Amis and Agatha Christie.
He had always been a heavy drinker and, unfortunately, there was a long gap in his writing during a time when he was suffering from alcohol problems. Otherwise he enjoyed a quiet life (enlivened by music, reading, church-going and bridge) in Totnes, a quiet corner of Devon, where he resisted all attempts to develop or exploit the district, visiting London as little as possible. He moved to a new house he had built at Week, a hamlet near Dartington, in 1964, then, late in life, married his secretary Ann in 1976, just two years before he died from alcohol related problems. His music was composed using his real name, Bruce Montgomery.
Very Entertaining & Interesting read!
Reviews
Terrific ... Enjoyed the shorts, he even comments on how fictional crime differs from real crime and then has Fen go on to solve a "real" fictional crime. :) As usual, filled with fantastic descriptions of places and persons.
Edmund Crispin wrote unusual short stories! . ... They were unusual for me because of their brevity. The mysteries in this collection, first published in 1953, are of the anecdote variety, meaning they are told from the viewpoint of someone who knew the circumstances surrounding the crime to someone else with little or no knowledge of it. Crispin didn't go into a lot of detail in these sixteen short stories so if you want atmosphere from descriptions of locations or the site of the murder you will be disappointed. Instead you will find the circumstances given for a crime which most often has not yet been solved or proved by the authorities. Gervase Fen, a Professor of English Language and Literature in the University of Oxford, is most often discussing the case with Detective Inspector Humbleby of Scotland Yard, but this is not always the case in this collection. Fen has always been one of my favorite fictional crime solvers because he is written in such a sparse, clean way without many personal attachments to take focus away from the case.
This is a short collection of stories from the standpoint of page count, but the temptation was there for me to treat this book with the bon-bon effect: if one is good, then surely another one can't hurt me. I probably would have read the whole book at one sitting if I had been allowed to.
Excellent collection ... This is a great treat for anyone who enjoys short mystery stories from the Golden Age of Mysteries. The stories are well-written - - the identity of the perpetrator may not be the greatest puzzle, but it's fun to see the clues and whether the reader's guess is correct. Highly recommend, especially if you're looking for a book you can pick up and resume any time.
Tricky crimes& rapid deductions .. I’m never totally satisfied by short stories. They can’t compete with the unfolding of character and building up of suspense in a full-length crime novel. But theses are pretty good, even so. The sleuth (in most cases Oxford don Gervase Fen) must make rapid deductions to keep the narrative short, but the deductions are clever. And the crimes are not ordinary.
In one story a man is twice murdered. In another Fen actually witnesses the murder. The village idiot muddies the waters in one case. Fen solves another case by calculating the speed of a bullet. A locked room mystery is demystified in another tale. In more than one case, the murderer goes free for lack of evidence. My favorite story, Deadlock, is richer in atmosphere than the others, and has a more literary quality.
Because of the short story format, Crispin is a bit less waggish and highbrow than usual. But Milton does insinuate himself once, at least.
If you like short stories and you appreciate Crispin’s unique style, then you’re likely to enjoy Beware of the Trains.
A joy to read ... This is a set of short stories buy Edmund Crispin and they do not fail to satisfy, in fact I love reading them, they just go so much further then a full length mystery, and believe me when you read an Edmund Crispin mystery you just don't want it to end. This book just keeps on giving, the characters, the puzzles and the era just a joy to read.
FIVE STARS!! ... I flew through this book of lovely little tiny murder mysteries. Each one interesting narratively as well as interesting historically. I most enjoyed the final story which differs from the previous substantially but seems more poignant and sad.
Read on almost entirely on trains, a perfect setting for Beware of the Trains.
I became a fan of Crispin several years ... The Gervase Fen series, dating back to the 1950s, is still entertaining and challenging for mystery buffs. Most are full-length novels, but this one consists of 16 short mysteries. I prefer to keep a book of good short stories on deck at all times to break the commitment to lengthy reads. Furthermore, short stories are a different type of reading and with their own requirements.
The title story is a "locked room" mystery, although in this case it is a locked-down railway station, including the train upon which the main character finds himself. "Beware of the Trains" is an entry in an anthology of locked-room mysteries from Otto Penzler, and the stories first appeared individually in London news publications years ago.
Most of the stories feature "super sleuth" Oxford professor Gervase Fen, and follow his analytic means of solving crimes. "Deadlock," the final story, is not a Gervase Fen mystery, and is quite different from Crispin's other work.
I recommend that mystery fans make an effort to locate and enjoy such old chestnuts as the Crispin books. Edmund Crispin's real name was Bruce Montgomery.
The title story is deservedly a classic. ... A wonderful little dip into some short mystery stories. A good in-between read which was just what I needed. Entertaining and well written, and one to keep on the shelf for a reread. I will definitely be looking up more Edmund Crispin in the future.
Marvellous Reading!
WHY do ebayers buy from US?
Because you KNOW what you're getting. My close up photos are of the actual item & form part of my description!!
POSTAGE IS $9.90 WITHIN AUSTRALIA
We pack your books with care - using secure, lightweight, waterproof packaging to ensure that they are well protected in transit.
*All items will be shipped within 3 business days of receipt of payment. Payment can be made by Direct Deposit Bank Transfer or Paypal.
Check out my other items-
* Buyer to make contact within 3 days of auction end and payment within 5 days.
* Cash on pick up is fine.
* PAYPAL available for your convenience.
* Any questions? Just ask!
Please look for my other
items in our new Ebay Store
'Jingle Bells Books'
~ as there are lots & lots of old, RARE and COLLECTABLE BOOKS to be cleared from our bookshelves. We're new retirees downsizing from 30+ years teaching & clearing an 80 year, 3 generation private family collection of often valuable books ! *HAPPY TO COMBINE POSTAGE up to 3kilos of BOOKS can post WITHIN Australia for $16.90!
THANKS FOR DROPPING BY