''Death in Harley Street'' (1946) is widely celebrated by genre historians and critics as the author's ultimate masterpiece of Golden Age detective fiction. Dr. Priestley is a retired, eccentric mathematics professor who operates as an armchair forensics specialist. He leaves the physical footwork to Scotland Yard's Inspector Jimmy Waghorn while he solves cases purely through logical deduction. The premise centers on the sudden, violent death of an eminent medical specialist, Dr. Richard E...

''Twice Dead'' by John Rhode is a classic Golden Age mystery where the eccentric Sir Francis Yordale fakes his own death to test his heirs' affection, only to be found genuinely dead soon after, leading Superintendent Jimmy Waghorn and Dr. Priestley to investigate his real murder by carbon monoxide poisoning, revealing hidden family secrets and ingenious criminal methods.

“The Hanging Woman” (1931) is a classic mystery novel by John Rhode (Miles Burton) featuring his recurring detective, Dr. Lancelot Priestley. It centers on an investigation into a suspicious death at a supposedly haunted house.

In a largely peaceful village in England during the early stages of the Second World War the body of the young man who owns Lilac Cottage is found dead. The only clue that the investigating officers of Scotland Yard can find is a five pound note, but it lures Priestley to the trail. A second murder takes place nearby soon afterwards, puzzling to most, but to Priestley it confirms the theory he is already developing.

A night of revelry ends with a perplexing death in the first novel featuring one of the greatest detectives of the Golden Age of Mystery.In the early hours of a wintery morning, Harold Merefield returns home from a festive little party at The Naxos, a popular nightclub in Paddington. But just as he tries to get some much-needed sleep, he is startled by a gruesome discovery on his bed: a corpse.There is no way to identify the dead man or the cause of his death...

The Vanishing Diary (1961) by John Rhode (Miles Burton) is the last installment in the Dr. Lancelot Priestley series, featuring Superintendent Jimmy Waghorn. The plot centers on a family dispute over a historic diary, locked in a double-sealed box, which vanishes, followed by the murder of a family member. Test pilot Freddie Hapton becomes involved with the feuding Greystoke family in Alderscar, North East England, after his plane crashes. The family, split into two factions, holds keys to...

“Men Die at Cyprus Lodge” (1943) by John Rhode (Miles Burton) is a classic Golden Age mystery featuring Dr. Priestley investigating a series of murders at a reputedly haunted house in the English village of Troutwich. The plot centers on a "haunted" house where victims are killed by poison (aconitine) via a booby-trap.

This captivating collection brings together twelve classic detective stories by John Rhode, featuring the ingenious Dr. Lancelot Priestley. Known for his analytical mind and unwavering commitment to justice, Dr. Priestley tackles complex cases, unravels baffling mysteries, and exposes hidden truths with his signature intellect. The anthology includes: • The Paddington Mystery: A curious case of a man who vanishes without a trace. • Dr. Priestley’s Quest: A trail of intrigue as Dr. Priestle...

“Dead of the Night” (1942) is a mystery by John Rhode (Miles Burton) featuring his recurring investigator Dr. Priestley. Written during WWII, the plot reflects the atmosphere of the British Home Guard preparing for a potential invasion. The story involves a murder that occurs during a Home Guard training exercise (a "night exercise").

Death on the Boat Train, first published in 1940, is book no. 32 in the series of mysteries featuring private detective Dr. Priestley and Scotland Yard's Superintendent Hanslet and Inspector Jimmy Waghorn. Author John Rhode, a pen name of Cecil Street (1884-1964), was a prolific writer of mostly detective novels, publishing more than 140 books between 1924 and 1961. From the dustjacket: Fair blew the wind from France, and the Channel steamer Isle of Jethou rolled ...

Death at the Helm (1941) is a Golden Age detective novel featuring recurring amateur sleuth, Dr. Lancelot Priestley, where Inspector Waghorn investigates the poisoning of two people on a grounded motor cruiser, a complex "howdunnit" rich in botanical details about poisons, set against a backdrop of wartime England. The book is praised for its well-clued puzzle, detailed detection, engaging characters, and poignant ending, balancing the technical mystery with emotional depth.

Praed Street is not at any time one of London’s brighter thoroughfares. Certainly it ends upon a note of hope, terminating as it does on the fringe of the unquestioned respectability of Bayswater, but for the rest of its course it is frankly lamentable. Narrow, bordered by small and often furtive shops, above which the squalid looking upper parts are particularly uninviting, it can never have been designed as more than a humble annexe of its more prosperous parent, the Edgware Road. And th...