This collection of six classic stories introduces Reggie Fortune, a country doctor with a passion for sweets -- and a lackluster work ethic. But Reggie may have found his true calling when he stumbles into mysteries!

The Only Husband by H. C. Bailey is an elegant and intricately plotted detective novel that showcases the author’s mastery of intellectual suspense and meticulous deduction. Known for his refined prose and cleverly constructed mysteries, Bailey delivers a story in which appearances deceive and the smallest detail may conceal the key to a crime. When domestic life in an apparently respectable household is disturbed by an unexpected and troubling event, suspicion quietly begins to spread. Wh...

The Thistle Down by H. C. Bailey is a classic detective story that combines sharp observation, elegant plotting, and the subtle suspense characteristic of Golden Age crime fiction. With a focus on character, motive, and careful deduction, Bailey weaves a mystery that is as psychologically engaging as it is puzzling. The story revolves around a seemingly innocuous event — symbolized by the delicate “thistle down” — which soon escalates into a serious crime. Beneath the surface of polite soc...

The Classic Mr Fortune Mysteries brings together 25 of the finest short stories by H.C. Bailey, featuring the brilliant and unconventional amateur detective Mr. Reggie Fortune. This beautifully illustrated edition includes the collections Call Mr Fortune, Mr Fortune’s Practice, Mr Fortune’s Trials, and Mr Fortune, Please — a treasure trove for lovers of classic British crime fiction. Reggie Fortune is no ordinary sleuth. A medical man by training and a gentleman by nature, he combines shar...

Victoria Pumphrey by H. C. Bailey is a finely crafted Golden Age mystery that combines quiet suspense, sharp characterization, and meticulous deduction in the tradition of classic British detective fiction. Known for his elegant prose and intricate plotting, Bailey once again demonstrates his talent for turning seemingly ordinary lives into the center of an absorbing and dangerous puzzle. When young Victoria Pumphrey becomes entangled in a series of unsettling events, what first appears to...

CONTENTS: ALEXANDER PUSHKIN 1. The Queen of Spades ALGERNON BLACKWOOD: 2. Confession 3. S. O. S. 4. The Wings of Horus ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE 5. B. 24 ARTHUR O. FRIEL: 6. The Spider 7. The Vulture ARTHUR QUILLER-COUCH: 8. Statement of Gabriel Foot, Highwayman 9. The Affair of Bleakirk-on-Sands 10. The Countess of Bellarmine ARTHUR STRINGER: 11. The Adolescence of Number Eighty-Seven 12. The Button Thief 13. The Wire-Tappers ARTHUR TRAIN: 14. Extradition 15. The Baron de Ville 16. The Golden To...

Contents: A.M. CHISHOLM A Thousand a Plate A.M. WILLIAMSON The Eccentricity of Fleetwood ACHMED ABDULLAH The Home-Coming ARTHUR TRAIN The Escape of Wilkins ARTHUR TRAIN The Governor-General's Trunk BUCK CONNOR Get Your Man CHARLES BEADLE John O'Damn CHARLES E. VAN LOAN Water Stuff E.NESBIT The Dwellers EDWARD S. ELLIS A Battle in the Air EDWARD S. ELLIS An Unpleasant Companion EDWARD S. ELLIS Lost in a Blizzard EDWARD S. ELLIS Lost in the South Sea F. HOPKINSON SMITH Captain Joe FORREST CR...

H.C. Bailey's detective Reggie Fortune was one of the most popular protagonists of the Golden Age of detective fiction. Fortune appeared in nine novels yet it was in a series of 84 short stories that were published from 1920 to 1940 where he truly shone, combining elements of several popular archetypes--the eccentric logician, the forensic investigator, the hard-boiled interrogator, the psychological profiler, the defender of justice.This critical study examines the Fortune stories...