The Lock and Key Library: Modern English Stories: Classic Mystery and Detective Stories
About this audiobook
Assembled and edited by Julian Hawthorne and first published in 1909, the Modern English volume of The Lock and Key Library features sixteen classic mystery and detective stories by such luminaries as Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Wilkie Collins.
Detective stories existed for centuries before the concept of the detective itself—amateur or professional— was fully formulated, and tales of mystery and intrigue have been thrilling readers since ancient times. The Lock and Key Library is the classic overview of the history of the mystery genre, at once a rousing listen for fans of the unsolved and unknown as well as an essential literary resource for those seeking to understand the roots of modern pulp fiction.
The Modern English volume of The Lock and Key Library features sixteen stories that explore the genre, from Rudyard Kipling’s supernatural mysteries in India to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved and classic tales of detection (including the introduction of Irene Adler into the Sherlock Holmes canon). Other special additions include the reality-bending “The Dream Woman: A Mystery in Four Narratives” by Wilkie Collins, whom T. S. Eliot called “a master of plot and situation”; and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Pavilion on the Links,” which was regarded by Doyle as “the high-water mark of [Stevenson’s] genius” and “the first short story in the world.” And the mystery goes beyond the ordinary in this comprehensive collection: the last five stories are all written by anonymous writers, giving the listener an extra shroud of secrecy to peek behind.
This volume of The Lock and Key Library is sure to delight and enthrall armchair detectives and fans of classic mysteries alike.
Full contents:
“My Own True Ghost Story” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki
“The Sending of Dana Da” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki
“In the House of Suddhoo” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki
“His Wedded Wife” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki
“A Case of Identity” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—read by John Rubinstein
“A Scandal in Bohemia” by Sir Arthur Conan Conan Doyle—read by John Rubinstein
“The Red-Headed League” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—read by John Rubinstein
“The Baron’s Quarry” by Egerton Castle—read by Paul Boehmer
“The Fowl in the Pot” by Stanley J. Weyman—read by John Rubinstein
“The Pavilion on the Links” by Robert Louis Stevenson—read by Stefan Rudnicki
“The Dream Woman: A Mystery in Four Narratives” by Wilkie Collins—read by Paul Boehmer, Stefan Rudnicki—and John Rubinstein
“The Lost Duchess” by Anonymous—read by John Lee
“The Minor Canon” by Anonymous—read by Stefan Rudnicki
“The Pipe” by Anonymous—read by John Rubinstein
“The Puzzle” by Anonymous—read by John Rubinstein
“The Great Valdez Sapphire” by Anonymous—read by Stefan Rudnicki
About the author
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a writer and physician most noted for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are considered milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Egerton Castle (1858–1920) was an English author, antiquarian, and a swordsman. He wrote important books on the art and history of fencing and many of his fiction novels were adapted into films in the early twentieth century.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) studied at the University of Edinburgh and then began writing while traveling in France. The publication of Treasure Island in 1883 brought him fame and entered him on a course of romantic fiction beloved by young and old alike.
Stanley John Weyman (1855–1928) was an English novelist most famous for his historical romances set in the turmoil of sixteenthth- and seventeenth-century France.
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was born of English parents in Bombay, India. At seventeen, he began work as a journalist and then established an international reputation with his stories and verses of Indian and army life.
Julian Hawthorne (1846–1934) was an American writer and journalist, the son of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sophia Peabody. He wrote numerous short stories, mystery and detective fiction, essays, travel books, biographies, and histories.
Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) is best known for his novels The Woman in White, No Name, Armadale, and The Moonstone, which has been called the finest detective story ever written.
John Lee, a charming mixture of college professor and therapist, came to national prominence over a decade ago with The Flying Boy: Healing the Wounded Man, which sold more than a quarter million copies. He has since written eight other books on anger, fathers and sons, mothers and sons, and other relationships, including Facing the Fire: Experiencing and Expressing Anger Appropriately and Growing Yourself Back Up: Understanding Emotional Regression. Bestselling author John Lee has been featured on Oprah, 20/20, The View, CNN, PBS, and NPR. He has been interviewed by Newsweek, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and dozens of other national magazines and radio talk shows.
Stefan Rudnicki is a Grammy-winning audiobook producer and a multiaward-winning narrator, named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices.
Read by Paul Boehmer, Justine Eyre, Jim Meskimen, John Rubinstein, and Stefan Rudnicki
John Rubinstein is an actor, composer, and director who won a Tony Award for his starring role in Broadway’s Children of a Lesser God. He has narrated dozens of audiobooks, earning several AudioFile Earphones Awards and being named a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2013.
