J. S. Fletcher

Paradise is a piece of land near a thirteenth-century Cathedral in England and a quiet small town nearby is a hotbed of local gossip. Mark Ransford is a local doctor and a guardian of Mary and Dick Bewery. His assistant Pemberton Bryce is in love with Mary, but Dr. Ransford doesn't approve it. One day, after a visit to the doctor's house, a certain man finds death as he falls from the Cathedral. Bryce is convinced that Dr. Ransford is involved in the death and starts an investigation. Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1933) was an English author and journalist, one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Golden Age. After his journalist career Fletcher first started writing poems, then historical fiction, and finally moved on to write detective mysteries.

James Ayton Symington (1859-1939)British illustrator,,,, Joseph Smith Fletcher (7 February 1863 - 30 January 1935) was an English journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and non-fiction, and was one of the most prolific English writers of detective fiction. Early life and education: Fletcher was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the son of a clergyman. His father died when he was eight months old, and after which his grandmother raised him on a farm in Darrington, near Pontefract. He was educated at Silcoates School in Wakefield, and after some study of law, he became a journalist. Writing career: At age 20, Fletcher began working in journalism, as a sub-editor in London. He subsequently returned to his native Yorkshire, where he worked first on the Leeds Mercury using the pseudonym A Son of the Soil, and then as a special correspondent for the Yorkshire Post covering Edward VII's coronation in 1902Fletcher's first books published were poetry. He then moved on to write numerous works of historical fiction and history, many dealing with Yorkshire, which led to his selection as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Fletcher wrote several novels of rural life in imitation of Richard Jefferies, beginning with The Wonderful Wapentake (1894). 4] Michael Sadleir stated that Fletcher's historical novel, When Charles I Was King (1892), was his best work. In 1914, Fletcher wrote his first detective novel and went on to write over a hundred more, many featuring the private investigator Ronald Camberwell. Fletcher is sometimes incorrectly described as a "Golden Age" author, but he is in fact an almost exact contemporary of Conan Doyle. Most of his books considerably pre-date that era, and even those few published within it do not conform to the closed form and strict rules professed, if not unfailingly observed, by the Golden Age writers. Death: Fletcher died in 1935, one week short of his 72nd birthday. He was survived by his wife Rosamond and son Valentine. English journalist and author who wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and non-fiction, and one of the most prolific writers of detective fiction. Also remembered for his historical fiction especially the novel When Charles The First Was King. Pen name J. S. Fletcher

This locked-room mystery from master of the genre J. S. Fletcher will leave you guessing until the very last page. A classic whodunit, In the Mayor's Parlour focuses on a case of corruption in a small town that culminates in a nearly impossible-to-solve crime.

There may be folk in the world to whom the finding of a dead man, lying grim and stark by the roadside, with the blood freshly run from it and making ugly patches of crimson on the grass and the gravel, would be an ordinary thing; but to me that had never seen blood let in violence, except in such matters as a bout of fisticuffs at school, it was the biggest thing that had ever happened, and I stood staring down at the white face as if I should never look at anything else as long as I lived. I remember all about that scene and that moment as freshly now as if the affair had happened last night. The dead man lying in the crushed grass--his arms thrown out helplessly on either side of him

"A crackerjack mystery tale; the story of Linford Pratt, who earnestly desired to get on in life, by hook or by crook--with no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy."--Knickerbocker Press. ...

The Middle Temple Murder by J. S. Fletcher a murder mystery from one of the most prolific detective fiction writers, a contemporary of Arthur Conan Doyle.......... Joseph Smith Fletcher (7 February 1863 - 30 January 1935) was an English journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and non-fiction, and was one of the most prolific English writers of detective fiction. Early life and education: Fletcher was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the son of a clergyman. His father died when he was eight months old, and after which his grandmother raised him on a farm in Darrington, near Pontefract. He was educated at Silcoates School in Wakefield, and after some study of law, he became a journalist. Writing career: At age 20, Fletcher began working in journalism, as a sub-editor in London. He subsequently returned to his native Yorkshire, where he worked first on the Leeds Mercury using the pseudonym A Son of the Soil, and then as a special correspondent for the Yorkshire Post covering Edward VII's coronation in 1902 Fletcher's first books published were poetry. He then moved on to write numerous works of historical fiction and history, many dealing with Yorkshire, which led to his selection as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Fletcher wrote several novels of rural life in imitation of Richard Jefferies, beginning with The Wonderful Wapentake (1894). 4] Michael Sadleir stated that Fletcher's historical novel, When Charles I Was King (1892), was his best work. In 1914, Fletcher wrote his first detective novel and went on to write over a hundred more, many featuring the private investigator Ronald Camberwell. Fletcher is sometimes incorrectly described as a "Golden Age" author, but he is in fact an almost exact contemporary of Conan Doyle. Most of his books considerably pre-date that era, and even those few published within it do not conform to the closed form and strict rules professed, if not unfailingly observed, by the Golden Age writers. Death: Fletcher died in 1935, one week short of his 72nd birthday. He was survived by his wife Rosamond and son Valentine.... We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

You believe you're destined for great things, but with the sorry hand you've been dealt in life, you have no way to make your big dreams come true. That's the situation facing one of the characters in J. S. Fletcher's caper mystery The Talleyrand Maxim-but unlike most people, he decides to take extreme measures to get what he believes is his due.

After a childhood beset by abject poverty, Jeckie Fletcher is determined to do whatever it takes to live a comfortable, stable life. That's why she rejects the love of her childhood sweetheart, Joe Bartle, and instead sets her sights on local merchant Albert Grice. When her dogged pursuit of Grice ends in failure, Jeckie refuses to give up on her dream-setting into motion a series of events that will ultimately wreak havoc in the lives of everyone involved.

Fans of golden-era mysteries will delight in J. S. Fletcher's Scarhaven Keep, a tightly plotted page-turner set in a coastal region of northern England. A young actor and theater manager has gone missing, and several of his friends and business associates set out to track him down. The trail leads to nearby Scarhaven, where the details of a nefarious plot begin to be revealed.

Excerpt from Mistress Spitfire: A Plain Account of Certain Episodes in the History of Richard Coope, Gent;, And of His Cousin, Mistress Alison French, at the Time of the Revolution, 1642-1644 About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Baden-Powell of Mafeking By J. S. Fletcher

Though he is today best remembered for the mysteries he began writing later in his literary career, English author J. S. Fletcher got his start in fiction as a writer of historical tales. In the Days of Drake immerses readers in the heady era of sixteenth-century British sea exploration in a rip-roaring yarn told from the perspective of a salty old sea dog who has retired and is looking back over his life.

In the early part of his career, J. S. Fletcher worked as a historian, producing a number of important scholarly works. When he later turned to writing mysteries, he imbued his tales with rich detail and fascinating, well-drawn characters that highlight his training as a historian. The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation is a classic Fletcher mystery with something for everyone: plot twists and turns, a heaping dose of local color, and even a bit of romance.

A quaint and idyllic English community is rocked to its very core when a dead body is found and foul play is suspected. But with few clues to go on and no likely suspects, it appears that the brutal crime may remain unsolved. This classic from the golden age of detective fiction will suck you in and keep you guessing until the very last page.

A wealthy businessman is found dead in his study, but conflicting forensic evidence regarding the time and manner of his death raises more questions than it settles. With a sizable estate hanging in the balance and clues indicating foul play, a persistent detective endeavors to unravel the mystery.

Fans of golden-era mysteries will relish the twists and turns of J. S. Fletcher's The Chestermarke Instinct. This cleverly crafted mystery begins with what seems like a common enough occurrence: a bank manager is late for work one morning. But what first appears to be simply a matter of a missed train soon is revealed to be a much more vexing problem. Has the manager committed the perfect crime-or was he an innocent victim?