J. S. Fletcher

British poet, journalist, and avid amateur historian Joseph Smith Fletcher went on to become one of the foremost figures in the genre of detective fiction in the early to mid-twentieth century. Set in a quiet community in the north of England, The Borough Treasurer is an enjoyable mystery that will keep even the most astute readers guessing.

This book is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS series. The creators of this series are united by passion for literature and driven by the intention of making all public domain books available in printed format again - worldwide. At tredition we believe that a great book never goes out of style. Several mostly non-profit literature projects provide content to tredition. To support their good work, tredition donates a portion of the proceeds from each sold copy. As a reader of a TREDITION CLASSICS book, you support our mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion.

INTRODUCTION Everyone who has had the pleasure of Mr. Poskitt's acquaintance knows that that estimable Yorkshireman is not only the cheeriest of hosts, but the best of companions. Those of us who have known the Poskitt High Tea (a much more enjoyable meal than a late dinner) know what follows the consumption of Mrs. Poskitt's tender chickens and her home-fed hams. The parlour fire is stirred into a blaze; the hearth is swept clean; the curtains are drawn; the decanters, the cigars, and the quaint old leaden tobacco-box appear beneath the shaded lamp, and Mr. Poskitt bids his guests to cheer up, to help themselves, and to feel heartily welcome. And when those guests have their glasses at their elbows, their cigars and pipes between their lips, and their legs stretched in comfort, Mr. Poskitt has his story to tell. Few men know the countryside and its people, with their joys, their sorrows, their humours better than he; few people there can surely be who would not enjoy hearing him tell of the big and little dramas of life which he has watched, with a shrewd and sympathetic eye, during his seventy years of work and play, of cloud and sunshine. In some of these Nightcap stories (so termed by their hearers because Mr. Poskitt insists on telling them as preparatory to his own early retirement, which is never later than ten o'clock) he is sometimes humorous and sometimes tragic. I trust the re-telling of them may give some pleasure to folk who must imagine for themselves the cheery glow of Mr. Poskitt's hearth. J. S. FLETCHER. London, May 1910.

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.

Joseph Smith Fletcher 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.

A late-night stroll turns up a shocking discovery when a pedestrian stumbles across a dead body in what many presumed to be a virtually crime-free neighborhood. The close-night Middle Temple community is thrown into disarray-and an unlikely duo set out to decipher the single, cryptic clue found near the body and crack the case.

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?

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.

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.

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.

On the outskirts of London, the body of a murdered pawn shop proprietor is discovered, and all the early clues point toward a struggling writer who lives nearby. But as the dead man's possessions and records are sorted through, it is found that several fantastically valuable items-including a renowned diamond-are missing as well.

In this twist-packed mystery from English author J. S. Fletcher, wealthy magnate Mr. Ashton is found murdered. When a desperate young man is discovered trying to sell a valuable piece of jewelry that belonged to the victim, the crime appears to have been solved-but the person who had the misfortune of finding the body believes the case is more complex than it seems.

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.

British poet, journalist, and avid amateur historian Joseph Smith Fletcher went on to become one of the foremost figures in the genre of detective fiction in the early to mid-twentieth century. Set in a quiet community in the north of England, The Borough Treasurer is an enjoyable mystery that will keep even the most astute readers guessing.

An elderly sailor is found murdered. When authorities attempt to contact his brother to inform him of the bad news, they discover a shocking coincidence: he too had met his end-the victim of foul play-the very same night. Is there a connection between the two deaths? An intrepid detective tries his best to crack the case.

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.

When an old seaman named James Gilverthwaite shows up in the sleepy town of Berwick looking for long-term lodging, it seems innocent enough. But within days, it becomes clear that Gilverthwaite is looking for something. Soon, a young clerk whom the sailor has asked for assistance is drawn into the mystery-and what first appeared to be an old man's harmless lark results in murder.