"This story was first published more than a century ago and it tells of intrigue, murder, and crime in high places.
It was a lonely English courtyard where attorneys received traditional apprenticeship … one of the ancient Inns of Court. The bludgeoned body of a well-dressed elderly man was found there at midnight, an apparent murder victim. Investigative newspaper reporter Frank Spargo was one of the first to arrive at the crime scene and he was puzzled about why such a prosperous looking man had been wandering there at that time of night. The only item found on the body was a small paper with a young barrister’s address. The sinister atmosphere will keep you guessing what it’s all about, as you can now hear."
"The Middle of Things by J. S. Fletcher will certainly come up to expectations if you’re in the mood for a cracking good classic murder mystery. Fletcher’s novels were essentially puzzles and were not meant to be realistic portrayals of crime and criminals. This fine example has to do with Richard Viner, basically an average young man on the street who, more or less accidentally, finds a dead body in a dimly lit alley while he’s taking his usual nightly stroll. He calls police and when they arrive they figure it’s likely a robbery gone wrong because the dead man’s valuables are missing. However, a prime suspect is arrested trying to pawn some jewelry belonging to the victim. He happens to be an old schoolmate of Viner. Viner discovers the old chum is down and out and needs the money, so he decides to investigate and try get his pal vindicated. He gets some help from his elderly aunt; a delightful Bethia Penkridge. She has a sort of fluffy exterior but also some brilliant powers of deduction. The combination provides a quick and entertaining tale for young and old alike, and you’re unlikely to realize the book was published a century ago."
"In the beginning of this story, the author told of what had inspired him. He wrote:
“In the whole history of the English people there is no period so absolutely heroic, so full of enthralling interest, as that in which the might of England made itself apparent by land and sea—the period which saw good Queen Bess mistress of English hearts and Englishmen and sovereign of the great beginnings which came to such a magnificent fruition under Victoria. That was indeed a golden time—an age of great venture and enterprise—a period wherein men’s hearts were set on personal valor and bravery—the day of great deeds and of courage most marvelous. To write down a catalogue of all the names that then were glorious, to make a list of all the daring deeds that were then done—this was an impossible task for the most painstaking of statisticians, the most conscientious of historians and chroniclers. Whether they stand high on the scroll of fame or lie forgotten in some quiet graveyard or in the vast oceans which they crossed, it was they, and they only, who laid the great foundations of the England and the United States of to-day.” Here is a chance to hear more about those sensational by-gone days."
"Scarhaven Keep is a classic mystery for young adults. When a famous actor goes missing, the search leads playwright Richard Copplestone to the seaside town of Scarhaven. Every clue seems to bring about more questions as the intrigue goes much deeper than anyone suspects. Copplestone uncovers layer after layer of dark secrets, many of them involving the attractive Audrey Greyle and her family. If Copplestone does not discover the truth soon, he risks endangering the lives of the friends he has made in Scarhaven, including Audrey. Fans of golden-era mysteries will delight in J. S. Fletcher’s story, a tightly plotted page-turner set in a coastal region of northern England. Several friends and business associates of the missing actor set out to track him down. The trail leads to nearby Scarhaven, where the details of a nefarious plot begin to be revealed. It’s all here for listening pleasure."
"This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.
The wind howled like a banshee, whipping salty spray against the weathered stone of Scarhaven Keep. Playwright Richard Copplestone, drawn to the desolate coast by the disappearance of a famed actor, felt a shiver crawl down his spine. The townsfolk whispered of secrets held within the ancient keep, a place shrouded in legend and shrouded in mist. As Copplestone delves deeper, he uncovers a tangled web of deceit, greed, and a past that refuses to stay buried. Can he survive the secrets of Scarhaven Keep, or will he become its next victim?"
"This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.
A lone scream shatters the London night. In the flickering gaslight of the Underground carriage, a retired detective slumps lifeless, clutching a cryptic envelope. Young lawyer Hetherwick, drawn into the chaos, witnesses the start of a baffling mystery. Scotland Yard flounders, but Hetherwick, fueled by a thirst for justice and a budding romance with the deceased's enigmatic granddaughter, embarks on a thrilling chase through the city's underbelly. Can they decipher the secrets hidden within the envelope before the darkness claims another victim? Plunge into the heart of 'The Charing Cross Mystery' and prepare to be enthralled."
"This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.
A man is found murdered in the doorway of London's Middle Temple, a prestigious legal district. Journalist Frank Spargo and the police officer on the scene, Ronald Braythwayte, team up to uncover the victim's identity and motive behind the crime. Their investigation leads them down a twisted path, unearthing connections to powerful figures and secrets from the past. As they delve deeper, the duo must determine who among the suspects is the ruthless killer."
"Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) was a British journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction. He was one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Victorian golden age of the short story. This collection brings together some of the finest and most diverse examples of Fletcher's genius.
'The Ivory God' is the tale of a failing writer who acquires a strange ivory carving of an Indian god. He becomes convinced that the statue is communicating with him, taking possession of him, even writing through him."
"Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) was a British journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction. He was one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Victorian golden age of the short story.
'The Other Sense' is the story of a young man, Angus MacIntyre, whose ability to see phenomena - ghosts in particular - which other people cannot has caused his guardian to think he is insane and send him to stay with Dr. Schreiber, who is specialised in mental disorders. While there, Angus begins to see the spectre of a pale young man who appears to be seeking something in the doctor's house and garden. Together with the doctor, Angus sets out to solve the mystery."
"Cricket. A Sport In Verse. As the Sun lengthens its days to Summer so a sport begins to dominate the thoughts and actions of many people. This game so encapsulated of village greens, of evening song, of Middle England is now spread far across the world. From the marathon of a 5 day test to the razzle dazzle excitement of 20 Twenty it captures many things; the comforting sound of willow on leather, the slow raised hand of an umpire, the arcane rules and frequent breaks for tea and other necessities sill conjure up the image of a bygone world even though its own is now global TV, night matches and Hawk Eye cameras. In this volume poets throughout the ages share the agony, the ecstasy and share the pleasure of being part of something very different, very special. These poems are read for you by Tim Graham, Richard Mitchley and Ghizela Rowe. Our poems are- Cricket - A Sport In Verse; Cricket At Harrow - Lord Byron; Dedicated To The Famous Notts & Surrey Elevens - Albert Craig; Dad On The Test - CJ Dennis; Cricket - JS Fletcher; Extract from A Shopshire Lad - AE Houseman; Sonnet - William Wordsworth; Ballade Of Cricket - A Lang; Choosing An All England XI In 1896 - Anonymous; The Old Stumper Recites A Piece Of His Own Composing - JS Fletcher; Around The Level Dale - William Perfect; Beirut Wedding Poem - Tim Graham; Lines On A Cricket Match - GK Chesterton; At Lords - F Thompson; Cricket - Herbert E Clarke; Mantra Of The Beast - Tim Graham; A Sixer - GF Wilson; The Vital Question - FAJ Godfrey; That Red Leather Ball - Daniel Sheehan; The Innings - RW Raper; A Cricket Bowler - E C Lefroy; The Church Cricketent - Norman Gale; The Stout Cricketer - R Whieldon Baddeley; The Cricket Club Of Red Nose Flat - J Hickory Wood; The Cricket Match - AM Robertson; The Day Before The Weald - Tim Graham; If Every - EV Lucas; Rhyme O'Bat O My Syk-Em - Francis Thompson; Arma Virumque - Alfred Cochrane; XI Un-Shackled Melodies - Tim Graham; The Deserted Parks - Lewis Carroll; Vitai Lampada - Henry Newbolt; Two Extracts From The Princess - Alfred Lord Tennyson; Song - Alfred Austin; A Vacant Place At The Oval - Albert Craig"
"Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) was a British journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction. He was one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Victorian golden age of the short story. 'Room 53' tells the story of Beatrice, a bookaholic hotel chambermaid. When a guest at the hotel wakes late one morning to discover he has been robbed of his collection of valuable diamonds, Beatrice discovers a clue to the whereabouts of the suspected thief. She sets off to London to track the mysterious stranger down...."
"Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) was a British journalist and author. He wrote more than 230 books on a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction. He was one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Victorian golden age of the short story.
Skinflint is a bittersweet tale of an embittered middle-aged woman who has never recovered from being jilted as a young woman. Since that sorry episode she has thrown herself into the micro-management of her grocery and drapery business. Then one day she learns that her former lover is on the brink of ruin...and the memories of her youth come surging back...."
