Best Detective Stories of Cyril Hare

by Cyril Hare

Ebook, 1959

Status

Available

Call number

Fic Mystery Hare

Collection

Publication

Distributed Proofreaders Canada

Description

These thirty stories, selected and introduced by fellow crime writer and lawyer Michael Gilbert, are a terrific introduction to Cyril Hare's inventive and clever Golden Age detective fiction, which often turns on an ingenious use of the law. Born in 1900, Hare was a barrister and judge and only began writing at the age of thirty-six. Some of his first short stories were published in Punch and he went on to write nine novels including his most famous, Tragedy at Law. Two of the stories in this collection feature Francis Pettigrew, a barrister and amateur detective who appeared in several of Hare's novels and was perhaps his best-loved creation. 'Dazzlingly ingenious.' Sunday Times 'Of Cyril Hare's detective stories my only complaint is, that they are too infrequent.' Tatler 'A master of the short story.' Spectator 'Neat, taut and sufficiently dipped in irony to give a sharp tang to the quirks of love and life.' Glasgow Herald… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member antiquary
This is a collection of short stories by Cyril Hare, put together after his sudden death by his friend and fellow writer Michael Gilbert. It includes a very nice appreciative biographical introduction by Gilbert. This reveals that Cyril Hare was the pen name of Alfred Gordon Clark, barrister of the
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Inner Temple and later County Court Judge. The collection is divided into three parts, legal, murder, and other crimes. Hare is always capable but he was also unfortunately influenced by the tradition that short stories must end with an ironic twist, and some of these have twists too bitter for my taste. However, others are straightforward puzzles of the type I like. Some of the stories involve his lawyer detective Francis Pettigrew, others involve Inspector Mallet or other police, and others have no formal detective at all.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
3.5*

Really "detective stories" is a bit of a misnomer. Many of the stories don't involve detection at all but rather are crime stories, some told told from the criminal's point of view and others relating tales to friends, often with little or no police involvement.

Hare shows a fine hand at irony
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in many of the stories.
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LibraryThing member Craftybilda
Great stories all of them, form the master..

Original publication date

1959

DDC/MDS

Fic Mystery Hare

Rating

(23 ratings; 4)
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