Showing results by publisher "Deadtree Publishing" in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Richard Garnett C.B. was born on the 27th February 1835. Educated in Bloomsbury he then joined the nearby British Museum as an assistant librarian in 1851, shortly after his father’s death. As an author he wrote several volumes of verse, a book of short stories and several biographies and history books.

Móric Jókay de Ásva was born on the 18th February 1825 in Komárom, then in the Kingdom of Hungary but now part of Slovakia. Due to his timid and delicate constitution he was educated at home until the age of 10 and then sent away to complete his studies at the Calvinist college at Pápa. At 12 his father died, and he was pushed to honour him by replicating his career as a lawyer. He studied hard and completed the curriculum at Kecskemét and Pest. He won his first case as a newly graduated lawyer.

Wilkie Collins was born on 8th January 1824 in Marylebone, London. He pursued his education at Mr Cole’s private boarding school in Highbury, Islington. Here, he began his literary career under unusual circumstances: the school bully would give him no peace until he had been told a bedtime story. This ‘little brute’ helped create one of England’s greatest writers.

The world since earliest times has always had spies. Information is a valuable commodity and even more so in times of war or tension. Many authors and poets have had real life incarnations as spies from Christopher Marlowe and Aphra Behn to Daniel Defoe. But it’s a dangerous game. Working in a murky, secretive world where any trust given could be at the expense of your life.

In this Italian set story two Englishmen fall into problems over their love for a coquettish Genoese girl. When she turns both their lives upside down horrendous consequences inevitably follow.

In this rural story a man is inspecting schools in the district of an old and now fabulously rich university friend. When they finally meet a dark secret is revealed to both of them.

Fear affects us all in some way, shape or form. Whilst we would rather shy away from it in real life, when it comes to stories, we tend to move towards it. In this volume of short stories our malevolent authors, including the talents of H P Lovecraft, Edgar Alan Poe, Charles Dickens, M R James, Victor Hugo, E T A Hoffman and many, many others, seem to take great delight in assaulting our senses with heart stopping narratives designed to put the fear of God, the Devil and just about every other form of disturbed terror into our eager hearts and minds.

There is something about the number 3. The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two. Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating.

Edmund Gill Swain, born in 1861, was an English cleric and author. As a chaplain of King's College, Cambridge, he was a colleague of the scholar and author M R James. Swain is best known for his 1912 short story collection ‘The Stoneground Ghost Tales’. He died in 1938.

Violet Mary Firth wrote under her pen name Dion Fortune. Born in 1890 her talents included being a occultist, ceremonial magician, novelist and author. She wrote prolifically, much of it on occult themes.

Ulric Evan Daubeny born in 1888 published only a single collection of short supernatural fiction; ‘The Elemental’. It’s stand out piece was 'The Sumach'. He died in 1922.

Alice Askew (born in 1874) along with her husband, Claude (born in 1865) wrote over 90 novels and short stories in various magazines between 1904 and 1918. Alice and Claude both died on 6th October, 1917.

Frederick George Loring was born in 1869. He was an English naval officer and writer, and an early expert in wireless telegraphy. As a writer his talents extended to both poetry and the short story; ‘The Tomb of Sarah’ being a classic of the genre. He died in 1951.

Louisa May Alcott was born on 29th November 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She is most definitely a writer of her own experiences. Her father was a transcendentalist, philosopher and educational experimenter who founded, Fruitlands, a utopian community. Well-loved for her classic ‘Little Women’ she was a superb writer in difficult times for any woman, a strong advocate of women’s issues, the anti-slavery movement, temperance and social reform.

William Mudford was born in 1782. He was a writer, essayist, translator and journalist. This short story was first published in 1830 and, it is claimed, influenced Edgar Allan Poe. Such was its impact that it was reprinted many times over the succeeding decades.

Arthur Gray was born in 1852. His short stories are outstanding works, both of their time and their genre. He wrote under the rather bizarre pen name of 'Ingluphus.’ He died in 1940.

The American William Chambers Morrow was born in 1854. As a writer he was chiefly known for his short stories of horror and suspense. Their often macabre storylines were very popular in their day. He died in 1923.

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born on the 30th August 1797 in Somers Town, London. Her mother, the famous feminist philosopher, educator, and writer Mary Wollstonecraft died when Mary was only 11 days old and she was raised by her father. Her short stories, some based in Europe, tackle difficult situations and genres as well the obstacles that women were burdened with in society. Her editorship of her late husband’s poetry was also widely praised.

Leonora Rowley was born in Nottingham in 1904, although some sources cite 1905. In September 1914 the famed British humourist P G Wodehouse married her mother, Ethel, and consequently legally adopted the young Leonora. Leonora Wodehouse died on the 16th May 1944 after undergoing minor gynaecological surgery. A German bombing raid near her hospital had overwhelmed it with casualties. Sadly no one was able to respond to her calls for attention to stem her post-op bleeding. She was 39.

John Ferguson was born on the 18th August 1881 in Stirling in Scotland. His literary canon is exceedingly small, this being the only volume of his poems ever published. What is known is that he suffered from ill-health and these poems were written whilst in a sanitorium. The book itself was very successful after its publication in 1912, with at least 14 editions published during his lifetime. John Ferguson died on the 8th March 1928 and is buried in the cemetery at Stirling Castle. He was 46.