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Post by Swampirella on Dec 16, 2021 13:54:43 GMT
I just read about this on social media; it seems like the kind of book that Vault members would like; having noticed the thread about "The Gentleman From America". It's available for free download from Arch*ve, I haven't read it yet & don't know when I will but others might want to or have already, & can comment on it.
From Goodreads:
A female killer stalks the streets of London, sleeping with young men before slashing their throats and mutilating their bodies. The crimes have baffled the police and enraged Londoners, who demand the murderer's arrest. Mary, Duchess of Dove, a gentle young widow who is beloved by all who know her, seems an unlikely suspect, but the clues all point to her. The police have a variety of theories - perhaps the Duchess has been hypnotized or drugged, maybe she has an evil double, or could it be a Communist plot to discredit the peerage? Inspector Basil Icelin is determined to solve the mystery, but the true explanation is far more shocking and terrifying than anyone could ever imagine.
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Post by Swan on Dec 16, 2021 14:04:20 GMT
I just read about this on social media; it seems like the kind of book that Vault members would like; having noticed the thread about "The Gentleman From America". It's available for free download from Arch*ve, I haven't read it yet & don't know when I will but others might want to or have already, & can comment on it.
From Goodreads:
A female killer stalks the streets of London, sleeping with young men before slashing their throats and mutilating their bodies. The crimes have baffled the police and enraged Londoners, who demand the murderer's arrest. Mary, Duchess of Dove, a gentle young widow who is beloved by all who know her, seems an unlikely suspect, but the clues all point to her. The police have a variety of theories - perhaps the Duchess has been hypnotized or drugged, maybe she has an evil double, or could it be a Communist plot to discredit the peerage? Inspector Basil Icelin is determined to solve the mystery, but the true explanation is far more shocking and terrifying than anyone could ever imagine.
This is in my saved books on an ebook site. The opening will give you some idea of the style: When the writer permits himself the familiarity of calling her Mary Dove it is not from any disrespect to a lady of rank, nor with any pretensions to the intimate condescension of a lady of fashion. It is written so merely because he finds it a pleasant thing to set down the name: Mary Dove. Now when the familiar history of our times comes to be written it will be the more readable for the inclusion of this quiet and gracious lady. Since she was so very quiet and lived so privately, it was by repute that her generation was enam- oured of her, and there never was a person who was better spoken of in all the counties of England. But it would be doing the lady an injustice to say merely that her loveliness was a treasured ornament of English life, both of the town and in the country, and it must be emphasised that she was admired not only for her slender beauty. For she was gifted with qualities of the mind and heart which endeared her to young and old alike, and her kindness was incorruptible by any prejudice whatsoever. |
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david
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 45
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Post by david on Jan 18, 2022 0:23:39 GMT
I just read about this on social media; it seems like the kind of book that Vault members would like; having noticed the thread about "The Gentleman From America". It's available for free download from Arch*ve, I haven't read it yet & don't know when I will but others might want to or have already, & can comment on it.
From Goodreads:
A female killer stalks the streets of London, sleeping with young men before slashing their throats and mutilating their bodies. The crimes have baffled the police and enraged Londoners, who demand the murderer's arrest. Mary, Duchess of Dove, a gentle young widow who is beloved by all who know her, seems an unlikely suspect, but the clues all point to her. The police have a variety of theories - perhaps the Duchess has been hypnotized or drugged, maybe she has an evil double, or could it be a Communist plot to discredit the peerage? Inspector Basil Icelin is determined to solve the mystery, but the true explanation is far more shocking and terrifying than anyone could ever imagine.
This is in my saved books on an ebook site. The opening will give you some idea of the style: When the writer permits himself the familiarity of calling her Mary Dove it is not from any disrespect to a lady of rank, nor with any pretensions to the intimate condescension of a lady of fashion. It is written so merely because he finds it a pleasant thing to set down the name: Mary Dove. Now when the familiar history of our times comes to be written it will be the more readable for the inclusion of this quiet and gracious lady. Since she was so very quiet and lived so privately, it was by repute that her generation was enam- oured of her, and there never was a person who was better spoken of in all the counties of England. But it would be doing the lady an injustice to say merely that her loveliness was a treasured ornament of English life, both of the town and in the country, and it must be emphasised that she was admired not only for her slender beauty. For she was gifted with qualities of the mind and heart which endeared her to young and old alike, and her kindness was incorruptible by any prejudice whatsoever. This book was on one of Karl Edward Wagner's famous lists for Twilight Zone Magazine. I own it, and recall it as a very strange read, but want to reread it at some point. |
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Post by ramseycampbell on Jan 18, 2022 13:14:43 GMT
I'd say it was worth reading. It derives to some extent from Machen, I think, just as "The Gentleman from America" derives from Bierce.
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Post by Swan on Jan 18, 2022 17:52:44 GMT
Arlenesque.
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Jan 19, 2022 14:54:00 GMT
This book was on one of Karl Edward Wagner's famous lists for Twilight Zone Magazine. I own it, and recall it as a very strange read, but want to reread it at some point. I read it because it was on the Wagner list ("the thirteen best supernatural horror novels"), but the book left little impression on me. Still, credit due to Valancourt for reprinting it. |
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david
Crab On The Rampage
Posts: 45
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Post by david on Jan 19, 2022 15:00:52 GMT
Yes. That was the specific list. I don't recall a lot of specific details of the book, just the general impression that it was a bit different than much of the other weird fiction that I have read. It was quick read, and I need to reread it.
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Post by 𝘗rincess 𝘵uvstarr on Jan 19, 2022 15:07:51 GMT
Arlen spent the first six or so years of his life in Bulgaria, so his first language at that time wasn't English. This must have had an impact on his style.
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