Although short stories aren't my favorite format for crime/mystery fiction, I like to read the occasional anthology. I've discovered a few authors I enjoy that way. Most of the authors in this collection were already well known to me – Margery Allingham, Dorothy Sayers, Michael Innes, Christianna Brand, Ruth Rendell. The biggest surprise to me is a story by P. G. Wodehouse. I had no idea he wrote any crime/mystery pieces. His “Strychnine in the Soup,” Dorothy Sayers' “The Necklace of Pearls,” and E. C. Bentley's “The Ministering Angel” are among the better stories in this volume. This collection will appeal to fans of classic British mysteries. ( )

This is a collection of short stories that appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine or Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. This was the third book in the "Classic Cozy Tradition" series. The stories were:

The Name on the Wrapper by Margery Allingham - Campion stops to observe an overturned car and is almost arrested by an overeager constable for the theft. He solves a jewel theft in the process.

The Necklace of Pearls by Dorothy Sayers - Peter Wimsey is a guest at a party when the host's daughter's pearls go missing.

The Crime of Miss Oyster Brown by Peter Lovesey - A pious twin sister commits a crime.

Strychnine in the Soup by P. G. Wodehouse - About a book and a man wanting to wed a girl whose mother disappears.

Murder at Rokeby House by C. M. Chan - Philip Bethancourt is present at the Prendergast Estate whwen Cassie's fiance is murdered. He calls the police. They discover the fiance had been using an alias. Eventually Bethancourt's friend Jack Higgins of Scotland Yard is put on the case. This is a good mystery that is long enough to be developed.

The Borgia Heirloom by Julian Symons - An old woman recounts the night her son's fiancee died to a visiting writer.

On Hyde, Detective, and the White Pillars Murder by G. K. Chesterton - A man comes for a private consultation with Hyde about his brother's murder. Hyde insists that his two student detectives be allowed to stay. After the man leaves, Hyde assigns the case to them. This one has a very interesting twist!

Policeman's Holiday by Michael Innes - Lady Appleby insists on visiting Roydon Abbey to see an El Greco painting. The owner discovers that the painting is no longer on the wall. The housekeeper insists that the owner himself took the painting about 3 weeks before.

The Ministering Angel by E. C. Bentley - Attorney Arthur Selby tells Philip Trent about his client Landell who recently died but had sent him a message prior to his death. Trent goes to the house to look at the deceased's rock garden where he finds clues.

Home Is Where the Heart Is by Nell Lamburn - The Manningtons purchase a home with an interesting stipulation--that the previous owner's son be allowed to remain there.

The Wicked Ghost by Christianna Brand - Honoraria tells "Vi Vi" (Victoria) about the ghost of the wicked Earl as the American girl prepares to wed the present earl.

The Gallowglass by David Braly - Sgt. Sullivan is called to a house when it appears that the master of the house may be in distress in a locked room. It is unusual as the man never locked the door. Entry is eventually made through a bolted window and the man's body is discovered. Gardai DCI Phelim Kane is called in to continue the investigation.

Fen Hall by Ruth Rendell - Pringle is to camp on the grounds at Fen Hall, a home owned by the Liddons.

As in most short story collections, some stories were more successful than others. My favorites were those by C. M. Chan, G. K. Chesteron, and David Braly. It made me remember how much I enjoyed the one Bethancourt mystery that I read several years ago and wonder why I haven't read additional installments. Chesteron, of course, is a well-known master, and I really need to read (or re-read) more in his body of work. I was unfamiliar with Braly before reading this story, but I'll be looking for some full-length stories by him. ( )