Showing results by author "Robert Barr"

The Greatest Mysteries of All Time, Volume 4 is the fourth in a series featuring the finest short story mystery fiction by the most acclaimed writers, past and present. From Lawrence Block, Sara Paretsky, Georges Simenon, Edward D. Hoch and everyone in between, this unique collection, edited by multi-award winning mystery connoisseur Otto Penzler, is a delightful mixture of mystery and suspense.

This collection of classic crime short fiction includes: "Bluebeard's Bathtub" by Margery Allingham; "Who Killed Zebedee?" by Wilkie Collins; "An Alpine Divorce" by Robert Barr; and "The Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

John Bodman and his wife are polar opposites who have grown to hate each other. But without grounds for divorce, they are tied together till death. So, in a state of despair, Bodman sets his mind on murder.

Robert Barr (1849-1912) was a Scottish-Canadian short story writer and novelist, born in Glasgow, Scotland. 'The Hour-Glass' is a mysterious ghost story. An avid antique collector buys an ancient and defective hourglass from a curiosity shop. When he takes it home and starts to examine it, he is startled by a strange visitor who claims to be the real owner of the hourglass. His story is a very bizarre one.

"The Absent-Minded Coterie", a short story published in 1906, tells of a cunning scam devised by crooked counterfeiters. But, of course, French detective Eugene Valmont eventually discovers the truth. "The Absent-Minded Coterie" is widely recognized as one of the best crime stories of the time.  

They were married, but they hated and couldn't stand each other. Why not a divorce? Not that easy when there is a lot of money involved. Perhaps they could work things out on a trip to the Swiss Alps.

Unable to divorce his wife, a man resolves to murder her instead. “Marriage at best is but a compromise,” the author notes, “and if two people happen to be united who are of an uncompromising nature, there is trouble.” This trouble takes a surprising turn when the man leads his wife out to an outlook to do the deed.