J S Fletcher - The Case of the Forgotten Writer ?
Halifax man J S Fletcher (1863-1935) was a pioneer of mystery fiction, prolific and extremely popular in his day. Like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle he also wrote historical fiction and non-fiction but is remembered chiefly (if at all) for his detective stories. His admirers say he is unjustly overlooked, his detractors say that he simply wasn`t very good. Who`s right ? I`ve read a few of his short stories lately.These would have originally been serialised in the magazines of the time. Naturally they seem old-fashioned now, but overall, they stand up well. The Silhouette - a naive young man dreams of embarking on a real-life adventure like the ones in the lurid novels he reads. When he actually walks headlong into just such a case, the outcome isn`t what he expects. Blind Gap Moor - A bank manager makes his own enquiries when his assistant is found murdered on the Moors. Some of the financial transactions that lead to the unmasking of the killer are incomprehensibl...