AustLit

Legend of a key preserved in the Venice arsenal with which a desirous suitor murdered his rival, the lady's parents and almost the lady herself. (PB)

English domestic tale. A couple married for a year take a hunting holiday in Scotland where their bliss is temporarily interrupted by the discovery of a photo of the husband affectionately dedicated to someone at the very time of their courtship. The arrival of a former suitor allows the husband to even the score - with a little male conspiracy. Light lively piece. (PB)

A rich retired tea importer in London collects violins and owns a fine Stradivarius though he is tone deaf. His cousin, an amateur violinist, desires the instrument and when the owner refuses to sell it he has a copy made and swaps it. His cousin finally discovers the theft and arranges to obtain his own violin plus the originally offered £1000. Humorous tale of bachelor obsession. (PB)

On the origin, character and history of the mule. Humour (US?) (PB)

Murder story - treacherous hotel keepers. Paris on New Year's Day, 1875, is covered in treacherous ice and many revellers have difficulty in reaching their homes. Two bachelors seek refuge in a nearby hotel and one of them - richly dressed - is given the ground floor bedroom. He disappears while his friend sleeps but an investigation reveals a trap door beneath the double bed. Grisly murders are revealed. Competently written. (PB)

Victorian country romance of April Fool's Day. A Scottish Australian lawyer's clerk Donald MacPhee has long loved pretty Nelly Vance from a distance but meets her only in passing. A Melbourne solicitor arrives in the office and proceeds to persuade her. An April Fool's joke induces McPhee to appear at her horse dressed in a kilt - but it breaks the ice and love blossoms. Light, humorously told. (PB)

An unscrupulous English doctor and his two London colleagues conspire with a rich elderly lady's relatives to have her committed to a mental asylum - but then find themselves sued for false imprisonment. £7000 later Dr Middleton realises he has been part of a huge confidence trick. Competent. (PB)

Miserly Sam Meadows loses his step-son and his farm-hand in the one afternoon - leaving only faithful Margaret Kempson to search for the letter left by her dead mistress telling the identity and location of young Henry Meadows true father. A detective's rescue of some papers Meadows Meadows wanted burnt and Con Comfort's bravery in stopping a bullet meant for Margaret all help defy Meadows and reinstate Henry in his true inheritance. (PB)

Humorous account of a joke palyed on an African-American preacher, in the US south, by one of his congregation. (PB)

On the hornet and a childhood incident when the narrator was bitten, resulting in so many bumps on his head that a phrenologist was greatly confused. (PB)

Colonial romance. Mr Goldberg succeeds to his uncle and partner's brokerage business determined to introduce changes to the business and to marry his cousin Elinor. One of his first wishes is to sack a clerk, Gilbert Renshaw, which he succeeds in doing - only to discover later that he is wealthy and engaged to Elinor. Competent. (PB)

The fierce onslaught of a snowstorm at sea and the helplessness of ships, crews and passengers. Impressionistic. (PB)

A doctor returns from a vagabond colonial practice to establish himself in England. He discovers his brother John in love with Fleurette Dorvaux who loves John but refuses to marry him. Years later the mystery is solved when Fleurette's mother's alcoholism is accidentally discovered - and after her death a marriage is celebrated. Light well-written romance with slightly unusual theme. (PB)

English romance and tale of deception. Maria Desborough and her brother Charles discover that Anna Lowbury, the woman Charles loved, did not elope with her music master but has been locked up in a schoolgirls' academy for two years through her step-father's schemes. Maria breaks through the step-father's servants to see Anna's dying mother and reveals the plot to deprive her of her inheritance. With the help of Charles and the local doctor a new will is made and the schemer defeated at the last moment ... Light; Maria's character very strong and she remains unmarried. (PB)

A veteran soldier forgotten at his outpost during a sudden night change of march faces the Arabs in the desert with all his medals on his breast. (PB)