Results by "A.E.W. Mason" in All categories

A collection of thrilling tales from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, including six full-cast dramas and a short story read by Benedict Cumberbatch In the first half of the 20th century, the detective story exploded in popularity. Innovative authors penned whodunits, whydunits and...

The brilliant creation of British author A.E.W. Mason, Inspector Hanaud has been hailed as ‘the first major fiction police detective of the Twentieth Century’, and was one of the inspirations for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. In these engaging whodunits, France’s cleverest investigator is tasked with proving the innocence of two young women, both accused of murder.

Hercule Poirot was Agatha Christie’s first creation. Poirot appeared in 1920, but there were several similar characters that preceded him. A. E. W. Mason’s Inspector Gabriel Hanaud from 1910 was one of these. Inspector Hanaud resembles Poirot in many ways, but is a more comical French sleuth...

Embark on a thrilling journey through the realms of science fiction and adventure with "Astounding Stories 15, March 1931," where the extraordinary meets the unknown. This podcast showcases a rotating collection of captivating audiobooks that delve into themes of exploration, the mysteries of the universe, and the human spirit's resilience in the face of the bizarre. Each episode introduces listeners to a new complete audiobook, offering a series of unique explorations that challenge perceptions of reality and push the boundaries of imagination. From encounters with otherworldly entities to ...

In the serene setting of Aix-les-Bains, brilliant inventor Harry Wethermill finds more than a vacation. He discovers love in the enchanting Celia Harland, the beautiful companion of the kind-hearted Madam Dauvray. But their blossoming romance unfolds under the watchful eye of Julius Ricardo, a retired financier who spends his summers in this picturesque locale. As secrets unravel and tensions rise, the tranquil facade of the villa hides deeper mysteries. Will Harry's brilliance and Celia's charm be enough to navigate the complexities of love and deception? Immerse yourself in A. E. W. Mason's ...

When a young English girl finds herself accused of murdering her French aunt in the charming city of Dijon, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Enter Inspector Gabriel Hanaud, a brilliant detective from the French Sûreté and a strikingly different character from his famous counterparts. Tasked with uncovering the truth, Hanaud navigates a web of secrets and lies, challenging the assumptions of everyone involved. A. E. W. Mason crafted this captivating story in 1910, creating a detective who stands apart from the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. As Hanaud races against time, the ...

This audiobook contains the first three adventures of A. E. W Mason’s enigmatic and mercurial Sûreté detective, Inspector Hanaud—a key inspiration for Agatha Christie’s celebrated sleuth Hercule Poirot. First, Hanaud investigates the murder of wealthy Mme Dauvray at the fashionable French resort of Aix-les-Bains. Then, during a visit to London, Hanaud unravels a case of theft and murder following a costume party at a prestigious hotel.

A young English girl is accused in Dijon of murdering her French aunt. Hanaud to the rescue! Inspector Hanaud is a member of the French Sûreté. He is said to have been the model for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, as well as the opposite of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. In 1910, Mason undertook to create a fictional detective as different as possible from Sherlock Holmes, who had recently been resuscitated after his supposed death by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1903. Inspector Gabriel Hanaud was stout, not gaunt like Holmes; a professional policeman, not a gentleman amateur; from the French...

Part romance, part mystery, part courtroom and quasi-courtroom drama. Young love reignites itself after a hiatus of some years. Or does it? Much can change in that time -- both to the people themselves, and to the events that shape their lives. The action moves from England to India, and back again, confronting the protagonists with problems they never dreamed they’d have to face. ( Nicholas Clifford)

At the Villa Rose by A. E. W. Mason is a classic mystery novel that combines elegant society, psychological tension, and a carefully constructed investigation.Set around the fashionable resort world of Aix-les-Bains in France, the story begins with the murder of a wealthy woman at the Villa Rose. Suspicion quickly falls on Celia Harland, a young companion whose sudden disappearance seems to confirm the worst. But appearances are deceptive, and the case soon attracts the attention of Inspector Hanaud, one of early detective fiction’s most memorable investigators.Hanaud approaches the mystery ...

The Four Feathers is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A.E.W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. The novel tells the story of British officer, Harry Feversham, who resigns his commission in the East Surrey Regiment just prior to Sir Garnet Wolseley's 1882 expedition to Egypt to suppress the rising of Urabi Pasha. He is faced with censure from three of his comrades for cowardice, signified by the delivery of three white feathers to him, from Captain Trench and Lieutenants Castleton and Willoughby, and the loss of the support of his Irish fiancée, Ethne Eustace, who ...

Inspector Hanaud is a member of the French Sûreté. He is said to have been the model for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, as well as the opposite of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The Affair At The Semiramis Hotel (1917), a novella, is the second Hanaud mystery. Did the robbery/murder really happen or was it the mescal-induced hallucination of the witness? The first novel is At The Villa Rose (1910). The third is The House Of The Arrow (1924) (there are seven through 1949, available at project gutenberg Australia). In 1910, Mason undertook to create a fictional detective as different as...

The Watchers by A. E. W. Mason is a historical novel set during the Napoleonic Wars, focusing on espionage, loyalty, and intrigue. The story follows the experiences of Martin Hillyard, a British intelligence officer, who becomes entangled in a web of political and personal conflicts. Hillyard is tasked with monitoring and thwarting the efforts of French spies, but his mission is complicated by emotional entanglements and the schemes of those he must watch. The novel explores themes of duty, honor, and the challenges of maintaining personal relationships amid the pressures of war. With a mix of...

Wealthy widow Mrs. Harlowe has died at her house in Dijon, apparently of natural causes. But then her brother-in-law accuses her niece Betty of poisoning the old woman; Jim Frobisher, junior partner in the office of Betty’s English solicitors, is dispatched to France to provide legal advice and support. In France, as Jim seeks to discover the truth and clear Betty, he enters into an uneasy alliance with the enigmatic and mercurial Sûreté detective, Inspector Hanaud.

While Sûreté inspector Gabriel Hanaud visits the London home of his friend Mr. Ricardo, they receive a visit from Carradine, a young socialite with a disturbing story. A beautiful young woman he met at a costume party has appealed to him for help. Obsessed with a rich American woman’s pearls, this young woman went to steal them from the American’s hotel room  … only to find a gang of thieves, who overpowered her. She woke up hours later, alone in the room except for a dead body. Can Hanaud prove her innocence, and bring the real murderers to justice?

A short story from the British Library Crime Classic collection Final Acts. The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel sees A .E. W. Mason's famous detective, Inspector Hanaud, and amateur detective Ricardo investigate the theft of a pearl necklace and the murder of its owner, set within the world of opera.

At the fashionable French resort of Aix-les-Bains a murder is discovered: wealthy but naïve Mme Dauvray is found strangled in the salon of her villa, apparently for her famously expensive jewels. Her young English companion, Celia Harland, is missing, and her maid is bound and chloroformed upstairs. A young English inventor who has been courting Miss Harland adamantly protests her innocence, and begs the famous Sûreté detective Inspector Hanaud to investigate.

During life, everyone experiences difficult struggles and pain. The relief from this pain can come when either we recognize that we are only human and make an appropriate change for the better or when another person helps us recognize it and encourages us to make that change. These two phenomena are called self-compassion and compassion and are great powers that people possess to make life better. They are the first steps to take toward a healing process that results in one being able to enjoy and share all the wondrous experiences that life has to offer.

When Feversham’s regiment was called to service in the Soudan, he resigned his commission. His fellow officers sent him one white feather each as a sign that they recognised his cowardice. What follows is an exciting adventure of redemption and a heart-aching love story....

Just before his regiment sails off to war in the Sudan, British officer Harry Feversham quits the military. He is immediately given four white feathers as symbols of cowardice, one by each of his three best friends and one by his fiancée. To disprove this grave dishonor, Harry dons an Arabian disguise and leaves for the Sudan, where he anonymously comes to the aid of his three friends, saving each of their lives. Having proven his bravery, Harry returns to England, hoping to regain the love and respect of his fiancée.