Tales for a Winter's Night

By: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrated by: William Sutherland

Tales for a Winter's Night brings together eight Arthur Conan Doyle mystery classics that originally appeared in the Strand magazine between July 1898 and January 1899. When first gathered into one volume in 1908, the book was entitled Round the Fire Stories, since the author recommended that they be read ideally "round the fire" upon a winter's night.

According to Barzun & Taylor in A Catalogue of Crime, "As one reads 'The Man with the Watches', 'The Lost Special', 'The Jew's Breastplate', 'The Black Doctor', and the rest, one marvels again at Doyle's natural gift of story-telling and one relishes his ingrained habit of giving clues, even when they serve narrative and are not to be used for ratiocination. The stories are worth reading even around a radiator."

(P)2001 Blackstone Audiobooks

Engaging, but I miss Sherlock!

An interesting collection of mystery stories. I found most of them engaging. Though some were a bit disturbing. As other reviewers have noted, you miss Sherlock Holmes and his presence feels lacking. But then to you don’t have all the lines about his moods and vanity, ha!

I found it odd in the one about the Levitical priesthood breast plate that they called it Urim and Thummim. I’ve never heard it called that and thought that referred to two black and white stones that were separate from the breast plate of 12 Stones.

And I didn’t catch why the final mystery was called B.24, that felt like a mystery ending of itself. The ending leaves you hanging wondering what will become of the man!

I listened to these stories read by William Sutherland and enjoyed his grandfatherly voice.

Great Stories, Poor Delivery

This was one of those great old collections of stories that could have been great but were spoiled by a lame reader and poor audio. Sounds like a tired old man talking into a tin can...