Cliffford Ashdown

Austin Freeman and Dr. John James Pitcairn, a medical office at Halloway Prison, writing under the common pseudonym, Clifford Ashdown. This mystery collection is the first work of Freeman and it is a delightful bundle of adventures features the gentleman criminal Romney Pringle, an engaging crook and literary agent who lives in Furnival’s Inn, cycling everywhere no matter what the scam! This series...

From the author of the Thorndyke detective stories. The stories follow the adventures of Romney Pringle, a gentleman con man, thief and master of disguises–who is not above using his keen observation and wits to track down other criminals. These twelve tales conjure up the authentic atmosphere of Victorian London and offer a thrilling alternative to the ascetic honesty of Sherlock Holmes!

Meet the widow anxious to bury her husband before the autopsy, the artist who’s brushes have never been used, the bedridden drunk who contracts lead poisoning from a pub miles away. These strange stories are designed to baffle the mind and entertain the crime buff and newcomer alike. Set in the early days of the nineteenth century, the six tales here take place in various parts of rural England --...