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Web Site Showcases
American Detective Fiction

Posting all Detective Fiction
Prior to Conan Doyle

Fully Searchable

The mission of the Westminster Detective Library to catalog and make available online all the short fiction dealing with detectives and detection published in the United States before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Scandal in Bohemia” (1891).

This site grew out of research for the anthology Early American Detective Stories (McFarland 2008) that I edited with my mentor and colleague LeRoy Lad Panek (1943-2021), winner of two Edgar awards for his contributions to the scholarly field of detective criticism. We uncovered a treasure-trove of forgotten and previously unavailable detective stories, many more than could be included in a single anthology. And so this on-going project was born.

The site includes a working bibliography; full-text copy of entries are added as they are prepared. A few stories that were published in Britain but which appear to have been previously published in America have also been included and are indicated by an asterisk in the bibliography. I welcome comments and solicit both additional bibliographical entries and texts.

Mary M. Bendel-Simso, editor

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A Lady’s Glove

by James D. M’Cabe, Jr.

Officer Hale is a well-known man in the great city of New York. In all the detective force of that city, whose exploits have made them so famous, none bears a higher reputation for skill, sagacity and bravery, than he. But among all his many triumphs, there is one which is known to very few, and which I propose relating on these pages.

Late In October, 1865, Fifth Avenuedom was thrown into a buzz of excitement by the announcement of a marriage between Miss Golding the belle, and daughter of the great banker of that name, and a real, live French marquis—De Villiere by name. It was the first marriage of the season, and consequently everyone was on tiptoe to receive an invitation to it, as everyone felt sure that it would be a most brilliant affair. The happy pair were to leave for Europe on the first steamer after the wedding, and the marquis was to take his bride at once to his old chateau where his parents awaited them, and then she was to have the honor of being presented at court. At last, however, the momentous day arrived, and plain Miss Golding changed her name, and got a “handle” to her new one besides.

But, to the great annoyance of the bride and groom, the pleasant programme which they had laid down for themselves, was not to be carried out entire. Some decided changes were to be made in it by an adverse fate, and upon this hinges the story I am about to relate.

Such a brilliant marriage could not fail to call forth an unusually brilliant array of bridal gifts. The long table appointed for their reception utterly groaned beneath the costly articles that were heaped upon it. Among the presents, was a set of magnificent diamonds—ear-rings and a necklace—which had been sent out from France by the parents of the marquis. They were admitted by all to be the most exquisite articles of jewelry ever seen in New York, and not a few of… Read More

Miscellany

The Detective of the Present -- Finn and Jourdan

Time was when a detective was a man who detected things. A detective is still that in some European countries; and he still detects things—in novels. There's Buckett in “Bleak House” who detects Lady Dedlook, and there's that detective in Collin’s story of the “Moon Stone,” quite a detector. New York used to have Old Hayes, who could detect a thing or two; Paris has had Vidocq, and Bow street has had Forster.* But the race has died out entirely in America, and is dying out in England.

Commissioner Jourdan, of Brooklyn, has been making an effort to raise up a detective or two and has actually produced Corr and Bill. Corr and Bill were raised to the Vidocquian task of tracing a mystic murder. Finnan is a hatter; and Finnan has been in States Prison. That ought to be enough for any detective such as Corr to concluded that Finnan did the deed. Edgar A. Poe could not reason out a conclusion clearer than that. So Corr went to where Finnan was making hats.

Is Finnan here? Yes—want to see him?