Reggie in Linotype

RETURN WITH US to those halcyon days when, for just a few cents, quality mystery fiction could be found in the back pages of a daily newspaper. To judge from today's examples, people of that era must have had excellent eyesight if they were expected to discern 6-point text spread across eight narrow columns. If that doesn't describe you, then break out your bifocals and read about a British detective that you might have heard of:

(1) "The Efficient Assassin."

By H. C. Bailey (1878-1961; Wikipedia HERE; the ISFDb HERE; and the GAD Wiki HERE).

Collected in Call Mr. Fortune (1920) (also online HERE).

Published in The Sunday Star, Washington, D.C., September 4, 1921.

Found on Archive.org (HERE).

IT GOES without saying that you'll be making extensive use of the magnifier thoughtfully provided by the Internet Archive. (Thirteen hits will display two columns.)

(2) "The Business Minister."

By H. C. Bailey (1878-1961).

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Collected in Call Mr. Fortune (1920) (also online HERE).

Published in The Sunday Star, Washington, D.C., October 16, 1921.

Online at Archive.org (HERE).

 

Extra:

Like many other sleuths, Reggie Fortune has his own peculiar personal habits . . .

"Domestic Habits of the Private Eyes."

By Stella Gibbons (1902-89; Wikipedia HERE).

Found in Punch, May 19, 1954.

Article (2 pages).

Online at Archive.org (HERE).

(Note: Text somewhat fuzzy.)

   "This may be overdoing it a bit for most of us, but it's better than weak coffee and dust . . ."

References:

- "the Cheyney hero" (HERE and HERE)

- "the Doctor" (HERE); "Mr. Holmes" (HERE); "Mrs. Hudson" (HERE)

- "Phillip [sic] Marlowe" (HERE)

- "Mr. Reggie Fortune" (HERE)

- "James Bond" (HERE)

- "M. Hercule Poirot" (HERE)

- "Father Brown" (HERE)

- "Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin" (HERE)

- "Mr. Anthony Gilbert's George Crook" (HERE)

- "Lord Peter Wimsey" (HERE)

- "Albert Campion" (HERE); "Magersfontein Lugg" (HERE).

Sources: Wikipedia (HERE), The Thrilling Detective (HERE), and Roy Glashan's Library (HERE).

Resource:

- Our latest meeting with H. C. Bailey was a non-Reggie story, "A Matter of Speculation" (HERE).

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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