The main focus of this collection is from the 1890s to the 1920s, the period when the classic English detective story was at its confident and original best, but also offering examples from earlier and later periods. These stories provide an entertaining exploration of this extensive and fascinating corner of English popular fiction, celebrating the detective's intellectual and intuitive powers when confronted with murder, theft, and other mysteries. With stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Michael Innes, this anthology should appeal to all enthusiasts of detective fiction.