The Islington Mystery
The novel follows the story of two detectives, Inspector John Dickson and Sergeant William Smith, as they investigate a series of mysterious deaths in the Islington area of London. The victims all seem to have died from the same cause, but the cause of death is unknown. As the detectives investigate further, they uncover a sinister plot involving a secret society and a mysterious figure known only as the "Master of Islington". The detectives must unravel the mystery before more innocent lives are taken. Along the way, they uncover a web of secrets and lies, and must confront the dark forces behind the deaths. The Islington Mystery is a classic mystery novel that will keep readers guessing until the very end. It is a thrilling and suspenseful read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
By Arthur Machen · First published 1905 · Genre: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy · 7 chapters · 4,516 words
First lines
The public taste in murders is often erratic, and sometimes, I think, fallible enough. Take, for example, that Crippen business. It happened seventeen years ago, and it is still freshly remembered and discussed with interest. Yet it was by no means a murder of the first rank. What was there in it? The outline is crude enough; simple, easy, and disgusting, as Dr. Johnson observed of another work of art. Crippen was cursed with a nagging wife of unpleasant habits; and he cherished a passion for his typist. Whereupon he poisoned Mrs. Crippen, cut her up and buried the pieces in the coal-cellar. This was well enough, though elementary; and if the foolish little man had been content to lie quiet and do nothing, he might have lived and died peaceably. But he must needs disappear from his house--the action of a fool--and cross the Atlantic with his typist absurdly and obviously disguised as a boy: sheer, bungling imbecility. Here, surely, there is no single trace of the master's hand; and yet, as I say, the Crippen Murder is reckoned amongst the masterpieces. It is the same tale in all the arts: the low comedian was always sure of a laugh if he cared to tumble over a pin; and the weakest murderer is sure of a certain amount of respectful attention if he will take the trouble to dismember his subject. And then, with respect to Crippen: he was caught by means of the wireless device, then in its early stages. This, of course, was utterly irrelevant to the true issue; but the public wallows in irrelevance. A great art critic may praise a great picture, and make his criticism a masterpiece in itself. He will be unread; but let some asinine paragraphist say that the painter always sings "Tom Bowling" as he sets his palette, and dines on boiled fowl and apricot sauce three times a week--then the world will proclaim the artist great.
What this Textopian page supports
The Islington Mystery is listed on Textopian as a short story by Arthur Machen, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Arthur Machen
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Thriller
- Length: 4,516 words
- Structure: 7 chapters, 138 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Islington Mystery by Arthur Machen
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Islington Mystery?
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Mystery — The title of the book is 'The Islington Mystery', indicating that the book is a mystery novel.
- Horror — Arthur Machen is known for writing horror stories, so this book is likely to contain horror elements.
- Fantasy — Arthur Machen is known for writing fantasy stories, so this book is likely to contain fantasy elements.
- Thriller — Mystery novels often contain elements of thrillers, so this book is likely to contain thriller elements.
Tags
Fantasy · Horror · Supernatural Fiction · Weird Fiction · aspinall · boale · body · brought · called · court · crippen · dead