Crime | Lecturia

Edgar Allan Poe: The Purloined Letter

“The Purloined Letter” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, published in September 1844 in The Gift for 1845. In Paris, the police prefect visits detective C. Auguste Dupin to consult him on a case that has him baffled: a letter of enormous political importance has been stolen right under its owner’s nose by Minister D…, who is using it to blackmail her. Although the police have thoroughly searched the alleged thief’s mansion, the letter remains missing. Faced with the failure of conventional methods, the prefect turns to Dupin’s ingenuity, who will use his unique analytical skills to solve the mystery.

O. Henry: After Twenty Years

“After Twenty Years” is a short story by O. Henry (the pen name of William Sydney Porter), published in 1906 in the collection The Four Million. Set on a cold New York night, the story begins with a police officer patrolling the nearly deserted streets until he encounters a man waiting for an old friend. Two decades earlier, the two had made a promise: to meet again at that very spot and at the same hour, no matter how much their lives might have changed. The dialogue between the police officer and the stranger reveals details of that old friendship, establishing the story’s nostalgic and expectant tone.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The New Catacomb

“The New Catacomb” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in 1898 in The Sunlight Year-Book. In late nineteenth-century Rome, Burger and Kennedy are two young, eminent archaeologists bound by a relationship of intellectual rivalry and mutual admiration. During a conversation at Kennedy’s house, Burger confides to him an extraordinary discovery: he has found a Christian catacomb from the Roman period, intact and previously unknown. Fascinated, Kennedy presses to see the site and gain access to its secrets. After showing some reluctance, Burger agrees to guide him on a nocturnal exploration, but first imposes a peculiar condition.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

“The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in January 1892 in The Strand Magazine. Two days after Christmas, Dr. Watson finds Sherlock Holmes examining an old hat and a lost goose recovered after a street altercation. What initially seems a trivial incident takes an unexpected turn when a valuable jewel, stolen days earlier, is discovered inside the bird. From this surprising find, Holmes embarks on a meticulous investigation to trace the goose’s journey and determine how an object of such value came to be hidden in so improbable a place.

Robert Bloch: The Night Before Christmas

“The Night Before Christmas” is a short story by Robert Bloch published in 1980 in the anthology Dark Forces. Arnold Brandon, a struggling painter, receives a commission that could boost his career: to paint the portrait of Louise, the elegant wife of Carlos Santiago, an imposing and mysterious Argentine tycoon. From their first meeting, Santiago, with his commanding presence and shady past, provokes in Arnold a mixture of fascination and revulsion. As Arnold progresses with his work and Christmas approaches, the relationships between the three characters become increasingly complex, creating an atmosphere where power, jealousy, and secrets threaten to unleash a tragic storm.

Ernest Hemingway: The Killers

The Killers is a short story by Ernest Hemingway published in 1927 in Scribner’s Magazine. The story takes place in a small café in a village called Summit, where two mysterious men enter and begin to act threateningly. George, the café owner, and Nick Adams, a young customer, soon discover that the strangers have arrived to meet Ole Andreson, a former boxer who arrives every day at six o’clock for dinner.