Cover of The Tales of Max Carrados

The Tales of Max Carrados

Max Carrados, a fictional detective series, was first introduced to the literary world by Ernest Bramah in 1914. In the Edwardian era, Carrados' stories often outsold Sherlock Holmes, with the blind detective sharing top billing with his fictional rival.

Read more

George Orwell wrote that together with those of Conan Doyle, they were "the only detective stories since Poe that are worth rereading".

Recorded by national treasure Stephen Fry, 'The Coin of Dionysius' and 'The Game Played in the Dark' are two short stories from the collection.

In 'The Coin of Dionysius' we first meet the suave sleuth Max Carrados, as he is called on by old friend Louis Carlyle to help determine whether an old coin is real or a clever fake.

In 'The Game Played in the Dark', Max Carrados is contacted by the British Museum about a horde of stolen ancient coins. On the lookout for the coins, he is intrigued by the approach of an Italian lady who takes him from the safety of his study to a meeting with some recognisable former adversaries....

Stephen Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, film director and all round national treasure.

Fry has written and presented several documentary series, contributed columns and articles for newspapers and magazines, appears frequently on radio, reads for voice-overs and has written four novels and three volumes of autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot, The Fry Chroniclesand his latest, More Fool Me.

Audience
adult

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it. Point at it (on a phone, tap it) for less of it instead.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked The Tales of Max Carrados? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked The Tales of Max Carrados. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. One Thousand Dollars A Word Shares crime, mystery, short stories
  2. Doctor Who: Deimos
  3. Kwik Krimes Shares crime, mystery, short stories
  4. Doctor Who: Mission to the Unknown (The Daleks' Master Plan, Part I) Shares fiction

“People who read The Tales of Max Carrados tend to reach for these next.”

  1. Touch of a Ghost
  2. When the Devil Drives
  3. Jellyfish
  4. Year's Best Fantasy 2

“If you want more of the same (crime), start with these.”

  1. Angle of Investigation
  2. 36 Hours
  3. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook: A Short Story
  4. Greenshaw's Folly: A Short Story

“If it was the mystery that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. The Adventures of Sam Spade and Other Stories
  2. The Price of Love: And Other Stories
  3. There Are No Ghosts in the Soviet Union
  4. A Darker Shade of Blue

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection
  2. Max's Words
  3. Barcelona Plates
  4. Around the World in 80 Days: Companion to the PBS Series