Showing results by narrator "Peter Coates" in All Categories

When a priceless artifact known as The White Elephant mysteriously vanishes, Albert Campion is called upon to unravel the peculiar case. What seems like a straightforward theft soon reveals layers of deception, hidden motives, and unexpected dangers. As Campion navigates the twists and turns of high society and the criminal underworld, he must determine who stands to gain from the disappearance—and whether the legendary artifact holds secrets beyond its material worth.

Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg is a seminal work in political theory that explores the fundamental question of whether social change is best achieved through gradual reforms or revolutionary upheavals. Luxemburg critically examines the limitations of reformist approaches within the capitalist system, arguing that true liberation requires a radical transformation of the existing socio-economic order. Through a nuanced analysis of class struggle, imperialism, and the dynamics of capitalism, Luxemburg presents a compelling argument that challenges prevailing notions of incremental change.

The Nameless City is a horror story written by American writer H. P. Lovecraft in January 1921 and first published in the November 1921 issue of the amateur press journal The Wolverine. It is often considered the first Cthulhu Mythos story. The Nameless City of the story's title is an ancient ruin located somewhere in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, and is older than any human civilization.

Under the Pyramids (in draft form, also published as Entombed with the Pharaohs) is a short story written by American fantasy author H. P. Lovecraft in collaboration with Harry Houdini in February 1924. Commissioned by Weird Tales founder and owner J. C. Henneberger, the narrative tells a fictionalized account in the first-person perspective of an allegedly true experience of escape artist Harry Houdini. Set in 1910, in Egypt, Houdini finds himself kidnapped by a tour guide, who resembles an ancient pharaoh, and thrown down a deep hole near the Great Sphinx of Giza.

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Asleep in Armageddon delves into the recesses of human imagination as Ray Bradbury crafts a mesmerizing narrative set against a backdrop of impending cataclysm. In this thought-provoking short story, Bradbury explores the complex interplay between dreams and reality, challenging conventional notions of existence. As the world hurtles toward an uncertain fate, the protagonist grapples with the surreal landscape of their own subconscious, blurring the lines between nightmare and actuality. Bradbury's poetic prose and evocative imagery converge in this tale, creating a vivid exploration of the human psyche in the face of existential turmoil.

"The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" is a captivating short story penned by the legendary Agatha Christie, featuring her iconic detective Hercule Poirot. In this succinct yet engrossing narrative, Poirot is called upon to solve the audacious theft of a million-dollar bond.

On a winter's night, as the old year slips silently into the new, shadows stir in forgotten corners, and the past refuses to rest. In The Experiment, M. R. James once again proves himself a master of quiet horror—where the chill creeps not from the cold, but from something far older, and far less forgiving. Subtle, strange, and unsettling, this is a tale that whispers its secrets, if you dare to listen. Perfect for a solitary listen by candlelight, just as midnight strikes.

"At the Mountains of Madness" is a science fiction-horror novella by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in February/March 1931. The story details the events of a disastrous expedition to Antarctica in September 1930, and what is found there by a group of explorers led by the narrator, Dr. William Dyer of Miskatonic University. Throughout the story, Dyer details a series of previously untold events in the hope of deterring another group of explorers who wish to return to the continent.

The Colour Out of Space is a science fiction/horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in March 1927. In the tale, an unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the "blasted heath" in the wild hills west of the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts. The narrator discovers that many years ago a meteorite crashed there, poisoning every living being nearby; vegetation grows large but foul tasting, animals are driven mad and deformed into grotesque shapes, and the people go insane or die one by one.

The Lurking Fear is a horror short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written in November 1922, it was first published in the January through April 1923 issues of Home Brew. The story is narrated by an unnamed seeker of "strange horrors" who is investigating the massacre of a community of some six dozen backwoods degenerates in an obscure region of the Catskills, a massacre which occurred during a particularly violent electrical storm and seems to have been perpetrated by an unidentified clawed beast.

Previously published in the print anthology Partners in Crime. The Beresfords finally come face to face with their secret adversary. In order to crack the case, they must ape the techniques of the great Hercule Poirot.

Discourses on Livy, written in 1531, is as essential to understanding Machiavelli as his famous treatise, The Prince. Equally controversial, it reveals his fundamental preference for a republican state. Comparing the practice of the ancient Romans with that of his contemporaries provided Machiavelli with a consistent point of view in all his works. Machiavelli's close analysis of Livy's history of Rome led him to advance his most original and outspoken view of politics--the belief that a healthy political body was characterized by social friction and conflict rather than by rigid stability.

The Law of Success in 16 Lessons was initially published in 1928 as a multi-volume correspondence course. According to Hill, the work was commissioned at the request of Andrew Carnegie, at the conclusion of a multi-day interview with Hill. It was allegedly based upon interviews with over 100 American millionaires, including self-made industrial giants such as: Henry Ford, J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, over 500 of the most successful people of the planet across nearly 20 years.

Morgue Ship by Ray Bradbury is a science fiction short story, which appeared in the summer 1944 issue of Planet Stories and is therefore eligible for the 1945 Retro Hugos. Morgue Ship is short, only six pages long, but Bradbury perfectly manages to capture the atmosphere aboard the morgue ship with its clinical interior, its shelves full of dead soldiers, the churning blood pumps and whirring machinery, in such a short space. Bradbury also manages to pack the horrors of war in space, the exploding ships and spinning dead bodies among the wreckage, into just a few paragraphs.

The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper is a short story written by Agatha Christie which was first published in The Sketch in October 1924. During a lull in business, Tommy and Tuppence amuse themselves by perusing the paper's personal columns. One cryptic ad reads, "Three hearts … 12 tricks … Ace of Spades … finesse the King." Tommy is certain it is a secret message indicating a crime about to be committed.

In The Meaning of the Act, Margery Allingham crafts a clever and suspenseful short mystery featuring the ever-charming and sharp-witted detective Albert Campion. What starts as an ordinary social engagement soon turns into a puzzling case of crime, deception, and hidden motives. When a seemingly harmless act during a gathering takes on a sinister significance, Campion is called upon to decipher the true meaning behind it. As he digs deeper, he uncovers secrets that threaten to expose long-buried truths.

In a world that has moved on, two men sit in the shadows of the past. One, frail and forgetful, speaks of things best left unsaid. The other, powerful yet unknowingly adrift, listens—and feels something crack beneath his carefully preserved sense of control. The war took their sons, but time has taken something else, something harder to name. In the quiet of an office where authority once meant everything, grief lingers like dust on old furniture. A casual visit, a few words spoken in passing, and suddenly, the weight of loss is too heavy to ignore.

"Josephine the Songstress, or the Mouse Folk" is the last short story written by Franz Kafka.The story was included in the collection A Hunger Artist published by Verlag Die Schmiede soon after Kafka's death. Franz Kafka's "Josephine the Songstress, or The Mouse Folk" follows the attempts of a member of a community to understand and explain the art of their only singer, Josephine, and the powerful effect that her singing has on the community that ordinarily has no use for song or diversion.FEAT DESC

"The Market Basing Mystery" plunges readers into a captivating short story penned by Agatha Christie, featuring the astute detective Hercule Poirot. In this narrative, Poirot is summoned to investigate a curious case involving the disappearance of a wealthy banker, Marcus Hardman, in the quaint town of Market Basing.