The Ghost of Fountain Lane | Catherine Louisa Pirkis | A Bitesized Audiobook
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- 'Lady Detective' Loveday Brooke has her summer holiday in Brighton interrupted by a police request to investigate a stolen cheque. The case doesn't interest her, until she notices a detail which appears to connect it to reports of a Napoleonic apparition, said to be haunting nearby Fountain Lane...
A new, original recording of a classic public domain text, read and performed by Simon Stanhope for Bitesized Audio.
If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, you may like to consider supporting me on Patreon:
/ bitesizedaudio
Or for occasional one-off contributions, you can Buy Me a Coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesize...
Catherine Louisa Pirkis (1839-1910), often credited as C. L. Pirkis, was born Catherine Louisa Lyne to a middle class family in London. She became a prominent author of detective and mystery fiction in the final quarter of the 19th century, publishing 14 novels between 1877 and 1894, after which she gave up writing in order to focus on campaigning for animal rights. She co-founded, with her husband Frederick Edward Pirkis and some like-minded friends, the British National Canine Defence League, which still exists today under the name 'The Dogs Trust'. As a writer she is best remembered for her last published work, 'The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective', a series of adventures featuring the eponymous sleuth, almost certainly the first professional female detective in fiction, and the first to be created by a female author. An insight into contemporary attitudes to the revolutionary nature of the character may be seen in an 1893 review in the Glasgow Herald, which, after praising Brooke's insights and detective skill, added "We are just afraid Miss Brooke is too clever in catching criminals ever to catch a husband." Almost inevitably "Miss Brooke" became known as "The female Sherlock Holmes"; she certainly shared Holmes' eye for detail and ability to see past the obvious solution to find the truth behind the crime. Pirkis died after a long illness in October 1910, just two days before her husband also died; they were survived by their two children.
'The Ghost of Fountain Lane' first appeared in July 1893 as part of 'The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective', a six-part series of stories which appeared in the Ludgate Monthly magazine from February to July 1893; the series was subsequently published in book form by Hutchinson in 1894.
Recording © Bitesized Audio 2021. 
Развлечения
The way you read reminds me of when my father would read me to sleep.. I would ask him to read to me even when I was in highschool sometimes. Very special memories for me. He left our family a few years ago and even though I can't hear him anymore, I can close my eyes and listen to this and pretend it's him. I really appreciate it. Thank you!
I'm not sure what's more impressive; your ability to find these hidden gems, or your talent at performing them. Either way, thoroughly enjoy each release.
I do enjoy the whole process of researching and digging up the neglected ones. And what's wonderful is that each new discovery usually leads me to uncover more... Thanks for your support Scout, glad you enjoy them
Please never stop posting these gems! The stories and you’re delivery of them is perfect
What a lovely and spot on comment!
I know ,,he's BRILLIANT 💯💯💯
Don’t know how on God’s green earth I managed to miss this one until just now, Simon! The intro is informative and impeccable and you’re a natural in front of the camera. Will save the story until tomorrow - it’s four o’clock in the morning, I might doze off and I want to savor every Bite-sized morsel! So lovely to hear your amazing voice and see your engaging visage! Thank you, Simon! 💝
Me too! It just popped into my feed today. I thought I’d heard all his Loveday stories.
What a way to spend a Sunday afternoon... a good cup of coffee and a fantastic story from Simon.😊
yes! rainy beach afternoon.
So true, Shannon!
Awesome 😎 thanks.
Have a lovely June 🌹
Thank you Rachel. You too!
Love seeing a female detective, especially in a ghost story.
Thank you Simon, just what I need right now. x
Glad to be able to help! Thanks Barbara
Thanks Simon! Great story. We owe the author a debt of gratitude for her foresight in canine protection. 🐶
Indeed we do. Thanks Deborah (and glad to know people do read my mini biographies/essays in the description!)
@@BitesizedAudio I always click on the video then pause it while I read your notes.
What a delightful story! Loveday’s own excellent insights vividly bring to life the time and place. Thank you, Simon! Beautifully read as ever!
I’m new to Mrs Pirkis thanks to you and it’s a great discovery. She’s a clever writer and I am all the more impressed by her amazing work in saving dogs. Thank you, another enjoyable reading
Glad to know you enjoyed it, thank you Annett
Really some of the best detective stories written about a woman ever, well worth giving her others a listen.👍✊
Thank you, wonderful reading
Thanks Dale, appreciated
Can’t believe it!! Just pleaded with you a few hours ago to let us have more Loveday Brooks story’s!! Then couple hours later you post one of my favourite ones✊😁,must be psychic😜?
Wonderful! Psychic powers indeed! I hope to get round to reading the others in the future...
The beauty of all these readings is the 'musical' delivery, deliveries that don't require music or even sound effects. What a delight for all.
What a lovely comment, thank you Greg!
You’re so right. There is a ‘musical’ quality to how these gems are delivered
I love to line up Bitesized Audio Classics and listen to them as I lay down to relax and drift off to sleep.
Glad to help!
Another gem, many thanks!
Thank you
You're welcome! Thanks for listening
A magisterial tone, essential when reading material such as this. The exact sort of hoity-toity that the discerning listener requires. Kudos!
I'm not sure that hoity-toity was exactly the tone I was aiming for, but I'll take magisterial! Thank you Peter.
The lady detective herself is certainly hoity-toity in her sneering at the millenarian dupes, no?
Ah yes, I see! Thanks Peter
Ahaha capital my good man!
James Fritzinger, fun exchange between you and the magisterial Simon! My cat and I enjoyed!
Thank you Simon,
I enjoyed the story, and am so grateful for being introduced to its author.
I wonder if Kerry Greenwood might have been a devotee before Phryne Fisher came into being.
Thanks for bringing one of the lady writers back into view. A lady well worthy of praise in many ways.
🐕🐕🐕
I must confess I hadn't heard of Kerry Greenwood or Phryne Fisher - just looked them both up, it sounds like an interesting series. Thanks April
@@BitesizedAudio I hope that you you enjoy at least an episode of the TV series if not a whole novella.
Kerry is a really good sort too!
She was a community brief for a long time, in the poor side of Melbourne, Australia, and lives with a Wizard.
😃
I didn't even try to resist on this occasion. Sometimes more is more and the prospect of 50 odd minutes in which to enjoy you at leisure and length, dear Simon, was irresistible. Another new one to me and your charms are as incomparable as ever. ❤
I'm trying to work my way up to some more slightly longer pieces, as time and opportunity allow! Thanks Bob
Bravo 😄
@@BitesizedAudio I love these!!. Perfect length for my train commute into NYC.
9o
@@BitesizedAudio o
Entertainig story! Thank you for introducing us to Miss Brook! Please read more of her adventures. Thank you!
Excellent listening for my walk this morning. Thankyou, the minutes flew by!
Thank you! Thoroughly enjoyed as usual.
Glad, thanks Rosie
Outstanding site I love it
Thank you!
Great 👍 luv your voice , enjoy all these story's , keep them coming please !!
I'll do my best! Thanks carrie-ann
I’m saving this for tonight after work. It’ll give me extra incentive to get home.
What a promising title!
I hope you enjoy, thanks Chris! I should say, to avoid disappointment, despite the title it can't really be categorised as a tale of the supernatural.... but I hope an entertaining detective mystery anyway!
Ghost or no ghost - I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.
I enjoy listening to these stories which you bring to life - I must confess, when I have tried to read Victorian mysteries (other than Conan Doyle’s), many times I get bogged down in the writing style of the time.
You know how to read them correctly so there’s no bogging down or confusion - just great storytelling.
Thanks!
Simon, you and the authors do justice to the King's English! Greeting from "Mayberry," North Carolina.
Thank you for this little gem - time flew by.
Simon is the man. Thanks again bitesized!
My favorite narrator - captures me everytime. Thank you 😘
Very kind of you to say so, thank you Gumblina1!
@@BitesizedAudio You truly have the most wonderful voice, bringing the stories to life. A great talent 👏 It is obvious you love the stories too, am sure the writers (all dead of course, but who knows 👻), would appreciate your reading of their wonderful works.
The inspector sounds so much like the TV inspector Wexford I found myself teleporting through time! Very enjoyable tale and well read I should say well performed. Thank you.
Funnily enough, I did think of Inspector Wexford when I was reading that character, as they're from the same part of the world! Glad to know you enjoyed it
Your building a really excellent collection of Victorian ghost stories, think you’ve covered all the very best writers of the
time.✊☠️
Thanks Julie! I do still have quite a few more stories (and authors) I'd like to do, including several more overlooked gems...
Weak minds...”Setting up new standards of right and wrong for themselves.” The more things change the more they remain the same. We think we are so advanced in our current society, yet many of the bite sized themes continue to this day.
Thank you for posting the author's pictures. Catherine Pirkis looks intelligent, with a sense of humor, it shows in her writing. It is nice to see the people behind the stories you narrate so well.
Glad to know that Sara, thank you
Thanks Simon, really enjoyed this!
Delightfully read - and fascinating in so many ways: appearing between Conan Doyle's Napoleonic novel The Great Shadow and the first of his Brigadier Gerard stories, tying the 'mesmeric' appeal of Bonaparte of nearly a century earlier together with the attention to the dangers of such appealing figures, great and small, in her own day.
Thank you, I'm glad to know you enjoyed it. Yes, I was intrigued by the appeal of Napoleon in this story, and couldn't help recalling the line spoken by Inspector Lestrade in 'The Adventure of the Six Napoleons', where he tells Sherlock Holmes: “You wouldn’t think there was anyone living at this time of day who had such a hatred of Napoleon the First that he would break any image of him that he could see.” 'The Ghost of Fountain Lane' suggests that there were certainly some people who could be roused by the image of Napoleon in the 1890s, some seventy years after his death!
Only recently started listening to your awesome stories! Impressive, contagious & worthy of binge listening! Thank you for auditory perfection!
Thanks for listening Elizabeth, and for your very kind comments! So glad to know you enjoy the stories... I've lots more planned for the months ahead
A literal Napoleon of crime. - Great story.
Not quite Sherlock Holmes but incredibly entertaining, have loved her “ Loveday Brooks” books for a while though sadly can’t be found on u tube! Well now they can! Thankfully😁👍
I want to thank you very much for downloading and putting out these old stories and books very good thank you
You are very welcome, thanks for listening Karen
This story is one of a short series featuring Loveday Brooke, one of several "rivals to Sherlock Holmes" who featured in British periodicals in the 1890s and early 1900s. She is almost certainly the first professional female detective in English fiction, and the first to be created by a female author. You may like to hear some of Loveday Brooke's other adventures available on this channel: ruclips.net/p/PLi95qAoufCZKziCYPPNgXcx1Uk40ulkJL
If you enjoyed this story, you may like to visit my Bandcamp page where you can listen for free to my narrations of many more classic stories. You can also purchase and download an mp3 (or another format of your choice) of this or any of my other recordings: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com
Listener support on Bandcamp helps me to keep producing new content like this. I also have a Patreon page: www.patreon.com/bitesizedaudio
Or for occasional one-off support, you can Buy Me a Coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesizedaudio
Thanks for listening.
Simon Stanhope (narrator)
Not going to lie. I was already 17 minutes in before I realized that the narrator sounds EXACTLY like Mr. Peabody!! (From Peabody and Sherman.) 😁. Keep up the great work! 👍👍
Thank you, dear Simon!
Wonderful story as usual! I'm thrilled that out of all the stories you've read, this is the first one I was able to guess.
How wonderful, especially as this author doesn't always lay out all the clues for us (I think, anyway) in the way that others, like Conan Doyle or Chesterton for example, usually do...
@@BitesizedAudio it was the 144,000 that clued me in; I won't say more :), I don't want to be a spoiler.
Thank you:))) 👍
Great little story. Thank you for bringing it to life and to our attention.
Interesting story and excellent narration as always
Thank you!
Excellent
I love this short story 💗
Love... Thank you!
Thanks KiKi
Perfectly done
Thank you Cynthia, appreciated
Super story, beautifully read as always ❤️
Really good, many thanks 🙏
Thank you for an enjoyable story.
You're most welcome!
Very enjoyable, as usual the narration and sound quality superb. thank you
Gem after gem , now up to date ( in fact I listened to this one twice ) my thanks as always RNK
Excellent, glad to know that. This week's offering is slightly delayed due to various circumstances... but hoping it'll be ready mid-week
Listening to this wonderful story with it's droll moments and perfect execution (by Simon) salvaged a truly dreary rainy afternoon. Thank you so much. Cheers Pat in New Jersey.
Glad to know that, thank you Pat!
Well narrated, thank you Simon. Best wishes from Adelaide; South Australia🇦🇺💐
Great narrator.
Thoughly enjoyable. Thanks. Always a pleasure listening too you read. ☺️👵🏻🇦🇺
Very kind of you to say so, thank you!
I enjoyed the last of her stories so much and I thought I’d found them all but I haven’t, I’ve got this beauty to listen to and I would really appreciate it if you would be able to get anymore by the same author, especially these characters! Thank you Simon! I am a huge fan!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Excellent, glad to know that. Yes, I'm hoping to complete the series. There are seven stories in all and I've done three so far, so almost half way! I'm working on some other detective and ghost stories just at the moment, but will certainly try to get back to Loveday before too long...
@@BitesizedAudio this is very much appreciated! I hope to come into some money soon and when I do I will not fail to reward you! Deservedly so!
Most enjoyable
Thanks.
it would be lovely if you could do audio bios for each of the lesser known authors so we got to know them a little better, the lady writers in particular as i think the path to the page for them may have been as long and twisty as their stories!
That's an interesting suggestion, thank you. I don't know if you've seen, but I do put a biography and notes about the authors and the story in the video descriptions (I know they're not always very visible depending on individual devices)... I hadn't considered recording them - I'm usually tired of the sound of my own voice by the time I finish recording the story! - but I'll give it some thought as a future project. Thanks Rachel!
@@BitesizedAudio if you do single author playlists a bio might serve as a forward thank you for your kind work x
More Loveday please! Too bad there are only 7.
Thanks Sandra. I have another Loveday story in development at the moment, hoping to record it in the coming weeks...
Dense as a London fog! (Am I right?) Negotiated expertly, however, by the intrepid mind and magisterial voice (I borrowed magisterial from Peter Chalon - see below) of Simon Stanhope! Very enjoyable! Thank you! 🙏🏼
Very kind, thank you Rachel!
I wonder how much of this is based on real history
What is it Loveday says at about 1:20? "...fasten them instead on the daily paper, and set my brain,___" ? It sounds like "connermoray", but it's not one in my vocabulary, and I don't know the spelling to look it up!
Hello Sandi. It's an Italian phrase, "con amore", which is sometimes used in music to direct how it should be played. It basically means "with love" or "tenderly". www.dictionary.com/browse/con-amore
So in this context Loveday is basically saying that although she's on holiday and not investigating professionally, she's looking into this case on her own behalf, for the love of it, because it interests her. Mr Clampe uses the same phrase back at her when he's trying to persuade her to help him. I hope that helps!
@@BitesizedAudio Thank you so much Simon! It's been many many years since I've studied music, but I should have picked that one up!
💕💕💕💕💕💕
Thanks!
Thank you for your support!
👍👍👍👍👍🎤📙📖
Yes sir 😂
End-of-days preachers obsessed with the “144,000” still cause an awful lot of trouble. Just think of the worst one recently: Chad Daybell.
💙🎙📚💙
A cult always project the end of the world.
This story seems to go backwards and leave out alot.
I think I know what you mean. This author doesn't quite play fair at times, I think, holding back some information in a way which Conan Doyle, for example, and others rarely do.
Why does this story remind me of tDump?
Sorry Simon, but the way you read sounds like you’re snapping the words rather than portraying a story.
What a monotone voice. Couldn't listen to more than 3 mins.