The Club of Queer Trades

Published here with his essay "A Defence of Detective Stories," this witty and hugely enjoyable work was Chesterton’s first foray into detective fiction. Set in late Victorian London, The Club of Queer Trades introduces us to would-be private detective Rupert Grant and his brother, the outlandish and seemingly insane retired judge, Basil, who is in fact by far the more astute of the two. They undertake a series of bizarre and improbable cases that see them dealing with various eccentric characters, including a Major receiving a very odd death threat and a trapped woman who refuses to be rescued. As their cases mount up, it becomes clear that all the investigations are linked to the enigmatic Club of Queer Trades.