Missing! | A Loveday Brooke mystery by Catherine Louisa Pirkis | A Bitesized Audiobook
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- Опубліковано 11 чер 2024
- "Lady Detective" Loveday Brooke is called upon to investigate the case of a young woman who has vanished without warning from her widowed father's house, just weeks before his intended re-marriage... Could either of her rival suitors, her maid, or even her future step-mother, hold the key to the mystery? The story begins at 00:01:18
Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio. If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, there are a few ways you can support me (and get access to exclusive content):
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:18 Missing!
01:11:41 Credits, thanks and further listening
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 last quarter of the 19th century, publishing 14 novels between 1877 and 1894. She is best remembered for her last published work, 'The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective', a short series of adventures featuring the eponymous sleuth, almost certainly the first 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 Loveday'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.
'Missing!' did not form part of the original Loveday Brooke serial, which ran in the Ludgate Monthly magazine between February and July 1893. It was printed as a stand-alone piece, six months after the end of the serial, in 'The Ludgate Illustrated Magazine' in February 1894.
Rather than heralding a second series, however, 'Missing!' proved to be Loveday's swansong; indeed, as far as I can ascertain it was the last work Pirkis produced as an author of fiction - in 1894 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 in the UK today under the name 'The Dogs Trust'. In light of that, it's interesting to note that a dog features incidentally in this story, and that Pirkis uses the attitude of several players in the narrative towards the dog to give us insights into their character...
'Missing!' was added to the previous six stories in the series as the last chapter of 'The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective' when it was subsequently published in book form by Hutchinson in 1894.
Catherine Louisa 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 title card shows a detail from 'At the Park Gate', an 1878 painting by the English painter John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893).
Recording © Bitesized Audio 2024 - Розваги
"Lady Detective" Loveday Brooke is called upon to investigate the case of a young woman who has vanished without warning from her widowed father's house, just weeks before his intended re-marriage... Could either of her rival suitors, her maid, or even her future step-mother, hold the key to the mystery? The story begins at 00:01:18
This is one of a series of stories 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: ua-cam.com/play/PLi95qAoufCZKziCYPPNgXcx1Uk40ulkJL.html
Or for more Victorian and Edwardian detective adventures, you may enjoy my "Rivals of Sherlock Holmes" playlist:
ua-cam.com/play/PLi95qAoufCZL5tiXECltwXUI2QDDFrDHD.html
More information on the author and the publication history of this story can be found in the video description.
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I love "peerless." That is so you, Simon!
@@stewartlancaster6155 We need to make sure Simon knows about this
Thanks for letting me know, Stewart. I just had a look and can't see it, perhaps they've taken it down (I hope so!). A lot of these channels seem to be springing up these days
Your readings are peerless, absolutely first class. I saw your post about this a couple of days ago and commented how much I was looking forward to it. And now it's here. I consider myself lucky. Thank you Simon.
Dear @Simon
Thank you!! I know you work other roles and have a fulfilling life and I appreciate you, but some of us have developed an addiction and check each day for your new uploads and cannot particularly function right until we’ve heard your dulcet, svelte tones bring an imagination to life in our imagination. Please clone yourself and allow us and the theatre world to have you simultaneously😅❤
Simon, you are such a treasure! Listening to you bring these stories to life is such a joy. I’m so grateful for you, for your endless talents as an actor and performing artist. Thank you!
Endless gratitude for your incredible talents to transport us to this era. Such great literary treasures you find.
Thank you Simon.
I can see that I'm very far from the only listener who eagerly awaits with, and jumps for joy at, a new production from you!☺️
I usually listen to Agatha Christie which I enjoy..but I am also enjoying "missing" very much Thank you..I download as much as I can then when we have loadshedding for 2hrs in the evening I get alot of enjoyment listening..your reading is easy on the ear..from South Africa
As a child spending time in my Grandmothers Victorian Home
Granny loved her *Wireless
We would listen to *Letters from America by Alister Cook
Now a senior I am so delighted to have found Bitesized Audio Classics
I thank you for the joy your channel brings to my solitary life .
Mary Canada 🇨🇦
Ooh, I can’t settle tonight…thanks so much for this! 😀♥️
Absolutely appreciate this! Well done 👍😊
I opened up my laptop saw this, and was thrilled. It is going to be a wintry day here in Indiana perfect for a good story. Thank you, Simon!
A Sunday evening well spent listening to this enjoyable and engrossing mystery.
I get almost as much pleasure reading the wonderful comments about your work Simon.
I’ll add my thanks and celebration of your productions. Priceless.
Thank you always 🤗💛🌟💐💐🌟🤗💛🥇🥇
03
Another superior reading.
Such a twist at the end.
Many thanks Simon.
I have a hour before I get up to start the day.i have not listened in a while. So this is a treat. ❤
Thankyou Simon. Your voice keeps my mind happy and calm. :)
I am new to your channel and am used to reading the release time as being 2 years ago or more. When I saw it was only 3 hours, I had to look at it twice. A "new" Loveday story -- yay!
Welcome!
Thank you Simon for these performances. It’s such a joy to be entertained by a good story!
Many thanks Simon for such a good story by Catherine Louisa Pirkis with Loveday in her usual role of Lady Detective, superb narration as always xx
Ii saved this for a cozy Sunday night’s listening. As usual, you bring these old stories a new life. Great narration, thank you! ❤
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank You *Simon* for this latest gift
Hi, Simon Stanhope 👋👋 I took your advice and watched a Nunkie Theater Robert Lloyd Perry production. It was oh so worthwhile.
This is a very good treat for you to give us. You had me goi g for a minute thinking the young lady died. I have to agree with the detective in that the lady and her mother were both somewhat immature.
Thanks a million for the awesome narration. Your Aussie accent is definitely worth a tip of rhe hat.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
G'day Nancy! Thanks for your comments!
@@BitesizedAudio 😁👋
❤ thank you for another amazing video Simon!
Bravo thank you Simon.
Really enjoyed this.She’s a wonderful character, such composure and sang-froid.Nothing fazes her.The narration was first class and kept me engaged throughout.
How delightful - another Loveday Brooke story, superbly read! Many thanks!
Love these stories.
You have the most perfect timing! Thank youuuuuuuu! 😊
Fantastic, Simon, thanks so much for another excellent story and narration! I've got loads of books of detective short stories from the golden age and 'rivals to Sherlock Holmes' and they often contain a story featuring Loveday Brooke, The Redhill Sisterhood is one that springs to mind. I know that you've narrated that one already and I must listen to it again. All the best and thanks again. 😊😊
Ah yes, 'The Redhill Sisterhood' is probably my favourite of the series... still one more to go though!
Love your story readings, comforting voice. ❤
Perfect night for insomnia!! Thank you for another wonderful Loveday story! ❤️
Thank you for the mini biography of the authors Simon. I enjoy learning more about them and their backgrounds, they're a bonus.
Glad to know that you enjoy them
Wonderful!!! Thank you, Simon. I count you among my blessings
Yay for Loveday, give us more of her! Your reading was particularly fine, when you put just the right nuance in her voice when she debriefed the country police detective 👍
Yes! No such thing as too much Loveday! 💙
@lauramay9717 Thank you! There will be more from Loveday, although sadly there's only one more story in the series left to record... hoping to complete the sequence later this year.
I have read all the loveday Brooke stories and they truly come to life through your readings bless you for giving all those authors a second chance for the world to experience their stories again thank goodness the subject is so vast you will never run out of material 🎉
þancian" 🏴
Always perfection.
I love this era's history and im enjoying every story you narrate, many thanks for sharing all of your excellently told storie📚
Great narration.
Yay! My favourite! Thank you so much Simon, we appreciate you and your gift’s and talents more than you know! ❤
Thanks Maria! Six down, only one more to go, sadly...
@@BitesizedAudio Still have another up your sleeve!? That’s nice to have to look forward to! Enjoy your weekend sweet Simon!🌺
As always, so happy to see a new narration!🎉
An excellent story, read superbly as always 😊
That was a quite enjoyable way to spend an hour. Thank you, Simon.
Yes, thank you! ☺️
So glad to see your notification pop up. ❤
I love these stories. I hope there are more Loveday and also Father Brown stories to come!
I'm hoping to have another Father Brown ready soon... in the next month or so. I'm nearly at the end of the road with Loveday unfortunately, there are only seven stories in total and I've done six.... Hoping to do the last one later this year
@@BitesizedAudio oh, I didn't realize there were so few. I suppose I'll have to just go back and listen to them all a second time then.
Ah !Another Loveday Brooke story. I do like these old detective stories I must admit. I find them far more interesting than modern ones.
Beautiful narration as always Simon. Many thanks!
I'm going to try to save this up for my non-working day on Friday to extend the delicious anticipation. Let's see if I can hold out! ❤
BTW Beautiful artwork. ❤
Yes, I managed it! But only until midnight at the start of my NWD. Still, I consider that an accomplishment of sorts. 🤭
Happy Friday Bob!
I do as I have done before and concur with other's praises of your performances which are almays "Top notch" ! So thanks ever so much for all the work and as having joined you around 3000 . I am glad to see your recognition has now grown and I hope you might reach 100k before the year ends ! Respectfully yours,
Pariscribe
Thanks for your ongoing support Pariscribe. Yes indeed, reaching 100K would be a great milestone... onwards!
Mr. Dyer should not question Miss Loveday’s instinct.
Indeed. After several cases together you'd think he'd know better...
Brilliantly performed! The story is simply marvelous as well. This story is well worth your time!
Great performance Simon. Many Thanks 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😊
Enjoyed thoroughly. Well done!
Oh I just found you again so glad i could not feeling well but i do enjoy.Lying here, listening to your stories.Thank you so much
Welcome back. Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, wishing you recovery and good health
never heard of Loveday Brooke and now I want more. Will check them all out.
Wonderful, I hope you enjoy. I've still got one more left to record, hopefully later this year
❤ great performance as usual. Thank you.
Thank you so much 😊
It's 1 am in central Texas. Greetings, Simon!
One of my favourite Loveday Brookes stories, that I discovered on your wonderful channel✊❤️
Glad to know that, thanks Julie
First time of listening and won't be my last thoroughly enjoyed this
Thanks for listening, welcome to the channel
"..and more to come" is music to my shell likes Simon, and you certainly do regularly deliver!
Thank you for your dilligence and hard work 🙏
Always a joy. Thank you!
Yessss. Loveday is the best--and when I'm relaxing in bed!
Excellent mood this one has. Also good sir; where do you find these marvelous images that compliment your readings so well?
Looking forward to the next MR James tale as well. I’m hoping for Mezzotint and Ash tree 😌
I use various different sources for the images, some I adapt from photographs I've taken myself, or I adapt public domain artwork or photographs from sites such as Wikimedia, Wikiart etc, and put my own colours/filters on them if necessary. I really don't like AI-generated art so I go out of my way to avoid that! In this particular case, it's a detail from an 1878 painting by Atkinson Grimshaw.
I note your MRJ requests, both already on my list! As per my recent post, I'm lining up Canon Alberic next, but I'd also like (in addition to the two you mention) to get around to, not necessarily in this order, The Rose Garden, A School Story, An Episode of Cathedral History, and perhaps have a crack at some of the less often heard ones like Martin's Close, Mr. Poynter, or even Two Doctors (as a challenge to myself!). Maybe I'll get around to them all eventually, although that'd take a while!
Wow. Grimshaw has such gorgeous paintings. Let’s see how much an original goes for. 1-300k. Gulp😬
Such a treat :) Thank you Simon
Yay!! Another Loveday investigation!!!
Excellent Simon!
Thank you!!
Ty Simon for the lovely reading ❤
Wonderful reading Simon ❤
Great work on this!
very enjoyable. thank you.
Thank you Simon ❤️
Thank you Simon for your wonderful narration of this intriguing story. Such a happy ending as well with awful Mrs Greencow, out in the cold and Irene married her adoring Lord. ❤❤❤❤
Wonderful. Thank you. ☕🌹
Thank you Simon, maybe credulous to some, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as always when performed by you, Bravo 👏🏼
Wonderful!
Top-drawer narration, thank you so much. ❤ from Canada 🍁
Thank you kindly
Haven't heard it yet but I know it will be good. You are wonderful. 🎉
Thank you
Simon, I am a fan of your wonderful talents. That said, I loath the author’s reverse construction
It is a cheap and lazy practice akin to finding out the butler has an identical twin recently escaped from the lunatic asylum who is to blame
Agreed. Loveday's done an implausible amount of research and guesswork without evidence or other reasonable basis as a guide.
@kevinneighbors1797 She has a slight tendency towards that in some of her earlier stories, but I think is especially guilty of it here to be honest...
What a wonderful voice❤️😃
Oooohhhhh thank you xxxx 🎉
Wonderful
Thanks!
Thank you for the super thanks 🙏
O Simon im saved by Simon thanks my friend how are you have you been doing any plays ya have to put up some 😂
Marvellous narration as ever, but perhaps not Ms Pirkis' finest outing for Ms Brooke.
Thanks Mac. Yes, a few people have made a similar observation, I do think Pirkis is somewhat guilty of not giving the reader all the information up front!
Yes yes yes thank you😊
YAY🎉🎉🎉❤
🇬🇧 Ahh such a splendid story! I do love the stories of
Catherine Louisa Perkis!
I actually named my eldest daughter Louisa but not after
Ms Perkis.
Rather because id read a book about Queen Victoria's
Ladies in Waiting ( while i was pregnant with my daughter)
& Lady Louisa Charlotte Curzon
Was, i think a L in W or a great friend of the Queen.
I promptly named my child
Louisa Charlotte!
I suppose many people do as i do, when listening to stories about a
Favourite character & ascribe a face to that character..
I did the first time i heard a tale with Miss Loveday Brooke
Whether it was subconcious but i gave her the face & distinctive hairstyle of the famous film star of the 1920s & 30s, the beautiful
Louise Brooks, with her elfin looks, huge eyes & bobbed hair
I honestly dont think i was concious of their names being so alike, but subconsciously i must have!
Loveday Brooke & Louise Brooks.
However i cannot stop imaging Louise Brooks face etc as Miss Loveday, whenever you read a story by Ms C Louisa Pirkis
Thank You once again for your
Faultless narration & perfect vowels!
Peace & Good Cheer to All
🇬🇧👧
@itallia666 Wonderful, thank you!
Good evening, Simon..Hope you are well!
Simon, your Channel has all the appeal of 'Jackanory', with the bonus of there being no homework to do and no school in the morning. (Brits of a certain age will get the reference...😁)
The description of that ring... Given to the newspapers....worth far more than £500, I should think! Was that wise, i wonder...
SPOILER ALERT
I can't figure out why Irenie, the mother, was wearing a plain wedding ring. Was it her original wedding ring and if so, was she wearing it to show her husband that she had kept it, all this time? Did the missing girl's father see it (we know he 'identified' the body) and if so, would he have recognized it, if in fact it was from her marriage to HIM? Maybe these queries were answered and I just missed them?
When Loveday was talking about how the girl's mother ended up in the river, when purporting that Irenie, Sr must have come away from the window and then must certainly have "taken a wrong turning" and I'm thinking yes yes of course, because of course, she had never actually been there.. dark and stormy night, teeming down rain, and I thought she was going to continue by saying and then she slipped and fell into the river and couldn't get herself out.... But that wasn't what Loveday ended up saying atall!! it seems both she and Ramsey each had their own versions of a suicide, the difference being only in her state of mind, her reasons for deciding on the spur of the moment to take her life.
Because frankly, at that point, I don't think she would have done that to her daughter, the daughter with whom she had only just been reunited.
And the part about seeing this domestic scene through the window and not wanting to ruin his future happiness.... I don't think her ego, as described, would have allowed that to have happened necessarily, taken her thoughts to that landing. It just doesn't feel right to me. She strikes me as more of a fight for your man- type, which I believe she would have done wet and bedraggled! She just didn't take the chance when she had it. We're never really told about her early feelings for him, only that he had gone to Italy and "fallen in love", would she have come all the way to England to beg him to take her back, a man who, along with her own little daughter, she seemed to easily part from years earlier? And yet, wouldn't her daughter have clearly informed her that this ersatz stepmother to be could have been easily dispatched with, after all, it would have been two against one, and a very formidable twosome they surely would have been! Mrs Greenhough would have been no match against them, not to mention the fact that it would have been more of a marriage of convenience on the part of Mr Goulding. I did not get a real sense of passion right there.
So, I don't know, yet those things bother me and where is the grief from the daughter about her mother's truly tragic, ACTUAL death??
I loved this story don't get me wrong... But these things tend to bother me, threads and questions such as these, that have come up in these hundreds of stories you've recorded to date, with, fortunately, a great lack of frequency!
Of course, another brilliant read, Simon. This one just had a whole lot of, as I say, threads to it, I'm going back into the past so difficult to determine all the different relationships and the feelings at different times throughout the history we are given for this rather unfortunate and sad, disparate little family.
These are all very good points, and I must admit most of them crossed my mind too regarding this story. I think the initial explanation of an accident is perfectly plausible and I'm not sure why the author chose to muddy the waters, as it were... it's already speculation anyway, because we can't know for certain either way. For the reasons you say I agree the deliberate act seems unlikely based on what we know of the lady's character. I assume she wore the ring as you say to make a point to her estranged husband.
Regarding the daughter's grief, I think to be fair we only get a very momentary glimpse of her, some days/weeks after she's absorbed the news about her mother and at a point where her immediate focus is upon her (sick) father, so that's perhaps more understandable. If she'd had chance to develop as a character I would've expected to learn more of her reaction to that.
It's a shame that there are a few threads left dangling in this one, given that it was the swansong of both Loveday and C. L. Pirkis. You may have seen a few other commenters have expressed some dissatisfaction at the story too! Happily, I've recorded the series somewhat out of order, so there is still one last Loveday story left to record - which I hope to do later this year!
YAY.
Woohoo 🎉🎉❤
💜
❤❤❤
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
♥
Q thank you so much