Unlike most Hambledon, these are really not espionage adventure abroad but mystery short stories set chiefly in Britain. Some are delightfully funny, especially Out of Luck involving a conjurer and a stolen jewel --this is the last of the first four loosely linked stories, Handcuffs Don't Hold Ghosts, involving a"'ghosthunters" type of program, and "the Case of the Six Indignant Footmen" which involves a man who disguises himself as a ghost to hijack the proceeds of a robbery in progress. Others are more serious, such as "Here Lies" about the murder of a Nazi war criminal. Many involve thefts or the like rather than murder, which is nice. These are some of my favorite Hambledon stories, though there is a hint of antisemitism in a fence named Joseph Joseph. ( )