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- J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher
- The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation
Chapters
36 totalI THE MIDNIGHT RIDE - II THE DEAD MAN - III THE SHOE BUCKLE - IV MR. FRANKLIN FULLAWAY - V THE NASTIRSEVITCH JEWELS - VI THE PRIMA DONNA'S PORTRAIT - VII THE FRANTIC IMPRESARIO - VIII THE JEWEL BOX - IX THE LADY'S MAID'S MOTHER - X THE SECOND MURDER - XI THE RUSSIAN BANK-NOTES - XII THE THIRD MURDER - XIII AMBLER APPLEYARD - XIV FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS REWARD - XV THE BAYSWATER BOARDING-HOUSE - XVI MR. GERALD RAYNER - XVII THE PHOTOGRAPH - XVIII DEFINITE SUSPICION - XIX THE LATE CALL - XX NUMBER FIFTY-THREE - XXI THE YOUNG MAN WHO LED PUGS - XXII THICK FOG - XXIII THE POSSIBLE DEATH WARRANT - XXIV CONCERNING CARL FEDERMAN - XXV THE CARD ON THE DOOR - XXVI PARTICIPANTS IN THE SECRET - XXVII THE MILLIONAIRE, THE STRANGER, AND THE PRINCESS - XXVIII THE FIRST PURSUIT - XXIX THE PARCEL FROM HULL - XXX THE PACKET IN THE SAFE - XXXI THE HYDE PARK TEA-HOUSE - XXXII THE CHILVERTON ANTI-CLIMAX - XXXIII THE SMART MISS SLADE - XXXIV MERRIFIELD EXPLAINS - XXXV THE ALLERDYKE WAY - CHAPTER I - THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
"JAMES."
CHAPTER II - THE DEAD MAN
CHAPTER III - THE SHOE BUCKLE
CHAPTER IV - MR. FRANKLIN FULLAWAY
CHAPTER V - THE NASTIRSEVITCH JEWELS
CHAPTER VI - THE PRIMA DONNA'S PORTRAIT
CHAPTER VII - THE FRANTIC IMPRESARIO
CHAPTER VIII - THE JEWEL BOX
CHAPTER IX - THE LADY'S MAID'S MOTHER
Description
Marshall Allerdyke is a forty‑year‑old bachelor who has built a thriving dress‑goods empire in Bradford. One rainy evening he steps off a train at the central station, only to be handed a terse telegram from his cousin James, who insists on an immediate meeting in Hull. Intrigued and uneasy, Allerdyke orders his chauffeur to drive the long, winding route north, arranging food and coffee for the journey. The urgency of the message and the mystery of its sender set the tone for a night that promises more than a simple business catch‑up.
As the car rolls through the dark countryside, Allerdyke ponders his cousin’s recent ventures in Russia and Scandinavia, wondering why a wireless dispatch would be needed at all. The promise of “most important business” feels more like a summons into danger than a routine appointment. Already, the clatter of the engine and the flicker of the lamplight hint at hidden motives and shadowy figures waiting in Hull’s harbor.
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Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (445K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2003-12-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
About the author
J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher
1863–1935
A remarkably prolific English writer, he produced more than 230 books across journalism, history, poetry, and fiction, but is best remembered today for his detective stories. His mysteries helped shape the early 20th-century crime genre with brisk plotting and a strong sense of place.
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