
In the bustling, well‑to‑do town of W——, a pair of unsettling events shatter the usual calm: a factory accident and a tragic suicide. The community, accustomed to its genteel reputation, is rattled further when the Wardour family’s famed diamonds vanish in a daring, silent burglary that leaves the elegant Miss Constance Wardour oddly composed despite the loss. The theft is described with vivid detail—a shattered window, a forced safe, and a trail of scattered papers—hinting at a cunning culprit who moved through the mansion unnoticed.
Enter the hired detectives, led by the determined Jasper Lamotte, who arrive to untangle the mystery amid whispers of aristocratic intrigue and hidden motives. As they interview servants, survey the disturbed library, and piece together the scant clues, the story promises a classic cat‑and‑mouse chase through opulent drawing rooms and shadowy alleys. Listeners will be drawn into a world of polished façades, secret rivalries, and the relentless pursuit of truth behind the glittering theft.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (655K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2008-06-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

A trailblazing mystery writer hid behind a masculine pen name and built a lively career out of detective fiction in the late 1800s. Best known for twisty plots and memorable sleuths, this American novelist helped shape early popular crime storytelling.
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