
A quiet English parish is thrown into turmoil when Reverend Norton Homfray, a learned but grieving rector, spots a familiar stranger seated in his church pew—a man who, according to all records, died far away in New York a year and a half earlier. The sight haunts the clergyman, stirring memories of love lost and an unsettling fear that something beyond the ordinary has entered his sanctuary.
Norton’s son, Roddy, a mining engineer with a passion for early wireless experiments, keeps a delicate crystal‑receiver and a pair of telephones in his study. The device can capture distant stations and even the faint crackle of ships at sea, a marvel that fascinates the community. As the rector wrestles with the mystery of the vanished stranger, the strange apparatus hints at a connection between the supernatural sighting and the invisible world of radio waves, pulling the Homfray family into a puzzling intrigue that threatens to shatter their peaceful lives.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (388K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
Release date
2012-10-25
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1864–1927
A hugely popular early master of spy fiction, he turned fears of invasion and international intrigue into fast-moving stories that gripped readers before the First World War. His books helped shape the mood of his age, mixing journalism, suspense, and a flair for dramatic danger.
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