The Red Thumb Mark

by R. Austin Freeman

Overview

John Hornby is the proud owner of a dazzling diamond business and when his nephews go into business with him, they are determined to be given their full share of responsibility. A consignment of diamonds is entrusted to the nephews who place their precious hoard in a safe overnight. But come the morning, the diamonds are missing and incredibly, the safe has been left untouched, all except for two blood smeared thumb prints and the inevitable presence of a mysterious Mr X. In one of Freeman's finest, will Dr Thorndyke, the erudite master of insight solve the enigma of the red thumb mark?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788726864847
Publisher:	Saga Egmont International
Publication date:	04/06/2022
Sold by:	De Marque
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	547 KB

About the Author

Deemed ‘the father of the scientific detective story’, Richard Austin Freeman enjoyed a prolific career that saw him gain qualifications as pharmacist and surgeon, pull off a diplomatic coup along the Gold Coast, work for Holloway Prison and then become a formidable writer of fiction. He was born in London, the son of a tailor who went on to train as a pharmacist. After graduating as a surgeon at the Middlesex Hospital Medical College, Freeman taught for a while and then joined the colonial service, offering his skills as an assistant surgeon along the Gold Coast of Africa. He became embroiled in a diplomatic mission when a British expeditionary party was sent to investigate the activities of the French. Through his tact and formidable intelligence, a massacre was narrowly avoided. His future was therefore assured in the colonial service. However, after becoming ill with black-water fever, Freeman was sent back to England to recover and finding his finances precarious, embarked on a career as acting physician in Holloway Prison. In desperation, he also turned to writing where he went on to dominate the world of British detective fiction, taking pride in testing different criminal techniques. So keen was he, part of one of his best novels was written in a bomb shelter. For the first twenty-five years of his writing career, Freeman was to dominate and remain unrivalled in the world of detective fiction, introducing the well-loved and highly memorable 'Dr Thorndyke'. The continued success of this character has affirmed Richard Austin Freeman’s place amongst the finest of crime writers.

Table of Contents

	Preface	i
1	My Learned Brother	1
2	The Suspect	7
3	A Lady in the Case	19
4	Confidences	34
5	The 'Thumbograph'	46
6	Committed for Trial	56
7	Shoals and Quicksands	66
8	A Suspicious Accident	74
9	The Prisoner	81
10	Polton is Mystified	90
11	The Ambush	100
12	It Might Have Been	117
13	Murder by Post	126
14	A Startling Discovery	140
15	The Fingerprint Experts	151
16	Thorndyke Plays His Card	181
17	At Last	208