PENNY PARKER is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In THE WISHING WELL, the once-grand, now abandoned Marborough Estate and its legendary stone wishing well have become the center of odd happenings. The reclusive owner unexpectedly returns, only to lock herself secretively away in the mansion. Soon after, an ancient stone is unearthed on the estate, upon which is carved a 400-year-old message. Or is it a hoax? Who are the two strangers who repeatedly visit the wishing well in the dead of night? Penny boldly investigates, certain that danger threatens her new friend Rhoda, a gifted, but poverty-stricken artist.
William Le Queux was a British novelist and prolific writer of mysteries. Indeed, mystery surrounds the author himself as to whether he was a spy or rather just a self-promoter. Regardless of which is true, Le Queux brings us a story of intrigue and espionage that travels across Europe in the true spirit of a good mystery. There are shootings, burglaries, romances, escapes from prisons, and intricate conspiracies that may surprise and leave you scratching your head as you try to solve this “whodunit”. In the best tradition of a good mystery however, you may need to wait for the final chapters to discover the truth.
Lord Ernest Borrow and Captain Anthony Fenton think they know a secret - a secret that could make them both rich. En route, they are sidetracked by Sir Marcus Antonius Lark, a woman who thinks she's Cleopatra reincarnate, a Gilded Rose of an American Heiress, and Mrs. Jones, a mysterious Irish woman with a past. Will they find the secret? Or will the trip up the Nile on the Enchantress Isis net them another discovery altogether?
A mysterious burgary of the British Consulate at Leghorn, coupled with the even more mysterious visit of an English yacht, leads to a trail of espionage and underground criminal activity that carries to reader to London, to Scotland, and ultimately to Finland, then groaning under the oppression of its imperial Russian masters. Our hero, fortunately, is a man of great perspicacity (half a century later he might have been named Double O Seven), but even he finds his limits tested as he attempts to find the truth.
Frank Willard is studying in Germany when he receives a letter summoning him home for Christmas and for his brother George's wedding. His bride is to be Daphne, the love of Frank's life, leaving Frank conflicted. He decides to attend, but what has happened to George?
Sanford Quest, the master criminologist of the world, attempts to bring to justice the murderer of Lord Ashleigh's daughter. But he soon discovers that he has just entered a life-and-death struggle with a mysterious master criminal.
Fergus Hume was a prolific writer of Victorian murder mysteries and The Clock Struck One is another great example of his inventive plots. Julian Edermont living in near seclusion for the last 20 years fearful of an unknown assailant is beaten to death in his study following an argument with his ward's fiance Dr. Allen Scott. The secret revealed to Allen during this argument is such that he breaks off his engagement to Dora refusing to reveal the cause. Since those around her seem unwilling to share what they know it is up to Dora to discover the truth and unmask the murderer of her guardian.
This short story by Anna Katharine Green revolves around a plot to steal some goods secured safely within an impenetrable vault within the confines of Mr. Stoughton's business concern. Nobody seems to have any clue as to how the vault can be accessed, and yet access is gained once a day by person or persons unknown, by a means not known to anyone, apparently Mr. Stoughton himself included! Every clerk in the office is suspect, as the devious plot to plunder the vault's contents unfolds.
A young lawyer is called to the house of a dying woman to draw up her will. While searching for her legal heirs, meets a beautiful woman with a mysterious scar. The lawyer soon finds that his search for the heirs leads to some very unusual occurrences.
Penny Parker is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In HOOFBEATS ON THE TURNPIKE, Penny is drawn to a remote hill community by a tantalizing tale of a headless horseman who ranges the countryside at night. While investigating the bizarre tale, Penny and her best friend Louise Siddell encounter a quirky array of hill folk, including a feisty "granny woman" who is at war with a wealthy landowner. The headless horseman seems to be targeting the landowner, who has ignored repeated warnings that the dam he owns is unsafe. The tale takes an unusually serious turn when the dam breaks, flooding the community. Trapped by the flood, Penny heroically does what she can to help the community and to get the story out to the world.
Stirling Deane has sold the Little Anna Gold Mine which he discovered in South Africa. The sale has made him a rich man and the head of the company to which he sold the mine. A former acquaintance from his days in South Africa has shown up and claims that he has the original deed to the mine and that he is in fact the owner of the mine. Shortly after a meeting with Deane, the man is found murdered and the deed he claims to have had is missing. Another man which Deane hired to negotiate the return of the deed to Deane is accused of the murder, tried, and sentenced to death. What has become of the lost deed?
The story about a young man who immigrates to the US and is contacted by a mysterious woman.
'He's one of us,' the burglar explained. 'You see, we are men who have pretty well exhausted the pleasures of life. We've all been in the Army or the Navy, all of us are sportsmen, and we are bachelors; so there isn't much excitement left for us. We've started a Burglars' Club to help things on a bit. The entrance fee is a town burglary, the subject to be set by our president, and every other year each member has to keep up his subscription by a provincial line.' (excerpt from the book)
Humour, crime and adventure in Victorian London.
Constance Dunlap is a young woman who in Chapter 1 turns amateur criminal in order to to save her husband from disgrace and imminent arrest. When this sadly doesn't work out exactly as planned, Constance goes on to embrace a new life. More antiheroine than heroine, she uses her wits and new found talents to aid others in avoiding retribution for their crimes always one step ahead of the detective pursuing her. Summary by J. M. Smallheer
This is not your typical H. Rider Haggard adventure book yet it is full of mystery and intrigue including a coerced marriage, bigotry, adultery, murder and a buried treasure!
This is the tale of an ancient family’s struggles to survive, one woman’s selflessness and another’s evil schemes; Two Gentlemen, two scoundrels and one very underestimated, loyal servant.
Listen as the tale unfolds and guess where the treasure is hidden that can save them all! Summary by Esther.
Is a defense attorney bound to defend his client, or with his conscience, when he knows that the man he is defending is guilty of the charges against him after the trial has already commenced? And if friends hold a belief that he may have been aware of it before the trial commenced, yet they are endeared to the man and his family as upstanding and of the highest grade? Might it not become cause for blackmail, and therefore potential retribution? "The House of White Shadows" brings these issues to the forefront, while the reader learns of the background of the advocate, his family history, and the house in question. The characters in the story, the history of the house, the truth behind the white shadows are all woven together in a fascinating manner to be brought to fruition as the books progress with dramatic insight and understanding.
Mr. Farjeon's style is remarkable for its vivid realism. The London "Athenæum" in a long and appreciative review styles him "a master of realistic fiction." On account of his sentiment and minute characterization he is regarded as a follower of the method of Dickens. No writer since that master can picture like Farjeon the touching and pathetic type of innocent childhood, pure in spite of miserable and squalid surroundings. He can paint, too, a scene of sombre horror so vividly that even Dickens himself could scarcely emulate its realism.
Faced with bankruptcy and trapped in an unhappy marriage, Lady Jim Kaims has to solve her problems alone. After every decent way fails her, and with no friend to assist, she resorts to committing crimes. Fergus Hume delves into the mind of an extremely clever criminal with humor, understanding and even compassion. This book is a roller coaster ride which would keep you guessing from start to finish.
When car-crazy George Ewart accepts employment as chauffeur to Count Bindo di Ferraris, an Italian aristocrat, he has no idea what he has just let himself in for. The opportunity to drive the powerful six-cylinder, 40 horsepower Napier open touring car provides happiness enough. The Count, however, has a secret agenda. Why is he always on the move? What mystery sees the Count Bindo rushing to the wealthy--and occasionally dangerous-- hot spots of Europe? And why must he leave so quickly after? Eventually, Ewart catches on to the Count's "mission." What will he do now?
One evening as the P. and O.'s vessel "Neptune" steams away from Australia to Britain, Ronald Monteith, a young, wealthy Australian is taken into the confidence of a fellow-passenger Lionel Ventin who relates the story of his rather tragic life. When Ventin is found stabbed to death in his cabin the next morning Monteith vows to find the murderer, thinking it must surely be the vengeful wife of whom he spoke who is responsible. When arriving in London he immediately seeks the help of a barrister and a detective. However, as he delves deeper into the mystery, he is mortified to find the evidence begins to point to the girl he has fallen in love with - the girl from Malta...
Student Lucile Tucker works part-time at the library of the large university she attends in Chicago to help pay her tuition. One night, while closing the library for the evening, she glimpses a small child – a girl – in the stacks. Carefully following her, Lucile can’t believe her eyes when the child, unaware that she has been seen, manages to steal a valuable book from the collection and practically disappear from the library right before Lucile’s eyes. This is only the beginning of her search for why this child took this book (and others). Lucile enlists the assistance of her good friend and roommate Florence, a fellow student, to attempt to solve this mystery on her own. She can’t bear the thought of this sweet-faced child being turned over to the police despite her apparent thefts. Enter the world of these college women as they brave the city streets at night in unsavory sections of Chicago on their quest. Who is the elderly man in the crumbling cottage? What is the significance of the ‘mark’ inside the front covers of the books? Has someone been shadowing the women on their search…
What has Manton gotten himself into? His impersonation has broader implications -- and more dangerous ones -- than he had imagined.
Published in 1866, "The Dead Letter: An American Romance" written by Metta Victoria Fuller Victor under the pseudonym, Seeley Regester, is credited by historians of popular literature to be the first full-length American crime fiction novel. The writing is melodramatic in places and includes opinions typical of the time period, but is an enjoyable, early example of the genre. The novel begins with Richard Redfield, a clerk in the "Dead Letter Office," opening an unclaimed letter. Upon reading the contents, he is convinced that the message relates to the events of a night two years prior when another young man was brutally murdered.
In the quiet New England village of S--, a young and beloved minister is found dead, ignominiously drowned in a dye vat in a dilapidated mill. Almost immediately, rumors of suicide begin to circulate. But was it suicide? How could a devout man of the cloth come to believe life was hopeless? The young woman to whom he was secretly engaged is adamant that it could not be. When this young woman tragically dies on the same day as her lover, it is left to her roommate Constance Sterling, a young woman without family or prospects, to determine the truth.
A woman is haunted by a terrible event she witnessed in her youth but is unable to make sense of -- a murder, the sight of which is so traumatic that it drives every memory of life up to that moment from her mind. The murdered man was her father, she learns later, She can recall the murder scene, the sight of her father dying in his library, and one other thing. She saw the murderer. But when she calls that scene to mind, the murderer's face is blank. Gradually, over a period of years, memories begin to return in fits and starts. But are the memories credible, and will they aid her in her quest to put a face to her father's murderer?
The case involves a millionaire murdered in his study, suspicious servants, a beautiful niece, a private secretary and a will. enamored. A Holmes like detective is brought in to solve the mystery.
New York City, 1922—Murder—half-million dollar robbery—false accusation—secret passage—the underworld—a mystery woman—a masked man—a crooked lawyer—stolen jewels—a forged will. . . “Every hour . . . held a surer promise, not only of desperate peril to himself, but a promise that he would find himself launched in a sea of crime, of shuddering things, of murder, of blood, of sordid viciousness, of hate.”
It is the afternoon before a grand society wedding between Juliet Phayre and the Duke of Claremanagh, when Emmy West drops by to visit the bride and to see the famed Tsarina pearls, only ever to be worn by the Duchess... supposedly. When Juliet admits she has never even seen them, Emmy lets slip she has once, even though the last duchess has been dead many years... were they worn by someone else? And who is Lyda Pavoya? And who is the bridegroom really?
A widely publicized and unsolved murder of five and twenty years is brought to the forefront in a best-selling novel entitled “A Whim of Fate". While Spencer Tait is looking forward to reading it, his best friend Claude Larcher, learns of the tragic death of his father which mirrors every detail of the new book. Not believing it to be a coincidence the two friends resolve to discover what truly happened so many years ago and who committed the vile act. As they delve deeper into the past, the motives, the evidence, and the list of potential suspects becomes so confusing that a solution to the mystery seems impossible. Will they ever know WHO killed Georges Larcher????
Dr. Jim Herrick and his friend Robin are on a walking tour in the English countryside when they come across a large house where all the lights in the house are on and all of the doors are open. While trying to find someone at home, they discover the body of Colonel Carr, dead from a gunshot wound. After reporting their discovery to the authorities, Dr. Jim decides he would investigate the murder. Suspects abound as the Colonel was an intensely disliked person. A classic “who done it” written by a well respected British mystery writer will hold the attention of a listener throughout the tale.
Two temple statues, one with the most beautiful of features, the other a hideous sight, are at the core of this tale of adventure and the supernatural. Carved by Chinese craftsmen, they have stood to either side of the great Buddha for hundreds of years, worshipped and protected by generations of priests.Taken together, they represent human nature in balance, the spiritual with the bestial, the Soul with the Body. But what if they are separated? Ancient legend warns of disaster to anyone who disturbs that balance. Young Gregory Ballaston of England, however, gives no credence to such dire threats when he and a friend set out to steal the idols, which are rumored to conceal a treasure in jewels. His friend dies in the attempt and one of the idols is presumably stolen by his murderers. Gregory nearly loses his own life in the effort but manages to get away with the other idol – the bestial Body. What will be the outcome for Gregory, or the beautiful young woman he meets in China and courts on the journey home with his prize? Even before he sets sail for home, the idol begins to prey on Gregory Ballaston.
Warning: Set in the 19th century, this book contains references to Jews and Asians that are offensive to the modern ear.(Jacquerie)
Paul Pickering is a doctor without a fixed practice, and when an old sea captain asks him to join a voyage around the Mediterranean, that's finally an exciting prospect for him. The journey goes well until they spot a most strange vessel somewhere off the coast of Algeria. It is an old Elizabethan craft that looks to have been submerged for hundreds of years and recently bubbled back up to the surface. The men board it and find that it had been hermetically sealed all these centuries, all contents intact. But it does not, as first hoped, contain gold. The men find barely legible manuscripts and a mysterious old man, who appears to be as old as the vessel itself...
A mysterious message on a record is found sealed in a cylinder. A heroine straight out of a fairy-tale is kept secluded by a guardian with questionable motives. Add a murder, a gallant and fearless hero to the rescue and you have all the ingredients necessary to make this a very entertaining little mystery by acclaimed British author Fergus Hume!
Nancy spends the summer with a cousin she hardly knows who has a friend who seems to be a bad influence.Secrets, jealousy and bitterness fill their days until they learn how to believe in themselves and overcome their bitterness when the truth is revealed.
Mr. Crittenden Yollop makes friends with the man who came to burglarize his home and sets out to help him return to where he really wants to be...prison. This humorous satire takes a somewhat different look at prisons, criminals, the law and reformers.
When Cora Kimball got her new auto for her birthday she had no idea what adventures would start for her and her brother Jack.Where did Ed’s money and bonds disappear? Were they misplaced or were they stolen and lost forever. Did the conceited Sid Wilcox have something to do with the missing money, with the help of Ida Giles? And what did the obnoxious Lem Gildy have to do with it all?Join Cora and her friends in this mystery and adventure of The Motor Girls.
Michael Berrington is a bachelor leading a quiet life in London. Overhearing a conversation at his club one day, he becomes interested in a discussion regarding a man named Gastrell. Gastrell is somewhat of a mystery to the club members in spite of his renting a house from one of them. Berrington’s interest in Gastrell intensifies as his fiancé, Dulcie Challoner, befriends a wealthy widow, Mrs. Connie Stapleton who evidently has some type of relationship with Gastrell. As the plot progresses, Berrington finds himself involved with sensational robberies, brutal murders, coded messages, and even mind control! As in many Le Queux books, there are twists and turns as new characters and locations are introduced. When you are sure you know the ending, something new occurs and you wonder how it will affect the conclusion of the book.
On Christmas Eve, journalist Bronson is sent to wait outside of Moyamensing Prison to report on the release of a certain infamous prisoner. His case had gotten a lot of attention, so the paper wants a man on the spot. However, what Bronson hears and sees outside the prison that night is not quite what he was expecting.
Part romance, part mystery, part courtroom and quasi-courtroom drama. Young love reignites itself after a hiatus of some years. Or does it? Much can change in that time -- both to the people themselves, and to the events that shape their lives. The action moves from England to India, and back again, confronting the protagonists with problems they never dreamed they’d have to face. ( Nicholas Clifford)
The Earl of Saxham was vastly annoyed when his son, Guy, fell in love with a “penniless nobody,” and announced that he would marry her against all opposition. He determined to separate the lovers; to which end he persuaded an influential friend in the Foreign Office to secure an appointment for Guy in the Embassy at Madrid. He little knew that he was sending his son into the centre of a hotbed of anarchism, that Guy’s footsteps were to be dogged by a vindictive and revengeful woman, that his life was to hold many a thrilling moment and not a few narrow escapes.
A prolific writer of crime and detective stories Fergus Hume is known for his clever plots. The Turnpike House is another wonderful example of his many intriguing mysteries. EXCERPT: "Suddenly there was the cry of a human being in pain. The light was extinguished, and the mists closed thicker round the ruined building; it might be to hide the sight within the room. Could the walls only have spoken they would have shouted "Murder!" with most miraculous voice. But the age of miracles being past, the walls were dumb, and there was no clamour to greet the horror of this deed done in darkness."
Brigadier general Andrew Tallente, late of Parliament, is implicated in the death of his male secretary, the son of a classmate at Eton. Seems the younger man may have not only been having an affair with the hero's American wife, but had stolen incriminating political documents. A political coup of sorts develops as the opposing party invites Tallente to lead them. Enter the lovely heiress-next-door, who becomes the hero's champion, and perhaps, new flame.
In the previous book of adventures, we met Jimmie Dale, a wealthy playboy by day, who at night put on a disguise and became The Gray Seal, a daredevil entering businesses or homes and cracking safes, always leaving a diamond shaped, gray paper "seal" behind to mark his conquest. He never took anything, but just wanted the thrill of it. This had spun out of control when a mysterious woman, whom Jimmie Dale nicknames The Tocsin, caught him at it and blackmailed him into doing her bidding. On her instigation, he got involved in numerous underworld crimes, righting wrongs and protecting innocent bystanders. The Tocsin is herself in hiding from her enemies in the underworld, and the two of them barely escape with their lives when they are pursued by both the criminals and the police.
At the end of those previous adventures, Jimmie Dale thought he had left off his dealings with the underworld for good, and could settle down with the woman he loved. But now, The Tocsin has disappeared. Jimmie Dale is drawn back into the world of crime, crooks and opium dens to look for her, and The Gray Seal is resurrected.
Beverly Of Graustark is the second book in the Graustark series.Lorry and his wife, the princess, made their home in Washington, butspent a few months of each year in Edelweiss. During the periods spentin Washington and in travel, her affairs in Graustark were in the handsof a capable, austere old diplomat--her uncle, Count CasparHalfont. Princess Volga reigned as regent over the principality ofAxphain. To the south lay the principality of Dawsbergen, ruled by youngPrince Dantan, whose half brother, the deposed Prince Gabriel, had beenfor two years a prisoner in Graustark, the convicted assassin of PrinceLorenz, of Axphain, one time suitor for the hand of Yetive. (Project Gutenberg)
Gilbert Greenwood and Reginald Seton are bachelors who share a flat on Great Russell Street. Neither are especially prosperous but through economies, they manage to live well. One of their hobbies is fox hunting. One night, Greenwood, on returning from a fox hunt finds a man and a young girl alongside the road. The girl appears to be exhausted and Gilbert offers assistance to the couple . Greenwood learns the man's name is Burton Blair and the girl is Mabel, his young daughter. After some food and rest, Blair relates to Greenwood that he is in search of a secret which will make him wealthy beyond his dreams and that he and his daughter have been searching for that secret for years. As the story unfolds, Burton Blair has, evidently, found his secret and become wealthy although he will share the secret with no one, not even Mabel. One day, returning from a trip, Blair is found dead on a train. The doctors believe it to be a natural death but Greenwood and Mabel suspect foul play meant to obtain the secret of his wealth. An unknown individual has been named to execute Blair's will but no one knows why. A mysterious code is discovered, one which may truly be undecipherable. Could this code hide the secret to his riches? Is Mabel completely innocent as she appeared? And Greenwood is warned that Seton may also not be reputable. Once again Le Queux weaves a tangled web of intrigue and mystery.
Young Percy Maitland is a naval pilot and guides his late father's brig to safety, thereby saving the ship, her crew and cargo despite being pursued by the King's excise collectors. But has his father's successor taken over the smuggling business or are Ralph Tryon's plans more sinister? And what does Percy's widowed mother know? What hold does Ralph have over her?
Another fascinating book by the author of A Vanished Hand. Rhoda returns home after the death of her employer to find out that her cousin Helen, with whom she was raised, also returned home. Her husband stole 300 pounds and had to run away to Australia and leave her pregnant. Rhoda has to reconcile her shame and learn to cope with the new situation. But nothing is as it seems. More than anything, this book is about breaking stigmas and opening up your mind to understand and love people, despite their faults, usually with the help of God. Perfect for fans of good novels about crimes, stories about childhood, along with lovers of religious fiction.