Showing results by author "Arthur B. Reeve" in All Categories

Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard was made to look a fool in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Now he gets his own back, introducing 16 tales of detectives whose abilities rival that of the great Sherlock Holmes.

In the introduction to this selection of tales of the macabre, anthologist Arthur Reeve writes: "What is the fascination we feel for the mystery of the ghost story? Man is incurably fascinated by the mysterious. If all the ghost stories of the ages were blotted out, man would invent new ones. For, do we not all stand in awe of that which we cannot explain, of that which, if it is not in our own experience, is certainly recorded in the experience of others, of that of which we know and can know nothing?"

When tragically beautiful movie star Stella Lamar drops dead in the middle of a scene being filmed in the home of banker and film financier Emery Phelps, Scientific Detective Craig Kennedy is called in to find how and why she died. Little does he know that this profound film mystery will pit him against an "archscoundrel of highest intelligence and downright cleverness."

"The Poisoned Pen" is a collection of twelve of Professor Kennedy's adventures. In these, Reeve uses the newest technologies of the early 1900s, which were nothing short of revolutionary for the time. The title story for example features the use of special inks, some appearing and others disappearing in sunlight, making the pursuit of a murderer incredibly difficult for the professor. Each story offers a fascinating look at life in the early 20th century, as well as being loaded with adventure, action, and mystery.

"The Campaign Grafter", a short story published in 1912, tells the tale of Professor Graig Kennedy and his assistant Walter Jameson coming to the aid of a politician troubled by an incriminating photograph.

A railroad vice president and his chauffeur are struck with sudden and mysterious seizures on their way to work; a family in New York City suffers from a dangerous disease; the healthy American consul in the Virgin Islands collapses and dies without explanation; a Wall Street speculator is apparently stabbed to death with a rubber dagger. When facing an unsolvable mystery that defies all easy explanation, Professor Craig Kennedy, armed with his knowledge of chemistry, technology, and Freudian psychology, is just the man for the job.

Professor Craig Kennedy and his loyal sidekick, newspaper reporter Walter Jameson, first learn of the Clutching Hand and his gang when they investigate a string of murders involving the policyholders of Taylor Dodge's insurance company. After receiving a threatening note, Dodge himself is robbed and killed, and his daughter, Elaine, turns to Kennedy for help. Using the latest advances in forensic science, the professor uncovers the exotic and deadly scheme behind the murders. But when the Clutching Hand and his band of evildoers kidnap Elaine, Kennedy must leap into action.

Sometimes called "the American Sherlock Holmes", Professor Craig Kennedy is a scientist detective based at Columbia University, where he applies his extensive knowledge of chemistry and psychology to the mysteries that come his way, and utilizes such cutting-edge devices as lie detectors and portable seismographs.

A weapon used to murder a wealthy business man was apparently an ancient dagger stolen from a museum. It supposedly was from Peru and had a centuries-old inscription that was thought to tell whereabouts of a massive gold stash in the South American country. It was said to have a curse on it for anyone using it to track down the treasure. Professor Craig Kennedy, noted user of science to solve such cases, was contacted to see what he could do. Would his thinking prowess be enough? The finger of blame points at several possibilities as to the guilty party, or possibly parties.

Being able to unravel and analyze the findings of others was a rare attribute of University Professor Craig Kennedy. He coupled this with use of various gadgets and devices that were commonplace in the early twentieth century. They seem primitive by much of today’s standard equipment but were actual forerunners to what are matter-of-fact equipment, enhanced and extended in the present day. His ability to analyze his findings resulted in the well-earned recognition of “The Scientific Detective.” He was always accompanied by young newspaper reporter Walter Jameson, who kept tabs on plot details.

Some of the stories by Arthur B. Reeve seem more plausible today than to some skeptical readers back in the early twentieth century. The primary character, University Professor Craig Kennedy, used forensic methods before such criminalistics were commonplace. These include DNA analysis as well as studies of such topics as fingerprints, blood stain patterns, tool marks, and toxicology (poisons used alone or administered in non-lethal potions).

The contents of this book stem from a series of short stories originally in Cosmopolitan magazine in the early twentieth century.

http://www.adfreebooks.com - 1000+ audiobooks, all ad free!Another adventure in the series starring scientist/detective Craig Kennedy, a Sherlock Holmes type of character. This one features family feuds, murder and fantastic new inventions, narrated by the Watson-figure of reporter Walter Jameson.