What happens when an ancient legend seems to come to life? The great detective Sherlock Holmes enters the game with his irreplaceable sidekick John Watson to unmask those who commit serious crimes to terrorize their victims. Disguises, stakeouts, stalking, analysis of every minute detail—this is the style of the great Holmes, a name known throughout England and beyond! Will he be able to save his client from a terrible fate in a wasteland threatened by a beast that seems to have come out of hell? All that remains is to summon all your courage and read the gripping tale of the Baskerville curse.
STHE SIGN OF THE FOUR
Arthur Conan Doyle II
herlock Holmes: Is he the most famous detective of all time? To find out, read an account of another of his cases, in which the English detective wittily applies his methods to solve a mystery rooted in the Indian subcontinent. At his side, as always, is the trusted physician John Watson, who assists Holmes with his knowledge. Will they be able to discover who is guilty of a series of terrible crimes?
CFATHER BROWN AND THE BLUE CROSS
G. K. Chesterton III
an a country priest help one of Europe's most skilled investigators? It sounds strange, but he surely can!
Such a simple, good man, to whom no one would ever attribute detective skills, finds himself in the middle of an attempted robbery and must use his wits to turn the thief over to the authorities. How will he manage?
THE BENSON MURDER CASE
S. S. Van Dine
Can someone be an investigator just for fun? Of course! When you are fortunate enough to possess intuition and a great spirit of observation, you can find yourself shadowing the authorities as a detective, and with some success too! Read the story of the rich, young gentleman who one day decided to participate in an investigation and, thanks to his talents, solved a crime that appeared all too easy to guess!
Earl Derr Biggers THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY
Aquiet young clerk is confronted with a heinous murder and decides to join the police detective in the investigation. The detective works quietly, but the young man's mind is always racing and his deductions often turn out to be correct! Will this odd couple succeed in flushing out the killer?
To the magnificent Hawaiian Islands came a young man, John Quincy Winterslip. He had been sent by his family to bring home his aunt, who had been there on vacation for months and seemed never to want to return. The woman was staying with a cousin, Dan Winterslip, and it was to his big house that the young man went as soon as he was off the ship.
But when he reached it, he was stunned: Cousin Dan had been murdered the night before, and the authorities were scouring the place for clues. The investigator assigned to the case was Charlie Chan, a stocky man of Chinese descent who spoke little but did not stop observing. He commented that the door had not been forced open since no one on the island ever locked doors, and this had certainly helped the murderer.
John's aunt Minerva recounted that the night before, when she had returned home, she had seen in the darkened hallway the glow of a wristwatch with fluorescent numbers and hands, and had noticed in particular that the number 2 was only dimly visible. Frightened, she had pretended to go quietly to her room, and then the killer had fled. While the police were still in the house, Dan's daughter Barbara arrived. She and her fiancé, a lawyer named Jennison, had met John on the ship that had brought them to the island from San Francisco. The ship had stopped a few miles off shore the previous night. The woman was in despair over her father's death, and John decided to participate in the investigation. His aunt, in fact, would not leave until the culprit was tracked down and arrested.
THE BLACK PEARL
Maurice Leblanc
Can a thief be a good detective? It sounds unbelievable, but it's true! In the story that follows you can follow the tale of the most famous thief in all of France, who is wanted by the authorities for dozens of incredibly accomplished thefts. But when he unwittingly stumbles upon a mystery to solve, how will he decide to deal with it? All you have to do is turn the page to find out!
IX
THE GOLDEN SLIPPER
Anna Katharine Green
You often think of a detective as rough and serious, but in this tale you will meet a very original detective! Solving mysteries is her passion, and no one knows about her secret pastime except the people she decides to help. Young and jaunty, she has talent to spare, and her wit should not be underestimated! Her way of finding the culprit will leave you speechless. Read on to find out her name—you won't forget it very easily!
In a large, elegant city theater, two men dressed for the opera were watching one of the private boxes facing the stage. “There she is, that's her," said the first, taking his theater binoculars and handing them to the other. “But she's just a girl! Are you sure? She's so young."
“Don't be put off by her looks and age. Miss Violet Strange is the best there is. You must turn to her for your problem." Doubtful, Mr. Driscoll made his way through the spectators and reached the stage, sitting right behind the girl.
Petite, with a cheerful face full of life, the young woman quickly understood that this man had not just come to enjoy the opera. As the lights went out and music began, Driscoll whispered in her ear, “Young lady, I need your help. You see, my daughter..."
“What has she done?" she asked without taking her eyes off the singers.
“Nothing so far, but...soon she may be charged with theft of priceless jewels. Her reputation would be ruined!" Miss Driscoll, he recounted, was part of a group of five beautiful and elegant friends called “the Inseparables." Wherever they went they collected admiring glances and compliments but, as time went on, many among those who had invited them to their receptions or parties noticed that various items were missing after they passed by. Finally, suspicion focused only on one of the girls in the group: Miss Driscoll herself. Violet Strange's attention was caught: “Come see me tomorrow and we'll talk about the matter," she told the man.
