Professor Van Dusen, The Thinking Machine Omnibus
Jacques Futrelle
Mystery & Thrillers
'The Thinking Machine Mysteries' is a comprehensive collection of forty-four
stories featuring author Jacques Futrelle's most famous detective, Professor Van
Dusen--the 'Thinking Machine,' who solved impossible crimes.Professor
Augustus Van Dusen, the 'Thinking Machine,' is an eccentric scientist with
superior mental powers. He has an assistant, the clever newspaper reporter
Hutchinson Hatch, who brings him cases. This model of team work was copied later
by many mystery writers, among them Rex Stout in his books about Archie Goodwin
and Nero Wolfe. With Sherlock Holmes, Van Dusen shared an unemotional and
technical approach to problems, but without Holmes' human weaknesses, such as
drug-taking, or Father Brown's moral and political concerns.Van Dusen
exemplified pure thought without human feelings. In 'The Problem of a Dressing
Room,' there's an explanation of how the professor got his nickname: Van Dusen
recounts how he can't play chess but that after a few hours of instruction he
could defeat a master player. When Van Dusen proves that he wasn't joking, and
beats his Russian opponent, the man exclaims: "Mon Dieu! You are not a man; you
are a brain - a machine - a thinking machine."In 1912 Jacques Futrelle
was returning with his wife to New York on the Titanic in first class. After the
ship had collided with the iceberg, she was escorted by her husband to lifeboat
9, filled almost to capacity. When Mrs Futrelle hesitated, an officer forced her
into the boat, and she survived the disaster. Jacques Futrelle and several of
his stories, which he had written during his stay in England, went down with the
ship.Included in this volume:- The Haunted Bell- The Problem of
Cell 13 (The Thinking Machine's most celebrated case!)- The Phantom
Motor- A Piece of String- The Problem of the Auto Cab- Problem of
the Broken Bracelet- The Chase of the Golden Plate (Full-length novel)-
Problem of Convict No. 97- Problem of the Cross Mark- Problem of the
Crystal Gazer- Problem of the Deserted House- Problem of a Dressing
Room- The First Problem- Mystery of the Fatal Cipher- Five Millions
by Wireless- Mystery of the Flaming Phantom- Problem of the Ghost
Woman- Mystery of the Golden Dagger- The Great Auto Mystery- Problem
of the Green Eyed Monster- The Grinning God- Mystery of the Grip of
Death- Problem of the Hidden Million- Problem of the Interrupted
Wireless- The Jackdaw- Kidnapped Baby Blake, Millionaire- Problem of
the Knotted Cord- The Tragedy of the Life Raft- Problem of the Lost
Radium- Mystery of the Man Who Was Lost- Problem of the Missing
Necklace- Problem of the Motor Boat- My First Experience With the Great
Logician- Problem of the Opera Box- Problem of the Organ Grinder-
Problem of the Perfect Alibi- Problem of the Private Compartment-
Mystery of the Ralston Bank Burglary- Problem of the Red Rose- The
Roswell Tiara- Mystery of the Scarlet Thread- The Case of the Scientific
Murderer- The Silver Box- Problem of the Souvenir Cards- Problem of
the Stolen Bank Notes- The Three Overcoats- Problem of the Vanishing
Man- Problem of he Stolen Rubens- The Mystery of a Studio- Problem
of the Superfluous Finger
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