Musaicum Books presents to you this carefully created collection of R. Austin Freeman\'s complete works. This ebook has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Richard Austin Freeman (1862-1943) was a British writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the forensic investigator Dr. Thorndyke. He introduced the inverted detective story; a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective\'s attempt to solve the mystery. Many of the Dr. Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine and toxicology. Table of Contents: Introduction: Short Biography The Art of the Detective Story Dr. Thorndyke Series: Meet Dr. Thorndyke Novels The Red Thumb Mark The Eye of Osiris The Mystery of 31 New Inn A Silent Witness Helen Vardon\'s Confession The Cat\'s Eye The Mystery of Angelina Frood The Shadow of the Wolf The D\'Arblay Mystery A Certain Dr. Thorndyke As a Thief in the Night Mr. Pottermack\'s Oversight Pontifex, Son and Thorndyke When Rogues Fall Out Dr. Thorndyke Intervenes For the Defence: Dr. Thorndyke The Penrose Mystery Felo De Se? The Stoneware Monkey Mr. Polton Explains The Jacob Street Mystery Short Story Collections Percival Bland\'s Proxy The Missing Mortgagee Dr. Thorndyke\'s Cases The Adventures of Dr. Thorndyke Dr. Thorndyke\'s Casebook The Puzzle Lock The Magic Casket Other Novels: The Golden Pool The Unwilling Adventurer The Uttermost Farthing The Exploits of Danby Croker The Surprising Experiences of Mr. Shuttlebury Cobb Flighty Phyllis Other Short Stories: By the Black Deep The Adventures of Romney Pringle The Further Adventures of Romney Pringle From a Surgeon\'s Diary The Great Portrait Mystery and Other Stories

VOLUME 2The Singing Bone (1912) aka The Adventures of Dr ThorndykeIn the topsy turvy world of The Singing Bone, Richard Austin Freeman presents us with a solution. The reader is asked to deduce how different mysteries were solved rather than whodunit. Freeman introduces five distinct tales of intrigue, romance, mutiny and murder. The ingenuity of these detective stories lies in their fresh and original approach in what amounts to a tantalising read.     The Case of Oscar Brodski    A Case of Premeditation    The Echo of a Mutiny    A Wastrel's Romance    The Old LagA Silent Witness (1914)On a wet and windy silent night in the sleeping city of London, the body of a man is found sprawled across Millfield Lane. So begins an ill wind and the puzzle of an intriguing stranger in this enchanting Dr Thorndyke mystery.The Great Portrait Mystery and Other Stories (1918)The National Portrait Gallery is the opening setting for this delightful mystery of theft and fraud. A painter copies diligently from a watercolour one morning when an enigmatic musician suddenly appears and causes mayhem with his musical interludes, hopping from one picture to another and giving a remarkable rendition of different songs. But while the curator follows him around trying to call a halt to the musical spectacle, the copyist replaces a watercolour masterpiece and makes an infamous escape. Who is the mysterious musician? Who is the mysterious copyist? And what has happened to the priceless watercolour?     The Great Portrait Mystery    The Bronze Parrot    Powder Blue and Hawthorn    The Attorney's Conscience    The Luck of Barnabas Mudge    The Missing Mortgagee    Percival Bland's ProxyHelen Vardon's Confession (1922)Through the open door of a library, Helen Vardon hears an argument that changes her life forever. Helen's father and a man called Otway argue over missing funds in a trust one night. Otway proposes a marriage between him and Helen in exchange for his cooperation and silence. What transpires is a captivating tale of blackmail, fraud and death. Dr Thorndyke is left to piece together the clues in this enticing mystery. 

R. Austin Freeman was a 20th century fiction author best known for detective mysteries. He went so far as to claim he invented the "inverted detective" genre, but regardless of what credit he deserves, his work continues to be read today.

VOLUME 3The Cat's Eye (1923)When Andrew Drayton, a collector of jewellery, is found stabbed to death and the young woman who tried to stop the murderer is wounded, Dr Thorndyke is called in to investigate. But although the scene of the crime seems awash with the fingerprints of the attacker, there may be good reason why the police can't trace the killer. But not only are the facts of the case proving to be vexing but the discovery of a secret chamber and its sinister contents help to reveal that this is no ordinary murder and no ordinary murderer is behind it. Dr Thorndyke's Casebook (1923) aka The Blue ScarabA compelling collection of Dr Thorndyke mysteries is presented here in a bumper crop of Richard Austin Freeman's fiction. Opening with The Case of the White Footprints, revealing the secrets of The Blue Scarab and teasing all that read The Stolen Ingots, Freeman introduces some extraordinary detective stories to bamboozle the most able of minds. Once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down.     The Case of the White Footprints    The Blue Scarab    The New Jersey Sphinx    The Touchstone    A Fisher of Men    The Stolen Ingots    The Funeral PyreThe Mystery of Angelina Frood (1924)The Shadow of the Wolf (1925)A murder mystery with a sailing theme.

The Uttermost Farthing - A Savant\'s Vendetta is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by R. Austin (Richard Austin) Freeman is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of R. Austin (Richard Austin) Freeman then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

VOLUME 4The D'Arblay Mystery (1926)When a man is found floating beneath the skin of a green-skimmed pond one morning, Dr Thorndyke becomes embroiled in an astonishing case.A Certain Dr Thorndyke (1927) A winding adventure that begins in an exotic, teasing location. Richard Austin Freeman introduces the reader to the delights of an extraordinary jewel heist. Hollis is a retired soap manufacturer, richer than Croesus and some say mad. Obsessed with amassing wondrous jewels, precious stones and bullion, Hollis chooses a strong room to deposit his dazzling hoard. But when he discovers that he's the victim of an elaborate and enigmatic robbery, even though the room was never broken into, Dr Thorndyke is summoned to bring his unrivalled knowledge to bear on a remarkable mystery. The Magic Casket (1927)On a misty November night in London, Dr Thorndyke comes across an abandoned handbag in an old church. From examining the contents an address is found and so begins a mysterious trail leading to the owner and a violent murder. Enter into the world of Mr Ponting's Alibi where threats are made when a will is made known, and meet the gang of cosmopolitan revolutionaries who harbour and explosive truth at The Golomite Works. This delightful collection of crime stories has been written to amuse and perplex the most ardent of crime aficionados.     The Magic Casket    The Contents of a Mare's Nest    The Stalking Horse    The Naturalist at Law    Mr. Ponting's Alibi    Pandora's Box    The Trail of Behemoth    The Pathologist to the Rescue    Gleanings From the WreckageThe Puzzle Lock (1927)Another collection of short stories.    The Puzzle Lock    The Green Check Jacket    The Seal of Nebuchadnezzar    Phyllis Annesley's Peril    A Sower of Pestilence    Rex v. Burnaby    A Mystery of the Sand-Hills    The Apparition of Burling Court    The Mysterious Visitor

VOLUME 5    As a Thief in the Night (1928)        Dr. Thorndyke Investigates (1930)        Mr. Pottermack's Oversight (1930)        Pontifex, Son and Thorndyke (1931)As a Thief in the Night (1928)Harold Monkhouse is usually such an uncomplaining patient so when his brother Amos calls in one night, what he doesn't expect is to see him at Death's door. Suspicions aroused, he demands an urgent second opinion. And when Harold is later found dead from arsenic poisoning, Amos is left in no doubt that foul play is afoot. The inquiry begins and Barbara Monkhouse is soon singled out as the prime suspect. What ensues is a roller coaster ride into crime fiction at its best as the truth of the fateful night eludes even the best of detective minds. Could it be a simple case of wife poisoning husband - or is it just possible that another shadowy figure stole into Harold's room, as a thief in the night, to rid the world of an innocent man? Dr Thorndyke Investigates (1930) A collection of 5 previously-published short stories, all of which are contained in earlier volumes in the series. I've simply included the table of contents for this book, and referred the reader back to the books in which the stories originally appeared.The Blue Sequin, The New Jersey Sphinx, The Magic Casket, The Pathologist to the Rescue and The Touchstone.Mr. Pottermack's Oversight (1930)Mr Pottermack is a law abiding, settled homebody who has nothing to hide until the appearance of the shadowy Lewison, a gambler and blackmailer with an incredible story. It appears that Pottermack is in fact a run away prisoner, convicted of fraud and Lewison is about to spill the beans unless he receives a large bribe in return for his silence. But Pottermack protests his innocence, and resolves to shut Lewison up once and for all. Will he do it? And if he does, will he get away with it? Pontifex, Son and Thorndyke (1931)This puzzling plot is related by two different characters: messenger boy Jasper Gray, who experiences several strange adventures, and Dr Jervis, friend of Dr Thorndyke. Dr Thorndyke is investigating a terrible crime, the solving of which remains elusive because of key facts remaining unknown. He needs the facts to confirm his case: Jasper could complete the blank spaces if only Thorndyke were aware of his existence.

Mr Pottermack is a law abiding, settled, homebody who has nothing to hide until the appearance of the shadowy Lewison, a gambler and blackmailer with an incredible story. It appears that Pottermack is in fact a runaway prisoner, convicted of fraud and Lewison is about to spill the beans, unless he receives a large bribe in return for his silence. But Pottermack protests his innocence, and resolves to shut Lewison up once and for all. Will he do it? And if he does, will he get away with it?

VOLUME 6When Rogues Fall Out (1932)Dr. Thorndyke Intervenes (1933)For the Defence: Dr. Thorndyke (1934)The Penrose Mystery (1936)When Rogues Fall Out (1932) aka Dr Thorndyke's DiscoveryMeet Mr Toke, a dubious connoisseur of fine antiques who deals in fabulous objets d'art and doesn't mind how he acquires them. From stealing bejewelled necklaces to rare antique clocks, Mr Toke cons a host of gullible individuals out of priceless heirlooms. But then he meets Mr Arthur Hughes and before long, the scam spirals out of control. Then there's the case of the murdered Inspector Badger. Will Dr Thorndyke be able to solve the crime with his legendary incisive rationale? When Rogues Fall Out incorporates some wonderful conundrums to hoodwink and hinder the most clued of crime readers.Dr Thorndyke Intervenes (1933)In DR. THORNDYKE INTERVENES, the famous medico-legal sleuth, Dr. Thorndyke, unravels one of the most intricate and thrilling cases of his entire career. It all started in a comparatively innocuous manner. Mr. Christopher Pippet, an American gentleman, is bringing suit to presume the death of the Earl of Winsborough, to whose title and estates he claims to be heir presumptive. But Mr. Pippet is unfortunate in his choice of a legal advisor and falls into the hands of a shady lawyer who tries to fake the evidence and thereby exposes himself to a criminal charge. Dr. Thorndyke is consulted. He suspects the lawyer's intentions, but finds more than he expected. He is looking for a fraud, and not only detects this, but also discovers a clue to a notorious robbery, and later, to a mysterious murder. Meanwhile, the peerage claim is settled; but, afterward, there is a further and more thrilling surprise for the reader.For the Defence: Dr Thorndyke (1934)This is the story of Andrew, a handsome artist living with his beautiful wife. Andrew witnesses a man being shot one night by two masked assailants and on the advice of his wife, decides to remain silent about what he has seen. But when a meeting with his cousin Ronald proves to be fatal, Andrew finds himself suspecting foul play, as Ronald lies crushed on beach sands. And soon, Andrew is a suspect himself. The Penrose Mystery (1936)Penrose is an eccentric old man in possession of some dazzling gems, which he won't insure. When Dr Thorndyke is alerted to a burglary at his house, a scrap of paper is found with the word 'lobster' on it and two Latin words, and Penrose has fled in panic after a car accident. The police are clearly mystified but Thorndyke in his indelible style is on track, hunting down a fugitive, testing a theory and getting to the bottom of a tantalising, complex mystery. 

VOLUME 7Felo De Se? (1937)The Stoneware Monkey (1938)Mr. Polton Explains (1940)The Jacob Street Mystery (1942)Meet Dr. Thorndyke (Essay)The Art of the Detective Story (Essay)5A King's Bench Walk (Essay) ** This essay is not currently available; it will be added to the volume if and when released.Felo De Se? (1937) aka Murder at the InnJohn Gillam was a gambler. John Gillam faced financial ruin and was the victim of a sinister blackmail attempt. John Gillam is now dead. In this exceptional mystery, Dr Thorndyke is brought in to untangle the secrecy surrounding the death of John Gillam, a man not known for insanity and thoughts of suicide. The Stoneware Monkey (1938)A novel of two halves, this story opens with Dr James Oldfield who finds himself caught one night in a police hunt. When he stumbles upon a policeman, struck dead by an unknown assailant, Oldfield determines to piece together what happened, and who Mr Kempster, (a man who turns up at the scene of the crime) may be. What unravels is a story of ingenious theft involving diamonds and the remains of an artist's body found in a kiln. In the second part, Oldfield engages the help of Dr Thorndyke and together they trace the work of the artist and a valuable stoneware monkey that hides an incredible secret. In the back streets of London amongst colonies of silk weavers, cabinet-makers and craftsmen, Freeman deftly entwines a cunning story infused with palpable suspense. From the father of forensic crime fiction, this plot is chock full of vivid detail. Mr. Polton Explains (1940)Told through the eyes of a watchmaker, Dr Thorndyke is once again faced with a mystery involving a mysterious fire in a Soho house filled with supposedly inflammable objects. What transpires is an entertaining and amazing twist thanks to the eagle eyes of the Doctor and his friend the watchmaker, Mr Polton. The Jacob Street Mystery (1942) aka The Unconscious WitnessFreeman's final novel. A painter is wrongly accused of murder - Dr Thorndyke investigates. Freeman breaks new ground here by introducing a sympathetic and non stereotyped African character, a lawyer from Ghana visiting England.Meet Dr. Thorndyke (Essay) The Art of the Detective Story (Essay)

John Thorndyke\'s Cases by R. Austin Freeman

The Red Thumb Mark is the novel that introduces to the world one of the greatest "scientific" detectives in all literature: Dr. John Thorndyke. It is rightly regarded as one of the all-time classics in mystery fiction. Raymond Chandler, for example, who typically hated British detective fiction for its consistent implausibilities, found Austin Freeman\'s work and The Red Thumb Mark highly entertaining and readable. The novel concerns Thorndyke\'s attempts to clear the name of a young man accused of stealing diamonds from a safe. A thumb mark (finger print) near the scene of the crime is the only evidence against the young man, but it is decidedly damning. Add a little romance, a sinister villian lurking in the background, and you have the ingredients that make up this story. I found the work to be wonderfully exciting. Watching Thorndyke break down the evidence against the young man is a fascinating expereince. Though a person could argue that too much detail is given to the "science" aspect, you have to understand that these scenes are the backbone of this type of detective story.

R. Austin Freeman is known as the creator of Dr. John Thorndyke, one of the best and most successful fictional detectives in English literature and The Mystery of 31 New Inn is known as one of Freeman\'s best stories.The Mystery of 31 New Inn is an old-fashioned, classic detective story. It starts with a doctor being called to visit one of his patients. He is taken to his patient in a strangely closed carriage and is sworn to secrecy prior to entering the room of the patient. He manages to help his patient, but there have been so many suspicious things that surrounded the night call that he goes home and contacts Thorndyke.Soon, another mystery comes into the picture as well, this time concerning the death of a man who seems to have left two, seemingly very similar, but in fact very different wills. Thorndyke and the doctor, his helper now have two cases to investigate and it is anyone\'s guess whether they are able to elucidate both. The Mystery of 31 New Inn is R. Austin Freeman\'s second novel, but it already reveals the mature storytelling and the captivating style that make Freeman\'s works so popular. Thorndyke always uses logic and rational thinking to solve the mysteries he is facing and he is trying to make his sidekick use the same method, too. They eventually solve the mysteries, but not before wasting a bit of time following red herrings and getting into all sorts of adventures.What makes Freeman\'s stories, including this one, even more interesting is the scientific background described in so much detail - the reader learns not only about the benefits of using logic to disentangle difficult situations, but also about optics, medicine and other sciences related to the investigations, so Freeman\'s books are not only entertaining, but educative as well.

Dr John Evelyn Thorndyke is a fictional detective in a long series of novels and short stories by R. Austin Freeman (1862–1943). Thorndyke was described by his author as a 'medical jurispractitioner': originally a medical doctor, he turned to the bar and became one of the first - in modern parlance - forensic scientists. His solutions were based on his method of collecting all possible data (including dust and pond weed) and making inferences from them before looking at any of the protagonists and motives in the crimes. (Freeman, it is said, conducted all experiments mentioned in the stories himself.) It is this method which gave rise to one of Freeman's most ingenious inventions, the inverted detective story, where the criminal act is described first and the interest lies in Thorndyke's subsequent unravelling of it.Thorndyke resided at 5A King's Bench Walk, Inner Temple. He was often assisted by his friend and foil Christopher Jervis, who usually acts as narrator, and always by the resourceful Nathaniel Polton, his crinkly-faced lab technician. Thorndyke tended to have a better relationship with the police (usually in the form of Superintendent Miller) thanSherlock Holmes did, despite proving them wrong on numerous occasions. Thorndyke, although tall, athletic, handsome and clever, never married.VOLUME 1The Red Thumb Mark (1907)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? John Thordyke's Cases (1909) aka Dr Thorndyke's CasesIn this intriguing collection of detective stories, Richard Austin Freeman presents yet another batch of entertaining, clever mysteries to tempt and tease the curious mind. From robbery and murder to mayhem, Freeman takes the reader through a myriad of beguiling scenarios and asks whodunit, with the aid of the erudite Dr Thorndyke.    I. The Man With the Nailed Shoes    II. The Stranger's Latchkey    III. The Anthropologist at Large    IV. The Blue Sequin    V. The Moabite Cipher    VI. The Mandarin's Pearl    VII. The Aluminium Dagger    VIII. A Message From the Deep SeaThe Eye of Osiris (1911) aka The Vanishing Man"...I strolled down to the Embankment, and, leaning on the parapet, contemplated the view across the river; the grey stone bridge with its perspective of arches, the picturesque pile of the shot-towers, and, beyond, the shadowy shapes of the Abbey and St. Stephen's. It was a pleasant scene . . . a barge swept down through the middle arch of the bridge with a lugsail hoisted to a jury mast and a white-aproned woman at the tiller. Dreamily I watched the craft creep by upon the moving tide, noted the low freeboard, almost awash, the careful helmswoman, and the dog on the forecastle yapping at the distant shore - and thought of Ruth Bellingham." First published in 1911, The Eye of Osiris adds the charm of Old London to this fine detective story by R. Austin Freeman. The Mystery of 31 New Inn (1912)When a Doctor is called to the bedside of a mysterious sick man by the name of Graves, a strange and sinister plot involving poisoning is uncovered. But who is this Graves; a man well travelled who seems to have such a fear of doctors? And who is the villainous Mr Weiss into whose care Graves has been assigned? Doctor Thorndyke is summoned to help solve the mystery.