Historical Mystery Private Detective

THE ADVENTURE OF THE BLUE BELT BUCKLE: AN AMERICAN ARTIST WAS MURDERED AND THE CROWN JEWELS MAY BE AT RISK. A young street urchin, one of the Baker Street Irregulars, discovers a man's belt and buckle under a bush in Hyde Park. He brings it to Sherlock Holmes, hoping for a reward. The buckle is unique and stunning, gleaming turquoise stones set in exquisitely carved silver; a masterpiece from the native American west. A body of an American Indian is found in a hotel room in Mayfair. Scotland Yard seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes in solving the murder.

In The Bughouse Affair, this first of a new series of lighthearted historical mysteries set in 1890s San Francisco, former Pinkerton operative Sabina Carpenter and her detective partner, ex-Secret Service agent John Quincannon, undertake what initially appear to be two unrelated investigations. Sabina's case involves the hunt for a ruthless lady "dip" who uses fiendish means to relieve her victims of their valuables at Chutes Amusement Park and other crowded places. Quincannon, meanwhile, is after a slippery housebreaker who targets the homes of wealthy residents.

When a pleasant afternoon's bicycling through Golden Gate Park with a friend ends with the revelation of threatening letters, followed by a gunshot in a mansion garden, Sabina Carpenter knows this is a case that demands her immediate and undivided attention. The questions her partner John Quincannon has to unravel are not difficult: Wrixton, a wealthy banker, has met his extortionist's first demand, but the order to pay another $5,000 is too much to face. The banker's real problem is something he doesn't want to reveal.

Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services is a fixture in San Francisco at the dawn of a new century. While the future is unclear, Sabina and John know one thing for certain: they will protect their clients from flimflammers, thieves, and murderers, and do whatever it takes to run these dregs of society into the arms of the law. Sometimes, that requires a subtle touch. Professor A. Vargas, self-styled medium extraordinaire, and his partner Annabelle, use guile and trickery to swindle bereaved men and women eager to contact the spirits of deceased loved ones.

With her husband, Emrys, still missing in action, Ann Morgan faces the prospect of spending her first wedding anniversary, and Christmas, alone. However, a phone call from Alistair Blythe, a young man she briefly walked out with before her marriage to Emrys, sets Ann on a trail that leads to murder, encounters with black market spivs, and threats to her life. With assistance from spymaster Charles Montagu and Detective Inspector Max Deveraux, Ann uncovers a major secret of the war. And, with the snow falling at Christmas, she receives a present she will never forget.

Встановлення особи — одне з 56 оповідань про Шерлока Холмса, написаних сером Артуром Конан Дойлем і третя розповідь у збірці "Пригоди Шерлока Холмса". До Шерлока Холмса звертається жінка на ім'я Мері Сазерленд. Причина її візиту — зникнення нареченого. Холмс береться за цю справу, відзначаючи, що вона проста для нього, у той час як Ватсон бачить нерозрішиму загадку.

Інженерів палець — твір із серії "Пригоди Шерлока Холмса" Артура Конана Дойля. Історія, події якої відбуваються в 1889 році, розповідає дивну історію молодого консультанта з Лондона, інженер-гідротехніка, пана Віктора Хатерлі. До Хатерлі прийшов чоловік, який назвався Лісандром Старком. Він запропонував Хатерлі діло в заміському будинку — за вочевидь велику суму 50 гіней налаштувати загадковий гідравлічний прес.

Jonas Watcher had no memory of how he got there. As he started climbing up the ladder to the wharf, he found he was tangled in some sort of net. Suddenly a large heavy object dropped onto him and he fell into the bay still snared by the net, which had also captured the object. Luckily, the weight of the object had tightened the net, so he was able to pull himself out of the water and climb up to the wharf.