Jacques Futrelle was a prolific detective writer, starting in 1905 with The Problem of Cell 13 which introduced his famous detective, the logician nicknamed 'The Thinking Machine', who continued into his first novel The Chase of The Golden Plate in 1906. This is a classic mystery filled with unexpected humour - the accent on adventure rather than the clues needed for the reader to deduce the culprit themselves.
Leave that to Professor Augustus S.F.X. VanDusen!
Amidst the Kings and Queens at a high society masquerade, a guest has come cleverly disguised as a Burglar. Some guess they know this person, as does a Cowgirl who recognizes him as her fiancé - they are to elope that night - but at unmasking time, the Burglar runs with the Cowgirl into the night, stealing a car to escape and getting shot in the shoulder to boot. That was the night the Randolph gold plate was stolen, along with priceless jewels. Dorothy Meredith, the Cowgirl, is so disgusted with the theft by her beau Dick Herbert she returns the bag of gold plate stashed in the car to the mansion. The next day Herbert refuses to say how he injured his shoulder, or even that he was at the party. His friend, intrepid reporter Hutchinson Hatch, tries to piece together Herbert's reasons to no avail. Then the gold plate is stolen again, this time found with Herbert in his apartment. The loot in his hands twice, his girlfriend an eyewitness to the crime, an injured shoulder - no question he is the thief. Right?
Professor Augustus S.F.X. VanDusen aka The Thinking Machine, arrives in the final third of the novel to sum it up using his trademark pure logic. It all came together but was slightly more fun when I was guessing myself, because the solution involved information I was not privy to - a little convoluted. However, Futrelle writes with an unusual humour with clever asides to the reader that had me laughing out loud. At just 133 pages, this is a speedy read, a quick adventure for those inclined.
Many of Futrelle's mysteries (including The Chase of the Golden Plate) are available on sites like manybooks.net or Amazon Kindle for free.
Just six years after beginning his writing career, following a trip to Europe in 1912, Futrelle died aboard the Titanic, after placing his wife and children safely into a lifeboat.
1906 / Tradeback / 133 pages
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