Master tales of mystery, Volume 1 (of 3)

Description

"Master tales of mystery, Volume 1 (of 3)" by Francis J. Reynolds is a collection of mystery short stories written in the early 20th century. The anthology gathers notable contemporary authors to deliver puzzle-driven crime and suspense tales, opening with Anna Katharine Green’s “Room No. 3,” and promises compact cases, rising peril, and clever unravelings. The opening of the collection presents an editor’s introduction celebrating “problem or mystery tales,” a contents list of featured writers, and then launches into Green’s “Room No. 3.” At Three Forks Tavern, Miss Demarest insists her mother spent the night there, while the landlord Quimby, his wife, and clerk Jake deny it and claim the mother died by accident in the nearby woods; the register is blank and the room’s wallpaper doesn’t match Demarest’s memory. Deputy Hammersmith remains suspicious, spends the night in the disputed Room 3, survives a deliberately set fire, rescues the maid Huldah while shots are fired at him, and discovers beneath the blue paper a layer of pink scrolls matching Demarest’s description. With Quimby and his wife missing, Jake seized, and Mrs. Quimby reappearing deranged with a stolen diamond chain, Huldah—spurred by jealousy—admits the room was secretly repapered, exposing a house plot of theft and cover‑up and validating Demarest’s account, setting the stage for further inquiry. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Fiction
• Detective and mystery stories
• PN