The Red Thumb Mark
May 2014 · Simon and Schuster
5.0star
1 reviewreport
eBook
178
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn more
About this eBook
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.
Ratings and reviews
5.0
1 review
About the author
R. Austin Freeman (1862–1943) was a colonial surgeon and British writer of detective stories. Deemed “the father of the scientific detective story,” he is also credited with the invention of the inverted detective story, in which the crime is first described and then followed by the attempts to solve it. The popularity of Freeman’s most beloved character, the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr. Thorndyke, who features in more than twenty-five stories, has affirmed his place among the finest of crime writers today. He died in Gravesend, United Kingdom.
Rate this eBook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Centre instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
