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The Talleyrand Maxim
The Talleyrand Maxim
"A crackerjack mystery tale; the story of Linford Pratt, who earnestly desired to get on in life, by hook or by crook--with no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy."--Knickerbocker Press.
Book Excerpt
the wasted hand which had dropped helplessly at his side. He had evidently died without a sound or a movement--died as quietly as he would have gone to sleep. Indeed, he looked as if he had just laid his old head against the padding of the chair and dropped asleep, and Pratt, who had seen death before, knew that he would never wake again. He waited a moment, listening in the silence. Once he touched the old man's hand; once, he bent nearer, still listening. And then, without hesitation, and with fingers that remained as steady as if nothing had happened, he unbuttoned Antony Bartle's coat, and drew a folded paper from the inner pocket.
CHAPTER II
IN TRUST
As quietly and composedly as if he were discharging the most ordinary of his daily duties, Pratt unfolded the document, and went close to the solitary gas jet above Eldrick's desk. What he held in his hand was a half-sheet of ruled foolscap paper, closely covered with writing,
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Readers reviews
4.3
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A great story, a clever and complexe plot with a bit of romance.
Strong and industrious characters that always have some last trick to try on
their adversaries.
Probably, the best of the author. I've read another book of him, a clever story but dully narrated, and downloaded this one almost by mistake, without recognizing the name, and while in this one the narrative is just acceptable, the rhytm is so much better and some twists of the intrigue
are impressive.
Strong and industrious characters that always have some last trick to try on
their adversaries.
Probably, the best of the author. I've read another book of him, a clever story but dully narrated, and downloaded this one almost by mistake, without recognizing the name, and while in this one the narrative is just acceptable, the rhytm is so much better and some twists of the intrigue
are impressive.
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An opportunistic law clerk finds a means of blackmailing a newly wealthy woman. Will he get away with it?Not quite either a thriller or a procedural, this crime novel is nevertheless one where the reader knows all and waits to see whether the characters will find out. It also suffers from the lack of a strong central character. That said, it reads well, and the ending comes as a bit of a surprise.
02/17/2015
One of the best crime novels I have found on this site. Not really a "mystery", as the crimes are clearly portrayed. The four-way game between the intelligent criminal, peripheral criminals, pursuers, and victims is brilliantly written. I agree with the "6 star" comment, this book really stands out.
07/25/2014
If I could give this one 6 stars I would. It was good from beginning til the end.
12/10/2012
Good, fast-paced crime story that's not a "whodunit" but a "will he be found out?" kind of tale. The characters were interesting, too. Worth reading.
01/18/2012
This story centres on a missing will - the inheritance goes to the nearest relations of a factory owner after he and both witnesses are killed in an accident, but the will later turns up, and is found by the Linford Pratt mentioned in the blurb above. I’m usually not very keen on books that reveal the criminal’s identity, but I enjoyed this, even though there were a few holes in it. It has romance, intrigue, money and murder - good ingredients for a crime (if not exactly mystery) novel.
10/24/2011