Two novellas from Allan Pinkerton, who set up Pinkerton's Detective Agency. They’re not ‘whodunnits’, but more like Columbo, in that we follow the efforts of the detectives in bringing the criminal to book. I didn’t find the stories particularly gripping, but I hate Columbo - anyone who enjoys the procedure rather than the mystery will probably enjoy them, and for that reason, I'm giving it 4 stars, although for me personally, it only rated a 3. It’s an interesting look at an early form of detection - the methods used would be considered distinctly unethical today.

The first novella concerns the murder of a bank teller, and the subsequent attempts to make him confess, which mainly seem to involve driving the murderer insane. The second also involves a murder, but this is secondary to the efforts to release a woman from his hold, which involve using a fortune-teller to persuade her to leave. Along the way, a couple of romances are also resolved in a satisfactory manner.

Interesting novella. It purports to be a report of the experience of Harry Houdini in Egypt. Although he constantly reminds us that most of what he remembers was probably a dream or hallucination, it’s really quite creepy, and certainly would give anyone with claustrophobia nightmares! Good read - fast-paced and atmospheric.

As the previous reviewer said, the first third of this book is an endurance, mainly due to the main character. He’s self-pitying and selfish, and blames the world and his wife for his poor choices. He deserts his wife and family very early on, and they’re barely mentioned again throughout the book, other than as an irritating impediment to him doing exactly as he pleases. He gets involved in some pretty nasty doings, too. He does improve somewhat throughout the book, and the story itself is quite entertaining. The fight against the beast is particularly gripping.

Good horror story. Fast-moving and with a twist in the tail.

Good straightforward mystery. It’s really a short story, so the action moves along quite quickly. The ending’s a bit predictable, but handled well.

As the blurb above says, this is the story of a wealthy MP’s experiment with a young man. The MP (who’s also a knight and a wealthy landowner) is walking his estate when he happens across the boy, and after a conversation, takes it into his head to give the boy money and see what he’ll make of himself. Unfortunately, he also tells the boy that if he fails, he’d be better off killing himself, and that is the fatal flaw in the scheme. Years later, the boy, now a young man, turns up again, educated, well-dressed and wealthy. However, there’s an air of suspicion about those missing years, and his benefactor takes an immediate dislike to him.

The book has a strong background of occultism, a major craze of the time, which is quite interesting. Apart from that, I didn’t really like it much. I found it very slow going, and it just didn’t click with me. There weren’t many ‘startling revelations’ either. None of the characters were particularly sympathetic, and none of the love affairs (apart from Lois’s) rang true.

The alternative title is more accurate, as this book centres firmly on ‘Dudie’ Dunn ,the male character, and Cad Metti makes only brief appearances - par for the course at the time, probably, but a bit misleading. The book reads as if it was originally serialised, so there’s a lot of repetition, and we’re reminded often that Cad Metti (usually referred to by her full name) is brave, resourceful, clever and beautiful, not to mention a mistress of disguise. The story itself is a bit dull, although there are some entertaining scenes.

A jungle adventure, the book centres on the rather mysterious Tarzan-like Ki-Gor and his beautiful mate, Helen. The two are attacked, and Helen is captured to be sacrificed to the Serpent God. Needless to say, the doughty Ki-Gor, heedless of his serious injuries, goes to her rescue with his band of stalwart heroes

This is more of a romance than an adventure - at the time, ‘adventuress’ was used to mean a woman who was a bit ‘fast’. Nevertheless, Anna does take on the adventure of moving from Paris to London, and finding a way to make her own living. She’s brave, resourceful, and a thoroughly good egg. Even her sister, Annabel, who starts the books as a rather vain and shallow woman, learns what really matters, and becomes a far more sympathetic character.

Reflecting the era’s fascination with all things Egyptian, this is a fast-moving adventure/horror/mystery. As the book progresses, it’s clear that the real hero is Dr Cairn, a famed Egyptologist and doctor. The middle-aged doctor is portrayed as a healthy, adventurous and brave, as well as very learned man, a refreshing change from our own youth-obsessed era. Indeed, he’s far better in a tight spot than many of the younger characters.

Yes, as an earlier reviewer said, the ending does let it down. So too do the scenes that should have been a counterpoint to the mysticism but were even more unbelievable, such as the endless refusals by the father to discuss his suspicions, and the stubborn refusal by the son to quit his chambers and go back to his dad’s house in safety. Nevertheless, it’s a rollicking adventure, and an exciting read.