"Skeeter Bill comes to town by W. C. Tuttle" is a Western novelet written in the mid-20th century. The story centers on a lanky, straight-shooting cowhand who returns to a dusty cattle town and stirs up trouble for the real culprits behind a notorious bank robbery. It blends range feuds, saloon politics, and a clever unraveling of a frame-up. Skeeter Bill Sarg rides back to Yellow Butte to honor the twelfth birthday of his namesake, the son of his jailed friend Hooty Edwards—convicted for a bank job Skeeter doubts he committed. As Skeeter visits old allies like fiery rancher Fuzzy Davis and his stern wife, strange attacks begin: a dummy he rigs at a fenced spring is riddled at dawn, and later he’s ambushed outside Margie Edwards’ house, where outlaw Dutch Held is secretly shot dead by his own partner. At the packed inquest, Skeeter springs a trap with bold bluff and sharper shooting, exposing a ring led by cattleman Sam Keenan, aided by saloon front man Slim Lacey and deadly foreman Johnny Greer. Lacey confesses to drugging Hooty’s drinks to set him up while Keenan looted the bank and tried to pressure Margie. With the plot laid bare and Keenan finished, Hooty’s name is set to be cleared, Margie is granted the Tumbling K, and Skeeter quietly seals it all with a simple gift: “Happy Birthday” to the boy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Saved from Herself; or, On the Edge of Doom" by Adelaide Stirling is a novel written in the late 19th century. It appears to be a romantic-sensation tale that blends crime, blackmail, and social intrigue, following the beautiful but neglected Ismay Trelane and her scheming mother, Helen, as they collide with the le Marchant household and the charismatic Miles Cylmer. A suspicious death, missing diamonds, and a dangerous blackmailer set the tone, while Sir Gaspard le Marchant and his daughter Cristiane provide a refuge that may become a trap. The opening of the story introduces Ismay, sent home from school to a mother intent on trapping Lord Abbotsford into marriage, and shows Ismay’s impulsive night at a music hall where a handsome stranger protects and feeds her. Soon after, Helen sneaks into Abbotsford’s house with a latch-key at his summons, finds him dead in a rose-colored room, panics, and—at Ismay’s urging—returns only to remove her photograph as Mr. Cylmer briefly enters and later discovers the body. An inquest rules murder by person unknown; the diamonds vanish; and the unscrupulous Marcus Wray, who saw Helen’s comings and goings, extorts the jewels and threatens exposure to gain power over Ismay. Cornered, Helen appeals to her cousin, Sir Gaspard le Marchant—recently told he is dying—who brings Helen and Ismay to his estate as companions for his daughter Cristiane; there, Cylmer (Ismay’s unnamed rescuer) proposes to Cristiane and is rejected, meets Helen with a troubling sense of recognition, and the stage is set for intersecting desires, secrets, and danger. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"False face by Ernest Haycox" is a Western short story written in the early 20th century. Set amid a rumor-fueled land rush in central Oregon, it centers on a storekeeper-turned-deputy who must quell campsite thefts, clear a wrongly accused cowboy, and expose the true thief. Sheriff Bart McKenzie drafts Dave Budd as deputy when a camp of hopeful homesteaders crowds his store and a brazen wallet theft stirs talk of lynching. A taciturn rider, Sam, pushes a search that “finds” the stolen wallet in the gear of fiery redheaded Bill, who had been courting a young woman also admired by Sam. Sensing a plant, Budd ties Bill lightly and lets him slip away, then baits a trap by leaving cash in a cigar box and waiting in the dark. Sam sneaks in to steal, shoots, and is shot dead by Budd, exposing him as the true culprit. Bill returns from the brush to point out Sam’s cache, the camp accepts the truth, and the innocent man is cleared. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Only a clod" by M. E. Braddon is a novel written in the mid-19th century. It opens as a tale of exile, class resentment, and sudden fortune, contrasting a vain young ensign, Harcourt Lowther, with his steadfast valet, Francis Tredethlyn. A startling inheritance propels Francis from a Tasmanian convict outpost back to Cornwall, where he undertakes a search for his vanished cousin Susan, disinherited by her miserly father. Expect a blend of social tension, mystery, and moral testing across penal colonies and a bleak Cornish estate. The opening of the novel follows Harcourt Lowther’s idle misery at Port Arthur and his uneasy reliance on the good-humoured private, Francis. A newspaper notice brings news of Francis’s uncle’s death; a lawyer’s letter then reveals a vast legacy and the darker fact that Susan, the uncle’s daughter and Francis’s former sweetheart, has disappeared in disgrace. Harcourt, consumed by envy and self-pity even as he clings to hopes of his fashionable beloved, Maude Hillary, contrasts sharply with Francis’s resolve. Francis returns to Landresdale, revisits the grim Grange, and learns from the austere housekeeper Martha Dryscoll that Susan was to be forced into marriage with an old, wealthy neighbour—after which she vanished—leaving Francis determined to find her. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Musta helmi" by Victorien Sardou is a novel written in the mid-19th century. Set in Amsterdam, it blends romance and crime as Balthazar Van der Lys, eager to prove his long-standing love to the heiress Suzanne Van Miellis with a cherished medallion, is plunged into crisis when his home is burgled and suspicion falls on Christiane, the gentle foster daughter he and his late mother raised. The opening of this novel follows Balthazar and his scholarly friend Cornelius Pamp through a violent storm back to Balthazar’s house, where a convivial evening turns to alarm: the study has been ransacked, cash and jewels are gone, and—most crucially—the medallion Balthazar meant to give Suzanne is missing. A keen but self-satisfied police commissary, Tricamp, reconstructs the break-in via a hidden wall opening and swiftly theorizes the thief is a small, agile young woman familiar with the house. Suspicion narrows to Christiane, who returns from tending the elderly servant Gudule, is confronted, faints, and is further compromised when a black pearl from the medallion is found in her room. While Gudule’s testimony places Christiane mostly in the house and shows how rattled she was by the storm, the scene ends with Christiane protesting her innocence as Balthazar and Cornelius—torn between trust and mounting “evidence”—struggle to believe her. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The magic casket" by R. Austin Freeman is a collection of detective stories written in the early 20th century. The tales follow the brilliant forensic sleuth Dr. John Thorndyke—narrated by his colleague Dr. Jervis—as he unravels intricate crimes through scientific observation, legal acumen, and cool logic in and around London. Expect methodical investigations, subtle clues, and puzzles that hinge on precise technical details rather than melodrama. The opening of the book presents two complete Thorndyke cases and the start of a third. In The Magic Casket, Thorndyke traces a years-old pearl theft and a menacing Japanese-made trinket to a hidden message revealed by the “magic mirror” effect in shakudo bronze, leading to the recovery of the pearls concealed inside a public pump. In The Contents of a Mare’s Nest, he exposes a forged cremation and a fictitious death: forged certificates, a sealed coffin no undertaker was allowed to view, and ashes made from butchered mutton rather than human bone, culminating in the embezzler’s capture. The Stalking Horse begins with a railway-carriage murder of a prominent anti-suffrage figure, a scented handkerchief, and a militant circular left as apparent clues, setting up a politically charged mystery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The mystery of the missing eyebrows" by Stephen Rudd is a juvenile detective novel written in the early 20th century. The story follows Renfro Horn, an alert newspaper carrier whose curiosity about eerie lights at a dilapidated country house, a grim old hunter, and a prowler at a judge’s window soon tangles with the kidnaping of Judge Wier’s daughter. A strange, telling clue—frozen fragments of a man’s eyebrows stuck to a windowpane—propels Renfro’s amateur investigation. Aimed at young readers, it blends small‑town intrigue, Boy Scout camaraderie, and the hustle of route work into a brisk, clue‑driven adventure. The opening of the novel introduces Renfro’s world: he spots illegal game on Captain Pete Hall, notices mysterious lights in the old Hall mansion, and hears a rumor-laced past about Pete’s outlaw brother. To justify frequent trips past the house, Renfro buys a notoriously bad paper route and is christened “Hooch” by the route manager, meeting an odd Scotsman with an airedale named Lang Tammy and witnessing a squat stranger peeping into Judge Wier’s window. When Helen Wier is abducted without a sound, the police brush off Renfro’s report, but he secures a concrete clue—two frozen eyebrow patches peeled from the frosted pane—and secretly stashes them with the help of Mary, the loyal housemaid. Seeking more leads, he visits the Hall place at night, notes evasive answers from Captain Pete, and later joins Boy Scouts on an overnight at Twin Cedar Cabin near the Hall land, where large boot and dog tracks (and possibly smaller prints) suggest recent intruders and eerie lights flicker over reputed Indian graves. In the final moments of this opening, a mishap destroys the footprint evidence, leaving Renfro with only his eyebrow clue and growing suspicions to pursue. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The Copper House" by Julius Regis is a detective novel written in the early 20th century. Set in neutral Stockholm during the First World War, it pits journalist-sleuth Maurice Wallion and the returning heir Leonard Grath against a clandestine power webbed around the seaside estate known as the Copper House. A coveted political dossier—the Tarraschin memorandum—draws spies, financiers, and hired guns into conflict, with the enigmatic magnate Gabriel Ortiz lurking behind the scenes. Expect tense espionage, sharp psychological duels, and the guarded allure of Sonia Bernin, whose family’s tenancy masks dangerous loyalties. The opening of the story frames Stockholm as a whirlpool of covert forces before cutting to a hotel where Baron Fayerling’s attempt to seize the memorandum from courier Bernard Jenin is coolly foiled by Wallion. In parallel, Leonard Grath learns from his lawyer that mounting debts will force the sale of his ancestral estate to Andrei Bernin, fronted by the pushy Marcus Tassler; he receives a warning letter from Wallion, has his pocketbook stolen and mysteriously returned, and impulsively heads to the Copper House. Wallion recruits a frightened spy, B.22, who hints at a vast scheme led by Ortiz—once a flamboyant “Emperor of the Amazons,” now a war-profiteering mastermind—before bolting in panic. At the estate, Leo is refused entry at gunpoint, slips in through the woods, rescues Sonia Bernin from rough “guards,” and is briskly received by her formidable aunt, Lona Ivanovna. A frantic chase erupts when a pale stranger (likely Jenin) arrives, is pursued by the brutal Rastakov, and vanishes inside; Lona fires a shot, Rastakov ransacks the house, and threatens worse in the name of his unseen “Chief.” The sequence ends with the house fallen eerily silent and Leo, now entangled and shut out of the truth, retreating in shock to his old room. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Ikuinen salaisuus : Rakkaus- ja jännityskertomuksia" by Jack London is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The volume blends romance, adventure, and psychological suspense, at times brushing against the supernatural. Its opening tale follows Lute and Chris, lovers in Northern California, whose bond is strained by a secret Chris refuses to reveal and a growing sense that unseen forces threaten them. Expect passionate conflicts, vivid landscapes, and swift, unsettling turns. The opening of the collection presents Lute demanding that Chris explain why he cannot marry her, even as he professes deep love and insists he must remain silent. Lute recounts how her guardians, Milred and Robert, shifted from warm approval to concern over years of delay, while she devoted herself entirely to Chris. During two rides, inexplicable accidents strike: Lute’s gentle mare suddenly turns murderous under Chris, and the next day his own horse topples backward off a steep bank, breaking its back as he narrowly survives. Back at camp, a psychograph séance with Milred, Robert, Mrs. Grantly, and Mr. Barton produces a chilling message warning Chris that two attempts on his life have already been made; when asked the sender’s identity, the device writes the name “Dick Curtis,” recognized as Lute’s deceased father, leaving the group shaken and the mystery deepening. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Lord Lister No. 0334: Onder de goudzoekers" by Matull, Blankensee, and Hageman is an adventure novel written in the early 20th century. Set amid an Alaskan gold rush, it follows the gentleman-thief Lord Lister (Raffles), his companion Charly Brand, and their formidable ally Henderson as they trade London’s streets for the frozen Tanana and the lawless camp of Meadow Hill. The tale pivots on gold fever, frontier violence, and a looming rescue as the trio confront predatory outlaws and protect a preacher’s daughter in a world ruled by sled dogs, saloons, and the gun. The opening of the book paints a stark Arctic landscape where Raffles and his men, with their wolfhound Fang, reach the homestead of the hospitable trapper Jack Brunt and his young wife before pushing on to Meadow Hill. Along the way we learn Raffles fled London for wilderness freedom, having crossed the Atlantic in his experimental “Devil of the Air,” and we hear grim talk of gold rumors, scant policing, and rough vigilante codes. In Meadow Hill they lodge at Perry Finn’s inn, clash with local bully Mike Penalty, and witness the brutal rhythm of saloon life at Bill Rednose’s—complete with a knife murder and predatory “hostesses.” They meet trapper Tom Hatters, fiancé of Jessie Barry, the devoted daughter of the settlement’s courageous preacher. Overhearing that Mike and an accomplice are gambling over Jessie, Raffles decides to warn her father; but when they reach the parsonage, Jessie has been lured away by Dolly Patterson’s message. Racing to the dying Patterson’s cabin, they find the old man helpless and learn Jessie has just been abducted by Mike and his gang. Raffles resolves on immediate pursuit, turning the hunt from wild game to men. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The Arctic legions by A. De Herries Smith" is a pulp adventure short story written in the early 20th century. The story centers on a Mountie and the dangerous prisoner he’s captured, stranded amid a vast caribou migration on the Barren Lands, where their standoff becomes a brutal test of will, cunning, and survival against nature’s relentless tide. Corporal Conroy, injured and disarmed, faces Yeyik, the Yellowknife killer, on a boulder as millions of caribou thunder past. Yeyik taunts him with a stolen Colt while both men fray under the maddening click of hooves. Conroy needles the vain hunter into firing into the herd; Yeyik leaps onto a deer, and Conroy dives after him, the pair swallowed by the stampede. Fighting through the chaos, Conroy wrests control, hauls Yeyik back to safety, and waits as wolves arrive, signaling the migration’s end. With the danger passed, he reclaims the gun, disarms the prisoner, and marches him toward the post across the suddenly silent Barrens. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Fighting for Fortune; or, Making a Place for Himself" by Roy Franklin is a juvenile adventure novel written in the early 20th century. Set around Lake Seneca, it follows determined youth Dean Mercer as he breaks from a law apprenticeship to launch a rival steamboat line with the backing of Judge Oglesby, while facing sabotage and scheming from entrenched interests. Allies like the salty Jack Carboy aid him, as bullies Tim Downey and Rodney Darringford plot theft, fraud, and arson; a parallel thread involves Dean helping Marcus Ellison in the fight to clear Marcus’s father of a wrongful charge. The opening of the story shows Dean quitting the musty law office, rescuing newcomer Marcus from a beating, and accepting two critical errands: safeguarding papers and money to aid Marcus’s father, and carrying an $8,000 check to pay for the new steamer, the Spray. After Tim Downey overhears these plans, he alerts Rodney and Colonel Darringford, the Warrior sails early, and Dean and Jack chase it by stage—surviving a crash—then reboard at Landlock. In Springfield, a con man posing as the builder tricks Dean out of the check, which Rodney later cashes by impersonating him; meanwhile Tim spies through a secret stateroom panel, intercepts Marcus and his wallet, and sets an arson scheme in motion. By morning, the Spray still stands but the money is gone, and Dean, visiting Marcus’s home, learns the boy never returned—leaving the new venture and Marcus’s family in sudden peril. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Wanted—? by Eugene Cunningham" is a Western short story written in the early 20th century. The tale follows a young Texas Ranger known as Ware’s Kid as he hunts the suspected killer of a ranch partner in the border country, blending pursuit, frontier justice, and moral ambiguity against a stark desert backdrop. The story opens with Ware’s Kid in Dallas, where a barroom dustup proves his mettle before he teams with deputy Bos’ Johnson to interrupt a Sam Bass train robbery at Mesquite. Wounded in the fight, the Ranger discovers Johnson is actually Dell Spreen, the man accused of murdering Eph Carson; yet Spreen saves his life and swears he’s innocent. Reconstructing the ambush at El Castillo, the Ranger realizes the killer had to be a much taller man. He delivers Spreen to Austin for protection and returns to the O-Bar country, where an unseen rifleman tries to kill him. At the ranch he meets grim owner Simeon Rutter and Rutter’s melancholy daughter; together he revisits the murder site and finds a distinctive knife. While camping at Hueco Tanks, Apaches attack; fleeing under moonlight, Rutter is mortally wounded and confesses he murdered Carson for the money and had tried to bushwhack the Ranger. Ware’s Kid secures the confession, resolves to clear Spreen officially, and shields the daughter from public disgrace, choosing compassion over spectacle. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"A Silent Witness" by R. Austin Freeman is a detective novel written in the early 20th century. The story follows young doctor Humphrey Jardine as he stumbles into a baffling mystery in Hampstead—first a vanished corpse and then a calculated attempt on his own life—before the renowned medical jurist Dr. John Thorndyke is drawn in. Expect an intricate, scientifically grounded investigation involving forensic clues, a strange reliquary, and unsettling encounters in London’s lanes and lodgings. The opening of the novel finds Jardine discovering, on a rainy midnight walk through Millfield Lane, what appears to be the body of an elderly clergyman—only for it to vanish before he can return with the police. Next day he uncovers a bloodstain on a fence, footprint traces into Ken Wood, and a small octagonal gold reliquary marked with initials, but the authorities are sceptical. Between hospital duties and a chance meeting with an art student named Sylvia, he takes a temporary post with Dr. Batson, witnesses the certification and swift cremation of a “heart case” named Septimus Maddock, and meets Maddock’s intense landlady, Mrs. Letitia Samway. Soon after, Jardine is lured by a false emergency to a shuttered mineral-water works, trapped in a sealed cellar, and nearly asphyxiated by carbonic acid gas—surviving only by improvising an air hole in the door—setting the stage for the larger mystery to unfold. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Lord Lister No. 0333: De liefde van een bokser" by Matull, Blankensee, and Hageman is a pulp adventure novella written in the early 20th century. The tale follows the Gentleman-Thief Lord Lister (alias Raffles) and his aide Charly as they discover and secretly mentor a prodigiously talented young boxer, Joe Mascott, while an unscrupulous banker, Pinkerton, emerges as both Joe’s employer and rival for the love of Daisy Chairman. Expect a mix of ringside drama, mentorship, and scheming in postwar London’s sporting and social underworld. The opening of the story finds Raffles and Charly ducking a downpour into Black Jimmy Stanley’s gym, where they witness Joe Mascott’s exceptional skill and Raffles steers him to elite trainer Fred Simons. Raffles quietly arranges to pay for Joe’s lessons; Simons confirms Joe’s brilliance and sets sights on a forthcoming match with a 500‑pound purse. Joe then confides his precarious home life, his devotion to Daisy, and the coercion Pinkerton exerts through her father’s debts. When Pinkerton pressures Daisy and tries to force a kiss, Joe steps in and slaps him, prompting Pinkerton to vow revenge and seek out George Malony at Black Jimmy’s to hatch a dirty scheme. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Lord Lister No. 0033: De Alarmkreet" by Kurt Matull and Theo von Blankensee is a serialized crime adventure story written in the early 20th century. It follows the gentleman-thief John C. Raffles (Lord Lister) and his loyal aide Charly Brand as they target a scurrilous London weekly, De Alarmkreet, whose editor Röttger and his partner “the Beautiful Guido” extort and slander for profit. Raffles mounts an elaborate sting to expose the blackmailers, protect their victims, and simultaneously outmaneuver the ever-harried Inspector Baxter. The opening of the story paints De Alarmkreet as a gaudy yet shabby scandal sheet that hides its editors and survives by shaking down the vulnerable. After the paper smears Raffles, Charly meets fur-merchant Thomas Spancer, who is being blackmailed over a shopgirl’s attempted suicide. Raffles then lures editor Röttger by posing as “Detective Marholm,” brandishing a forged “Raffles-to-Baxter” letter that suggests police collusion, which prompts Röttger and Guido to try extorting Inspector Baxter directly. The real Marholm overhears, privately contacts Raffles, and agrees to help spring the trap. Next, Raffles masquerades as “Lord Melbourne,” the supposed poisoner of his stepmother, and receives the pair in his villa with Charly disguised as a butler, setting up a “salutary lesson” as the confrontation begins. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The strange house : or, A moment''s mistake" by Catharine Shaw is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story blends domestic drama, a gentle mystery, and Christian moral themes as young governess Gertrude Ashlyn joins the Shaddock family near Hampstead and becomes uneasy about the secretive neighbor in the “Strange House.” Alongside her work with spirited pupils—especially sensitive Hugh and trouble-prone Randall—runs her sister Rose’s ongoing search for a missing child and a quiet current of unspoken love from family friend Otto. It promises a tale of home life, conscience, and providence threaded through with a suburban mystery. The opening of the story sets two lines in motion: the Shaddock boys witness a policeman seize their furtive neighbor while unexplained lights gleam in his supposedly solitary house, and far away by the sea Gertrude accepts a governess post as her widowed mother’s eyesight fails, leaving Otto to wrestle with his feelings. On arrival, Gertrude meets brisk Mollie, sober Daisy, bullied Hugh, and impish Randall, endures a chaotic household, and quietly steadies herself with prayer. Conway pokes into the neighbor’s habits; a marmalade prank hints at Randall’s mischief; and a chance spill from the neighbor’s basket—rice, sewing, and a small pair of mended child’s shoes—stirs Gertrude’s memory of Rose’s vanished little Lester. The narrative then reveals a woman and man hiding a child in that house, letters addressed to “X. Y. Z.”, and a late-night dash to a Highgate school where their older boy, Johnnie, dies after begging his mother to return the abducted child to his real mother. Rose, reading Gertrude’s letter, resolves to visit, while a bank-note mishap at the Shaddocks’ ends with Randall blaming Hugh and their mother misjudging the case, leaving tensions high as the opening section closes. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Helen Vardon’s Confession by R. Austin Freeman is a detective novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on Helen Vardon, a solicitor’s daughter, whose father’s misapplied trust funds lead to blackmail and a coerced marriage proposal. The narrative promises a blend of domestic tragedy, romance, and crime as Helen’s sacrifice draws her into deeper peril. The opening of the novel presents Helen deciding to set down her story after glimpsing a first white hair, a small shock that recalls past terrors. She overhears a devastating conversation: her father has improperly used trust money, faces possible imprisonment, and a powerful acquaintance, Lewis Otway, offers to cover the loss if she will marry him. Fearing her father may take a desperate way out, Helen secretly meets Otway, signs a written promise to marry under strict conditions, and obtains his letter that temporarily removes the threat, which she delivers unseen to calm her father. Over the next days she hides her plan, writes a brief farewell-explanation, and arranges a clandestine ceremony. At the mission church, numb and detached, she stands with Otway as the hurried, hushed marriage service begins, her vows spoken as a grim act of rescue rather than love. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Blue eyes and diamonds by Lemuel De Bra" is a short crime caper written in the late 1920s. It centers on a society wife''s risky scheme to fake a jewel robbery to cover her gambling losses, entangling a straight-arrow detective and her well-meaning husband in a clever, lighthearted twist on theft and trust. Betty Danford, having pawned her diamond wedding necklace and replaced it with paste, begs Detective Harry Milholland—an old suitor—to arrange a staged burglary to “steal” the fake and keep her secret. Her plan unravels when her husband, Chester, reveals he has quietly redeemed the real necklace and hidden it back in her dressing table. Panicked, Betty rushes to stop the planned theft, only to witness what looks like a thief flinging the necklace into the river. The sting is then revealed: Harry had told Chester, they orchestrated a fake confrontation, and the tossed necklace was only the paste copy. With the truth out and the real diamonds safe, Betty faces a gentle moral reckoning, reconciles with her husband, and the tale ends on a playful, affectionate note. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Snow-blind" by Albert M. Treynor is a novel written in the early 20th century. It’s a northern adventure-mystery set among the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the subarctic wilderness. The story centers on Kitchener Tearl’s pursuit of a cryptic radio message that propels him after his estranged brother, Sergeant Buck Tearl, and toward the long-cold mystery of their missing father. Along the way he collides with the guarded Diane and a violent ex-con, Simeon Bent, as law, loyalty, and survival intertwine in the snowbound North. The opening of the novel begins with a radio broadcast to an RCMP outpost that Kitchener Tearl overhears in New York, stirring old family wounds: a grandfather who served the Hudson’s Bay Company, a father–Inspector Bill Tearl–who vanished twelve years earlier, and a fugitive brother, Jerry. Kit rushes north through Port-o’-Prayer, hires dogs, and falls in with a wary, scarred traveler who calls himself Jim; a night-time glimpse at the man’s ivory-handled revolver reveals it once belonged to Kit’s father. Reunited in the woods with Jerry—now Sergeant Buck—Kit learns of a gold-laden sledge, a murdered woman at Great Owl Run, and the likely guilt of Simeon Bent, while Jerry hints at a distant Inuit band led by a white man who wears a police badge. After a tense encounter with Diane, who seeks her “uncle” Jim Durand and denies sending the broadcast, the brothers agree to split: Kit will assume Jerry’s post at Saut Sauvage and shadow Bent, while Jerry heads toward Queen Maud Sea to chase the rumor that the dead do not always die. (This is an automatically generated summary.)