The master of mysteries : being an account of the problems solved by Astro, Seer of Secrets, and his love affair with Valeska Wynne, his assistant / Gelett Burgess ; Edited, with an introduction and notes, by Leslie S. Klinger.
Includes reading group guide. Includes bibliographical references.
Contents:
Black light. Missing John Hudson -- The stolen Shakespeare -- The Macdougal street affair -- The Fanshawe ghost -- The Denton boudoir mystery -- The Lorsson elopement -- Number thirteen -- The trouble with Tulliver -- Why Mrs. Burbank ran away -- Mrs. Selwyn's emerald -- The assassins' club -- The luck of the Merringtons -- The count's comedy -- Priscilla's presents -- The heir to Soothoid -- The two Miss Mannings -- Van Asten's visitor -- The Middlebury murder -- Vengeance of the Pi Rho Nu -- The lady in taupe -- Mrs. Stellery's letters -- Black light.
Summary:
""From the inspired mystic to the man of practical analytic mind, the transition was instantaneous..." Astro, the Seer of Secrets, and his lovely assistant, Valeska, sound more like a magic act than a private detection team. Astro, in fact, hides his powers of observation and reasoning beneath a turban and a cape, pretending to read palms and consult crystals while in fact keenly observing details that most people-police included-miss. Valeska, his beautiful blond protege, assists Astro with his investigations, all the while honing her own skills. Called upon by believers and skeptics both, they adeptly recover what is missing-a rare Shakespeare folio, a missing husband, a kidnapped child-while also solving actual murders. But it is their burgeoning romance, and their mutual zeal to work pro bono where matters of the heart are at stake, that set this crime-solving duo apart"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.