John Thorndyke's Cases

After making his debut in R. Austin Freeman's 1907 novel The Red Thumb Mark, Dr John Thorndyke, "medical jurist", returned in this collection of short stories published in 1909. Each story is very much focused upon a particular kind of medical / scientific problem, and the surrounding tale exists chiefly for the process of investigation and interpretation to be explained. Although a number of the scenarios are highly improbable, the reader is asked to accept Freeman's word, as conveyed via a preface, that he personally "tried out" the mechanism of each puzzle and its solution before writing the story that contains it (presumably without an accompanying body count).

The eight stories in John Thorndyke's Cases are narrated by Dr show more Christopher Jervis, Thorndyke's friend and assistant, and do not occur in any particular order, nor in any strict chronology with respect to the events of The Red Thumb Mark (Jervis goes from almost-flirting with a female friend to mentioning his wife to sharing Thorndyke's rooms). We follow Thorndyke as he proves cause of death, extrapolates from footprints, reveals secret writing, examines microscopic objects, does racial profiling from hair samples, exposes faked evidence, solves a "locked room" murder and rescues his clients from police shortsightedness, deliberate framing and/or plain bad timing.

Apart from the investigations themselves, these stories are interesting in a "then and now" sense, as we gain insight into the workings of the criminal justice system some hundred years ago. Sometimes we are in agreement with Thorndyke, as when he argues for strict crime scene preservation; and on other occasions, such as when he insists that there cannot be a murder charge without a body, we see how the law has moved on. There are also moments when Thorndyke himself violates legal protocol, either to save time in a desperate situation or in the name of "common sense", without repercussion. Some gruesome scenarios and an unnerving case dealing with an apparent supernatural curse are balanced by quite a number of humorous touches in the dialogue - although the funniest moment sees Freeman winking at his main inspiration / competitor. John Thorndyke's methods are supposed to be a rational alternative to the intuitive style of detection...but that's not to say the good doctor can't "do a Sherlock" if sufficiently provoked:

"We only have his footprints," Thorndyke answered, "and this fluff which I raked out of the barrel of his latchkey, and have just been examing. From these data I conclude that he is a rather short and thin man, and somewhat lame. He walks with the aid of a thick stick, which has a knob, not a crook, at the top, and which he carries in his left hand. I think that his left leg has been amputated above the knee, and that he wears an artificial limb. He is elderly, he shaves his beard, has white hair dyed a greyish black, is partly bald, and probably combs a wisp of hair over the bald place; he takes snuff, and carries a leaden comb in his pocket." show less

This book is, as the title indicates, a collection of Thorndyke’s cases. Freeman seems to be “trying out” different approaches to writing detective fiction and so the cases vary from almost painfully complex to straightforward. The degree to which Jervis, and the reader, are included in the process of detection also varies from story to story. It would be tempting to presume that the more complex the method of crime the more the reader would be excluded from the ability to at least share in some of Thorndyke’s suspicions however this proves not to be the case. Although not all the stories are equally successful at mixing ingenuity and charm with serious detection this reader was left with the urge to immediate pick up the next show more Thorndyke book and start reading it. show less

I like the old school mysteries from time to time. Not earth-shattering but clever plots written nicely.

Good set of forensic mystery stories. I also liked the fact that this was illustrated, which allowed the reader to see some of the samples Thorndyke used in proving his cases!

1 - The Man with the Nailed Shoes
Dr Jervis is staying at the seaside village of Little Sundersley, when Dr. Thorndyke comes for a visit. A walk along the beach reveal various footprints and later a dead man. Thorndyke acts in the defence of the accused.
2 - The Stranger's Latchkey
Dr Jervis is staying at The Larches, Burling, at the practice of Dr Hanshaw while he takes a holiday. Apart from Mrs Hanshaw, there is Dr Hanshaw's sister, Mrs Halden. Her son Fred, niece by marriage Miss Lucy Hamden, and expected is her fiance Douglas Winter. Thorndyke is called in to find a missing person.
3 - The Anthropologist at Large
After a burglary the only clue is a retrieved hat. Can Dr Thorndyke solve the case with just this one clue.
4 - The Blue show more Sequin
Artist model Edith Grant has been discovered dead on a train. Last seen with her, painter Harold Stopford has been arrested.
Quite an implausible cause of death
5 - The Moabite Cipher
Spectators lie the route to watch the arrival of a Russian Grand Duke. When one is killed. A letter, a crytogram is discovered in the dead man. What does the cipher say. Dr Thorndyke investigates.
6 - The Mandarin's Pearl
Solicitor Mr Brodribb has a client, Fred Calverley, who seems to be suffering from delusions. Is there a connection to a recent purchase of jewellery.
Dr Thorndyke investigates.
7 - The Aluminium Dagger
Henry Curtis needs the services of Dr Thorndyke as his brother-in-law, Alfred Hartridge has been murdered. Stabbed with an aluminum dagger in a locked room.
8 - A Message from the Deep Sea
Dr Hart asks that Dr Thorndyke attend to a crime scene. The victim ia a young female called Ninja Adler.
A collection of interesting mysteries, with my favourite being The Mandarin's Pearl, but there is no character development of Thorndyke. show less

Freeman was a pioneer in writing forensic-detective-fiction.