Arthur Vernon, member of the Athenian club and member of “society,” has a secret. His father has died and left him destitute, so he has begun a private investigation agency under the name “Nemo.” It would be disastrous if this were known among his associates at the club, and especially if his intended in-laws found out. But he is quite sure no one else knows, that is until his old college classmate, Constantine Maunders, visits him with a proposition he can’t refuse. Maunders knows all, and he wants to be made a partner in the agency, providing “Nemo” with black-mail worthy information on other people in society in return for a share of the financial rewards for their silence. Vernon is appalled, particularly as “Nemo” is engaged in solving a high profile blackmail case. These are the beginning of Vernons conundrums as the clues unfold. ( Don W. Jenkins)
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Genres for the project: General Fiction/Published 1900 onward
Keywords that describe the book: Detective, Mystery, blackmail
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Dimsdale is wrong. This will not be an easy nab of the spider. And although we are all supposed to think automatically of Maunder as the culprit, it can't be him, because it is only Chapter 02. I think they will have to blackmail the blackmailer.
I just love Hume. Dimsdale gives too much credit to his scheme. They won't catch the Spider that easily. But, I won't toss out Maunder just yet. He's unscrupulous and very capable of using people to fund his lifestyle. He's lazy and believes that the world owes him.
You can't talk yourself out of what you behaved yourself into. Stephen Covey
I think Dimsdale was a suggestive name. He was really pretty dim about his plan, and it definitely didn't work. I'm a bit disappointed in Vernon, also. He is supposed to be astute, but is pretty easily duped. And his heroic action was to take a nap rather than keep trying to escape. Also, it doesn't jibe. Why do away with Dimsdale but leave Vernon alive?
Anyway, I learned from these chapters that a domino was a cape or overcoat worn with the half-mask to such a ball.
Well, I think Vernon is a fool for not seeing that coming. He just said oh well and sat down. Wouldn't want him as my protector. Why kill Dimsdale and not get the money, unless the killer is one of the lovesick guys and Dimsdale was standing in the way.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
You can't talk yourself out of what you behaved yourself into. Stephen Covey
In that era people from India were considered to be "colored." Hence the n-word. As I'm sure you know, the "thugs" or "thugees" were assassins.
We see the stereotypical dark and light ladies, with their attendant qualities. I just hope their suspicions of our dark lady don't prove to be justified. I would be disappointed. The biggest threat is that she may prove to be smarter and more capable than the men in our story. I still don't see why the killer did Dimsdale in, but left Vernon alive and embarrassed. Unless he is like the Joker who "needs" Batman as his counterweight.
Chapter 05 corrected and re-loaded. Thanks for finding that. I sure didn't. Maybe I was asleep. Maybe my voice lulls other people to sleep, too. In which case they won't notice the mistakes, then, will they?
I'm still sure it isn't Maunders. But that Ida is acting pretty weird. Is it all an act to throw suspicion elsewhere? Would she be able to carry out the dastardly murder alone? What about that Miss Hest of the dark brow? Is she the accomplice or the ring leader? Is the ring bigger than just the two of them?
I don't trust Maunders for a second, but I know that he doesn't have the fortitude to be the Spider. He's so selfish and scheming that he wouldn't want to work that hard. Married into money but not earn it.
I think that Miss Hest doth protest too much. She's making sure that everyone sees that she/ won't take even a gift, and casually mentioned Maunders as an alibi for herself as well as him.
You can't talk yourself out of what you behaved yourself into. Stephen Covey
Except David and Bathsheba wound up together and produced Solomon. Do I have a will? I think we will set up advance medical directives and then spend the kids' inheritance on cruises. It's all gone pretty much to them, anyway, all these years. That'll teach the little smellers. I still think Miss Hest is the Spider/Diabella. To say that Diabella is the spider begs the question of who is Diabella, then? My hypothesis neatly wraps them all up in one person. Now I just have to come up with a motive.
