The Crime of the French Café
Apr 2020 · Otbebookpublishing
Ebook
115
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About this ebook
Excerpt: "There is a well-known French restaurant in the "Tenderloin" district which provides its patrons with small but elegantly appointed private dining-rooms. The restaurant occupies a corner house; and, though its reputation is not strictly first-class in some respects, its cook is an artist, and its wine cellar as good as the best. It has two entrances, and the one on the side street is not well lighted at night. At half-past seven o'clock one evening Nick Carter was standing about fifty yards from this side door. The detective had shadowed a man to a house on the side street, and was waiting for him to come out. The case was a robbery of no great importance, but Nick had taken it to oblige a personal friend, who wished to have the business managed quietly. This affair would not be worth mentioning, except that it led Nick to one of the most peculiar and interesting criminal puzzles that he had ever come across in all his varied experience. While Nick waited for his man he saw a closed carriage stop before the side door of the restaurant. Almost immediately a waiter, bare-headed and wearing his white apron, came hurriedly out of the side door and got into the carriage, which instantly moved away at a rapid rate. This incident struck Nick as being very peculiar. The waiter had acted like a man who was running away. As he crossed the sidewalk he glanced hastily from side to side, as if afraid of being seen, and perhaps stopped. It looked as if the waiter might have robbed one of the restaurant's patrons, or possibly its proprietor. If Nick had had no business on his hands he would have followed that carriage. As it happened, however, the man for whom the detective was watching appeared at that moment. Nick was obliged to follow him, but he knew that he would not have to go far, for Chick was waiting on Sixth avenue, and it was in that direction that the thief turned. So it happened that within ten minutes Nick was able to turn this case over to his famous assistant, and return to clear up the mystery of the queer incident which he had chanced to observe."
Excerpt: "There is a well-known French restaurant in the "Tenderloin" district which provides its patrons with small but elegantly appointed private dining-rooms. The restaurant occupies a corner house; and, though its reputation is not strictly first-class in some respects, its cook is an artist...
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About the author
Nicholas Carter, a pseudonym for John R. Coryell, was a prolific American author whose work spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1848, Coryell became a defining figure in the world of dime novels and pulp fiction, a genre that captivated the imaginations of millions during its heyday. His creation of the detective character Nick Carter, a master of disguise and a paragon of justice, revolutionized the detective genre and set the stage for future literary sleuths.Coryell's writing career was marked by a relentless output and a keen sense of the public's appetite for thrilling, fast-paced narratives. His stories often delved into themes of morality, justice, and the triumph of good over evil, resonating with readers in an era of rapid social and technological change. His influence extended beyond literature, as the character of Nick Carter became a cultural icon, inspiring radio shows, films, and comic books.Despite his commercial success, Coryell's work was not without controversy. Critics often dismissed dime novels as lowbrow entertainment, unworthy of serious literary consideration. However, Coryell's ability to craft compelling stories that addressed contemporary issues, such as crime and corruption, challenged these perceptions and highlighted the genre's potential for social commentary.Coryell's legacy endures in the continued popularity of detective fiction and the enduring appeal of the archetypal hero he helped to popularize. His innovative approach to storytelling and character development influenced a generation of writers, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, cementing his place in literary history as a pioneer of the modern detective story.
Nicholas Carter, a pseudonym for John R. Coryell, was a prolific American author whose work spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1848, Coryell became a defining figure in the world of dime novels and pulp fiction, a genre that captivated the imaginations of millions during its ...
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