I became interested in this book when I was researching the "locked room" stories. I picked it up from the Gutenberg website and loaded it on my Kindle.
This was written in the early 1900s. Included in the book are seven short stories: The Problem of Cell 13, The Scarlet Thread, The Man Who Was Lost, The Great Auto Mystery, The Flaming Phantom, The Ralston Bank Burglary, and The Mystery of a Studio.
Each of these stories follows a Sherlock-like character by the name of Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen. In each story, he solves a seemingly impossible puzzle (but don't say anything is impossible in front of him - nothing is impossible!).
I really enjoyed these. They were easy to read, and the character himself reminded me so much of Sherlock Holmes. Professor Van Dusen kept what he knew very close until the end when he would reveal how the crime was committed. In a way, he also reminds me of Poirot. We don't get to learn a lot about the professor himself, but that's not easy to do during seven short stories.
Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it for anyone looking for short mysteries that entertain. Just remember that it was written in a different time, so you're dealing with the technology of that time. Good Book!
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