The Notting Hill Mystery
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| The Notting Hill Mystery | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Felix |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Bradbury & Evans |
| Publication date | 1863 |
| Media type | print (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-405-07870-6 (Arno Press, USA, 1976) |
| OCLC Number | 1975069 |
| Dewey Decimal | 823/.8 |
| LC Classification | PZ3.F334 No5 PR4699.F183 |
The Notting Hill Mystery is a mystery novel written under the pseudonym of Charles Felix (about whom little or nothing is known) published in 1863. It was illustrated by George du Maurier.
The book was originally serialized in Once a Week in 1862-1863.
Julian Symons claimed that this book was the first full length detective novel.[1]
[edit] Plot
The story consists of reports and letters compiled by insurance investigator Ralph Henderson, as he builds a case against a Baron who is suspected of his wife's murder. As an insurance investigator Henderson is not a private detective, and the novel does not flesh him out as a real person.[2]
The story is a blend of today's crime story and a science-fiction slant on paranormal activity. Mental telepathy between twins and bizarre hypnotic techniques are used to cause murders. There is little detective work in the story; the plot is straightforward and linear. The main exception to this approach occurs near mid-point, when a policeman (Sergeant Reading) narrates some police deductive reasoning concerning the case.
Notting Hill makes an interesting use of multimedia information; chronologies, lists of logical points, a copy of a pertinent marriage register, a copy of a pertinent letter, and a floor plan of the pertinent building.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ [1] University of Texas website
- ^ J Rank website
- ^ Biblio.com webpage, Once A Week, an Illustrated . . .
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