Synopsis
Fingerprints. We now take for granted their use in the detection of serious crime. Shortly after [Francis] Galton developed his method of fingerprint identification, however, a thoughtful few discovered flaws in his thinking, sparking a controversy. One of those few was Dr. R. Austin Freeman, who was inspired to write a novel on the subject. This novel, “The Red Thumb Mark,” is notable for another reason as well: it was the first novel featuring the great Dr. Thorndyke. John Evelyn Thorndyke, doctor, lawyer and indisputably the greatest of all scientific detectives, has achieved a stature unmatched in detective fiction. This is largely because of the impeccable scientific work of Freeman himself, who always tested Thorndyke’s methods and technical procedures in his own laboratory and attributed to Thorndyke his own vast erudition. Many of Thorndyke’s techniques proved so sound that they were adopted by police detectives in real life! Freeman’s work has drawn lavish praise from figures as diverse as Edith Hamilton, Christopher Morley, Howard Haycraft and Raymond Chandler. Once you have finished “The Red Thumb Mark,” you will never again view in the same way the use of the fingerprint in the detection of crime.
About the Author
Deemed 'the father of the scientific detective story', Richard Austin Freeman enjoyed a prolific career that saw him gain qualifications as pharmacist and surgeon, pull off a diplomatic coup along the Gold Coast, work for Holloway Prison and then become a formidable writer of fiction. He was born in London, the son of a tailor who went on to train as a pharmacist. After graduating as a surgeon at the Middlesex Hospital Medical College, Freeman taught for a while and then joined the colonial service, offering his skills as an assistant surgeon along the Gold Coast of Africa. He became embroiled in a diplomatic mission when a British expeditionary party was sent to investigate the activities of the French. Through his tact and formidable intelligence, a massacre was narrowly avoided. His future was therefore assured in the colonial service. However, after becoming ill with black-water fever, Freeman was sent back to England to recover and finding his finances precarious, embarked on a career as acting physician in Holloway Prison. In desperation, he also turned to writing where he went on to dominate the world of British detective fiction, taking pride in testing different criminal techniques. So keen was he, part of one of his best novels was written in a bomb shelter. For the first twenty-five years of his writing career, Freeman was to dominate and remain unrivalled in the world of detective fiction, introducing the well-loved and highly memorable 'Dr Thorndyke'. The continued success of this character has affirmed Richard Austin Freeman's place amongst the finest of crime writers.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
