A Mystery of the Sand-Hills
The narrative unfolds with a discussion between the narrator and his friend, a forensic expert, as they stroll along a beach. They stumble upon a pile of clothes belonging to a missing man, Peter Roscoff, who had seemingly vanished after a night swim. The clothes are examined, revealing footprints leading to the sea but none returning, suggesting foul play. The forensic expert deduces that the clothes belong to two different men based on the sand found on them, indicating a connection to different locations. As the investigation progresses, the expert meticulously analyzes the garments, noting discrepancies in size and the presence of specific types of sand. He concludes that one set of clothes belongs to a short, stout man, while the other belongs to a tall man, likely an artist. The tall man's clothes are marked with sand from a different beach, suggesting he had been at Broadstairs, where Roscoff was last seen. The plot thickens when a client, Mr. Capes, approaches the forensic expert with concerns about his missing acquaintance, who disappeared around the same time as Roscoff. Through a series of pointed questions, the expert deduces that Capes' acquaintance is indeed Roscoff, and he suspects foul play linked to blackmail. The story culminates in a search for Roscoff's body, which is eventually discovered buried in the sand, confirming the expert's suspicions of murder. The body shows signs of trauma consistent with a violent death, and the investigation reveals that Roscoff was likely a victim of blackmail by the artist, who had been extorting him. The narrative concludes with the forensic expert's theories about the motive behind the murder, suggesting that Roscoff may have been killed to silence him. The case remains unresolved, with the murderer escaping justice, leaving the reader with a sense of intrigue and the complexities of human behavior intertwined with crime.
By R. Austin Freeman · First published 1912 · Genre: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime · 9,117 words
First lines
I have occasionally wondered how often Mystery and Romance present themselves to us ordinary men of affairs only to be passed by without recognition. More often, I suspect than most of us imagine. The uncanny tendency of my talented friend John Thorndyke to become involved in strange, mysterious and abnormal circumstances has almost become a joke against him. But yet, on reflection, I am disposed to think that his experiences have not differed essentially from those of other men, but that his extraordinary powers of observation and rapid inference have enabled him to detect abnormal elements in what, to ordinary men, appeared to be quite commonplace occurrences. Certainly this was so in the singular Roscoff case, in which, if I had been alone, I should assuredly have seen nothing to merit more than a passing attention.
What this Textopian page supports
A Mystery of the Sand-Hills is listed on Textopian as a novel by R. Austin Freeman, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: R. Austin Freeman
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Detective Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Literary Fiction
- Length: 9,117 words
- Structure: 1 section, 159 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for A Mystery of the Sand-Hills by R. Austin Freeman
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Mystery — The plot revolves around the investigation of a mysterious disappearance and potential murder, central to the mystery genre.
- Detective Fiction — Features a detective character, John Thorndyke, who uses observation and deduction to solve the case.
- Crime — Involves criminal elements, including a murder and the investigation of suspicious circumstances.
- Thriller — Contains suspenseful elements as the characters uncover the truth behind the disappearance.
Tags
mystery · detective · crime · investigation · suspense · thriller · fiction · literature · 20th century · English · whodunit · plot twist