Missing men

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

76476

Title

Missing men

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In this vintage mystery, detective Lieutenant Lavender investigates a baffling series of disappearances involving a broker, a comedian, and a suburban widow. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of Lavender's loyal sidekick, Gilly, as they navigate clues, red herrings, and theatrical coincidences to uncover a shocking truth about identity, family secrets, and the blurred lines between reality and performance.

Summary up to 500 words

In Vincent Starrett's *Missing Men*, Chicago detective Lieutenant Lavender and his assistant, Gilly, are thrust into a baffling series of disappearances. Initially, the police are baffled by the simultaneous vanishing of a prominent broker, Peter Vanderdonck, and a popular comedian, Charles Merritt. The mystery deepens when a beloved suburban widow, Mrs. Jameson, and the father of Lavender's new client, Cyril Minor, also vanish without a trace. Unlike typical kidnapping cases, the victims' homes and offices show no signs of struggle, suggesting they walked away voluntarily or were taken by someone they trusted. The investigation leads Lavender to a local theater featuring the 'Tinfoil Revue,' where the missing comedian was performing. There, he encounters Miss Sidney Kane, a celebrated actress. Lavender deduces that the missing individuals are likely the same person playing multiple roles. He discovers that the 'invalid brother' living with Miss Kane is a fabrication created to explain away sightings of the real person. The climax occurs when Lavender and Gilly confront Miss Kane at her home in Elmhurst. There, they reveal that Miss Kane is actually the missing woman, Mrs. Jameson, and the mother of the missing businessman, Cyril Minor. Cyril, an actor who wanted to be on stage with his wife, had been living a double life: Cyril Minor at home, Charles Merritt on stage, and Peter Vanderdonck as a fictional tenant to hide his movements. His daughter, Shirley, had been raised believing her stepmother was her biological mother. Cyril eventually fell ill, and his wife took him in, causing the final 'disappearances' of his alter egos. The mystery resolves not with a crime, but with a heartwarming revelation of a family reunited, though the deception has caused significant emotional turmoil. The story explores themes of identity, the sacrifices of love, and the lengths people will go to protect their families from public scrutiny.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76476.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg76476.epub

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Categories

• Fiction
• Mystery