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The Golden Pool
Richard Austin Freeman recounts an incredible voyage to North Africa and Ashanti in search of the Aboasi mine, dug by Christians in search of gold. Along the way, a young Englishman steals a local ritual treasure and his misadventures are retold here. This rumbustious adventurer is met by all manner of dangers in a remarkable latter day exploit. Once required reading by the British colonial services in Africa, this tale will delight fans of high adventure.
280 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2001
About the author
R. Austin Freeman
625 books91 followersRichard Freeman was born in Soho, London on 11 April 1862, the son of Ann Maria (nee Dunn) and Richard Freeman, a tailor. He was originally named Richard, and later added the Austin to his name.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 1, 2018
I read this with a Google map of Ghana in one hand. Sounds like a beautiful country, though the intent of this book was more the explorer/adventurer fantasy of the British in late 1800s than travelogue. Think early Indiana Jones with legendary golden treasures, mysterious religions, and lots of narrow escapes from peril. Not realistic but definitely exciting and not as cringeworthy with imperialism and racism as I expected. (Oh, it's there though... This book's sensibilities are a product of its time, as our sensibilities are of our time.) In fact, it was interesting to learn of the many different cultures and peoples in that region.
The author is well known for his British mysteries, so I hadn't expected this adventure story. (This book was included in the free Kindle book of 350+ mysteries that I've been picking my way through.) However, that made it more fun to read without knowing what to expect: my arm chair adventure. Apparently, Freeman did serve as a doctor in Accra, and this book became required reading for the British foreign service! Funny.
The author is well known for his British mysteries, so I hadn't expected this adventure story. (This book was included in the free Kindle book of 350+ mysteries that I've been picking my way through.) However, that made it more fun to read without knowing what to expect: my arm chair adventure. Apparently, Freeman did serve as a doctor in Accra, and this book became required reading for the British foreign service! Funny.
June 23, 2026
Like one of the other reviewers, I was expecting a mystery story. Instead, I got an adventure story set in Africa, which reminded me a lot of H. Rider Haggard except without the supernatural element. Worth the read if you enjoy that sort of thing, and I do.
July 30, 2011
Interesting tale about a white man's adventure through africa. It provides a great deal of knowledge about the people and survival tactics.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews