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The Dangerfield Talisman
In the first place, there was the Dangerfield Talisman, an ancient golden armlet set with diamonds and valued at fifty thousand pounds-an unguarded treasure which, although stolen more than once, always came back. In the second place, there was the Dangerfield secret. Old Rollo Dangerfield gave a house party and one night during a wild thunderstorm the armlet vanished. The owner did not seem upset, convinced that within seven days, at the outside, it would be back. The last thief had been found on the grounds dead of heart failure with the Talisman in his hand. Determined to investigate among themselves, however, the guests in so doing unearthed the most bewildering complications. The mystery of this ingenious story fairly pulls you from your easy chair to your desk that you may with pencil and paper figure out who were in the house and what their respective alibis amounted to. There is in the working out of the plot some decidedly clever detective work with many novel twists, and a chess problem thrown in. It may truly be called a mystery within a mystery. The Dangerfield Talisman was published in 1926.
- GenresMystery
228 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 3, 2021
Possibly Connington's first mystery. At times it reminded me of The Musgrave Ritual by Arthur Conan Doyle. Of course, it may just have been the movie they made of The Musgrave Ritual. But what I recall was a chess board on the floor, which is something this house had.
Rollo Dangerfield has a number of people out to his estate. I think they are playing bridge for large stakes, because a couple of people lose a bit more than they had intended and write checks that they have to race to town to cover in the morning. One of them is Eric Dangerfield, Rollo's son, and the other is Eileen Cressage, who was counting on winning. Probably had the wrong partner.
One of the people is an American eager to buy up whatever he can, including the Talisman. Rollo does show it to them but is nervous about anyone handling it. They question whether it is insured, since it doesn't really seem very safe and anyone could steal it. Plus there is some strange Secret, too. Rollo's grandfather wrote it out and then went out to a duel and never came back. So the Secret is a bit of a mystery.
And someone does steal it. But who? Accusations fly, especially at Eileen because everyone saw how nervous she looked when she realized how much she had lost. Plus, both she and Eric each raced to town to cover their liabilities. Looked suspicious. But she doesn't look like the type who would steal something valuable like that. She has a saviour amongst the crowd. He takes it upon himself to clear her name, if possible, and find out who did do it.
Connington, in real life, is a professor of chemistry. This is the second book I've read of his. And his being a scientist shows in his writing. I enjoy him.
Rollo Dangerfield has a number of people out to his estate. I think they are playing bridge for large stakes, because a couple of people lose a bit more than they had intended and write checks that they have to race to town to cover in the morning. One of them is Eric Dangerfield, Rollo's son, and the other is Eileen Cressage, who was counting on winning. Probably had the wrong partner.
One of the people is an American eager to buy up whatever he can, including the Talisman. Rollo does show it to them but is nervous about anyone handling it. They question whether it is insured, since it doesn't really seem very safe and anyone could steal it. Plus there is some strange Secret, too. Rollo's grandfather wrote it out and then went out to a duel and never came back. So the Secret is a bit of a mystery.
And someone does steal it. But who? Accusations fly, especially at Eileen because everyone saw how nervous she looked when she realized how much she had lost. Plus, both she and Eric each raced to town to cover their liabilities. Looked suspicious. But she doesn't look like the type who would steal something valuable like that. She has a saviour amongst the crowd. He takes it upon himself to clear her name, if possible, and find out who did do it.
Connington, in real life, is a professor of chemistry. This is the second book I've read of his. And his being a scientist shows in his writing. I enjoy him.
March 31, 2025
Lots of twists even though the dangerously secret became apparent to me a lot sooner than the amateur sleuth . The treasure hunt was good fun ...
August 24, 2019
A most enjoyable early work from Connington, with no murder and no professional police.
A group of people has gathered at Friocksheim, an old country house and home to the Dangerfield family. There are family legends and secrets centred on the Dangerfield Talisman, a golden, jewel-encrusted armlet.
The Talisman disappears, and the head of the family, Rollo, confidently expects its return. There are multiple complications before one of the guests, Conway Westenhanger, works it all out.
The solution is typical of the author with logic and science, as well as some linguistic ability, playing their parts.
Very readable.
A group of people has gathered at Friocksheim, an old country house and home to the Dangerfield family. There are family legends and secrets centred on the Dangerfield Talisman, a golden, jewel-encrusted armlet.
The Talisman disappears, and the head of the family, Rollo, confidently expects its return. There are multiple complications before one of the guests, Conway Westenhanger, works it all out.
The solution is typical of the author with logic and science, as well as some linguistic ability, playing their parts.
Very readable.
June 6, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews