What do you think?
Rate this book
Paul Becks Gefangennahme
Matthias McDonnell Bodkin (1850-1933) war ein irischer Nationalist, Politiker, Journalist und Schriftsteller. Aus dem Buch: "Der Plan gelang vollkommen. Armitage brachte nach und nach seine Habseligkeiten in Thorntons Wohnung. Am letzten Abend nahmen die Freunde ein üppiges Abschiedsdiner im Savoyhotel ein, wo Thornton jetzt wohnte. Beide waren in großer Aufregung über das Abenteuer und sprachen bis tief in die Nacht miteinander. Armitage hatte das Gefühl, einen seltsamen Traum zu träumen, von dem er im nächsten Augenblick erwachen würde, aber Thornton spielte seine Rolle mit vollendetem Gleichmut. Am andern Morgen tauschten sie die Kleider. Thornton rasierte sich, nahm herzlichen Abschied von seinem Freund und fuhr fort, um den Zug nach Liverpool zu erreichen. Phil Armitage mit Schnurrbärtchen und kurzem Spitzbart blieb in der Verwandlung als Cyril Littledale zurück."
104 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1909
About the author
M. McDonnell Bodkin
63 books12 followersMatthias McDonnell Bodkin was an Irish nationalist politician and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Anti-Parnellite representative for North Roscommon, 1892–95, a noted author, journalist and newspaper editor, and barrister, King’s Counsel and County Court Judge for County Clare, 1907-24.
Bodkin was a prolific author, in a wide range of genres, including history, novels (contemporary and historical), plays, and political campaigning texts. Bodkin earned a place in the history of the detective novel by virtue of his invention of the first detective family. His most famous character is the detective Paul Beck, who appears in a series of stories and eventually marries another of Bodkin's series characters, Dora Myrl, "Lady Detective".
Bodkin was a prolific author, in a wide range of genres, including history, novels (contemporary and historical), plays, and political campaigning texts. Bodkin earned a place in the history of the detective novel by virtue of his invention of the first detective family. His most famous character is the detective Paul Beck, who appears in a series of stories and eventually marries another of Bodkin's series characters, Dora Myrl, "Lady Detective".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Want to Read
October 5, 2018Synopsis: lady detective Dora Myrl and Paul Beck join forces in this brisk mystery. Each are acting for a different client on a fraud case.
November 11, 2025
Lovely Golden Mystery
Old fashioned, a little flowery of phrase, daring do or die! Absolutely & such a joy I’ll look for More!
Old fashioned, a little flowery of phrase, daring do or die! Absolutely & such a joy I’ll look for More!
June 13, 2026
The plot of The Capture of Paul Beck (1911) was just… bonkers. Star-crossed lovers—check. A friend who betrays you because he wants your girl—check. Assuming another man’s identity (with his permission, of course) to get revenge—check. Two private detectives who start on opposing sides, then join forces to bring down the villain, and then fall in love—check.
As dated as this book is, I kept turning pages just to see whether M. M. Bodkin could actually pull this crazy thing off.
While the main plot follows Phil Armitage trying to get back at Abe Lamman for cheating him and attempting to steal his sweetheart, Norma, the most interesting characters aren’t the hero or the villain at all—they’re the two private investigators, Paul Beck and Dora Myrl.
When Norma’s father dies, she’s distraught at losing both men in her life. Dora visits her friend and offers to help locate Norma’s missing lover (Dora is a renowned private detective). Meanwhile, Abe Lamman hires the equally famous Paul Beck to track down Phil and bring him to justice for supposedly forging a telegraph that cost him a fortune. What follows is a battle of wits between the two detectives until they eventually team up against the real villain—and, like the hero and heroine, end up tying the proverbial knot.
The hero’s and villain’s motivations are clear from the opening chapter. The detectives’ backstories, however, are a bit muddled. I found myself wanting to know more about Dora. The story mentions she’s a skilled detective, but gives no background. Digging deeper, I discovered that Dora Myrl originated in a serialized story later published as Dora Myrl, Lady Detective (1900). She was a doctor who couldn’t find work because of her sex, so she took on menial jobs until she stumbled into detective work—and excelled at it. As the title of this book suggests, Paul Beck is ultimately captured by Dora, who abandons her professional ambitions for domestic ones. I would have much preferred them getting married AND solving crimes together.
As dated as this book is, I kept turning pages just to see whether M. M. Bodkin could actually pull this crazy thing off.
While the main plot follows Phil Armitage trying to get back at Abe Lamman for cheating him and attempting to steal his sweetheart, Norma, the most interesting characters aren’t the hero or the villain at all—they’re the two private investigators, Paul Beck and Dora Myrl.
When Norma’s father dies, she’s distraught at losing both men in her life. Dora visits her friend and offers to help locate Norma’s missing lover (Dora is a renowned private detective). Meanwhile, Abe Lamman hires the equally famous Paul Beck to track down Phil and bring him to justice for supposedly forging a telegraph that cost him a fortune. What follows is a battle of wits between the two detectives until they eventually team up against the real villain—and, like the hero and heroine, end up tying the proverbial knot.
The hero’s and villain’s motivations are clear from the opening chapter. The detectives’ backstories, however, are a bit muddled. I found myself wanting to know more about Dora. The story mentions she’s a skilled detective, but gives no background. Digging deeper, I discovered that Dora Myrl originated in a serialized story later published as Dora Myrl, Lady Detective (1900). She was a doctor who couldn’t find work because of her sex, so she took on menial jobs until she stumbled into detective work—and excelled at it. As the title of this book suggests, Paul Beck is ultimately captured by Dora, who abandons her professional ambitions for domestic ones. I would have much preferred them getting married AND solving crimes together.
May 22, 2022
What a lovely book.
Evil Abe Lamman (who hires Paul Beck) and Phil Armitage (who has Dr Dora Myrl on his side) love the same girl and are determined to destroy each other.
The best parts of the book are the descriptions of Dublin and the Irish MP Donnelly. My favourite character is Mr Donnelly, the popular Irish MP. (interestingly, Mr McDonnell Bodkin was also an Irish MP). In the end it turns out Paul Beck was impersonating Donnelly, but if his constituents couldn't tell them apart, the real Donnelly must have been equally nice.
While I wish Paul Beck and Dora Myrl had been closer in age, I liked how Paul respected her intellect. He took pains with his plans to avoid losing to her, but if he had underestimated her, the capable Dora would have defeated him and the book would have been very short indeed.
Dora is not just a pretty young thing but a careful detective. Paul Beck chivalrously tells her to avoid being at his confrontation with the villain Abe Lamman but not only does she come, she has a gun while Paul and Phil briefly seem to have been overpowered by the villains. And the villains don't even spot her.
If it was ever in doubt that Abe Lamman was a villain it is gone when Dora reveals that Abe Lamman had harassed her. I do hate it when heroines have to bewitch the villain (like Lady Molly of Scotland Yard did while trying to clear her beloved's name) but in this case the villain erroneously believed he was charming Dora into following his plan, so I hardly minded.
There is no mystery in the book, only suspense about which detective will triumph but it all comes together satisfyingly at the end.
A book worth reading again and again.
Evil Abe Lamman (who hires Paul Beck) and Phil Armitage (who has Dr Dora Myrl on his side) love the same girl and are determined to destroy each other.
The best parts of the book are the descriptions of Dublin and the Irish MP Donnelly. My favourite character is Mr Donnelly, the popular Irish MP. (interestingly, Mr McDonnell Bodkin was also an Irish MP). In the end it turns out Paul Beck was impersonating Donnelly, but if his constituents couldn't tell them apart, the real Donnelly must have been equally nice.
While I wish Paul Beck and Dora Myrl had been closer in age, I liked how Paul respected her intellect. He took pains with his plans to avoid losing to her, but if he had underestimated her, the capable Dora would have defeated him and the book would have been very short indeed.
Dora is not just a pretty young thing but a careful detective. Paul Beck chivalrously tells her to avoid being at his confrontation with the villain Abe Lamman but not only does she come, she has a gun while Paul and Phil briefly seem to have been overpowered by the villains. And the villains don't even spot her.
If it was ever in doubt that Abe Lamman was a villain it is gone when Dora reveals that Abe Lamman had harassed her. I do hate it when heroines have to bewitch the villain (like Lady Molly of Scotland Yard did while trying to clear her beloved's name) but in this case the villain erroneously believed he was charming Dora into following his plan, so I hardly minded.
There is no mystery in the book, only suspense about which detective will triumph but it all comes together satisfyingly at the end.
A book worth reading again and again.
March 26, 2022
Phil Armitage, an up-and-coming electrical engineer, and wealthy Abraham Lamman are rivals for the hand of he heiress Norma Lee. Miss Lee loves Armitage, but when her father objects to her marrying a "beggar", Armitage trusts his modest nest egg to Lamman who promises to turn it into a fortune on the stock market. Lamman betrays Armitage, loses his money; Armitage retaliates with a scheme that causes Lamman a significant financial loss, but a scheme that skirts the law.
Norma's close friend, the lady detective Dora Myrl is enlisted to protect Armitage from a criminal charge; famous private investigator Paul Beck is hired by Lamman to dig up proof that Armitage broke the law. What follows is a battle of wits and on-up(wo)manship between the rival detectives.
Before Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, Nick and Nora Charles, Tommy and Tuppence, there were M. McDonnell Bodkin's Dora Myrl and Paul Beck, who appear Bodkin's detective tales from the latter 19th, early 20th century.
The flirty and romanticized prose, typical of the era's mystery fiction, doesn't detract from the entertaining plot. I enjoyed the novel much more than the previously reviewed short story collections featuring Myrl and Beck separately. One one several of those 1890s-1930s lesser known works that are worth checking out.
December 28, 2017
Duelling Detectives
When I saw this I was intrigued as I have read a book of short stories about Paul Beck and a book of short stories about Dora Myrl and I couldn’t resist after reading the synopsis. Beck and Myrl are both at the top of their profession as detectives, with Beck being the more experienced of the two, so I am looking forward to a meeting of minds, and a clash of adversaries who are representing different clients in the same case.
Paul Beck is acting for Abe Lamman, who feels he has been cheated by Phil Armitage. Lamman is not a very nice character, but is an intelligent man and does have some good qualities, not many, but some.
Dora Myrl is acting for Phil Armitage who, although he is a nice man, is rather naïve and gullible. He doesn’t learn from experience and doesn’t take Dora very seriously, thinking she is overstating the situation, so he tends to ignore her advice. His ladylove, Norma Lee, cries a lot, but has enough sense to realise that Armitage should heed Dora’s advice.
Beck, in his usual manner adopts different personae, not so much physical disguises, although he does use some, but it is more a matter of becoming another person, and he soon finds a way to befriend Mr Armitage. However, he finds that his luck, normally so reliable, has deserted him in this case and everything he tries is foiled in some way.
This is a really fun book to read and I very much enjoyed the duel between the two top detectives. (Take special note of the “dainty little lunch” in Chapter XII to get an idea of how well-to-do Edwardians ate.) It is well-written, with one or two digitisation errors, but nothing major. After I had finished it, I started again from Chapter VIII and read it through a second time Recommend if you like clever, clean, classic crime stories. Fans of Paul Beck and Dora Myrl will love this addition to their collection.
When I saw this I was intrigued as I have read a book of short stories about Paul Beck and a book of short stories about Dora Myrl and I couldn’t resist after reading the synopsis. Beck and Myrl are both at the top of their profession as detectives, with Beck being the more experienced of the two, so I am looking forward to a meeting of minds, and a clash of adversaries who are representing different clients in the same case.
Paul Beck is acting for Abe Lamman, who feels he has been cheated by Phil Armitage. Lamman is not a very nice character, but is an intelligent man and does have some good qualities, not many, but some.
Dora Myrl is acting for Phil Armitage who, although he is a nice man, is rather naïve and gullible. He doesn’t learn from experience and doesn’t take Dora very seriously, thinking she is overstating the situation, so he tends to ignore her advice. His ladylove, Norma Lee, cries a lot, but has enough sense to realise that Armitage should heed Dora’s advice.
Beck, in his usual manner adopts different personae, not so much physical disguises, although he does use some, but it is more a matter of becoming another person, and he soon finds a way to befriend Mr Armitage. However, he finds that his luck, normally so reliable, has deserted him in this case and everything he tries is foiled in some way.
This is a really fun book to read and I very much enjoyed the duel between the two top detectives. (Take special note of the “dainty little lunch” in Chapter XII to get an idea of how well-to-do Edwardians ate.) It is well-written, with one or two digitisation errors, but nothing major. After I had finished it, I started again from Chapter VIII and read it through a second time Recommend if you like clever, clean, classic crime stories. Fans of Paul Beck and Dora Myrl will love this addition to their collection.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews