From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Red Thumb Mark (Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries #1)

R. Austin Freeman

Start date: July 1, 2022

Finish date: July 31, 2022

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: Next in our Detection Club challenge
[close] Next in our Detection Club challenge

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 166 topics — 7,784 comments total

Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 14 posts · 16 views

last updated Sep 02, 2025 12:08AM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 4 posts · 12 views

last updated Sep 01, 2025 04:16PM

showing 3 of 3 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jun 16, 2022 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I had not read any Dr. Thorndyke books before, R. Austin Freeman's long running series, from this, the first in the series - published in 1907, to the last, written in 1942, a year before his death. The author himself became a prolific author only being after invalided out of the Colonial Service, where he took jobs with Holloway Prison and worked as a G.P. before giving up medicine for writing and allowing Dr Thorndyke to put his medical knowledge to good use Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I had not read any Dr. Thorndyke books before, R. Austin Freeman's long running series, from this, the first in the series - published in 1907, to the last, written in 1942, a year before his death. The author himself became a prolific author only being after invalided out of the Colonial Service, where he took jobs with Holloway Prison and worked as a G.P. before giving up medicine for writing and allowing Dr Thorndyke to put his medical knowledge to good use and enable him to make a living as an author.

Like Holmes, Thorndyke has his 'Watson,' in this case Dr Jervis, who runs into him at the beginning of the book and, having no current job, is asked to assist his friend, a 'medical jurispractionioner' in the various cases he has on hand. That very evening, they are visited by Reuben Hornby, who works for his uncle, a previous metal dealer. His uncle had a package of diamonds taken from the safe and, left behind, is a piece of paper with his thumbprint on it - in blood...

Everyone, including poor Reuben's lawyer, seems to think this is damning in the extreme. Although now, we would think, well, why would you steal a packet of diamonds and leave behind your finger print, the use of fingerprinting was so new and exciting that people collected each other's prints for fun. Which, Reuben's aunt had done. Taking prints from Reuben, and his cousin, Walter. The case seems clear and his fate doomed, but Dr Thorndyke is willing to take the case and, of course, to work out who tried to frame this fine, upstanding young man. Along the way, Thorndyke finds his life is threatened and, in the best Golden Age tradition, there is even a beautiful, young woman for one of our characters to fall in love with.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. I liked the early setting of this mystery - it was London complete with horse drawn carriages and fog, but still, very much London. Freeman's working in the prison system didn't seem to make him overly sympathetic to those within its walls, but overall this was good fun. Unfortunately, the actual criminal was very obvious and Freeman did not offer enough suspects - well, only one possible actually, so even I could work it out. However, it was a first mystery and a very enjoyable read so I will definitely be reading on. ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 07, 2022 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-with-gr-groups, audiobook, det-club-2022

I really enjoyed this first Dr. Thorndyke mystery, more than the short stories I have read by this author. The introduction to my Otto Penzler ebook says Freeman was “among the greatest of all writers of the pure detective story…and was notable for his creation of Dr. Thorndyke, the world’s most distinguished scientific detective.”

Thorndyke is trained as a doctor and lawyer, and has immersed himself in forensic investigative techniques, so I sometimes found the technical descriptions of an ingen I really enjoyed this first Dr. Thorndyke mystery, more than the short stories I have read by this author. The introduction to my Otto Penzler ebook says Freeman was “among the greatest of all writers of the pure detective story…and was notable for his creation of Dr. Thorndyke, the world’s most distinguished scientific detective.”

Thorndyke is trained as a doctor and lawyer, and has immersed himself in forensic investigative techniques, so I sometimes found the technical descriptions of an ingenious device used to attack someone, or a method to produce or analyze fingerprints a bit of a slog. But as I listened to the excellently narrated audiobook while reading, I could simply increase the speed a bit to get through the dull bits. As this is the first Thorndyke mystery, Freeman sets the stage, having our hero meet an old medical school friend, Dr. Christopher Jervis, in the opening scene, and invite him to dinner.

While Jervis is visiting, a new client and his attorney come to ask Thorndyke’s assistance in the title case. He enlists Jervis’ help, and the introduction explains Jervis becomes “…his aide and chronicler, and [serves along with] Nathaniel Polton, [Thorndyke’s] laboratory assistant, butler, photographer, and jack of all trades. Polton is ingenious and has great technical knowledge, but Jervis, who carefully observes and records all the details of each case, inevitably fails to see their significance.”

So, the stage is set, the case is introduced - a young gentleman, Reuben Hornby, works for his uncle, a precious metals dealer. Shipments of gold come in, and sometimes diamonds, from Africa, and usually sent right to a bank for safekeeping. Occasionally it is too late when they arrive, and they must be kept in an office safe on the premises. Reuben has been accused of stealing a cache of diamonds stolen from the uncle’s safe, betrayed by a single thumbmark in blood left on a receipt left in the safe. Reuben solemnly declares his innocence - can Thorndyke help?

It was very entertaining following along with Thorndyke and company building their client’s defense, although the detective usually keeps his theories to himself, to the frustration of Jervis and Polton. They, along with the reader and Hornby’s friends and family, have to wait for the exciting courtroom climax at the end to learn what the detective has come up with - no spoilers! I enjoyed this classic mystery for the Reading the Detectives group’s upcoming challenge read for July.

I look forward to reading more Thorndyke cases, as I think the technical details of these mysteries work best in a longer book, as opposed to a short story, where they tend to bog down and overwhelm the narrative. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2008 Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction-uk, crime-fiction, classic-mystery-fiction

I just recently reread this classic of British crime fiction, in exploring the subgenre of "scientific detectives" in the history of crime fiction.

The Red Thumb Mark is the first of twenty one full-length novels to feature Dr. John Thorndyke; there are also a number of short story collections in which he does his scientific magic. Freeman noted in the introduction to his 1909 Dr. Thorndyke's Cases that his stories have, "for the most part, a medico-legal motive," and that the methodology used i I just recently reread this classic of British crime fiction, in exploring the subgenre of "scientific detectives" in the history of crime fiction.

The Red Thumb Mark is the first of twenty one full-length novels to feature Dr. John Thorndyke; there are also a number of short story collections in which he does his scientific magic. Freeman noted in the introduction to his 1909 Dr. Thorndyke's Cases that his stories have, "for the most part, a medico-legal motive," and that the methodology used in solving them is similar to what is "employed in actual practice by medical jurists." According to Mike Grost, whose A Guide to Classic Mystery and Detection is one of my go-to places online and visited quite often when I am looking for books to read, Freeman was the "founder" of the "school of detectival realism." In that same introduction to Dr. Thorndyke's Cases, Freeman goes on to say that "the experiments described have in all cases been performed by me," so obviously this is a man whose feet were firmly on the ground sciencewise; he was someone who knew what he was talking about.

The case of The Red Thumb Mark centers around the theft of a parcel of diamonds ("stones of exceptional size and value" from the safe belonging to a Mr. John Hornby. Whoever stole them seems to have either cut or scratched his thumb in the process, leaving "two drops of blood" at the bottom of the safe. Along with a couple of "bloody smears" left on a paper, there was also a "remarkably clear imprint" of a bloody thumb mark. Hornby's nephew Reuben has been blamed for the crime. Unfortunately for him, he'd earlier provided his aunt with a thumbprint for her Thumbograph (sort of like an autograph book using thumbprints) which matched the print from the safe. Fortunately, while his lawyer advises him to "plead guilty and throw himself on the mercy of the court..." since there was no possible way for a defense case to stand up against the evidence, Reuben swears that he is innocent, and Dr. Thorndyke agrees to take the case.

I wish I had a lot of time to reflect on what's in this book aside from the mystery at hand and Thorndyke's scientific work. I'll just buzz through a few things here -- Thorndyke's views on the presumption of an accused man's innocence, the problem of "hooligans" on the streets of London, and criticism of the Edwardian judicial system. Reader beware: the solution is easy to figure out, but that's okay -- there's plenty of other things going on this book that completely make it a worthwhile read.

for the whole scientific detective sampler, you can click here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2018/07/... ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Abbey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: myst-set-andor-auth-uk, reviewed

This is the first Dr. Thorndyke novel, from 1907, one of the earliest forensics-based mysteries. A valuable shipment of diamonds goes missing from a safe, and a nice young man is put in the dock for it. As evidence mounts, a renowned forensics expert is called in to help with the defense. The plot twists are easily guessed, the characters speak in a mildly stilted manner that reflects their class(es) and origins, and the forensics seem extremely basic to us now, but this was one of the earliest ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 05, 2017 P. rated it it was amazing

What an excellent writer. This is the first of a mixed series of short stories and novels by Freeman that is pretty extensive and I'm pleased - no - thrilled to have found Freeman [not his real name] and his opus, opi, or in the Latin plural, opera, of which I'm also fond. Many books are free, or nearly, collections abound - many of them criminally inexpensive. Red Thumb is a very good read, but it's the characters, and Freeman's ability to write them so they live that makes this book. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 Jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very clever, maybe a little longwinded but that could be the time it was written. Very clearly explained science and Thorndyke and Jervis are very likeable characters. Will read more from this author.

3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2016 ShanDizzy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great fun! I laughed out loud while reading the courtroom scene at Mrs. Hornby and Polton.

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 10, 2022 Jessica marked it as to-read

Shelves: fiction, detective

The author was among J.I. Packer's list of mystery writers that he liked. ...more

Like · see review

Dec 14, 2015 Missclimpson rated it liked it

Interesting but rather too long and repetitious particularly at the end. I knew who the criminal was long before thick-headed Jervis did.

Like · see review

Sep 04, 2020 Nanosynergy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mysteries-thrillers-espionage, series, british, fiction-1900s, 2020read

First in the Dr. Thorndyke series. First published in 1907. A bit a Sherlock Holmes. Medical-legal forensic investigations. This one looks at the reliability of fingerprints as evidence.

Most interesting is the "Thumbographs" - which were little books used by people in England in the early 1900s to collect the thumbprints along with the signature of those they admired or family and friends.

I can think of two other mysteries, so far, that involve this hobby of personally collecting fingerprints:
-" ...more

Like · see review