The Eye of Osiris by R. Austin Freeman

On Kindle via Project Gutenburg

I have always enjoyed detective stories set in the Victorian and Edwardian eras written by modern authors and it is interesting to contrast their style with the authors who began and developed the genre.   Such a one was R. Austin Freeman whose main work was published in the first three decades of the twentieth century and acheived great popularity.   His detective, Dr John Thorndyke, was both a doctor of medicine and a barrister and his cerebral approach to detection lead to his being classed as a "rival to Sherlock Holmes".   Like Holmes his cases are always narrated by a third person and in "The Eye of Osiris" this is a medical practitioner, Dr Paul Berkley.
Berkley is acting as locum in a practice in Fetter Lane off Fleet Street and visits one Godfrey Bellingham, a gentleman in reduced circumstances.   Through Godfrey he learns of the mysterious disappearance of John Bellingham and how the lawyer, Jellicoe, who drew up and is executor of John's  will is attempting to have him declared dead and to exclude Godfrey from inheritance.   Berkley takes the case to Thorndyke, not least because he has become enamoured of Godfrey's daughter Ruth, and Thorndyke begins an investigation on his behalf.   When parts of a human skeleton are discovered in the area where John Bellingham was last seen it would appear that Jellicoe is home and dry but Thorndyke's ability to see past the obvious means that the truth is brought to light and that justice is done.
I found this a very enjoyable book with a good plot and the author playing fair by presenting all the clues to the reader.   Some modern readers may, however, be put off by the writing style.   Like all writers of his era Freeman is very wordy.   I think that this can be partly put down to the elaborate manners and courtesies of the age which would not tolerate the terse conversations which are found in modern novels also that those who could afford to buy and read books then would appear to have had a higher standard of literacy than is found today.   As this can be downloaded free from Project Gutenberg I would recommend any lover of detective stories to give it a try.