The porcelain mask

"The porcelain mask : A detective story" by John Jay Chichester is a detective novel written in the early 20th century. Set around a Hudson River estate called Greenacres, it centers on novelist Kirklan Gilmore, his beautiful new wife Helen, and his devoted stepsister Joan Sheridan, whose homecoming collides with a sudden marriage and a rash of secrets. When an intense illustrator, Victor Sarbella, arrives and clearly recognizes Helen, and a menacing figure from Helen’s past resurfaces, the domestic idyll turns ominous. The story promises a blend of romantic tension, blackmail, and crime that entangles family loyalty and hidden identities. The opening of the novel follows Joan’s unexpected return to Greenacres and her shock at discovering that Kirk has married Helen, who has claimed Joan’s cherished room and unsettled the household. Kirk goes to New York to placate his publisher while Helen secretly slips into the city to meet Don Haskins, a criminal who reveals himself as her first husband and blackmails her for a thousand dollars to fund his escape after a fatal job. Atchinson later thinks he sees Helen entering a seedy lodging house, fueling Kirk’s suspicions; that night, Victor Sarbella arrives and his charged, mutual recognition with Helen poisons an already strained dinner. Kirk confronts Victor in the studio, demanding answers about Helen’s past, but gets only denials and a promise to discuss work tomorrow, as the parallel thread closes with Detective Sergeant Tish trailing “Eighth Avenue Annie” back to her hideout, poised to catch Haskins.

The porcelain mask, by John Jay Chichester. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #77022.