The Red-headed Man

"The Red-headed Man" by Fergus Hume is a detective novel written in the late 19th century. The book follows the young realistic novelist Frank Darrel, who becomes entwined in the mystery surrounding a peculiar crime involving a red-headed man, leading to a murder in a dark London alley. As Darrel investigates the circumstances of the man's death, he encounters various characters and clues that suggest a deeper conspiracy tied to an unknown woman and a secret society. At the start of the story, we meet Frank Darrel, who observes a suspicious red-headed man one evening while exploring the streets of London. Intrigued by the man's erratic behavior, Darrel decides to follow him. This decision leads him to the discovery of the red-headed man's lifeless body in Mortality Lane shortly after he mysteriously vanished from a cab. As news of the murder spreads, Darrel becomes a witness and ultimately seeks to unravel the enigma surrounding the crime. With the introduction of the character Mr. Torry, a detective, the plot thickens as they work together to deduce the circumstances leading to the double murders tied to both the red-headed man and a mysterious woman.

The Red-headed Man, by Fergus Hume. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #55348.