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The Cask

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Pages: 227

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About this book

An ordinary cargo check at St. Katherine’s Docks turns curious when a heavy cask falls from a sling. Tom Broughton, sent by his shipping company to verify a wine consignment from Rouen, notices that one barrel differs from the rest. Sawdust leaks through a crack, and gold coins appear among it. With the help of the foreman, Harkness, he begins looking more closely at a shipment whose contents raise unexpected questions.

The novel follows evidence through objects, documents and close questioning. In a later conversation, Clifford confronts the artist Felix with a disputed letter, an impression on a blotter and a message found in a coat pocket. Felix insists that someone has contrived a trick, leaving each apparent clue open to challenge. Readers who enjoy detailed detective fiction can follow the movement from busy waterfront work to the precise scrutiny of dates, clothing and access to a private study.

About the author

Freeman Wills Crofts

Freeman Wills Crofts (1879-1957) was an Irish-born railway engineer who began writing detective fiction while recovering from a long illness. A founding member of the Detection Club, he became a mainstay of the Golden Age and is best remembered for the methodical Inspector French.