The Red Thumbmark

When a man is accused of a jewel robbery on the seemingly damning evidence of a bloody thumbprint, the brilliant forensic detective Dr. John Thorndyke sets out to prove that scientific ‘proof’ can be forged, in the novel that introduced one of detective fiction’s most influential sleuths. Freeman grounds his ingenious mystery in real medical and legal science, pioneering the forensic detective story. Methodical, fair, and cleverly plotted, The Red Thumb Mark is a landmark of the genre and a compelling puzzle of evidence and deduction. Intelligent and absorbing, it launched the Thorndyke series and helped shape the scientific detective tradition that endures in crime fiction today.