The Talleyrand Maxim
A sharp, ambitious solicitor’s clerk named Linford Pratt lives by a cynical rule borrowed from Talleyrand: that a cool head and a ready lie can turn any chance to advantage. When a wealthy Yorkshire manufacturer dies and Pratt learns of a suppressed will that would redirect a fortune, he sees the opening of his life and sets about bending other people’s secrets to his own profit. J. S. Fletcher makes the schemer rather than a detective his center here, following greed, blackmail, and quiet manipulation toward a reckoning. First published in 1919, it mixes crime with character study in the brisk Yorkshire manner that made him one of the era’s bestselling storytellers. Read it here as a free PDF and EPUB edition.
About the Author
Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) was an English journalist and one of the most prolific authors of his generation, credited with well over two hundred books. A Yorkshireman who began in poetry and regional history, he turned to detective fiction in his fifties and won a…
See all books by J. S. Fletcher →
Listen to The Talleyrand Maxim Audiobook Free
Listen to The Talleyrand Maxim by J. S. Fletcher free online. The full audiobook (6 hr 56 min, 28 chapters, read by Kevin Green) streams free on this page.
The Talleyrand Maxim (1920) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death brings Opportunity | 18:58 | |
| 2 | In Trust | 16:26 | |
| 3 | The Shop-Boy | 15:54 | |
| 4 | The Fortunate Possessors | 16:28 | |
| 5 | Point Blank | 17:37 | |
| 6 | The Unexpected | 16:30 | |
| 7 | The Supreme Inducement | 12:04 | |
| 8 | Terms | 14:09 | |
| 9 | Until Next Spring | 13:16 | |
| 10 | The Foot-Bridge | 16:08 | |
| 11 | The Prevalent Atmosphere | 16:44 | |
| 12 | The Power of Attorney | 16:34 | |
| 13 | The First Trick | 13:53 | |
| 14 | Cards on the Table | 14:38 | |
| 15 | Pratt offers a Hand | 14:33 | |
| 16 | A Headquarters Conference | 14:33 | |
| 17 | Advertisement | 15:25 | |
| 18 | The Confiding Landlord | 14:17 | |
| 19 | The Eye Witness | 14:07 | |
| 20 | The Green Man | 13:09 | |
| 21 | The Direct Charge | 14:48 | |
| 22 | The Cat's Paw | 14:08 | |
| 23 | Smooth Face and Anxious Brain | 11:25 | |
| 24 | The Better Half | 15:29 | |
| 25 | Dry Sherry | 12:03 | |
| 26 | The Telephone Message | 10:02 | |
| 27 | Restored to Energy | 11:27 | |
| 28 | The Woman in Black | 21:37 |
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