Dorcas Dene, Detective

At the Alhambra Theatre, a seemingly empty royal box opens into a case of international danger when a visiting foreign prince vanishes after leaving his hotel alone in evening dress. Dorcas Dene and Inspector Carr keep the matter secret, enlisting the narrator to listen for foreign speech and report anything useful, while Carr's pride and Dorcas's sharp instincts turn the search into a high-stakes contest against time. Their pursuit leads through Soho and Kennington Lane to a midnight stakeout of Anarchists plotting to hold the prince hostage in exchange for five condemned comrades on the Continent. As the conspiracy unfolds, Dorcas seizes a key suspect, Jean Vossche, but insists the arrest is only the beginning: the prince must be rescued before the ultimatum is carried out. Her investigation then widens into a web of deception linking the kidnapping to a sensational divorce scandal, a missing diamond, and a woman whose private connections may have lured the prince into danger. From courtroom testimony to hidden portraits and a mysterious handkerchief sachet, Dorcas dismantles appearances with forensic intelligence. Even on Brighton pier, she proves her daring, disguising herself as a flower seller to trap the elusive Count von Phalsdorf in a brilliantly staged public snare. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.