02707cam a22003493u 4500 77530 UtSlPG 20260610134809.0 m cr n 260607r20251928utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d 28023665 UtSlPG en iso639-1 PR Le Queux, William, 1864-1927 The sting Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2025 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 2025-12-22 an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer The sting by William Le Queux is a mystery-thriller novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on the aristocratic Evenden family, whose wealth, secrets, and entanglements with a sinister doctor draw them into blackmail, scandal, and sudden death. Principal figures include the ailing baronet Sir Michael Evenden, his devoted wife Margaret, his sons Jack and Frank, the sharp young companion Jill Kilby, and the menacing Dr. Laidlaw. Inheritance, romance, and reputation collide as a past tragedy resurfaces and a criminal web tightens. The opening of the novel follows Sir Michael at his villa on Lake Geneva, where the ferret-eyed Dr. Laidlaw extorts money and hints at a ruinous secret tied to Margaret’s first marriage. A grim diagnosis from a heart specialist and a volatile oil-market battle send the family back to Evenden Priory, while Frank relentlessly presses unwanted advances on Jill, who secretly meets her fiancé, Dr. Wilfred Barlow. In London, Jack learns from a shipmate a disturbing tale about Margaret’s former husband’s death by the loch—and Laidlaw’s role—then gently confronts his stepmother, who begs him to keep the past from the fragile Sir Michael. The baronet dies that night of heart failure; the family lawyer, Mr. Benson, urges steadiness and fair provision, while Laidlaw forces a clandestine visit. By dawn, Jack is found dead in the haunted Prior’s Room, and as police question the household, Frank offers a strained account, leaving a tangle of blackmail, family loyalties, and a suspected murder to unravel. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: New York: The Macaulay Company, 1928 Detective and mystery stories Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction Aristocracy (Social class) -- England -- Fiction https://books.google.com/books?id=3f00AAAAMAAJ https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77530 118250 118250