Written by James Edward Preston Murdock (1843–1934), an author of mysteries, thrillers, and horror stories. For a time, his popularity rivaled that of Arthur Conan Doyle – and he was certainly more prolific than Doyle. This collection of short stories dates from 1896: 1: In the Shadow of Sudden Death, 2: The Doom of the Star-gazer, 3: The Strange Story of Some State Papers, 4: The Problem of Dead Wood Hall, 5: Trapped, 6: The Riddle of Beaver's Hill, 7: A Railway Mystery, 8: A Desperate Game