The Old Man in the Corner

"The Old Man in the Corner" by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is a collection of detective stories written in the early 20th century. The book centers around the enigmatic character known as the "old man in the corner," who engages in discussions with a young newspaper reporter, Polly Burton. Their conversations delve into various unsolved crimes, with the old man displaying his sharp intellect and keen deduction skills as he lays bare the motives and methods behind each mystery. At the start of the book, Polly Burton encounters the old man while she enjoys her luncheon at a café. Irked by his assertion that mysteries can be unraveled with intelligence, she challenges him with the infamous Fenchurch Street mystery, which has baffled the police for months. The old man recounts the tale of William Kershaw, who disappears under mysterious circumstances after a series of dubious financial dealings with a wealthy Siberian known as Smethurst. The complexity of the narrative is revealed as the old man weaves details about Kershaw's past, the relationship with his wife, and the suspicious letters exchanged, creating a suspenseful scenario where his deductive prowess promises to shed light on what truly transpired.