The Childerbridge Mystery

"The Childerbridge Mystery" by Guy Boothby is a novel written in the early 20th century. The book revolves around the life of William Standerton, a successful Australian businessman who, after decades of hard work, decides to return to England with his two adult children, James and Alice. However, their arrival in England sets off a chain of events involving old enemies and hidden secrets that threaten their newfound stability and happiness. At the start of the tale, readers are introduced to William Standerton's past, his emigration from England to Australia, and his impressive rise to wealth and success. With the family preparing to leave Australia behind, William's past comes back to haunt him as a man named Richard Murbridge, known to harbor a deep resentment against him, seeks to confront him as they prepare to embark on their new life. The opening chapters create an atmosphere fraught with tension, hinting at ominous events that will unfold, including talks of ghosts tied to the family's new home, Childerbridge Manor, and foreshadowing the tragedy that will lead to William’s untimely death. The complex dynamic between James, the protective son, and the mysterious Murbridge sets the stage for a gripping narrative filled with intrigue and emotional depth. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Guy Newell Boothby was a prolific Australian novelist and writer, noted for sensational fiction in variety magazines around the end of the nineteenth century. He lived mainly in England. He is best known for such works as the Dr Nikola series, about an occultist criminal mastermind who is a Victorian forerunner to Fu Manchu, and Pharos, the Egyptian, a tale of Gothic Egypt, mummies' curses and supernatural revenge. Rudyard Kipling was his friend and mentor, and his books were remembered with affection by George Orwell.