The Thousandth Woman

"The Thousandth Woman" by E. W. Hornung is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story introduces readers to Cazalet, who has returned to England after a long absence in Australia, only to find himself drawn into a tense murder mystery surrounding a man named Henry Craven, whose death is intertwined with Cazalet's family history. At the start of the novel, Cazalet wakes up in a cabin on a liner where he had been dreaming about Henry Craven's death. He shares a cabin with Hilton Toye, an American who reveals that he knows of Craven. Cazalet expresses his disdain for the man, revealing a familial grudge linked to past financial ruin. The narrative quickly unfolds into a murder mystery when they hear about Craven's recent violent death, setting the stage for a gripping exploration of revenge, identity, and the implications of one's past. Cazalet's strong emotions and the connection with characters like Toye and the looming figure of Scruton, a man recently released from prison and suspected of the crime, build an intricate tapestry of relationships and motives that promise a thrilling read. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Ernest William Hornung was an English author and poet known for writing the A. J. Raffles series of stories about a gentleman thief in late 19th-century London. Hornung was educated at Uppingham School; as a result of poor health he left the school in December 1883 to travel to Sydney, where he stayed for two years. He drew on his Australian experiences as a background when he began writing, initially short stories and later novels.