Unravelled Knots

"Unravelled Knots" by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is a collection of detective stories written in the early 20th century. The book features intriguing mysteries that revolve around clever and engaging plots, showcasing the sleuthing talents of an eccentric character known as the Old Man in the Corner. Each story analyzes different crimes that challenge both the characters and readers to unfold the underlying truths. The opening of the book introduces the first mystery, "The Mystery of the Khaki Tunic," where the narrator unexpectedly encounters the Old Man in a teashop after many years. This peculiar character has been following a sensational case involving the sudden death of a woman named Miss Mary Clarke. As the story unfolds, the Old Man discusses the bizarre circumstances surrounding her death, which includes gas poisoning and a potential cover-up tied to key characters in her life, namely her brother Arthur and a mysterious visitor. With the police struggling to solve the case and evidence pointing to various suspects, the Old Man meticulously pieces together the clues, revealing layers of deception and intrigue in the process. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Baroness Emma Orczy, usually known as Baroness Orczy or to her family and friends as Emmuska Orczy, was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright. She is best known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, the alter ego of Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who turns into a quick-thinking escape artist in order to save French aristocrats from "Madame Guillotine" during the French Revolution, establishing the "hero with a secret identity" in popular culture.