The Four Faces: A Mystery

"The Four Faces: A Mystery" by William Le Queux is a novel written during the early 20th century. The story introduces us to a curious character named Hugesson Gastrell, whose background is shrouded in mystery, raising suspicion among those he interacts with, particularly within the context of London's high society. At the start of the novel, we overhear a conversation that piques the interest of Michael Berrington, our narrator. The dialogue revolves around Gastrell, who has recently taken a house from Lord Easterton and is the subject of intrigue, especially due to his enigmatic qualities and the mistrust felt by Lady Easterton. Berrington recalls meeting Gastrell in Geneva and becomes progressively invested in uncovering the truth about him. The atmosphere thickens when Berrington and his acquaintance Jack Osborne decide to visit Gastrell’s home after experiencing a series of odd coincidences regarding his identity, leading them to suspect he might be hiding a darker truth. This establishes a tone of suspense and sets the stage for a deeper exploration of Gastrell's character and the unfolding mystery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Tufnell Le Queux was an Anglo-French journalist and writer. He was also a diplomat, a traveller, a flying buff who officiated at the first British air meeting at Doncaster in 1909, and a wireless pioneer who broadcast music from his own station long before radio was generally available; his claims regarding his own abilities and exploits, however, were usually exaggerated. His best-known works are the anti-French and anti-Russian invasion fantasy The Great War in England in 1897 (1894) and the anti-German invasion fantasy The Invasion of 1910 (1906), the latter becoming a bestseller.