Guy Garrick

Craig Kennedy, Scientific Detective #11

by Arthur B. Reeve

In Guy Garrick, a daring New York investigator uses early forensics and clever sleuthing to unravel a web of theft, arson, and deception. When a famous car goes missing and a murder seems tied to the crime, Garrick and his team race to uncover the truth behind a high-stakes case that blends social intrigue with cutting-edge detection for its time. The story moves from glamorous society circles to dangerous underworld channels, powered by quick thinking, nerve, and remarkable devices.

In this edition, you’ll
- A smart detective team pursuing a car thief who may hold a key to a broader crime network.


- Early forensic ideas, such as handwriting analysis and physiological indicators, used to crack the case.


- A bustling urban setting with drama, danger, and a race against time to stop further harm.




Atmospheric 1920s crime fiction that pairs suspense with methodical investigation.
Vivid character dynamics, including Garrick, Warrington, and a cast of society figures.
Authentic period detail, from gaslit streets to high-society salons, amid a high-stakes mystery.


Ideal for readers of classic detective tales and early crime fiction that blends science with storytelling.

Genres: Mystery

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1914

About the author

Arthur Benjamin Reeve (October 15, 1880 - August 9, 1936) was an American mystery writer. He is best known for creating the series character Professor Craig Kennedy, sometimes called "The American Sherlock Holmes", and Kennedy's Dr. Watson-like sidekick Walter Jameson, a newspaper reporter, in 18 detective novels. The bulk of Reeve's fame is based on the 82 Craig Kennedy stories, published in Cosmopolitan magazine between 1910 and 1918. These were collected in book form; with the third collection, the short stories were stitched together into pseudo-novels. The 12-volume Craig Kennedy Stories were released in 1918; it reissued Reeve's books-to-date as a matched set.

Reviews

[Richard Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gadget-filled 1910's novel is somewhere between cozy detective story and gangland mystery, and I liked it, probably more than I expected. (One reviewer said it put him to sleep. Some books do that to me, too, so I get it, but I kept finding this one entertaining. To me, it was like a window on an era.) The general consensus is that this is about a 3 stars out of 5 book, but I gave it 4, and I stand by it.

Let me attempt to explain.

Set in circa 1910 New York City, this is in tone a kind of American Sherlock Holmes mixed with The Shadow, with the very confident detective keeping everyone in the dark while he uses skills none of them have to gather clues and put together leads, revealing all in the final scene. It has a bit of Wild, Wild West flair with strange electrical or chemical inventions throughout, and you can feel the spirit of the times, the gee whiz passion for automobiles and inventions and science. (The author on several occasions refers to someone being an excellent driver in a way that seems very quaint today, reminding the reader that most people weren't driving cars yet in 1914. It reminds me of the naïveté of internet hacking movies in the 1990s.) That sense of progress and rapid technological change is soaked into every part of the story.

There's also a fascination with bad guys, with gangsters and gambling and guns and underworld crime, that is evocative of a particular era in American history. That rather dark background, contrasting with the strange inventions and optimistic tone, give the story an alternate history feel and an almost steampunk sensibility. It struck me that it comes pretty close in character to the team Doc Savage assembled about 15 years later, with a chemist and a geologist and an "electrical wizard" (among others) using science to solve mysteries and save people.

This story is about some baddies involved in illegal gambling operations that the police discover when investigating a murder and stolen cars that have a slight connection with the operation. Guy Garrick teams with the police to solve the mystery, track down the murderer, and put the ringleaders of the very impressive gambling hall out of business. The difficulty is that the criminals are entrenched, have a lot of fancy science at their disposal, and have made plans for every kind of police action.

I thought this plot worked pretty well. It was fun seeing Garrick sort of invent bugs and lie detectors and a dozen other odd devices that, if they ever existed, did not take off. Luckily, unlike, say, Jules Verne, most of the descriptions of the inventions were pretty brief, so we don't get too bogged down in the pseudo-science.

Quick read. Lots of Sherlock/gangland/steampunk/science fiction vibes. Plenty of fun, I thought.

One thing confused me. This is volume 11 of the Craig Kennedy mystery stories. There is no character named Craig Kennedy in this book. I don't get that.

Not for everyone. I think my interest in mostly-overlooked authors of 100-150 years ago makes me enjoy this more than some other people might. But who knows? I read this in an inexpensive hardcover I got off eBay (the best way to read old books), but I'm sure it's on gutenberg for free. If you like Sherlock or The Shadow, you might like this.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guy Garrick, scientific detective, breaks a car theft ring by use of a series of gadgets that were presumably novel in 1914. Introduced here as the latest in modern crime solving is ballistics testing, wiretaps, police radio, polygraphs and, for a finale, talking pictures. This easily beats the anesthetic guns used by our intolerable villains.

Interesting for its prediction of future advances in policing and its early depiction of a car theft ring. Plotting is very linear and nailing the villain is due to a scientific trick, rather than any process of deduction. I think listening to this (thanks LibriVox) is better than actually reading it, as it is easy to ignore the tedious bits.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

American scientific detective battles a criminal gang. The scientific part is WAY overdone--- Garrick introduces some new (either impractical or now a well known thing) gadget in almost every chapter. There is a somewhat peculiar fascination in encountering "wiretaps" and "tear gas" as new discoveries.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

this detective story was published in 1914 and is interesting for the all the inventions that the detective uses, such a machine that listens in to telephone calls. It is so big that the dectective has to fine a place to hide in the room he is trying to bug.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't remember there being anything objectionable. I just found it unremarkable. :)

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually I found this book somnolent. Not bad but, I kept falling asleep trying to read it. If you need rest, this might be for you. Otherwise, be advised.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. If you want to try Arthur Reeve, start with The Film Mystery, I thought it was better.