The Missing Millionaire: The True Story of Ambrose Small and the City Obsessed With Finding Him

by Katie Daubs

In December 1919, Ambrose Small, the mercurial owner of the Grand Opera House in Toronto, closed a deal to sell his network of Ontario theatres, deposited a million-dollar cheque in his bank account, and was never seen again. As weeks turned to years, the disappearance became the most extraordinary unsolved mystery of its time. Everything about the sensational case would be called into question in the decades to come, including the motivations of his inner circle, his enemies, and the police who followed the trail across the continent, looking for answers in asylums, theatres, and the Pacific Northwest.

In The Missing Millionaire, Katie Daubs tells the story of the Small mystery, weaving together a gripping narrative with the social and cultural history of a city undergoing immense change. Daubs examines the characters who were connected to the case as the century carried on: Ambrose's religious wife, Theresa; his long-time secretary, Jack Doughty; his two unmarried sisters, Florence and Gertrude; Patrick Sullivan, a lawless ex-policeman; and Austin Mitchell, an overwhelmed detective. A series of trials exposed Small's tumultuous business and personal relationships, while allegations and confessions swirled. But as the main players in the Small mystery died, they took their secrets to the grave, and Ambrose Small would be forever missing.

Drawing on extensive research, newly discovered archival material, and her own interviews with the descendants of key figures, Katie Daubs offers a rich portrait of life in an evolving city in the early twentieth century. Delving into a crime story about the power of the elite, she vividly recounts the page-turning tale of a cold case that is truly stranger than fiction.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Canada, Biography, Audiobook, Mystery

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love a true Canadian mystery...
In all honesty, the lack of a definitive answer to what happened to Small made it hard to spin a compelling tale, so I would find my mind drifting. The book was well enough written that I stayed with it, and in the end, it was worth the listen. I like that I have added to my knowledge of Canadian mysteries and history. Would probably be even more interesting to Torontonians.

[Vikki VanSickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating true-crime story about a self-made Canadian theatre impresario who goes missing in 1919. The characters in Ambrose Small's life are all a little suspicious and the twists and turns in his life and still unexplained disappearance make for fascinating reading. Great pick for people who like history or true crime, in particular The Massey Murders or TV shows Murdoch Mysteries and Frankie Drake.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found myself struggling to stay awake for the most part. While I appreciate the research that went into this it was a bit too much with reference notes every paragraph and I found it very distracting.

Some of the details could have been left out and would have made the narrative flow a bit better.

The heart of the story was interesting and it was engaging to read about the history of Toronto in the final third of the book.

[Amber Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interested in Toronto's history and a fascinating tale of a millionaire's disappearance? You won't want to miss this book. Extensively researched and full of complex (and kind of crazy) characters, #themissingmillionaire is a wild ride through a century-old cold case (Ambrose Small disappeared Dec. 2, 1919).

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was first drawn to The Missing Millionaire based upon its cover and description: a man, Ambrose Small, who sells his chain of theaters in Ontario, Canada, for a huge sum and disappears the next day, December 2, 1919. It also takes place in my home town, Toronto—the clincher in my decision to read the book.

The author’s inclusion of Toronto history, specifically the description of buildings, streets, theatres and entertainment venues, was the best part; the rest, unfortunately, was disjointed. Though well-researched, it was heavy with facts and the recounting of events that didn’t flow within a story arc. After I finished the book, I was left wondering, "What really happened to Ambrose Small?" Granted, it was an unsolved murder, but the ending was unclimactic.

Readers who enjoy Toronto history may find this book of interest, as may others interested in true crime. Three and a half stars.

[Virginia Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fate of Ambrose Small is one of Toronto's great, unsolved mysteries. In December 1919, Ambrose Small sold his chain of Ontario theatres, deposited a million-dollar cheque in his bank account, left his office in the Grand Opera Theatre and was never seen again. kidnapped? But no ransom was ever demanded. Fled to live with his mistress, Carla? But why leave all his money behind? Dead? But where is the body? If dead, accident or murder? If murder. by whom? His very Catholic wife Theresa who knew about his mistress and wanted his money? His quiet assistant Jack Doughty who suddenly disappeared with $105,000 of Smalls' bonds? The mob?

This well researched book creates a fascinating picture of Toronto in the 1920's and suggests possible explanations, though those who knew the answer to Small's disappearance have taken their knowledge to the grave.

[Isabelle Chagnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story though told in a somewhat long and drawn out fashion.
Mysterious inconclusive ending leaves reader somewhat unsatisfied after plowing through the book of complicated and contradictory reports

[Jillann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tale of Toronto one hundred years ago.

[John Chidley-Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is closer to 3.5 stars than four, but that's not an option, sadly. A really interesting chapter in Toronto's history that Daubs did a masterful job of bringing to life. The book is thoroughly researched and has fun asides, typical as a footnote.

However, every five or six chapters Daubs switches to first person, describing vignettes about her research process and.... I just don't care. I've got no investment in her getting a tour of the train station in Portland, Ore., or about her getting locked in to St. Michael's Cemetery by accident.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was written in the genre of historical fiction. I liked the ending the most. I agree with Hammond’s report and felt that the police didn’t do a very thorough job following leads. I felt that there were too many tangents following people who didn’t really matter to the story. It took away from the mystery and made the book drag in parts.

[CreativelyRed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts were interesting - more in its history of Toronto than the real mystery of it all. It was obviously well researched, maybe too well for the flow of the book.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at the early history of my city - Toronto - wrapped around the never-solved disappearance of a theatre mogul of the Prohibition era.

I love reading about the earlier days of Toronto, and hearing the way the city has changed and grown through the years. This book gives a goodly amount of that, although the history of the city is not the main focus of the book.

The investigation - as much as is possible, given that most of the files and documents related to the case were destroyed in 1960 - is an interesting look at the very different way crimes were handled in bygone days. Lots of people seem to have gotten away with statements and actions that probably wouldn't fly today. Whether that impacted the unsuccessful search for Ambrose Small is anyone's guess.

I enjoyed reading the book and looking back on that Toronto. I do feel the author - a reporter for the Toronto Star - made the story a bit more convoluted than ideal from a reader's perspective. The amount of detail sometimes made following along challenging, and perhaps every single detail, memory, etc. wasn't strictly necessary in telling what basically amounts to a "what if?" story, since the case was never solved and Small never found.

That is a minor quibble, however, and overall this was an interesting, exhaustively researched investigation of a very interesting and labyrinthine cold case of early Toronto days. Well worth a read if you are a Torontonian, or are into Toronto history.

[Christina McLain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the disappearance of Ambrose Small has long fascinated Canadian historians and journalists. Indeed, one of the titans of Canadian literature, Michael Ondaatjee, wove Small's mysterious death into his seminal work on early 20th century Toronto, In the Skin of the Lion. In truth, Small's life was enigmatic. On the surface, he was a hard-nosed, sometimes vindictive businessman whose god was the almighty dollar. He and his wife lived lavishly in their beautiful Rosedale mansion and they travelled extensively and often. But Ambrose had a secret life: he was fond of gambling, backroom deals and backstreet women. In December 1919, he sold his theatrical business for over a million dollars to a conglomerate and received a cheque for it on December 2. Shortly after that, he disappeared and his body was never found. One of his longsuffering, underpaid assistants, Jack Doughty, later served time for stealing over $100,000 in Victory Bonds from his boss, but murder charges never stuck. For years the Toronto police and the Ontario government investigated the disappearance, and his sisters and his wife were at loggerheads over his will. This latest look into Small's death also comes up short, though the author posits several credible theories as to what really happened to Small. Some mysteries are never solved, I guess. A book for Canadian history lovers and those who love whodunits and cold cases.

[Janet Barclay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was selected by a member of my book club for an upcoming discussion. The fact that it's not one I'd have normally have chosen to read didn't concern me, as I've discovered many interesting genres and authors this way. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed this time.

It seems to me that the best fiction reads like a true story, and the best non-fiction reads like a novel. The Missing Millionaire reads like a collection of facts. This was emphasized by the author's insistence on including a footnote for nearly every statement she makes. I'm pretty sure this isn't standard practice, as I've never noticed it other non-fiction of this type that I've read. Lest you think I'm exaggerating, 55 pages of this 345-page book consist of notes acknowledging the source of the content. Of course, they can be ignored, but I found it distracting and it felt like the author was constantly saying, "I'm not making this up - see?"

Overall, it was an interesting story, but because the mystery was never solved, there's no satisfying ending. (Can't blame the author for that!) I mainly enjoyed the historical references to various places in and around Toronto.

[Cybercrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really thorough examination of a century-old cold case.
Based in Toronto, the most successful theatre owner and agent, who had a string of theatres around the province as well, sells some of his properties to another company as he believes the days of theatres are over now that "moving pictures" are taking the public's attention.
The payment was to be over a million dollars, with payments of the million on closing and the balance in three yearly instalments. The million dollars is paid, the cheque deposited, and the "millionaire" promptly disappears, never to be seen again. The money was never touched.
Lots of great history, plenty of intrigue, backstabbing, politics and conspiracies. Court cases over the ownership of the money, the property, whether he could be declared dead before the usual waiting time.
Kept my interest from start to finish.

[Jrwest · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I became aware of this book, I was compelled to read it as I grew up in London Ontario. The story is about Ambrose Small who was a owner of theatres in Ontario at the start of the 19 th century. On Dec 2, 1019 after selling his theatres for 1.75 million dollars he disappeared. For the last century there has been wild speculation on where he went. Did he run away, was he murdered or was he kidnapped. I remember when they remodeled the Grand Theatre in London Ontario that there was even speculation that they would find his body sealed up in some wall. The author takes one through the history and even postulates her own theory on his disappearance. Unfortunately the link of his disappearance to London Ontario is some what weak.

[Gregory Klages · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is characteristic of what I call the new Wikipedia-inspired writing. There's a lot of filler here... wild side trips into marginally-related issues informed by quick internet searches and article skims. At best, these add nice context and flavour, at worst, they read like an undergrad essay with a lot of soy product filler. This is not the worst nor the best of this type of writing.

The work also suffers from inclusion of a few sections of first-person travelogue that is not consistently included enough to provide a linking element of the narrative. These inclusions also feel like they've been stuck in to make the manuscript just a little bit longer.

All of this is a shame, as there was a lot more that could have been told about the Small story, but that is not.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 - I'm a curious person and enjoy tales about unsolved mysteries and historical events, this was a really cool story, I came into not knowing anything about Ambrose Small, came out of this knowing about him, his family and Toronto of the early 1900s along with how investigations were done back then, including that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was asked to investigate the case. We may never know whatever happened to Ambrose Small, but it is a curious unsolved mystery. Thank you Katie Daubs for bringing this to us!
The only con for me with this book was I had a hard time following all the details, and hence the 3.75 rating. Overall, it was pretty cool.

[Jo-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Daubs, in my opinion, knocks one out of the park in her retelling of the story of the missing Ambrose Small. Her writing is fact filled, and her research is impressive given the layers of information she provides in the details of Small's disappearance and who might be responsible. I have to be careful here about spoiilers, but suffice it to say that she ferrets out and explores all of the avenues of who might have done the deed, and why. Highly recommended for mystery lovers and those who particularly like real life secrets and lies.

[Luke B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a exceptionally researched and witty read. The author does a great service to the history of Toronto, its many layers as it grows into the economic engine and multiethnic metropolis we know today. The characters are brought to life through archival research and focus, Daubs does not waste a word.

If you want a simple 'true crime, who done it' only type book then you may find it over done. This book is far more than that and why you won't see it for sale, used for a dollar. This is a great work, not a rag.

[Cindee Ketches · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well researched!
The writing was good, but I didn’t know of Ambrose Small before starting this book & nothing in it made me care about him. It was a history of a mystery that didn’t appeal to me.
I was waiting for the author to tell us what she thought happened. She stuck to the facts and did not attempt to interpret them.
It also seemed that she didn’t know how to end the book. She put out all the facts, listed a number of red herrings, visited distant relatives of the players, got stuck in a cemetery and ended it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting tale from Toronto's history. I really liked the atmosphere conveyed - the book does a great job of giving you a picture of Toronto through the 1910s and 1920s. It sometimes felt a little rushed or oddly paced; it would have been great, for instance, to know a bit more about Ambrose Small the man rather than every charlatan who turned up afterward. But overall, a neat, quick read on an interesting piece of Toronto history!

[Amita Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, but have a gripe that soured my good opinion. The janitor who sees men dumping a body in the ravine is positioned to be an absolute bombshell in the story, and then turns out it meant absolutely nothing and we don't even get to find out how that information was procured. There are a few other juicy details that seemed to be very important but were never picked up again, which is odd considering how detailed most of the rest of the book is.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of the Lion is one of my all time favourite books and part of the main plot is the hunt for Ambrose Small, aka the missing millionaire. I thought this book was a great Tie in to the book I just finished: The Massey Murder, by Charlotte Gray and it even included mention of other Toronto figures of the same time period. It was interesting, but bland in comparison to the fictional treatment of Toronto.

[Jody · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very intriguing true story but not well told. The time line jumps around a lot, and the author takes you down a lot of side alleys that have little or nothing to do with the story. It often seems as if it is an assemblage of news clippings and research that don’t really hang together. Disappointing because the true story is actually very interesting.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging read for someone new to Toronto! An interesting puzzle which offers a route into learning about early 20th century Toronto and the interwar years. It is well researched and I felt like I really got to know all the key players. I struggled to put the book down. I hope the author writes more books in this genre.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the nod to the role that archivists play in helping preserve this story, but I found that the book got away from the search for Ambrose in the latter half when the author decided to focus on the lives of those around Ambrose long after the initial search.

[David Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never knew the live theatre seen was so vibrant in a lot of Ontario before the coming of movies. An interesting story, and good look at life in Toronto in the early years of the twentieth century.

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as gripping as I had hoped - 3/4 of the way through I had forgotten who a couple of people were and how others were involved. And this after a marathon read to get to the end, not a question of putting the book down and returning after a while. Maybe if I knew Toronto better...

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, I live in Toronto and I love theatre and history, so I basically am the audience for this book. It was fun to picture locations in my mind, imagining the Grand Theatre where a steel skyscraper and (probably) a Starbucks exists now.