What do you think?
Rate this book
Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries #28
The Jacob Street Mystery
A peaceful, pleasant afternoon in the woodland scene of Linton Green is disturbed when a brutal murder takes place. But thanks to an unseen witness, the killer may be caught, and the witness turns out to be a blessing in disguise. This is the story of Thomas Pedley, a gifted artist who paints what he sees from memory.
- GenresMystery
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
44 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
R. Austin Freeman
606 books86 followersRichard Freeman was born in Soho, London on 11 April 1862, the son of Ann Maria (nee Dunn) and Richard Freeman, a tailor. He was originally named Richard, and later added the Austin to his name.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887; they had two sons. After a few weeks of married life, the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast, where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, 'Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman', which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.
On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat practice, but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine, although he did have occasional temporary posts, and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.
He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was 'The Red Thumb Mark' (1907). His first published crime novel was 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.
With the publication of 'The Singing Bone' (1912) he invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.
A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.
He died in Gravesend on 28 September 1943.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 13, 2017
Unconscious Witness (1942) by R. Austin Freeman is the 28th entry in the Dr. Thorndyke series. It involves an artist who is out sketching and manages to see the beginnings of a rather involved crime. Little does Tom Pedley know when two men walk past his hidden sketching spot (he can see them, but they can't see him) and a woman comes sneaking along behind them that his impressions and a quick sketch drawn afterward will help Dr. Thorndyke unravel two murders and solve the disappearance of a woman by the name of Mrs. Schiller. Of the two men, one is Charles Montagu and he will not return from the walk in the woods.
When Montagu is found dead, authorities know that there was an artist in the vicinity, but are unable to trace him immediately. Pedley doesn't own a wireless and rarely looks at a newspaper, so he finds out about the murder just before the police track him down. Since he's known to Mr. Polton, an associate of Dr. Thorndyke's, the police are more willing to accept his reasons for not coming forward than they might otherwise be--but his detailed description of the events of that day and even his sketch of the people involved give the police little help in unraveling the mystery.
It isn't until another artist, Lotta Schiller, takes up residence in a house nearby, makes his acquaintance and then disappears that his evidence proves more useful. And when the body of woman who has gone under the name Emma Robey is found in Mrs. Schiller's abandoned rooms things get really complicated--found most providentially by Mr. Polton which brings Dr. Thorndyke into the case. Dr. Thorndyke's sharp eye sees what the police and even Pedley with his artist's eye for detail have missed.
I have to say that thist was a pretty disappointing entry into the adventures of Dr. Thorndyke. The doctor doesn't show up until well past the half-way mark and then most of his investigations and deductions are made off-page. And the build-up with Pedley in the first half was unnecessarily long and pretty boring. A good editing might make a this into a much more enjoyable novella. My other quibble--Thorndyke doesn't really explain the motive behind the first murder. I realize that motive isn't everything--but I'd really like to know why Montagu had to die. ★★ and a half (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. thanks.
When Montagu is found dead, authorities know that there was an artist in the vicinity, but are unable to trace him immediately. Pedley doesn't own a wireless and rarely looks at a newspaper, so he finds out about the murder just before the police track him down. Since he's known to Mr. Polton, an associate of Dr. Thorndyke's, the police are more willing to accept his reasons for not coming forward than they might otherwise be--but his detailed description of the events of that day and even his sketch of the people involved give the police little help in unraveling the mystery.
It isn't until another artist, Lotta Schiller, takes up residence in a house nearby, makes his acquaintance and then disappears that his evidence proves more useful. And when the body of woman who has gone under the name Emma Robey is found in Mrs. Schiller's abandoned rooms things get really complicated--found most providentially by Mr. Polton which brings Dr. Thorndyke into the case. Dr. Thorndyke's sharp eye sees what the police and even Pedley with his artist's eye for detail have missed.
I have to say that thist was a pretty disappointing entry into the adventures of Dr. Thorndyke. The doctor doesn't show up until well past the half-way mark and then most of his investigations and deductions are made off-page. And the build-up with Pedley in the first half was unnecessarily long and pretty boring. A good editing might make a this into a much more enjoyable novella. My other quibble--Thorndyke doesn't really explain the motive behind the first murder. I realize that motive isn't everything--but I'd really like to know why Montagu had to die. ★★ and a half (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. thanks.
May 9, 2020
This final book in the series isn't the peak of the series - several of what I suspect were supposed to be surprise twists I figured out fairly early on. However, I liked the way Mr. Polton played a large part in the first section, narrated by Thomas Pedley. The second section, narrated by Thorndyke's friend and assistant, Christopher Jervis, generally shows Dr. Thorndyke's investigation. It was this section that I found lacking - Thorndyke did most of his work behind closed doors and acted in a more secretive manner than I was used to, leading to a more deus ex machina finale. While Thorndyke never liked to explain his reasons for doing certain tests or examinations, in this book we don't even get to see what most of those tests were.
My copy is from Feedbooks:
http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2142/th...
My copy is from Feedbooks:
http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2142/th...
October 11, 2015
R. Austin Freeman's mysteries are often divided into two parts, the first dealing with events leading up to a murder, followed by Dr. Thorndyke's investigation. In this case, the first part, about a beautiful woman who poses as a serious artist, then disappears, is delightful. The rest of the book is dull by comparison, though Dr. Thorndyke's meticulous rationcination is, as always, impressive and not without interest.
February 10, 2021
Täiesti korralik kriminaalromaan selle žanri kuldajast. Tavalisest kriminaalromaanist eristab seda teost ehk vaid asjaolu, et veidi üle poole raamatust on pigem põnevalt kirjutatud suhete kirjeldus, milles kaks mõrva on otsekui taustaks ning tegelik juurdlus algab alles raamatu teises osas.
May 7, 2018
It's been a while since I've read these, so I was hoping the break would boost my enjoyment again. But by this book (#28 in the series), I've caught on to a few of the hints, or maybe Freeman just wasn't trying as hard to be secretive, I don't know. But I caught on to the plot pretty early on. Not all of it, I had one thing actually backwards, but other than that nothing really new.
Half, almost 2/3, of the book is told from third person but following the artist Pedley around. Then it switches to the usual first person of Jervis, and a couple chapters sum up events thus far before Thorndyke gets the case on an official basis. Jervis really took a back seat in this one, letting Thorndyke hide in the lab for hours at a time and not hounding him for questions or trying to get evidence for himself. Kind of a blah read, honestly.
Half, almost 2/3, of the book is told from third person but following the artist Pedley around. Then it switches to the usual first person of Jervis, and a couple chapters sum up events thus far before Thorndyke gets the case on an official basis. Jervis really took a back seat in this one, letting Thorndyke hide in the lab for hours at a time and not hounding him for questions or trying to get evidence for himself. Kind of a blah read, honestly.
January 26, 2016
Three and a half stars.
This is a strange story written in two completely separate parts. The first part is written in the third person and seemed very, very slow and tortuous. The second part is written in the first person with Jervis, Thorndyke's assistant, being the narrator as usual.
It is not until you get into the second part, which I thoroughly enjoyed, that you realise why the first part was as it was. There are lots of clues which enabled me to work out whodunit but it needed Thorndyke's summing up at the end to make it all clear.
It is difficult to review the book without giving the game away but I did enjoy it.
This is a strange story written in two completely separate parts. The first part is written in the third person and seemed very, very slow and tortuous. The second part is written in the first person with Jervis, Thorndyke's assistant, being the narrator as usual.
It is not until you get into the second part, which I thoroughly enjoyed, that you realise why the first part was as it was. There are lots of clues which enabled me to work out whodunit but it needed Thorndyke's summing up at the end to make it all clear.
It is difficult to review the book without giving the game away but I did enjoy it.
July 15, 2011
The Jacob Street Mystery is divided into two halves. The first is in the perspective of an artist, Thomas Pedley. Though a murder (of which Pedley is a key witness) is committed from the start, the first section is not that interesting. It details the friendship between Thomas Pedley and Loretta Schiller. The second half is narrated by Christopher Jervis; the pace quickens quite a bit and with Dr. Thorndyke on the scene, the plot thickens. Without giving anything away, the ending is completely unexpected and very surprising. 3.5 stars.
June 9, 2024
A nicely-composed detective story only let down, slightly, by the denouement. Of all the Doctor Thorndyke stories this is the one where his role is solely to be the author's deux ex machina. Still a good read, though.
March 3, 2020
Typical Dr. Thorndyke mystery: He is so brilliant and the coincidences pile up. I had a bit of a problem keeping things straight at the end, and I wanted a better explanation of what happened. Nevertheless, it was a fun read.
April 23, 2014
Dr. Thorndyke uses his analytical skills to find the real villain in a case of confused personalities and cyanide poisonings.
December 30, 2022
A game of two halves, the first set up the intrigue by introducing all the characters and the crime. However the second, with the much anticipated arrival in the scene of the much lauded Dr Thorndyke it fell a bit flat. Little was made of any investigation other than preternatural intuition of Thorndyke to solve the case and to take a lot longer than Poirot (the second half of the book) to expound the denouement to the baffled (myself included) bystanders.
June 26, 2021
While out painting, Thomas Pedley witnesses the actions of two men and one woman, he thinks nothing of it until friend Mr Polton informs him of a murder that took place that same time. Several months later Pedley makes the acquaintance of modern painter Mrs Lotta Schiller.
Can Pedley help Dr. Thorndyke solve two murders.
An entertaining mystery
Can Pedley help Dr. Thorndyke solve two murders.
An entertaining mystery
August 20, 2023
The rather ordinary British title of Freeman’s final novel masks an at times strange and slightly surreal and unsettling tale with a twist which some will find both unexpected and psychologically interesting. The US title “The Unconscious Witness” while open to a little misinterpretation is a better choice : the landscape artist, Tom Pedley, is indeed unaware of what he has seen at many points in the story.
The two part structure and the leisurely pace are factors which this novel has in common with other Thorndykes but this is not vintage stuff from a detection standpoint. The doctor is particularly secretive and such investigation as there is mostly takes place in private. Coincidences abound and the motive for the first of the two murders is not explained.
There is a lot of the author’s views on art which unsurprisingly place him firmly in the side of the traditionalists and he pours a deal of scorn on the modernist school. Perhaps more surprising to some readers will be his sympathetic portrayal of the African lawyer who is misled by the odd yet alluring Mrs Schiller. However by this point in his long life Freeman seems to have stopped proselytising for eugenics and racial purity.
This swansong is, then, a novel with some detection, rather than a novel of detection, with some nicely-rendered characters.
A bit disappointing.
3.25 stars.
The two part structure and the leisurely pace are factors which this novel has in common with other Thorndykes but this is not vintage stuff from a detection standpoint. The doctor is particularly secretive and such investigation as there is mostly takes place in private. Coincidences abound and the motive for the first of the two murders is not explained.
There is a lot of the author’s views on art which unsurprisingly place him firmly in the side of the traditionalists and he pours a deal of scorn on the modernist school. Perhaps more surprising to some readers will be his sympathetic portrayal of the African lawyer who is misled by the odd yet alluring Mrs Schiller. However by this point in his long life Freeman seems to have stopped proselytising for eugenics and racial purity.
This swansong is, then, a novel with some detection, rather than a novel of detection, with some nicely-rendered characters.
A bit disappointing.
3.25 stars.
December 7, 2025
Note: I listened to the audiobook of this, but it was not listed on Goodreads.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews