The Old Man in the Corner

"The Old Man in the Corner" by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is a set of intriguing detective stories from the early 1900s. It follows the unnamed "old man in the corner," who chats with a young reporter named Polly Burton. They talk about different crimes that haven't been solved yet, and the old man uses his smart brain and awesome detective skills to explain the reasons and plans behind each mystery. The story kicks off when Polly Burton meets the old man while having lunch at a cafe. She gets annoyed when he claims that mysteries can be solved with smart thinking, so she challenges him with the famous Fenchurch Street mystery, since the police have been confused on the case for months. The old man tells the story of William Kershaw, who goes missing in a weird way after making questionable money deals with a rich Siberian guy named Smethurst. The plot gets more complicated as the old man shares details about Kershaw's history, his relationship with his wife, and suspicious letters. It can be an exciting tale where his smart thinking promises to reveal what really happened.