The Riddle of the Purple Emperor

** "The Riddle of the Purple Emperor" by Mary E. Hanshew is an early 20th-century detective story where Hamilton Cleek, a brilliant detective with incredible disguise skills, finds himself entangled in a web of secrets surrounding the Cheyne family and their prized jewels, most notably the cursed "Purple Emperor" diamond. The story begins with Cleek meeting Lady Margaret Cheyne at a train station after she returns from a trip and is immediately pulled into her family's complicated affairs. As he helps her travel to her inherited home, Cheyne Court, Cleek learns about the dark history of the jewels and the dangers they attract, setting the stage for a mystery filled with deceit and possible danger. **