The Purple Fern

"The Purple Fern" by Fergus Hume is a mystery set in the early 1900s, beginning in the snowy Essex town where Dr. Daniel Jerce's arrival by delayed train marks the start of a perplexing series of events connected to those around him. As Dr. Jerce navigates a web of acquaintances, including the rich Baird twins, Ferdinand and Clarice, and their guardian’s strange ailment, he finds himself entangled in a mystery far beyond his medical practice. Shadowed through the snowy streets by a man in grey, and targeted in a sudden assault, Jerce finds clues indicating a more sinister plot at work. The narrative weaves through peculiar illnesses, family secrets, and threatening encounters, blending personal drama with an unfolding crime.