The Meredith Mystery

Lincoln, Natalie Sumner, 1881-1935Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 318K words
Chapters: 32

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Meredith Mystery by Natalie Sumner LincolnAuthor: Lincoln, Natalie Sumner, 1881-1935,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 2, 2019

Editor's review

The Meredith Mystery is a public-domain English detective novel by Natalie Sumner Lincoln, classified under American and Canadian literature. The author was active in the early twentieth century, and her works typically advance through mystery plots, emphasizing relationships and the layering of clues. This book suits readers who want a sense of early American detective fiction: it creates suspense not through modern forensic techniques but through dialogue, suspicion, and gradual revelation. As you read, note how narrative point of view controls information, how characters are suspected and cleared, and where female characters stand in early detective stories. As a public-domain e-book, it is convenient for reading in segments on electronic devices and works as extensive reading material in English genre fiction. To study the evolution of detective fiction, compare it with contemporary works and observe how mystery structure relates to social context.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy early British and American detective fiction can experience classic mystery narration.
Readers studying the evolution of detective fiction can use it as a comparative sample.
Learners with some English foundation who want extensive reading in genre fiction.
Readers interested in early twentieth-century women authors and popular literature.

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer modern forensic techniques and fast-paced reversals may find it slow.
English beginners who need a Chinese translation or detailed notes face a high threshold.
Readers expecting true-crime reporting or legal analysis will find this is fiction.

Reading tips

Clarify character relationships and the case's initial information first, then take brief notes as clues advance.
Note narrative point of view and the pace of information release, observing how the author creates suspicion.
Compare with contemporary detective novels, contrasting mystery structure and social context.
If the English is hard, summarize the plot chapter by chapter first, then return to key dialogue.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers new to detective fiction?

It suits readers with some English reading ability who are interested in early detective fiction. Its pace is relatively unhurried, driven by dialogue and the layering of clues rather than the technical detail of modern forensic stories. If the English is difficult, learn the outline of the story first, then read the original.

Who is the author, Natalie Sumner Lincoln?

According to this book's information, she was an American author (1881–1935) whose works are classified under American and Canadian literature. The material provides no further biographical detail, so readers should not infer awards or sales figures from it. Read her within the context of early twentieth-century popular literature and detective fiction.

Should I take notes while reading?

Brief notes are recommended. Detective novels have many characters and scattered clues; recording relationships, key dialogue, and times and places helps keep up with the reasoning. For extensive reading, you can also summarize each chapter in one or two sentences, then revisit the doubts.

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About the author

Lincoln, Natalie Sumner, 1881-1935 Author

Natalie Sumner Lincoln (1881–1935) was an early American writer of detective fiction. Public information about her is limited, and details of her life are largely unknown to today's readers. Four of her works are held in this collection: The Lost Despatch, The Red Seal, The Meredith Mystery, and I Spy. Judging by their titles and genre, all belong to the mystery and detective tradition, featuring such elements as stolen dispatches, seals and clues, and questions of identity, with plots unfolding through the process of investigation. Her writing continues the tradition of early twentieth-century British and American detective fiction, emphasizing the planting of clues and the building of suspense, with concise language and a brisk pace that appealed to popular readers of her time. Though her name is little known today, these four works remain readable examples of the detective fiction of that era.