Questions tagged [r-austin-freeman]
R[ichard] Austin Freeman (1862–1943), British writer of detective stories and novels, many featuring the forensic scientist Dr. Thorndyke.
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When is "Mr Pottermack's Oversight" set?
Mr Pottermack's Oversight is a mystery novel by R. Austin Freeman. Freeman invented the inverted mystery in which the crime is first shown, often from the PoV of the criminal, and then the process of ...
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What does "heavily-leaded" mean in "The Funeral Pyre"?
In "The Funeral Pyre" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Gervis and Thorndyke were at the station where they found the bookstall keeper in the act of sticking up a placard of ...
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Was it common that the bridges of ditches or creeks had guarding gates in 1924?
In "The Funeral Pyre" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman (1924), Thorndyke found a dental plate of a dead man by a gate at the crossing of a ditch, and he wanted to know ...
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Meaning of "profitably watch the expression on the face of a ship's figure" in "Stolen Ingots"?
In "Stolen Ingots" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman,the chief officer and the inspector were insisting on that they have captured the stolen ingots, but Thorndyke was a bit ...
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What's meant by "her sails over the land!" in "Stolen Ingots"?
In "Stolen Ingots" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, there was a boat that chases a barge in a tidal river and amongst muddy banks:
Meanwhile the fugitive barge, having got ...
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What's the connection between a boat and livery stables in "Stolen Ingots"?
In "Stolen Ingots" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Mr. Badger was standing on a bridge watching a boat running with a stolen case.
Badger cursed volubly, and, turning to ...
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What does "on the top of the spring tide" mean in "Stolen Ingots"?
In "Stolen Ingots" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Mr. Badger was standing on a bridge watching a barge and brawley
“Yes. There’s a little ramshackle bawley from Leigh—...
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What does "walk for a wager" mean in "A Fisher of Men"?
In "A Fisher of Men" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Dr. Jervis was digging the earth with his friend, while they saw a stranger man coming along the path, then that man ...
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What does "unlikely neighbourhood" mean in "A Fisher of Men"?
In "A Fisher of Men" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Thorndyke was talking about a man who went to visit another one who wants to buy his expensive necklace, saying:
&...
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What are "half-tips to the heels" in "The Touchstone"?
In "The Touchstone" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Thorndyke and his friend, Gervis, found a print of a boot with an iron toe-tip on loam soil, then they found another ...
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Does "trampling" mean "violence" or "attack" in "The Touchstone"?
In "The Touchstone" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Thorndyke went to an old disused chalk-pit, where a dead man found after he fall from above path, the edges of which ...
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What do "fairish man" & "rich complexion" mean in "The New Jersey Sphinx"?
In "The New Jersey Sphinx" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Thorndyke went to a porter to know the vacant chambers to let, and asked him whether it's quiet:
"Quiet?&...
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What does "precious rascals" mean in "The Blue Scarab"?
In "The Blue Scarab" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Mr. Blowgrave, whose deed-box was stolen, was talking to Dr. Thorndyke:
"The story concerns my great-grandfather ...
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Why would the subject of fingerprints make everybody lose their common sense?
In "The Case of the White Footprints" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book (1923) by R. Austin Freeman, Dr. Jervis said to his friend that the chief officer found fingerprints in the crime scene ...
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Was it common to publish the times of voyages in the newspapers?
In "The Case of the White Footprints" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book (1923) by R. Austin Freeman, a woman was talking to a detective about a situation in her hotel, saying:
"I noticed ...
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What does "on his dignity with" mean in "The Case of the White Footprints"?
In "The Case of the White Footprints" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, a woman was talking to a detective about a situation in her hotel, saying:
Mr. Bergson wasn't drunk, ...
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