Fatal Fingers by William Le Queux

In a shabby Pimlico room crowded with antiques and dust, the reclusive Richard Goodrick refuses every plea to return to public life, even when George Ravenscourt offers him fifty thousand pounds. Believed dead by the nation, Goodrick has lived for eighteen years under an assumed identity, guarding a hidden past of disgrace, secrecy, and possible conspiracy with a cold, iron-willed defiance. His refusal only deepens the mystery, especially when he is later seen concealing a manuscript and slipping out to meet a Catholic priest at Victoria Station, hinting at international or religious intrigue. The shadow of his secret soon spreads through London. Sir George Ravenscourt is found dying in his library from a concealed poisoned needle, begging his butler to burn a paper before he dies. After Sir George is pronounced dead, the household is thrown into turmoil, and the recovered manuscript is delivered to Detective-Inspector Medland. As Scotland Yard struggles, Gordon Cunningham becomes entangled in the case and is confronted by Tulloch, a man he believed dead, whose return exposes old debts, blackmail, and a dangerous attempt to steer him toward a public attack on the police. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.