I usually like May Agnes Fleming, but this is an awful book full of unlikeable and unrealistic characters.
The unlikeable people include Gordon, who, finding his adoring wife isn't who he thought she was, casts her off and feels he is disgraced; his mother, who then throws him out because of said disgrace; the wife, who vows bitter revenge; Lady Dynely, who goes to all nefarious ends for her son; and her son, Eric, who is as feckless and selfish as you'd expect someone brought up by such a mother to be.
The unbelievable characters include France, who falls in love with Gordon, but refuses to marry him when she discovers that his legally divorced wife is still alive, and Terry, who, on being told he is Eric's legitimate elder half brother and thus heir to the Dynely estate, gives it all up and agrees to keep it secret just because Eric's mother wants him to, and then puts up with Eric stealing his girlfriend (an unbelievable ninny) and otherwise acting like a jerk until Terry dies saving Eric's life and leaving all the unpleasant people to live happily ever after. Except the ex-wife, who is conveniently poisoned by an Italian prince. Feh.
Chicago's 1892 World's Columbian Exposition provides an exotic setting for this detective novel, featuring a set of daring jewel thieves, counterfeiters and kidnappers who take advantage of the fair's throngs to work their nefarious deeds.
Carl Masters, the narrator, is a detective sent to ferret out the criminals. Along with tracking the evil-doers, he admires the fair's wonders and befriends several fair goers who have been innocently drawn into the snares of the plotters.
The story moves along well, though more of a procedural than a mystery -- the crooks are pretty obvious from the outset. It's a fun read, especially for history buffs, with tantalizing glimpses of the fabulous White City.