All Reviews by Michael O'Brien

The Great Portrait Mystery

by R. Austin Freeman

This collection does not contain thirteen short stories and none of them feature John Thorndyke.

Half the book is taken up with the title story, a lively romp in which the hero nearly loses his job at the National Gallery in London after a valuable painting is stolen by ingenious thieves. When the painting is returned, the authorities are willing to forget the whole matter -- but he wonders why anybody should go to such trouble to steal the painting and then return it.

The resulting plot wil have you engrossed.