Resumen
Resumen de El testigo silencioso
Para quién es
For readers who love fair-play puzzles, with clues laid out and reasoning shown step by step, and anyone curious about early forensic science.
De qué trata este libro
A Silent Witness is a detective novel by R. Austin Freeman, published in 1914. It belongs to his series about Dr. John Thorndyke, a London physician and barrister who solves crimes by science rather than by hunches or confessions. Freeman trained as a doctor himself, and that training shapes every page.
In this book you follow a case of sudden death and strange evidence. Thorndyke weighs small physical facts that others overlook, and the story is told by Humphrey Jardine, who follows the case closely. You get a puzzle that is meant to be solved with the clues in front of you. Let us begin with the man at the center of it all, Dr. Thorndyke.
En este resumen
- 1Thorndyke solves crimes by scienceFree
- 2A friend and a helper stand beside Thorndyke
- 3Physical evidence becomes the silent witness
- 4A fair puzzle told in a measured style
Idea clave 1 de 4
Thorndyke solves crimes by science
Dr. John Thorndyke is the heart of Freeman's fiction. He is trained both in medicine and in law, and he works as a medical jurist, an expert who is called in when a death or an injury raises legal questions. His rooms are in the Temple, the old legal quarter of London, and he carries a small research case wherever he goes.
Unlike many detectives of his day, Thorndyke does not rely on flashes of intuition. He observes, measures and tests, and he will not name a conclusion until the facts compel it. Readers often notice how calm he is. He seldom raises his voice, and he treats a puzzle as a problem to be worked out in order.
This method gives the book its character. The excitement comes less from chases and more from watching a trained mind take hold of a small fact and see what it means. For a reader, this is a pleasure of its own, like following a good teacher through a hard proof.
That’s 1 of 4 key points.
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Questions about El testigo silencioso
What is A Silent Witness about?
It is a detective novel in which Dr. John Thorndyke investigates a suspicious death using medical knowledge and close study of physical evidence, while the narrator, Humphrey Jardine, follows and records the case.
Who is Dr. Thorndyke?
Dr. John Thorndyke is R. Austin Freeman's detective, a doctor and barrister who works as a medical jurist in London. He solves cases by scientific method and careful reasoning.
When was A Silent Witness written?
It was published in 1914. It is a work of fiction, though its medical and legal details reflect the real knowledge of its author, who had been a doctor.
Is A Silent Witness hard to read?
It suits readers who enjoy puzzles.
Do I need to read other Thorndyke books first?
No. Each Thorndyke novel has its own case and can be read alone. Knowing Thorndyke, Jervis and Polton from earlier books adds a little familiarity but is not needed.