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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A murder, stolen diamonds, and a vanished man send a sharp-minded barrister racing between London and Paris.
In Louis Tracy’s The Albert Gate Mystery, a lawyer brings his gift for reasoning to a baffling crime. A violent death, valuable jewels, and a man who cannot be found form the puzzle before him. His training offers a way forward: weigh the evidence, test each story, and look for its weak points.
The pursuit moves between London and Paris, cities of fashion, money, and secrets. Clues draw the barrister from one capital to the other as the mystery tightens. This is a brisk detective story built around a clever professional and the challenge of making sense of tangled events. The pleasure lies in following that sharp mind through a widening case.
What you’ll discover
- A lawyer turned detective Follow a barrister whose habit of testing evidence gives him a way into the mystery.
- Two cities of secrets Move between London and Paris as the pursuit carries the case beyond one city.
- Three tangled threads Explore a puzzle that brings together murder, stolen diamonds, and a missing man.
- Reason against confusion Watch a trained legal mind weigh evidence and search for weaknesses in a story.
- A brisk unfolding puzzle Enjoy quick pursuits and clues that keep the investigation moving from city to city.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy classic detective chases, ingenious disguises, cool-headed heroes and puzzles that cross borders, told with humor and speed.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A disappearance interrupts Brett's comfortable morning
- A tested window reveals an opening
- Small details weaken the apparent evidence
- Brett puts the diamonds to a test
- Watching the detective lets suspects escape
- Edith carries the pursuit toward Sicily
- A convincing appearance remains a claim
- Political stakes depend on personal loyalty
- Small clues carry the widening pursuit
Who’s who
- Reginald BrettA calm London barrister and amateur detective who reads clues in small details and agrees to find a missing diplomat and the stolen diamonds.
- Jack TalbotA bright young Foreign Office official put in charge of the Sultan's diamonds, who vanishes on the night of the murders.
- Edith TalbotJack's quick-witted sister, who trusts Brett, refuses to marry until her brother is found, and proves bold when the hunt needs her.
- Earl of FairholmeAn athletic young peer, engaged to Edith, who follows Brett's orders loyally and wants only to bring her brother home.
- Mr WinterA stubborn Scotland Yard detective who suspects the wrong man and is sure he knows the answer before the facts arrive.
- Hussein-ul-MulkA polished Turkish reformer in exile in Paris, who wants the Sultan's diamonds for his cause and lives in fear of Brett.
- La Belle ChasseuseA handsome former circus markswoman who runs the Cabaret Noir with her father and keeps secrets for a man she loves.
- Henri DuboisA fair-skinned French master thief with a gift for disguise, who plans the robbery and plays every side against the others.
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The Albert Gate Mystery
by Louis Tracy · 1904
A barrister swaps a pheasant shoot for a pursuit stretching from London to Paris and Marseilles.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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In short
Would you give up a day of pheasant shooting for a stranger's missing brother? Over breakfast in his London flat, Reginald Brett reads about a guarded mansion at Albert Gate, where Turkish officials and Dutch diamond cutters have worked under police guard.
The Albert Gate Mystery at a glance
- Reading time
- About 5 h4 h fast, 6 h slow
- Length
- 71,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1904by Louis Tracy
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Brett trades a shooting party for a mystery
Reginald Brett begins the book at ease. It is a bright October morning, and a letter invites him to a pheasant shoot. His servant Smith is acting oddly, and Brett amuses himself by guessing why from a few small signs.
Then he opens the newspaper. A bold paragraph tells of an incident at a mansion in Albert Gate. Brett reads it twice and cuts it out. He sets it before a small bust of Edgar Allan Poe.
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Details
- First published
- 1904
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 5 h 45 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Tracy, Louis. The Albert Gate Mystery. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-albert-gate-mystery.
Tracy, L. (2026). The Albert Gate mystery. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-albert-gate-mystery (Original work published 1904)
Tracy, Louis. The Albert Gate Mystery. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-albert-gate-mystery.
@book{tracy2026albert,
author = {Tracy, Louis},
title = {The Albert Gate Mystery},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-albert-gate-mystery},
note = {First published 1904}
}
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What is The Albert Gate Mystery about?
It follows barrister and amateur detective Reginald Brett as he investigates a murder and diamond theft at a guarded London mansion and tries to find a missing Foreign Office official. The hunt leads him through Paris, Marseilles and Sicily.
Who is Reginald Brett?
Brett is a London barrister who solves crimes as a hobby.
Who are the diamonds meant for, and why do they matter?
The rough diamonds belong to the Sultan of Turkey, and one is as big as a hen's egg. They are sent to London to be cut, and the story treats their loss as a threat to political stability.
The author
Louis Tracy
1863–1928 · British novelist
Louis Tracy was a British writer who lived from 1863 to 1928. He was born in Liverpool, England, and wrote novels, including mysteries and romances. His books included The Albert Gate Mystery, published in 1904, The Silent Barrier, published in 1910, and One Wonderful Night, published in 1912.
More by Louis Tracy
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