7 h 31 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 31 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A murder, a circle of suspects, and small facts that refuse to fit: what will you notice first?
In The Clue, Carolyn Wells introduces Fleming Stone, a detective who relies on observation and reasoning rather than force. A murder leaves a circle of people under suspicion. The challenge is to weigh what you learn, consider who could have acted, and decide which details deserve a closer look.
Published in 1909, this mystery belongs to the early years of the detective novel, when puzzle stories are finding eager readers. Stone’s gift for close attention gives you a way into the case. You can follow his reasoning while testing your own suspicions, ready to change your mind as small facts take on weight.
What you’ll discover
- Meet Fleming Stone Discover the investigator’s first appearance, where close attention matters more than force.
- A puzzle to play Keep your own list of possibilities as you weigh who could have acted.
- Small facts worth weighing Enjoy the quiet challenge of setting one detail beside another and testing its importance.
- Reasoning takes the lead Follow a detective whose strength lies in noticing what others may miss.
- Early detective fiction Explore a mystery from the years when one crime could shape a whole novel.
Who will love it
You will love this if you enjoy a locked-house puzzle, an amateur sleuth with a gift for small clues, and a light romance beside the crime.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A death behind bolted doors
- Jealousy unsettles the wedding preparations
- Clean hands overturn the suicide theory
- The pencil exposes a borrowed voice
- Private loyalties create public suspicion
- Trust opens a guarded explanation
- Money and affection share the house
- Appearances conceal more than guilt
- Small evidence outweighs a convincing theory
Who’s who
- Madeleine Van NormanThe proud young heiress of Mapleton, about to marry and hoping for tenderness she cannot ask for.
- Schuyler CarletonHer reserved fiancé, who guards a private errand and refuses to explain his movements on the fatal night.
- Tom WillardHer cheerful, hot-tempered cousin, who loves her openly and stands to inherit the family fortune.
- Robert FessendenA New York lawyer and best man who turns amateur detective to clear his friend.
- Kitty FrenchA lively bridesmaid who trusts her instinct that Madeleine did not kill herself and helps Fessenden search.
- Cicely DupuyMadeleine's secretary, whose handwriting matches her employer's and who hides a secret of her own.
- Miss MortonA sharp, blustering guest and old sweetheart of Madeleine's uncle, who takes charge of the house.
- Fleming StoneA famous, soft-spoken detective called in when the local investigators run out of leads.
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The Clue in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Clue
by Carolyn Wells · 1909
On the eve of her wedding, an heiress is found stabbed beside a note that says she meant to die.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“I decline to say.”
In short
What if the one note meant to explain a death is the clue that proves it was no suicide? A bride lies dead in her library at half past eleven, the night before her wedding, with a Venetian dagger beside her and a message of despair near her hand.
The Clue at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 20 min3 h 25 min fast, 5 h 10 min slow
- Length
- 61,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1909by Carolyn Wells
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
A proud house and its haughty heiress
The story opens at the old Van Norman mansion, the finest house in Mapleton. Its mistress is Madeleine Van Norman, twenty-two, beautiful, orphaned, and rich. People call her Magnificent Madeleine, and they admire her more than they love her.
Her late uncle Richard left her the house at once and a great fortune to inherit when she marries or turns twenty-three. If she dies before either, the fortune goes to her cousin Tom Willard. That one condition hangs over the whole book. Madeleine has also inherited her uncle's quick temper.
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Which edition is right for me
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- 15-minute summary
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Details
- First published
- 1909
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 55 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Wells, Carolyn. The Clue. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-clue.
Wells, C. (2026). The clue. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-clue (Original work published 1909)
Wells, Carolyn. The Clue. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-clue.
@book{wells2026clue,
author = {Wells, Carolyn},
title = {The Clue},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-clue},
note = {First published 1909}
}
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What is The Clue by Carolyn Wells about?
It tells of the death of the heiress Madeleine Van Norman on the eve of her wedding. A note suggests suicide, but a young lawyer and a bridesmaid question it, and a famous detective is finally called in.
Who is Fleming Stone?
Fleming Stone is a renowned detective in Carolyn Wells's fiction. He arrives late in The Clue, listens to everyone, and inspects the house room by room to find what the earlier investigators missed.
What does the title The Clue refer to?
It points to a small, easily overlooked object found by Fessenden and Kitty early in the search. Many people dismiss it, which is part of the fun of the puzzle.
The author
Carolyn Wells
1862–1942 · American humorist and mystery writer
Carolyn Wells (1862–1942) was an American writer born in Rahway, New Jersey. She later lived in New York City, where she died. She wrote poetry, humor, children's books, and mystery novels. Her works include the Patty and Marjorie series, The Clue (1909), and The Gold Bag (1911).
“I decline to say.”
More by Carolyn Wells
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