Pennington Wise

A group of wealthy New Yorkers. An interest in the supernatural. A haunted cabin deep into the mountains of Vermont. What could go wrong? When a bizarre summer vacation results in the death of two of the groups' own, it is left to Detective Pennington Wise to determine if they fell victim to the very ghosts that they were hunting, or to something much more human. Carolyn Well's twelfth mystery novel and the official introduction of the Pennywise series, clever writing and robust characters make this unmissable for all mystery enthusiasts. Fans of Arthur Conan Doyle will appreciate Well's intricate details and unbreakable plot.

Lawyer Tom Brice has always fancied himself as something of a sleuth, and when he overhears a violent encounter in an office nearby he gets the chance to put his detective skills to the test. Calling on his friend, private investigator Pennington Wise, together they must work out what happened – and who is truly to blame. 'The Man Who Fell through the Earth' is an action-packed mystery from popular author Carolyn Wells, full of twists and turns.

As a young lawyer is about to leave his office on the top floor of a Madison Avenue office building, he hears an argument followed by a shot from the office across the hall. But when he goes to investigate he finds no sign of either victim or assailant despite the fact that no one could have passed him without being seen. However, as is soon discovered, a murder has indeed been committed, that of the banker who owned the building. But who is the murderer? A business associate, the banker's beautiful ward, or a mysterious woman who had been in the office earlier? And what part, if any, was played by the amnesia victim pulled from the river, a man who insists that his earliest memory is of falling through a hole in the earth? These are the mysteries that the detective Pennington Wise must solve in...The Man Who Fell Through the Earth. (goodreads)

A respectable young attorney in New York City, Otis Landon has barely settled into his new living quarters when an incident occurs in a neighboring apartment that he cannot, in good conscience, ignore. Robert Pembroke, a vicious, miserly man, has been murdered behind locked doors. The only people who had access to the victim were his servant and his niece. The latter, Miss Janet Pembroke, seems the suspect most likely to have eliminated her uncle with a hatpin, but her obvious distress and gentle demeanor convince Landon she is innocent. Besides, he may be falling in love with her. Obsessed with proving Miss Pembroke's innocence, Landon follows a perplexing chain of evidence that includes a railroad schedule, a key to a safe deposit box, ticket stubs to a music hall performance, and a monogrammed handkerchief. But with time running out and no solution in sight, he must turn to Fleming Stone, the only detective smart enough to make sense of it all.

Part of the Pennington Wise series of mystery novels from author Carolyn Wells, in 'The Come Back' grieving father Benjamin Crane has turned to spiritualism and placed his faith in the mysterious Medium Madame Parlato, following the death of his son Peter in Canada. Suspicions begin to swirl surrounding the motives of Madame Parlato, and detective Pennington Wise along with his trusty assistant Zizi are called in to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Robert Gleason died of suicide. At least that's what he told his doctor when he called to inform him he had been shot. When his doctor arrived at his apartment though, it appeared that things were not so clear cut. He had received two shots, one which killed him instantly, and another, afterwards. How does a dead man make a phone call? The New York police are baffled by the suspicious alibis, the locked door, and the inconsistent clues. Detective Pennington Wise and his assistant Zizi are the last shot at justice. This impossible crime is unmissable for fans of locked room mystery novels, such as John Dickson Carr's 'The Hollow Man'.

The death of Robert Gleason, a wealthy businessman from Seattle, at first looked like a suicide. He had called his doctor saying that he was shot, and when the doctor arrived at his New York apartment, the door was locked. After breaking down the door, his body was found lying on the floor, a revolver at his side. Yet certain facts argued against a verdict of suicide. Gleason had been shot twice, once shot to the temple, which killed him instantly, and a second shot, after he was dead, to the shoulder. How could he have made a phone call after he was already dead? A web of conflicting clues and dubious alibis baffle the police until detective Pennington Wise and his mysterious assistant Zizi are called in to solve the case. (goodreads)

Detective Pennington Wise and his assistant Zizi have yet another 'locked room' mystery to solve. The Varian family have rented a house for the summer, built on a cliff and surrounded by water on three sides, there is only one way in, and out. As they are heading out for a picnic, their daughter Betty returns to the house to get her camera. When she does not come back out, her father goes to find her and never returns. Carolyn Wells tackles the locked room mystery genre with a robust plot, clever writing and a flair perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.

The Affair at Flower Acres' is the seventh in the Pennington Wise series of mystery novels from prolific author Carolyn Wells. Douglas Raynor is the owner of the beautiful estate of Flower Acres, where he lives with his wife Nancy, sister Mattie and brother-in-law. Eyebrows are raised when Douglas invites his wife's former lover Malcolm Finley to visit, and when Douglas is shot dead soon after, the local police are left baffled. Pennington Wise is called in to help solve the mysterious crime.

First published in 1923 'Wheels Within Wheels' is a classic mystery from the Pennington Wise series of novels by American author Carolyn Wells. Pennington and his trusty assistant Zizi are faced with a tricky crime to solve. Who has murdered Mr Howland? And where is Angela Howland? The investigative team find themselves needing the help of the local simpleton to crack the case.

After his son, Peter, is lost and presumed dead in the wilds of the Labrador coast, Benjamin Crane turns to spiritualism for solace and comfort. So profound is his belief in the medium, that he writes a successful book about his experiences. But when one of his son's companions on the ill-fated expedition is poisoned, at least some of those surrounding him begin to question the honesty of the medium, Madame Parlato. To find the murderer, the famous detective Pennington Wise is called in and it falls to him and his unusual assistant, Zizi to solve the crime and reveal the true fate of Peter Crane.