The Bittermeads Mystery

The story opens with a solitary traveler and a rough stranger whose dramatic encounter at a country station signals a larger mystery. A haunted investigator named Dunn pursues clues after a burglary and uncovers a photograph that ties current events to the death of a friend and to a distressed young woman, Ella. Evidence including invisible writing, secret rooms, and conflicting schemes produces pursuit, captivity, and counter-plans, while loyalties and a developing emotional attachment complicate judgment. The action culminates in a race against time and revelations unearthed in an attic that explain the deceptions and resolve the central puzzle.