More than ten years ago, Robert Lee Hall made a startling discovery. Within a secret compartment of an old armoire once owned by his great aunt, he found a yellowing manuscript describing a series of mysterious criminal cases. What made these stories so unusual was that they were solved by the renowned scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, while he was a resident of London to plead the case of the American colonies before the British crown. Written by Hall's ancestor, Nick Handy, who happened to be Franklin's assistant throughout these adventures, Hall transcribed the tales and presented them in the order of their occurrence.
In Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case, the first mystery in Hall's series, the great Doctor Franklin meets the young orphan Nick Handy in the print shop of an old friend. When his friend is suddenly murdered, it is up to Franklin and Nick to prove who was responsible for the grisly deed. Turning detective, Franklin pursues the strange case along the dark byways of London and into its grand houses, uncovering a theft ring, a profitable trade in slaves and prostitutes, and strong reasons to believe that Nick is in grave danger. Employing his keen sense of scientific observation and his inventor's creative mind, the doctor is able to solve a case that the constables had thought would be impossible to break.
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From Publishers Weekly
Benjamin Franklin utilizes some of his reknowned skillsand some of his lesser-known oneswhen he adroitly investigates a series of murders that occur while he is on a diplomatic mission to London in 1757. This robust mystery is off to a brisk start when Franklin shows up unexpectedly at a printer's shop, befriends an ill-treated 12-year-old orphan, Nick Handy, and discovers that the shop's owner, Ebenezer Inch, has been murdered in a particularly grisly fashion. Using his considerable acumen as observer and analyst, Franklin discreetly lifts some wampum found at the murder site, notices that the head wound resembles a partial scalping, quietly pockets several other pertinent clues, and then quickly takes the much abused Nick home with him. The keys to the mystery are closely linked to Nick's puzzling identity, and as Franklin investigates further, he uncovers a mammoth theft ring, a profitable trade in slaves and prostitutes, rampant extortion and several strong reasons to believe that Nick is at grave risk. As in his Murder at San Simeon, Hall surrounds a famous historical personage with diverse and lively characters, puts them in an exotic settng, and produces a plot that boils merrily alongagain a winning combination.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
In 1795 Nick Handy reminisces about an appealing 1757 London. There, as a young orphan, Handy labors in a print shop for Ebeneezer Inch. Someone murders Inch on the morning Ben Franklin, agent for Pennsylvania, arrives to see him. Franklin's keen sense of observation makes him a natural detective and he determines to uncover Inch's murderer. Author Hall portrays the flavor and atmosphere of 18th-century London with artful and consistent mastery. A totally involving work. REK
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Franklin Makes a Great Detective!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case (The Benjamin Franklin Mysteries) (Pine Street Books) (Paperback)
I bought this book at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and I came to amazon.com to buy more books in the series. "Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case" is the first in a series of historical mysteries featuring -- surprise! -- Benjamin Franklin. His side-kick is Nicolas Handy, a young boy-of-work who Franklin rescues from a truly sinister situation in a London printshop. When Franklin arrives at the shop of Eben Inch, Printer, he discovers that the proprietor has been murdered. It turns out that Mr. Inch was the only person in the household who offered young Nick any kindness. Everyone else -- Dora Inch, her daughter Tilda, the apprentice Buck Duffin -- treated him horribly, so Mr. Franklin rescues him. Together, they set out to solve the mystery of Mr. Inch's murder. I really enjoyed this book. It is extremely well-written, with interesting characters and a plausible mystery. It reminded me a lot of the Bruce Alexander series that features Sir John Fielding. In fact, Fielding is a character in "Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case." I'm anxious to read the next book in the series.
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