The Gray Phantom

MP3 Audio CD. If you are looking for a mystery novel that is a classic period piece from the 1920?s and an excellent mystery novel with supernatural and horror elements, The Gray Phantom by Herman Landon is an excellent choice.

The story starts with the murder to be elucidated: a woman is killed in the auditorium during a theater performance in New York. The circumstances are mysterious and the only person who has seen anything that can help the investigation is Helen Hardwick, the writer of the play, herself a spectator in the audience. It soon turns out that the Gray Phantom is in the city ? he arrived soon after the murder took place -, so the question arises whether he was involved in the crime or he is in New York to help with the investigation.

As it turns out quite early on, the Phantom is no easy villain to catch ? he is not only handsome, elegant and cultivated, but also brilliant, a criminal mastermind like only very few others in the history of the genre. As the quest for the murderer goes on, it turns out that there is extortion, huge sums of money, drugs and hallucinations involved as well, further complicating the already disturbing situation.

The Gray Phantom is the first novel in the Gray Phantom series ? there are four more to follow between 1921 and 1925 from Landon?s pen. The Gray Phantom novels, as well as the author?s Martin Dale series and his other pieces of detective fiction, are written in the best tradition of British detective fiction established by Ernest William Hornung and Edgar Wallace, mixing humorous elements and quick-paced actions with exciting story-telling, full of suspense and unexpected turns. If you liked this novel, you can read the other pieces in the series ? titles include Gray Phantom?s Return, Gray Terror, Gray Magic and Hands Unseen.