The Red Thumb Mark

This is the first Dr. Thorndyke novel, from 1907, one of the earliest forensics-based mysteries. A valuable shipment of diamonds goes missing from a safe, and a nice young man is put in the dock for it. As evidence mounts, a renowned forensics expert is called in to help with the defense. The plot twists are easily guessed, the characters speak in a mildly stilted manner that reflects their class(es) and origins, and the forensics seem extremely basic to us now, but this was one of the earl...