Other editions of book The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel Illustrated

"A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story-- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked..." Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 Dulwich, London - 22 November 1948 London) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers and is also known as the creator of Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot.

"A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story-- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked..." Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 Dulwich, London - 22 November 1948 London) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers and is also known as the creator of Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot.

"A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story-- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked..." Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 Dulwich, London - 22 November 1948 London) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers and is also known as the creator of Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot.

A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked. While dancing, Joan's eyes fixed upon a stout costumed lady, obviously wealthy. Calladine was puzzled, but didn't ask why the fascination with that woman. Joan and Calladine leave the party and Joan runs off at 1:30am. A few hours later, Joan appears at Calladine's apartment door, very distressed. He lets her in. She tells her story about being obsessed with the pearls the lady wore; about finding the lady's dropped key to her hotel suite; about sneaking into the room at night to steal the pearls but being surprised by other thieves already in the dark room, who grabbed her and tied her as she fell unconscious; about awakening in the early morning and finding herself untied, on the couch, with the wealthy lady motionless in bed, apparently dead; then fleeing, seeking Calladine's help.

About Mason: Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 Dulwich, London – 22 November 1948 London) was a British author and politician, writing under the name A. E. W. Mason. He studied at Dulwich College and graduated from Trinity College, Oxford in 1888. He was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament in the 1906 general election. Mason served in the First World War, being promoted to Captain in 1914

A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked. While dancing, Joan's eyes fixed upon a stout costumed lady, obviously wealthy. Calladine was puzzled, but didn't ask why the fascination with that woman. Joan and Calladine leave the party and Joan runs off at 1:30am. A few hours later, Joan appears at Calladine's apartment door, very distressed. He lets her in. She tells her story about being obsessed with the pearls the lady wore; about finding the lady's dropped key to her hotel suite; about sneaking into the room at night to steal the pearls but being surprised by other thieves already in the dark room, who grabbed her and tied her as she fell unconscious; about awakening in the early morning and finding herself untied, on the couch, with the wealthy lady motionless in bed, apparently dead; then fleeing, seeking Calladine's help. Ricardo and Hanaud accompany Calladine to his home. While Calladine showers, Hanaud finds hidden beans of mescal, a hallucinogenic plant. On the mantle, there is a porcelain figurine of a woman looking exactly as Calladine described Joan. Hanaud's astute mind wonders, was Calladine's story truth or a fantasy imagined in a vivid mescaline dream? He and Ricardo then endeavor to solve this mystery.

"A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story-- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked..." Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 Dulwich, London - 22 November 1948 London) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers and is also known as the creator of Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot.

Calladine fell for her . . . hard. They’d met that night dancing at the Semiramis Hotel and he had fallen under her spell almost immediately. All too soon the evening ended and Calladine thought he’d seen the last of her. But a few hours later she’s on his doorstep. Her name is Joan Carew and she needs his help.Joan quickly admits to him that she had just come form trying to steal an expensive pearl necklace. She’d made her way into the suit of her intended mark at the Semiramis Hotel, but there was someone already there. Thieves who grab her. The last thing she remembers is struggling with them as they try to bind her. A few hours later she came to alone in the room except for the dead body of the woman who had owned the pearls.Calladine agrees to help her immediately. This lovely woman can’t be a murderer . . . can she? Enter Inspector Hanaud, one of France’s finest detective. If anyone can get to the bottom of this case he can.

"A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story-- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked..." Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 Dulwich, London - 22 November 1948 London) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers and is also known as the creator of Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie's famous Hercule Poirot.

BOOK 2 IN THE INSPECTOR HANAUD SERIES, in which we again join Ricardo and Hanaud, this time in an ambiguous situation. A young, wealthy vagabond English man, Calladine, whom Ricardo knew before, hastily comes to Ricardo's London home in the morning, while Hanaud happens to be visiting. Calladine, very agitated, still dressed formally as for an evening ball, tells his disturbing story-- He had gone to a costume party that night in a hotel ballroom, met a beautiful young woman, Joan Carew, with whom he danced, dined, and talked.

The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel by A. E. W. Mason, 1917. Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (1865 - 1948) was an English author and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers and is also known as the creator of Inspector Hanaud, a French detective who was an early template for Agatha Christie’s famous Hercule Poirot. Alfred Mason was born in Camberwell and graduated from Trinity College, Oxford, in 1888. He was an actor before he became a writer. He was also an avid cricket player.