E. Phillips Oppenheim
The Black Box
Paperback
(The Serial Squadron July 14, 2009)
, First Edition edition
Scientific genius and private detective Sanford Quest is called to investigate a murder and finds himself enmeshed in an ever-widening and increasingly bizarre case involving missing jewels, a stolen ape skeleton, disembodied hands that murder without warning, and mysterious messages delivered in a small black box by the unknown killer. Quest and his assistant Laura use inventions far ahead of their time, including a "portable wireless" (essentially a text-messaging cell phone) to try and solve the case -- if they don't, Quest himself will be imprisoned for the crime! Illustrated with 32 original stills appearing in their proper place in the story. Foreword by Raymond William Stedman.