Harry Houdini wrote a short novel in 1925, a romantic detective thriller, called The Zanetti Mystery (ghostwritten of course).
Houdini builds his story about the monstrous figure of Zanetti — genius faker, and arch rogue; he shows the methods by which even profound scientists have been hoodwinked by prophets of the occult and materializers of demons and spirits, and tells of the private lives often rivaling Babylon in abandon and luxury– of those who strip both rich and poor by mystery and mummery.
Through the whole fabric of the story there move the amazing characters of the half-world and underworld spies “snowbirds”, “lobby gows”, “stoppers”, “floppers”, “controls”, and “falls”, whom only Houdini can write about, because his special investigations have made him know them all and how they work as links in a chain system which is one of the weirdest forces for fraud and evil in the world. [The Journal]
The short novel (8 Chapters) was serialized over eight weeks in various Newspapers.
This week, I share Chapter 3 (Prologue) of 8:
CHAPTER III
Prologue:
HERMAN STEINWAY, an aged millionaire, is being victimized in his belief in the spiritualistic powers of Zanetti, notorious fake medium.
Zanetti works a trip of psychology on the old man and establishes his faith. Herman Steinway offers Zanetti one million dollars if he will produce his deceased wife, in the flesh, for just a few moments. Steinway explains that he must beg her forgiveness and hear her voice.
Zanetti sends out his chief detective, Van Haarlem, on this job. Meanwhile, Wallace Haines, a young assistant district attorney is making every effort to round up Zanetti as a faker. Lucile Linton, a social worker with whom Haines is in love, finds a clue for her sweetheart when she calls on the “Gopher” who is an ex-convict.