A Woman at Bay; Or, A Fiend in Skirts

About the book

A railroad president believes that apparently scattered thefts are being coordinated by a single elusive leader known as Hobo Harry. Other investigators doubt whether this figure exists, but the losses persuade him to hire Nick Carter. Carter and three assistants adopt the appearance and speech of wandering laborers in order to enter the criminal network from within. Their investigation brings them against Black Madge, an adversary whose resourcefulness makes exposure only the beginning of the danger. The novel belongs to the long-running popular detective series issued under the house name Nicholas Carter. Disguise, narrow escapes, and contests of nerve drive its action, while the opposed organizations of railroad company, criminals, and detectives give the pursuit a wider shape than a single isolated crime.

• Disguise and investigation
• Organized crime
• Resourcefulness and pursuit

Why read it

The opening uncertainty over whether the criminal leader even exists gives the undercover assignment a clear investigative problem.

English Street and Smith edition bearing a 1907 copyright