# The Cheyne Mystery — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Cheyne Mystery by Freeman Wills Crofts.

- [The Episode in the Plymouth Hotel](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/i-the-episode-in-the-plymouth-hotel.md): Maxwell Cheyne, a young man of leisure, travels to Plymouth on errands and meets a stranger, Mr. Hubert Parkes, who claims to have known his father. Parkes invites Cheyne to lunch, during which he proposes a literary col
- [II: Burglary!](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/ii-burglary.md): Cheyne learns that his home, Warren Lodge, has been burgled while he was drugged in Plymouth. His mother and sister were tricked into leaving by a fake telegram, and the maids were tied up and gagged. Despite the safe be
- [III: The Launch Enid](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/iii-the-launch-enid.md): After the attempted burglary, Cheyne returns to Plymouth and hires private detective Mr. Speedwell, who investigates the drugging and burglary but finds few leads. The analyst's report shows no trace of drugs in Cheyne's
- [Concerning a Peerage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/iv-concerning-a-peerage.md): Maxwell Cheyne, imprisoned on the launch Enid, deduces that his earlier drugging, burglary, and kidnapping are all part of a scheme to obtain a letter from Arnold Price. After a harrowing night of thirst and despair, his
- [V: An Amateur Sleuth](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/v-an-amateur-sleuth.md): Cheyne decides to pursue the gang himself rather than go to the police, hoping to recover the documents for Arnold Price's claim to the barony of Hull. He races to intercept the launch Enid, but misses it. He then follow
- [VI: The House in Hopefield Avenue](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/vi-the-house-in-hopefield-avenue.md): Cheyne spies on the gang through a window and discovers that Susan, the maid at Warren Lodge, is a mole who provided inside information. He learns the true identities of the conspirators: Blessington, James Dangle, and S
- [VII: Miss Joan Merrill](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/vii-miss-joan-merrill.md): Maxwell Cheyne regains consciousness in a half-built house after being attacked and left for dead. He crawls to the road and is rescued by a young woman, Joan Merrill, who takes him to the hospital. After his release, he
- [A Council of War](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/viii-a-council-of-war.md): Cheyne, recovering his enthusiasm after his illness and failure, visits Joan Merrill and learns about her background. He confirms with an Admiralty contact that the Hull barony story is a fabrication and that the real Ar
- [Mr. Speedwell Plays His Hand](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/ix-mr-speedwell-plays-his-hand.md): Cheyne visits Speedwell at the detective agency, where Speedwell reveals he knows about the burglary at Laurel Lodge and offers to sell his knowledge for £200. Cheyne angrily refuses, but later discovers Speedwell is the
- [X: The New Firm Gets Busy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/x-the-new-firm-gets-busy.md): Cheyne and Joan Merrill execute their plan to break into Earlswood, the house of Blessington, in search of a tracing. Cheyne forces entry, searches the desk and escritoire, and discovers a secret drawer containing the tr
- [XI: Otto Schulz's Secret](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xi-otto-schulz-s-secret.md): Cheyne, anxious about Joan Merrill's disappearance, is confronted by James Dangle, who reveals Joan has twisted her ankle and is safe. Dangle proposes that Cheyne join their gang, explaining that the secret involves a ci
- [XII: In the Enemy's Lair](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xii-in-the-enemy-s-lair.md): Cheyne narrowly escapes an explosion in a train station refreshment room, realizing the gang's purse was a bomb. He confronts Dangle, who threatens Joan Merrill's safety, forcing Cheyne to swear an oath and join the gang
- [XIII: Inspector French Takes Charge](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xiii-inspector-french-takes-charge.md): Cheyne meets Inspector French, who takes charge of the case. French listens to Cheyne's full story and immediately prioritizes finding Joan Merrill. They raid Earlswood but find the gang has fled. French then visits Spee
- [XIV: The Clue of the Clay-Marked Shoe](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xiv-the-clue-of-the-clay-marked-shoe.md): Speedwell reveals his investigation into Susan Dangle's role in the burglary and Cheyne's drugging, detailing how he traced her to her brother James Dangle and observed Cheyne's own break-in at Laurel Lodge. Later, Frenc
- [XV: The Torn Hotel Bill](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xv-the-torn-hotel-bill.md): Inspector French conducts thorough searches of Blessington's and Sime's houses, finding a torn hotel bill with a puzzling list of items in Dangle's waistcoat. He also interviews residents at Horne Terrace, learning that 
- [A Tale of Two Cities](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xvi-a-tale-of-two-cities.md): Inspector French, having deduced that a torn hotel bill fragment points to the Grand Hôtel du Sablon in Bruges, travels to Belgium to investigate. Upon arrival, the hotel manager informs him that no such person as James 
- [XVII: On the Flood Tide](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xvii-on-the-flood-tide.md): Inspector French investigates the departure of vessels from Antwerp on the previous Thursday, focusing on a tramp steamer, the L'Escaut, which sailed for Casablanca. He discovers that Blessington and Dangle were rowed ou
- [XVIII: A Visitor from India](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xviii-a-visitor-from-india.md): Inspector French, while analyzing the tracing, suddenly recalls that Joan Merrill had a camera and may have photographed the document before her abduction. He retrieves her camera from her flat and develops the film, fin
- [XIX: The Message of the Tracing](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xix-the-message-of-the-tracing.md): Inspector French, Cheyne, and Price examine the photograph of the tracing, debating whether it is a map of England and what the numbers and circles signify. French theorizes that the cipher relates to a sunken treasure f
- [XX: The Goal of the L'Escaut](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/xx-the-goal-of-the-l-escaut.md): Inspector French, Cheyne, and Price sail on an Admiralty boat to intercept the L'Escaut. After a stormy passage, they sight the Belgian vessel flying a distress flag under the British red ensign. The L'Escaut appears des
- [List of Illustrations](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters/list-of-illustrations.md): This chapter presents a series of illustrations including diagrams of a divided flask, a torn bill fragment, and a circular arrangement of numbered and lettered circles with the phrase 'England expects every man to do hi

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_cheyne_mystery_se/chapters