Silent Bullet, The by Arthur B. Reeve (1880 - 1936)

The many adventures of Professor Craig Kennedy were chronicled by Arthur B. Reeve (October 15, 1880 - August 9, 1936). Reeve was an American mystery writer who created 82 Craig Kennedy mystery stories. The stories have a very Sherlock Holmes type feel, In fact Kennedy has been referred to as the "American Sherlock Holmes". Along with his reporter friend, Walter Jameson, Kennedy solves many crimes and unveils mysteries using science. This book contains twelve of Professor Kennedy's adventures. The interesting thing about these stories is Kennedy uses newly discovered science from his time period, which we take for granted today. The first story, The Silent Bullet, has everyone wondering how a bullet could kill someone with no noise. Today, silencers on guns are commonplace in movies and on TV. Or as in "The Deadly Tube" featuring the story of a doctor causing his patients much harm with evil x-rays, or the development of the gyroscope for aeroplanes in "The Terror in the Air". Each story features a fascinating look at life in the early 20th century, and even includes some action along the way.