Montgomery, Alabama, is beautifully situated on the Alabama river, near the centre of the State. Its situation at the head of navigation, on the Alabama river, its connection by rail with important points, and the rich agricultural country with which it is surrounded, make it a great commercial centre, and the second city in the State as regards wealth and population. It is the capital, and consequently learned men and great politicians flock to it, giving it a society of the highest rank, and making it the social centre of the State. From 1858 to 1860, the time of which I treat in the...

Allan Pinkerton (1819 -1884) was a Scottish detective known for creating the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, the first detective agency of the United States. Pinkerton first used "shadowing" (surveillance of a suspect) and "assuming a role" (undercover work). The detective stories he wrote were based in part on his own experiences and those of his agents. This first detective story is set in 19th century Alabama. An excerpt reads, "The officers of the company were completely at a loss. It was discovered beyond a doubt that the package had been sent from Atlanta. The messenger who...

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

About a mile and a half from the city of South Norwalk, in the State of Connecticut, rises an eminence known as Roton Hill. The situation is beautiful and romantic in the extreme. Far away in the distance, glistening in the bright sunshine of an August morning, roll the green waters of Long Island Sound, bearing upon its broad bosom the numerous vessels that ply between the City of New York and the various towns and cities along the coast. The massive and luxurious steamers and the little white-winged yachts, the tall "three-masters" and the trim and gracefully-sailing schooners, are in full...

Geneva is one of the prettiest and most thriving little towns in the west. Situated, as it is, in the midst of one of the finest agricultural districts in the country, its growth has been rapid beyond expectation, while its social progress has been almost phenomenal. Stretching for miles in all directions, over a country beautifully interspersed with gentle elevations and depressions, lie the well-cultivated farms of the honest tillers of the soil. The farm-houses, which nestle down beneath the tall trees, present an appearance of comfort and beauty rarely witnessed, while the commodious and...

Allan Pinkerton (1819 - 1884) was a Scottish American detective and spy, best known for creating the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Pinkerton produced numerous popular detective books, ostensibly based on his own exploits and those of his agents. Some were published after his death. In this book: Mississippi Outlaws and the Detectives, Don Pedro and the Detectives, Poisoner and the Detectives The Spiritualists and the Detectives The Somnambulist and the Detective, The Murderer and the Fortune Teller The Expressman and the Detective Bucholz and the Detectives The Burglar's Fate and The...