Complete Mystery Detective Thriller

Contents
The Last Stroke: A Detective Story (1896)
Against Odds (1894)
Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter (1883)
The Diamond Coterie (1882)
Out of a Labyrinth (1885)
Dangerous Ground; or, The Rival Detectives (1885)

Against Odds (1894)

Chicago's 1892 World's Columbian Exposition provides an exotic setting for this detective novel, featuring a set of daring jewel thieves, counterfeiters and kidnappers who take advantage of the fair's throngs to work their nefarious deeds.

Carl Masters, the narrator, is a detective sent to ferret out the criminals. Along with tracking the evil-doers, he admires the fair's wonders and befriends several fair goers who have been innocently drawn into the snares of the plotters.

The story moves along well, though more of a procedural than a mystery -- the crooks are pretty obvious from the outset. It's a fun read, especially for history buffs, with tantalizing glimpses of the fabulous White City

The Diamond Coterie (1882)

It begins with a burglary and a runaway marriage and progresses through blackmail, murder and trumped-up accusation. Heiresses, hidden identities and disguised detectives all feature. There's some thwarted romance, for good measure.

Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter (1883)

An engrossing, if melodramatic, thriller about a plucky young woman ill-treated by her larcenous stepfather and her duplicitous lover, and her complex plot for revenge.