The Assyrian Rejuvenator

The Assyrian Rejuvenator,'published in 1907, is one of R. Austin Freeman's novels written under the name Clifford Ashdown and the first to feature well-known protagonist Dr. Thorndyke--a medical-legal forensic investigator. Although Freeman's early works were seen as simple homages to his contemporary, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, he quickly developed his own style--the 'inverted detective story'--in which the identity of the criminal is shown from the beginning, and the story then describes the detective's attempt to solve the mystery. In this tale, inflated claims about the powers of an expensive elixir put private investigator Romney Pringle in pursuit of a ruthless con man. The trickster has reason to believe that his customers won't complain, but Pingle sets out to destroy the crooked business.