"Something of a Work of Art"

THE TWISTED FOOT.
By Henry Milner Rideout (1877-1927).
Houghton Mifflin Co.
1910. 248 pages.
Online HERE and HERE.

The mystery content of this one is, comparatively speaking, virtually nil:

[Excerpt] . . . The purpose of the rest of the story is twofold: to discover the identity of the girl and to run down and wreak vengeance upon the man with the twisted toe—and both of these purposes Mr. Rideout accomplishes with a maximum of suspense and impending dangers. — Frederic Taber Cooper, "Mine Own People and Some Recent Books," THE BOOKMAN (July 1910; go to page 524, left center)

[Excerpt] . . . Mr. Rideout has a peculiar descriptive power. This finds free play in a rich setting of lonely sea, volcanic island, and tropic forest. The same quality makes out of an ordinary story of action and excitement something of a work of art.  . . . — "Current Fiction," THE NATION (August 18, 1910; go to page 145, right center)

Category: Adventure fiction