The Agony Column

This is a classic mystery novel by the creator of the fictional Chinese detective, Charlie Chan. The tale you’re about to hear is in London just before WWI. American visitor Geoffrey West is attracted to a beautiful young lady and he decides to try and get her attention by putting a personal ad in the so-called ‘Agony Column’ of a London newspaper. She sees it and responds by demanding he send her several letters so she can make up her mind as to whether she has any interest in him. Before anything else happens, Geoffrey winds up being thought possibly guilty of a vicious murder. He is still free and continues the letters, letting her know the circumstances. Her growing affection thus turns to both dread and worry. He realizes he has to prove his innocence, but matters become even more complex with the possibility of wartime spies. In the treacherous tale of murder and intrigue, young Geoffrey tracks a killer from the posh dining room of the Carlton Hotel to the opium dens of London’s Limehouse district in search of the truth and the heart of his true love only to find the culprit all too close to home. As you will hear, although confusing at times, it provides a refreshing change of pace for those who prefer classic mystery and old-fashioned romance.