Adventure, December 1914

The Stolen War-Secret: A Book-Length Novel by Arthur B. Reeve

This Craig Kennedy mystery opens during tensions with Mexico. Kennedy and his companion discover Madame Valcour, a beautiful Frenchwoman connected to Colonel Sinclair (an army engineer experimenting with airships), dead in her hotel room. McBride, the house detective, requests Kennedy's assistance before the coroner can disturb the scene.

Kennedy's investigation reveals a tiny puncture wound on her arm and discovers peculiar soft buttons in her room. The coroner suspects poison but cannot immediately determine the cause. Kennedy observes that Madame Valcour was likely a sophisticated adventuress involved in international affairs. A man named Señor Morelos had called the room urgently just before her discovery. Kennedy accepts the case, believing the solution involves uncovering the connection between Madame Valcour, Colonel Sinclair, and the mysterious Mexican refugee colony residing at the hotel.