Every Friday, Marilyn Knapp Litt, who blogs at ClassicKindle.com, brings us her recommendation of a free classic book to discover (or rediscover) on Kindle. Find more of Marilyn’s recommendations at her blog, ClassicKindle.com, a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the Kindle. You can also get Marilyn’s blog on Kindle and I recommend that you “Like” the Classic Kindle Facebook page as well so you don’t miss anything. Here’s Marilyn’s post:

“The knowledge that you’re alive gives me no pleasure,” growled the grim old Austrian premier. “Thank you!” laughed John Armitage, to whom he had spoken.
“You have lost none of your old amiability; but for a renowned diplomat, you are remarkably frank. When I called on you in Paris, a year ago, I was able to render you–I believe you admitted it–a slight service.”

I like this Amazon reader review . . .

The Austrian Archduke Karl is dead. His eldest son and heir, Frederick Augustus, is also presumed dead. Or is he? A mysterious young man becomes involved with a dangerous cat and mouse game with powers behind the Austrian throne. Who is John Armitage? Is he the long-lost Frederick Augustus, or is he a notorious con man? Can American heiress Shirley Clairborne trust him? Will he break her heart, or worse, get her killed!

I doubt this novel has a lot of readers, but one reader reviewer says “I reread this book on a regular basis.”

The girl with the white-plumed hat started and flushed slightly, and her brother glanced over his shoulder toward the restaurant door to see what had attracted her attention. ”

‘Tis he, the unknown, Dick.” “I must say I like his persistence!” exclaimed the young fellow, turning again to the table. “In America I should call him out and punch his head, but over here–”

“Over here you have better manners,” replied the girl, laughing.

“But why trouble yourself? He doesn’t even look at us. We are of no importance to him whatever. We probably speak a different language.” “But he travels by the same trains; he stops at the same inns; he sits near us at the theater–he even affects the same pictures in the same galleries!

Ah, a mystery, a romance and a missing heir! Great fun for a summer read.

Click here for your free copy of The Port of Missing Men by Meredith Nicholson >>>

Every Friday, Marilyn Knapp Litt, who blogs at ClassicKindle.com, brings us her recommendation of a free classic book to discover (or rediscover) on Kindle. Find more of Marilyn’s recommendations at her blog, ClassicKindle.com, a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the Kindle. You can also get Marilyn’s blog on Kindle and I recommend that you “Like” the Classic Kindle Facebook page as well so you don’t miss anything. Here’s Marilyn’s post:

“The Rich Mrs. Burgoyne” is a 1912 novel by Kathleen Thompson Norris. The few people who have reviewed it on Amazon have given it 5 stars – just the sort of undiscovered treasure I like to find.

All Santa Paloma had taken pride in the fact that Barry Valentine, only twenty, had been offered the editorship of the one newspaper of Plumas, a little town some twelve miles away, and had prophesied a triumphant progress for him, to the newspapers of San Francisco, of Chicago, of New York! But Barry had not been long in Plumas when he suddenly married Miss Hetty Scott of that town, and in the twelve years that had passed since then the golden dreams for his future had vanished one by one, until to-day found him with no one to believe in him—not even himself.

So we have a hero in need of rehabilitation it appears. Of course he is now widowed.

Mrs. Burgoyne comes to town and her neighbors try to figure out her lack of airs:

Except for the amazing emeralds that blazed beside her wedding ring, and the diamonds she sometimes wore, Mrs. Burgoyne might have been a trained nurse in uniform.

“It is a pose,” said Mrs. Willard White, at the club, to a few intimate friends. “She’s probably imitating some English countess. Englishwomen affect simplicity in the country. But wait until we see her evening frocks.”

But she does not change. Here she explains her taste in furnishings to a disbelieving neighbor . . .

Captain Holly apparently got the very best of everything when he furnished this place, and I reap the benefit. It’s so nice to feel that one needn’t buy a chair or a bed for ten years or more, if one doesn’t want to!”

“Dear, sweet people, the Hollys,” said Mrs. White, pleasantly, utterly at a loss. Did people of the nicer class speak of furniture as if it were made merely to be useful? “But what a distinct period these things belong to, don’t they?” she asked, feeling her way. “So—so solid!”

“Yes, in a way it was an ugly period,” said Mrs. Burgoyne, placidly. “But very comfortable, fortunately. Fancy if he had selected Louis Quinze chairs, for example!”

Well, even today that response would upset our expectations. And isn’t that what you look for in plot? And how will we tie her together with our young man in need of self-help? Simplicity, self-help, this sounds like 2012 as much as one hundred years ago. Enjoy!

Click here to get your free copy of The Rich Mrs. by Kathleen Thompson Norris >>>

Every Friday, Marilyn Knapp Litt, who blogs at ClassicKindle.com, brings us her recommendation of a free classic book to discover (or rediscover) on Kindle. Find more of Marilyn’s recommendations at her blog, ClassicKindle.com, a guide to the best free and inexpensive classic literature for the Kindle. You can also get Marilyn’s blog on Kindle and I recommend that you “Like” the Classic Kindle Facebook page as well so you don’t miss anything. Here’s Marilyn’s post:

PREFATORY NOTICE

“The strange deeds of Antony Ferrara, as herein related, are intended to illustrate certain phases of Sorcery as it was formerly practised (according to numerous records) not only in Ancient Egypt but also in Europe, during the Middle Ages. In no case do the powers attributed to him exceed those which are claimed for a fully equipped Adept.”

You don’t read those sort of claims in Harry Potter!

If you are ready for a supernatural thriller written in 1918 with an Egyptian twist, pick up this novel by Sax Rohmer (the pen name of Arthur Henry Ward.)

Cairn went to the hospital, and by courtesy of Walton, whom he had known at Oxford, was permitted to view the body.

“The symptoms which Sime has got to hear about,” explained the surgeon, raising the sheet from the dead woman’s face, “are—”

He broke off. Cairn had suddenly exhibited a ghastly pallor; he clutched at Walton for support.

“My God!”

Cairn, still holding on to the other, stooped over the discoloured face. It had been a pretty face when warm life had tinted its curves; now it was congested—awful; two heavy discolorations showed, one on either side of the region of the larynx.

“What on earth is wrong with you?” demanded Walton.

“I thought,” gasped Cairn, “for a moment, that I knew—”

“Really! I wish you did! We can’t find out anything about her. Have a good look.”

“No,” said Cairn, mastering himself with an effort—”a chance resemblance, that’s all.” He wiped the beads of perspiration from his forehead.

“You look jolly shaky,” commented Walton. “Is she like someone you know very well?”

“No, not at all, now that I come to consider the features; but it was a shock at first. What on earth caused death?”

“Asphyxia,” answered Walton shortly. “Can’t you see?”

“Someone strangled her, and she was brought here too late?”

“Not at all, my dear chap; nobody strangled her. She was brought here in a critical state four or five days ago by one of the slum priests who keep us so busy. We diagnosed it as exhaustion from lack of food—with other complications. But the case was doing quite well up to last night; she was recovering strength. Then, at about one o’clock, she sprang up in bed, and fell back choking. By the time the nurse got to her it was all over.”

“But the marks on her throat?”

Walton shrugged his shoulders.’

More Bones than CSI, I would say . . . but pure pulp fiction!

Click here to get your free copy of Brood of the Witch Queen by Sax Rohmer >>>