The sting

About this book

The sting by William Le Queux is a mystery-thriller novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on the aristocratic Evenden family, whose wealth, secrets, and entanglements with a sinister doctor draw them into blackmail, scandal, and sudden death. Principal figures include the ailing baronet Sir Michael Evenden, his devoted wife Margaret, his sons Jack and Frank, the sharp young companion Jill Kilby, and the menacing Dr. Laidlaw. Inheritance, romance, and reputation collide as a past tragedy resurfaces and a criminal web tightens.

The opening of the novel follows Sir Michael at his villa on Lake Geneva, where the ferret-eyed Dr. Laidlaw extorts money and hints at a ruinous secret tied to Margaret’s first marriage. A grim diagnosis from a heart specialist and a volatile oil-market battle send the family back to Evenden Priory, while Frank relentlessly presses unwanted advances on Jill, who secretly meets her fiancé, Dr. Wilfred Barlow. In London, Jack learns from a shipmate a disturbing tale about Margaret’s former husband’s death by the loch—and Laidlaw’s role—then gently confronts his stepmother, who begs him to keep the past from the fragile Sir Michael. The baronet dies that night of heart failure; the family lawyer, Mr. Benson, urges steadiness and fair provision, while Laidlaw forces a clandestine visit. By dawn, Jack is found dead in the haunted Prior’s Room, and as police question the household, Frank offers a strained account, leaving a tangle of blackmail, family loyalties, and a suspected murder to unravel.