TABLE OF CONTENTS: CHAPTER I-THE ETERNAL CURIOUS CHAPTER II-THE LITERATURE OF MYSTERY CHAPTER III-THE HISTORY OF MYSTERY CHAPTER IV-GHOST STORIES CHAPTER V-RIDDLE STORIES CHAPTER VI-DETECTIVE STORIES CHAPTER VII-THE DETECTIVE CHAPTER VIII-DEDUCTION CHAPTER IX-APPLIED PRINCIPLES CHAPTER X-THE RATIONALE OF RATIOCINATION CHAPTER XI-CLOSE OBSERVATION CHAPTER XII-OTHER DETECTIVES OF FICTION CHAPTER XIII-PORTRAITS CHAPTER XIV-DEVIOUS DEVICES CHAPTER XV-FOOTPRINTS AND FINGERPRINTS CHAPTER XVI-MORE DEVICES CHAPTER XVII-FAKE DEVICES CHAPTER XV-MURDER IN GENERAL CHAPTER XIX-PERSONS IN THE STORY CHAPTER XX-THE HANDLING OF THE CRIME CHAPTER XXI-THE MOTIVE CHAPTER XXII-EVIDENCE CHAPTER XXIII-STRUCTURE CHAPTER XXIV-PLOTS CHAPTER XXV-FURTHER ADVICES CHAPTER XXVI-FINAL ADVICES