Forman: The Rembrandt Murder

Professor Roland Ross, lecturing in criminal anthropology, arrives for an appointment with wealthy businessman James Goold, only to find the millionaire fatally shot at his desk and a valuable Rembrandt stolen. While agreeing to aid the police in their investigation, Ross has his own reasons to discover the murderer. With the aid of his students Lorna and Jimmie, Ross investigates an array of suspects, along with the vanished Rembrandt, under the clock as he knows that the police will be less discerning in their accusations. The Rembrandt Murder was published in 1931.

Reviews

“A millionaire murdered, and a Rembrandt stolen—motive and solution seem obvious. But they’re not. Swiftly, brilliantly written pages uncover the story behind the crime and sustain the suspense to the very end of this ingenious thriller by Mr. Forman. James Goold, the millionaire, his neurasthenic wife, Ross, the eminent sociologist and clever amateur criminologist, Wells, the urbane police commissioner, title Russian emigres, and others in the story are not the usual mystery tale puppets but are live and interesting people. Add the color of romance between Mr. Forman’s delightful Lorna and Jim, and what more can you ask in accelerated fiction?” (1931 review)