The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet

This story centres around the delivery of the wrong antique cabinet, from Paris, to its supposed-purchaser in New York. Philip Vantine is delighted to have temporary custody of the beautiful object however, and intrigued regarding the possibility of secret drawers - for which he pays in horrific manner. There's a touch of the Sherlock Holmes about this - or, more properly, a touch of the Moriarty! This doesn't end happily ever after for ALL the major characters, and if read in context of the times, is an excellent murder mystery - the plot is fantastical by today's standards, but is nonetheless clever, and the characters excellently drawn