Hamilton Cleek is a consulting detective and also known as "the man of the forty faces" for his incredible skill at disguise. Cleek is himself a reformed criminal and now helps Inspector Narkom of Scotland Yard in solving crimes in Clarges Street, London. The Cleek mysteries were originally published as individual short stories but were later compiled into separate books. Content: Cleek, the Master Detective; or The Man of the Forty Faces Cleek of Scotland Yard Cleek's Government Cases The Riddle of the Night The Riddle of the Purple Emperor The Riddle of the Frozen Flame The Riddle of the Mysterious Light The Riddle of the Spinning Wheel "For of a sudden, through a break in the traffic, a scudding figure had sprung into sight. It was the figure of a man in a gray frock-coat and a shining 'topper,' a well-groomed, well-set-up man, with a small, turned-up moustache and hair of a peculiar reddish shade. As he swung into sight, the distant whistle shrilled again; far off in the distance voices sent up cries of 'Head him off!' 'Stop that man!' . . ." (Excerpt)

Thomas W. Hanshew (1857-1914) was an American author best known for his Hamilton Cleek Detective Series, written in collaboration with his wife, Mary E. Hanshew (1852-1927).