The trouble at Pinelands : A detective story by Ernest M. Poate
QR code
The Trouble at Pinelands by Ernest M. Poate is a detective novel written in the early 20th century. Set in a small North Carolina town, it follows elderly bachelor George Uhlman as he keeps watch over Dorothy McGregor, her exacting invalid aunt Mary, and their sleepy nurse in a gloomy, possibly haunted house. Rumors of a mischievous “poltergeist,” simmering feuds, and town rivalries quickly give way to a sudden death that throws
suspicion on Dorothy’s fiancé, young Dr. Lewis Parker. The mystery promises a blend of ghostly mischief, family tensions, and a hard-nosed investigation. The opening of the novel finds George sleepless in Fort House, unnerved by eerie clanks, crashes, and a terrible scream that Dorothy and Aunt Mary attribute to a “poltergeist” that breaks dishes and steals food. By morning, Aunt Mary—who prides herself on saintly patience—rails at the piercing bobwhite calls; Lewis vows to shoot the quail, even as a flippant telegram from his best man arrives. After Aunt Mary suffers a dramatic “spell,” Lewis summons the senior physician, Dr. Gaskell, who brusquely calls it hysteria, sparking a bitter quarrel. Meanwhile, Lewis also learns Gaskell has taken one of his cases, and a hulking mountaineer, Lafe Rutledge, publicly threatens Gaskell before sunrise; the family’s nurse, Miss Christie, panics at Rutledge’s name and refuses to explain. That night the shotgun is set by the door for Lewis’s dawn errand. At daybreak a single blast rings out: Gaskell lies dead in the scrub oaks, and the constable arrests Lewis as a hostile crowd gathers. Sheriff Redden arrives, scatters the would-be mob, and begins the investigation into whether a tragic accident or something darker has occurred. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Poate, Ernest M., 1885?-1935 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Coughlin, John A. (John Albert), 1885-1943 |
| LoC No. | 22024686 |
| Title | The trouble at Pinelands : A detective story |
| Original Publication | New York: Chelsea House, 1922. |
| Credits | Tim Miller and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Distilling, Illicit -- Fiction |
| Subject | Detective and mystery stories |
| Subject | Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction |
| Subject | North Carolina -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 78103 |
| Release Date | Mar 4, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 6666 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!