Anthony Trent, Master Criminal

In Short

A frustrated New York author of crime stories decides to put his technical skill and vivid imagination to practical use by turning into a gentleman thief. Striking wealthy victims, outsmarting clumsy police, and infiltrating high-society gatherings, he operates with meticulous precision across the country. Yet as his illicit career expands, he crosses paths with blackmailers, international conspirators, and figures from the ongoing World War. His double life eventually forces him to choose between personal safety and patriotic duty, culminating in a dramatic showdown where his past catches up with him.

The Story

Bored with writing fictitious murder mysteries and scraping by in New York City, Anthony Trent resolves to step into the dark. Possessing exceptional mechanical talent and an eye for detail, he meticulously plans his first burglary against the wealthy Conington Warren. After staging a clever ruse using a fake note to dispatch Warren’s Japanese servant, Trent slips into the house, manipulates the low lighting, and poses as Warren himself in front of the butler, Austin. The heist nets him three thousand dollars in cash alongside a handful of valuable gems. Though briefly haunted by the reality of crossing the threshold into crime, Trent quickly embraces his new vocation.

He builds a reputation as an elusive, sophisticated master criminal. Trent approaches each job with methodical care, spending months studying target households, learning burglar alarm systems, and blending into high society through sports like golf. In one early caper, he breaks into a grand residence by opening a hidden safe masked by fake encyclopedia volumes, only to be confronted mid-job by a graceful, sophisticated young woman who catches him in the act. Elsewhere, he poses as a golfer to befriended and disarm the wealthy Mr. Dangerfield, manipulating social interactions to learn the secrets of hotel safes housing precious jewels.

Trent's escapades expand beyond mere jewel thefts. While hiding in a butler’s pantry during a planned heist, he overhears a secret meeting conducted in German and English involving an Irish activist named O'Sheill and foreign conspirators plotting against the American government during the war. Trent’s sharp wits help him recognize national security threats, adding a layer of danger to his illicit routines. Later, at a literary dinner, his ego leads him to publicly taunt Police Inspector McWalsh—the very detective charged with catching him—arguing that imaginative crooks easily outwit unimaginative officers.

His double life grows precarious when an international operative named Kaufmann uncovers Trent's criminal identity. Kaufmann blackmails Trent, forcing him to steal a pigskin case containing stolen Swiss dye formulae from a recovering military officer, Commander Heathcote. Trent succeeds in acquiring the case, but upon realizing that its contents hold vital defense secrets that could harm the Allied war effort, his latent patriotism takes over. Reminded of his father’s heroic sacrifices during the Civil War, Trent surrenders his chance at freedom and secretly replaces the documents, choosing duty over self-preservation. Facing imminent exposure, Trent prepares for arrest, but his relentless adversary, Devlin, chooses on his deathbed to tear up the evidence, lying to save Trent and granting him a final chance at redemption.

How It Unfolds

The first step Tired of writing about fictional crooks, Anthony Trent resolves to try real crime, carefully engineering a burglary at the home of wealthy Conington Warren. He succeeds by fooling the butler and taking cash and jewels.

Chasing larger targets Trent studies high-society targets for months, picking burglar alarms apart and using casual conversations—like overhearing domestic servants on public streetcars—to gather intelligence on wealthy victims like the Carr Faulkners.

A confrontational discovery While drilling into a hidden safe concealed behind fake encyclopedia volumes in a book-lined apartment, Trent is unexpectedly interrupted by a stunning, highly sophisticated young woman who quietly calls him out as a burglar.

Overhearing a conspiracy Hiding in a pantry during a robbery attempt, Trent overhears a clandestine meeting between foreign agents and an Irish activist, realizing he has stumbled into an international plot aimed at sabotaging his country's war effort.

Mocking the law Attending a gathering, Trent steps in to publicly humiliate Inspector McWalsh, boasting openly that clever criminals easily outsmart rigid, unimaginative policemen who lack creative vision.

A dangerous ultimatum A Swiss merchant named Kaufmann uncovers Trent’s secret criminal career and blackmails him into stealing vital military technical documents from an Allied officer named Commander Heathcote.

Choosing honor over freedom After successfully lifting the secret files, Trent experiences a pang of patriotic conscience, thinks of his late father's military service, and decides to secretly return the documents despite the risk of capture.

A final mercy Facing ruin as authorities close in, Trent stands by as his dying adversary, Devlin, tears up the written confession and falsely claims Trent is not the culprit, granting him unexpected salvation.

The People

• Anthony Trent: A former sports enthusiast and struggling fiction writer who turns into a master burglar. He craves excitement, relies on mechanical skill, and retains a strict inner code of honor.
• Inspector McWalsh: A heavy-handed, blustering police detective who relies on intimidation to crack suspects. He intensely dislikes anyone who does not fear his authority.
• Austin: A dignified English butler with an archbishop-like bearing who maintains his cool, superior composure despite rigorous police questioning.
• William Drummond: A suspicious banker whom Trent cleverly outwits over the telephone by using local household gossip and assumed identities.
• Mr. Kaufmann: A calculated merchant from Zurich who uncovers Trent’s criminal past and uses blackmail to force him into stealing critical technical plans.
• Devlin: A bitter nemesis whose pursuit of Trent ends in a physical decline; on his deathbed, he offers a surprising, noble lie to spare Trent from prison.

In Its Own Voice

“As writers we are sorry if Inspector McWalsh never heard of the Einthoven string galvanometer upon which the solution of the story he ridicules rests, yet we know it to exist.”

— Anthony Trent defends his craft while secretly mocking the detective searching for him.

“In your own country, I have no doubt you pass for a wit. To me your humor seems strained.”

— Trent attempts to play off an international blackmailer's subtle threats against his identity.

“I made a mistake. This isn’t the man.”

— Devlin utters his final words, choosing forgiveness over vengeance as he tears up Trent's confession.

What It's Really About

The story examines the thin line separating creative intelligence from criminal behavior. Trent begins his journey out of boredom and a desire for easy wealth, believing his refined intellect lifts him above common crooks and plodding police officers. However, the narrative probes whether personal skill and code can exist independently of moral accountability. When Trent's private thefts intersect with wartime espionage, the plot shifts focus to themes of patriotism, self-sacrifice, and duty. Ultimately, the book presents crime not merely as a test of wits against the law, but as a path that eventually demands a reckoning with one's own conscience.

Why Read It Today

This early twentieth-century mystery appeals to readers who enjoy classic capers, cat-and-mouse suspense, and antiheroes with sophisticated flair. Wyndham Martyn constructs a lively narrative that blends high-society intrigue with lighthearted criminal escapades, maintaining a crisp pace throughout Trent’s technical maneuvers.

Readers should note the story's period context, including early 1900s social attitudes, formal dialogue, and vintage portrayals of foreign agents and domestic staff. The prose reflects the crime-pulps of its era, characterized by sharp exchanges and deliberate plotting. What lingers is the character of Trent himself—an inventive, cool-headed protagonist whose cleverness makes his transition from rogue burglar to principled defender surprisingly engaging.