No. 13 Toroni

In Short

Set against the backdrop of 1918 Stockholm, this atmospheric mystery follows a journalist named Wallion as he investigates the death of a lonely, enigmatic photographer. The trail leads from the hushed streets of Sweden to the rugged coastline of the Pacific Northwest, involving a network of shadowy adversaries, a young woman named Elaine Robertson, and the recovery of a sunken wreck known as King Solomon. It is a classic procedural puzzle that balances methodical investigation with the tense, physical danger of a globe-spanning chase.

The Story

The quiet life of Victor Dreyel, an aged photographer living in a remote corner of Stockholm, ends abruptly when he is found murdered in his studio. His neighbor, a young man named Tom Murner, discovers the body and encounters a mysterious, pale girl in grey fleeing the scene. When local police inspector Aspeland focuses his investigation on the girl, a perceptive journalist named Wallion arrives to challenge the official narrative. Wallion notes crucial details the police miss: a window left ajar, a muddy footprint, and a dropped card. Most importantly, Wallion finds a small, carved wooden doll among the belongings of the girl, Elaine Robertson, which bears an uncanny likeness to the murdered Dreyel.

Wallion correctly deduces that a man, not the girl, killed the photographer. He links the crime to a larger conspiracy involving a group of ruthless men—Dixon, a doctor named Corman, and a figure known as Toroni—who are obsessed with finding the King Solomon, a ship lost years prior. As the investigation deepens, the focus shifts to William Robertson, Elaine’s father, who holds the key to the wreck’s location. Wallion and Murner travel to North America to protect Elaine and intercept her father’s captors.

The search moves to the Pacific coast, where the conspirators operate a private asylum and use a yacht, the Ariadne, to reach the site of the sunken vessel. Wallion survives an assassination attempt by Toroni, successfully feigning his own death by diving into the sea and hiding aboard the yacht while his enemies prepare to recover the gold. As the Ariadne reaches the wreck near Fir Island, Wallion reveals his presence, coordinating with the crew to thwart the conspirators. The tension culminates on a barge directly above the site of the King Solomon, where the recovery of gold chests forces a final confrontation. The villains are neutralized, the mystery of the dolls and the murder is resolved, and Wallion’s methodical patience secures justice for the victims of the long-standing maritime conspiracy.

How It Unfolds

The discovery A quiet evening in Stockholm is shattered when the photographer Victor Dreyel is found murdered. Tom Murner, his neighbor, inadvertently gets drawn into the case when he discovers the body and a fleeing girl.

The investigation begins Detective Aspeland pursues the girl as the primary suspect, but Wallion intervenes with superior observational skills. He points out a window used for escape and finds a strange wooden doll, identifying it as a vital clue to the murderer’s motive.

The chase moves abroad Wallion realizes the crime is part of a larger plot to locate the King Solomon. He and Tom travel to Seattle to confront those holding Elaine Robertson’s father, realizing that the doctor and his associates are part of a dangerous, organized syndicate.

The confrontation at sea The action shifts to the yacht Ariadne, where Wallion survives a murder attempt and hides in wait. He shadows the villains as they use specialized equipment to haul gold chests from the ocean floor.

The final reckoning Wallion reveals himself on the barge, turning the tables on Dixon, Corman, and Toroni. The conspirators are caught red-handed as the treasure of the King Solomon is retrieved, effectively ending the dangerous game.

The People

Victor Dreyel is a man living on the margins, a photographer who seeks anonymity to shield a past involving international adventure. His murder is the catalyst for the entire narrative.

Wallion is a sharp, calm, and highly capable journalist. He serves as the "problem solver," utilizing a blend of deductive reasoning and cool-headed strategy to outmaneuver the criminals. He is rarely fazed by physical threats, trusting his own intuition over the blundering efforts of the police.

Tom Murner is a young, impressionable man who starts as a bystander and becomes Wallion’s loyal assistant. While he is often overwhelmed by the scale of the mystery, his presence provides a human anchor, as he learns to navigate the dangerous, hidden world Wallion inhabits.

Elaine Robertson is a young, vulnerable woman caught in a complex web of deceit involving her father. Initially seen as a suspect, she becomes a victim of her guardian’s manipulations, eventually finding safety under Wallion’s protection.

Doctor Corman and his associates, Dixon and Toroni, act as the antagonists. Driven by pure greed, they are cold, calculating, and willing to commit murder to secure the fortune of the King Solomon. Their downfall comes from their underestimation of Wallion’s persistence and his ability to see through their elaborate ruses.

In Its Own Voice

"Victor Dreyel, a silent man of about sixty, with wrinkled face and white hair well brushed back from his forehead, his light blue eyes shaded by bushy brows, was spare and thin."

This description establishes the reclusive character of the photographer, whose solitary life is contrasted with his mysterious, adventurous past.

"I maintain that it was he who murdered Dreyel. Moreover here is his card!"

Wallion presents this evidence to the police, marking the moment he seizes control of the investigation from the incompetent authorities.

"When Toroni fired his shot I pretended to stagger, and fell backwards into the sea."

Wallion explains his survival to Tom after faking his own death, illustrating his penchant for theatrical but effective tactical maneuvers.

What It's Really About

At its core, this is a story about the intersection of past secrets and present greed. The central mystery of the King Solomon serves as a metaphor for the way old, buried transgressions—smuggling, theft, and exploitation—continue to exert a gravitational pull on the living. The narrative argues that truth is rarely what it seems on the surface and that only through extreme patience and cold, objective observation can one cut through the fog of deception. It also explores the tension between institutional law enforcement, which is often rigid and biased, and the independent seeker of truth, who relies on logic rather than official procedure to bring hidden crimes to light.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the brisk, detail-oriented style of early 20th-century mysteries will find this book particularly rewarding. It moves with a steady, deliberate pace, rewarding those who pay attention to small clues—like the marking on a doll or the muddy print on a chair. Because the prose is straightforward and the dialogue is sharp, it feels more like a modern procedural than many of its contemporaries.

The setting, shifting from the quiet, almost claustrophobic atmosphere of Stockholm to the wild, rugged coast of the Pacific, offers a compelling sense of place. While the book carries the period sensibilities of 1922, its primary focus remains the mechanics of the puzzle itself. Readers should be prepared for a story that prioritizes the "how" and "why" of the investigation over deep psychological character studies. It is a perfect choice for an afternoon of immersive reading where the logic of the solution matters as much as the stakes of the hunt. The feeling of the book is one of quiet, gathering tension that finally snaps into place during the final maritime confrontation, leaving the reader with a sense of satisfaction in a case thoroughly and methodically closed.