The Lost Parchment: A Detective Story is a novel written by Fergus Hume and first published in 1914. The story follows the investigation of a missing parchment that contains a valuable secret by detective Paul Harley. The parchment has been stolen from a wealthy businessman, Sir Charles Abingdon, and Harley is hired to retrieve it. The investigation takes Harley on a thrilling journey through London's criminal underworld, where he encounters a cast of intriguing characters, including a beautiful woman with a mysterious past and a cunning thief who will stop at nothing to keep the parchment for himself. As Harley delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of deceit and betrayal that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. The Lost Parchment is a classic detective story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.