A FANTASIA ON MODERN THEMES
Bennett’s second novel appeared in 1902, having initially been serialised in the Daily Mail. It is the first of what might be termed his ‘fantastic’ novels which, unlike his better-known realist works, revel in improbable plots and sensational events, whilst at the same time playing on ‘themes’ that were topical at the time. In this case, the story involves an American millionaire and his daughter that investigate the disappearance of a German prince at their recently-purchased London hotel.