Silverlode 1908
Dramatis Personae
Episode Guide
Gazetteer

Risus Monkey

Leonard Carstairs

Description: Former New York policeman turned pulp mystery writer and unwilling detective (mysteries just seem to happen wherever he goes). Leo is heading Out West to get away from his former life, and to hopefully make a new start without strange murders and bizarre crimes - which only he seems to be able to solve - occurring every couple of weeks or so.

Clichés: Amateur Detective (4), Ex-Cop With a Grudge (3), Pulp Writer (3), Phrenologist (2).

Hook: "The Jessica Fletcher Syndrome" - for some reason, people in Leo's vicinity seem to get murdered way more often than the laws of probability would indicate. And somehow, he always seems to end up having to solve the case himself.

Languages: English.

Equipment: A large and intimidating pistol (and an old police revolver for backup). A small magnifying glass, tweezers, and some vials to put samples in. He always has a notepad and pen or pencil on his person. At home, he'll have a typewriter and a small library of relevant books (on basic forensics, poisons, etc). He always carries a miniature phrenology kit with small calipers, a tape measure, scissors and a razor (sometimes you have to cut away the hair to get a better look at the skull). Back at home, he has a more extensive kit.

Amateur Detective: Spotting clues, reading personalities, getting people to tell him their secrets, dodging gunfire.

Ex-Cop With a Grudge: Police procedures, gun-fu, brawling, basic forensics.

Pulp Writer: Clichéd writing, contacts in the publishing world, some name recognition, able to recognize real-life Evil Plots because he's already written about them, lots of obscure and occasionally useful knowledge.

Phrenologist: Being skilled with the calipers and other measurement devices, able to tell what every bump on the head means, being a true believer in this mostly-discredited art/science.

The Works of Leonard Carstairs: Leo's written 14 books to date. He began in 1897 with the Brick Mason series:

"Another Brick in the Wall" - introducing New York cop Brick Mason, who uncovers corruption and murder in the city's construction industry.

"Gold Brick" - Brick is on the trail of a crime syndicate using stolen gold to fund its activities.

"Brick and Stones" - Brick matches wits with a debonair and cunning jewel thief.

"Brick-a-bat" - Brick investigates the murder of a star baseball player.

"The Brick Crumbles" - bored with Brick, Leo wrote what was billed as "the final Brick Mason novel", in which Brick seems to become both a drunk and a dirty cop, but it's only a ruse to infiltrate and break a ring of corrupt fellow officers. The book ends with Brick turning in his badge after watching several former friends on the police force being led off to jail.

In 1901, Leo wrote a thinly-veiled account of the hunt for Jack the Ripper, entitled "Blood and Fog", which chronicled the heinous crimes of "Rick the Mauler" in 1880's London. This was not especially well-received.

Leo did somewhat better with the Jack Merlin series, supernaturally-tinged novels following the adventures of an "esteemed detective and Occultist" who solved unexplainable crimes throughout Europe:

"A Ghost in the Gardens" - Jack's first story sees him hunting a murderer through the streets of Paris, and also chasing down a ghost which seems to be haunting Versailles.

"A Phantom in the Palace" - Jack returns home to London to investigate a plot against the Royal Family.

"A Haunting in the Haus" - Jack prowls the dangerous streets of Berlin in search of a poltergeist.

In 1904, Leo's publisher begged him to return to his most popular character, and Leo agreed, beginning a new series of Brick Mason novels:

"Mason Jar" - Brick is reintroduced, and we first meet him five years after his retirement from the police force... and in jail. But it turns out that Brick is undercover, trying to free an innocent man from a life in prison.

"Stone Mason" - Kat Steiner, the villain of "Brick and Stones" returns. having been released from prison. This time she's seeking Brick's help, and maybe his love, too.

"The Mason Dixon Line" - Brick takes a train trip to Florida to visit an old friend, but gets embroiled in murder and intrigue along the way.

In 1906, Leo wrote his only non-fiction book, "A Death in Buffalo", an account of the assassination of President McKinley.

Finally, in late 1907, Leo wrote the final (so far) Brick Mason book:

"Masonry Lessons" - after breaking off his affair with Kat Steiner, Brick is forced to hunt her when she returns to her life of crime. The book ends with Brick and Kat seemingly tumbling to their deaths after a bitter struggle atop Niagara Falls…