Prior to picking up this eBook, I had never heard of the Semi Dual stories, yet after reading the sample from the eBook I immediately bought and read The Complete Cabalistic Cases of Semi Dual, the Occult Detector, Volume 1: 1912 and look forward to the publication of Volume 2 in the series. Geist and Smith wrote around 34 Semi Dual tales between 1912 and 1934 and volume 1 collects the first three stories. The first two tales are well written, character driven mysteries with interesting people and plots. The third tale shifts locales and expands the series both in background and action. I find them rather hard to put down and Semi Dual is a fascinating character, not necessarily modeled after other detectives (except that perhaps most detectives who appeared after 1887 shared qualities of Sherlock Holmes) and he uses his unusual skill set as astrologer, mystic, telepathist, philosopher and practical psychologist to solve cases. Contemporaries like Craig Kennedy appeared two years before Dual, yet Kennedy was much more gadget centered in his early tales. Algernon Blackwood’s John Silence also appeared two years before Dual, but Silence’s stories were quite occult in their content. All this to say that there really isn’t anything like the Semi Dual stories, which have not been available since their original appearance in magazines. Kudos to Altus Press in tracking down these stories and gathering them together. I sense the writers enjoyed penning these tales and they are definitely enjoyable to read. Pick up a copy and see for yourself.