Emerald of Catherine the Great, 1926

1926. There is Catherine the Great. She plays no long part, but she founded the fortunes of many; and we are in communion with the matter of that large and generous but regal soul; we agree that it is a pity she died before we were born. There are those who know all about Russia, and the author knows nothing, have, in the matter of Russia, this Monarch of all the Russias for a link. Belloc was urged to write a detective story. He promised he would, on the condition there was nothing to find out. Here it is.