Dime Novel Castle – New Additions
Dime Novel Castle is an online library featuring textually correct reproductions of select rare, out-of-print dime novels and serials, published from 1860 thru 1915. We have searched all over the country in order to locate the original newspapers, books and manuscripts, then meticulously hand-typed the original publications in order to preserve their place in history and pass them on to future generations.
Every month, we are reproducing a rare dime novel, featuring some of the world’s most famous characters from the dime novel era. All re-mastered manuscripts are in easy-to-read text, not scanned images like you see on some other websites. We hand-type and reproduce each dime novel and make it available for immediate download as a Digital eBook, in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Select manuscripts are also available for reading on the iPad, Kindle and other digital ebook readers.
We also offer Print-On-Demand Softcover Books for people who want to experience the joy of reading a rare classic novel in the same manner as young children and soldiers did during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Available Now in Adobe PDF for Instant Download
and Print-On-Demand, Softcover Books
New Additions To Our Library
Last Update: Friday, April 13, 2012 – 03:00 P.M. CST
Old Sleuth’s Triumph;
Or, “Piping” the Bronx Mystery
By Old Sleuth
This is issue #3 in the Old Sleuth dime novel series, originally published in the weekly “Fireside Companion” story paper for 25 weeks – from February 26, 1883 to August 13, 1883..
Old Sleuth is called out of retirement when everyone else has failed to find a clue. What seems like an almost impossible task, considering the time that has elapsed before Old Sleuth takes up the case is quickly dismissed as the famous detective doggedly uncovers one clue after another before unraveling the once unfathomable mystery.
Old King Brady’s Great Reward
Or, The Haselhurst Secret
By A New York Detective
This is issue #3 in the Old King Brady dime novel series, first published in The New York Detective Library on January 9, 1886.
Old King Brady really has his hands full this time. Wall Street banker, Thomas Birnie, has been murdered outside New York city, in the library of Haselhurst, his opulent New York mansion. The library has been locked from the inside, the windows have been bolted likewise, no one has entered the room from the chimney – or escaped from it, either, and yet Mr. Birnie has been stabbed to death. Old King Brady takes on the case because of the prominence of the victim, and he investigates every clue with his customary thoroughness. But he gets more than he bargained for when he is attacked by ghosts at midnight and encounters Birney’s walking corpse, and before it is all over he is nearly burned alive. A good old dark house mystery that should thoroughly satisfy.
Old King Brady’s Triumph
By A New York Detective
This is issue #2 in the Old King Brady dime novel series, first published in The New York Detective Library on December 5, 1885.
A major New York city bank has lost $10,000. One of its bank tellers is a suspect, but nothing can be proved. Wanting to avoid publicity, the bank President decides to call in Old King Brady to investigate. Brady follows the suspected employee from work, when they both get on the elevated railway. Brady remains alone in the back of the car, while his suspect rides up front with another passenger. When the vehicle comes to the end of its route and asks everyone to get off, the suspect does not move. When the passenger beside him moves, the bank teller slumps over dead, the victim of a gunshot in the back of the head. There are no clues. There are no suspects. And thus begins another adventure of Old King Brady as he unravels the mystery of the missing bank money as well as the murder of its chief suspect.
Old King Brady was the first detective in dime novel fiction to appear on a regular basis; he appeared in print on average about once a month from his debut in November 1885 through mid-1894. There are about 104 of these stories.
Finally, Brady performs his duties like a real detective; there is an air of realism about the man. He questions suspects, gathers clues, weighs evidence, draws conclusions until he has cornered his prey. Along the way of each tale, though, is plenty of action, enough to satisfy any dime novel detective fan.
Frank Reade and His Steam Man of the Plains;
Or, The Terror of the West
By “NONAME”
The first adventure of Frank Reade, Sr.
Published on October 5, 1876
Frank Reade Library #12
Frank Reade, 19th-century boy scientist extraordinare, has invented a vehicle. It is a wagon carried by a Steam Man, a sort of robotic-like creation with arms and legs that can run 50 m.p.h. for long stretches of time as it carries its passengers in a wagon behind it.
While Frank and his cousin Charley are exploring the untamed American West with the Steam Man as their method of locomotion, they come across a wagon train that is being attacked by Indians. And thus their series of adventures begins. Soon they are involved with several others in an effort to defeat two cannibalistic tribes of Indians and a cruel and ruthless outlaw band led by Captain Sam Slasher.
The Steam Man of the Plains; or, The Terror of the West was originally printed as a serial in the story-paper, The Boys of New York from February 28, 1876 to April 24, 1876. It was written by Harry Enton, a pseudonym of Harold Cohen, (1854-1927). It was reprinted in The Five Cent Wide Awake Weekly in 1883. Our text comes from the December 10, 1892 edition of The Frank Reade Library.
This dime novel is the first adventure of Frank Reade, Sr., titled; The Steam Man of the Plains; or, The Terror of the West, (1876) but the title was altered in later printings. After four adventures the grown up Frank retired and in 1882 turned the inventing business over to his son, Frank Reade, Jr., a true chip of the old block. Frank, Jr. continued inventing and adventuring through nearly 200 stories.
Frank Merriwell;
Or, First Days at Fardale
Created by George William Patten,
also known as William Gilbert Patten, or “Gil” Patten
aka, Burt L. Standish
Published on April 18, 1896
Tip Top Weekly Issue #1
The most popular figure in dime novel literature was Frank Merriwell, and after reading this tale you will thoroughly understand why. In this first of 850 serialized stories, Frank Merriwell tries to be admitted into Fardale, a military academy. As soon as the story opens, he immediately makes an enemy of Bart Hodge, who is also trying to enter there. Hodge continually – but without success – attempts to disgrace Frank and prevent him from becoming his fellow cadet. Indeed, there is no underhanded thing he will not try to achieve this end.
Nick Carter’s Quick Work
Or, A Queen of Counterfeiters
By Frederic Dey
Nick Carter Detective Library Issue #2
Published on August 15, 1891
A bride and groom are found murdered in a locked room on their wedding day. Nick Carter is asked to solve the mystery. During his investigation he is nearly blinded when carbolic acid is thrown in his eyes. The incident, however, gives him a clue that may lead him to the identity of the murderer. His investigation eventually leads him to an abandoned granary in the woods, which leads him to an abandoned mine, which leads him to still more layers in this most interesting of mysteries – and then some.
Old Sleuth in Harness Again
Or, Four Noted Detectives Unveiling A Mystery
Created by Harlan Page Halsey
“Old Sleuth in Harness Again” was first serialized in The Fireside Companion weekly story paper over 18 weeks, from June 7 to October 4, 1875. Our text is taken from the October 13, 1885 reprint published in the Old Sleuth Library dime novel series.
Fighting Against Millions
Or, The Detective In The Jewel Caves Of Kurm
By John Russell Coryell
Original Nick Carter, Detective Novel #3
This is the third novel featuring Nick Carter, created by John Russell Coryell. Originally published in Street and Smith’s, New York Weekly in 17 parts, from September 29, 1888 to January 19, 1889.
More than a year has passed since the case recorded as “A Wall Street Haul” and Nick is now the father of a baby boy, Ralph Carter. Apart from being a new parent he is faced with a personal mystery. Over the past six months he has suffered a surprising number of failures in the cases he has undertaken and there are rumors that he has been bought off by criminals. His reputation is further tarnished when three of the houses he owns are set on fire shortly after Mrs. Carter has been sent to renew the insurance policies. One newspaper account is particularly damaging since it identifies Nick Carter with detective Harvey Jones, his alter ego, and casts aspersions on Mrs. Carter’s reputation. It is as though some unseen enemy is watching the Carter family so Nick determines to take his family and disappear. Before that can happen Nick and Ethel are awakened in the middle of the night to hear a woman’s voice swearing vengeance for past deeds. They soon discover that baby Ralph is missing and their house is on fire.
Old King Brady, The Sleuth-Hound
By a New York Detective
First Published in The New York Detective Library in November 1885.
Old King Brady was the first detective in dime novel fiction to appear on a regular basis; he appeared in print on average about once a month from his debut in November 1885 through mid-1894. There are about 104 of these stories.
A Wall Street Haul; Or, A Bold Stroke For A Fortune
By John Russell Coryell
Original Nick Carter, Detective Novel #2
This novel was originally published in Street and Smith’s, New York Weekly for 15 weeks, between March 2 and June 18, 1887.
This is a rare manuscript featuring the second adventure of Nick Carter created by John Russell Coryell. Nick Carter has been a private detective for a little over a year and has been very successful in his chosen vocation. Everyone knows his pseudonym, Harvey Jones, but no one knows the existence of his real identity except Inspector Byrnes. Nick has married the girl he fell in love with in his first adventure, and in this tale he involves her a bit in solving the mystery of “A Wall Street Haul,” a massive number of bonds taken from one of New York’s most famous banks – and with precious few clues to go by. It is necessary to read this story first because Nick Carter’s next adventure is Fighting Against Millions; Or, The Detective In The Jewel Caves Of Kurm.
Old Sleuth, the Detective; Or, The Bay Ridge Mystery
By Old Sleuth
Old Sleuth is a famous detective much feared by the underworld because he has an uncanny knack for finding obscure clues to unravel mysteries that have baffled the police. A supposedly wizened old man with white, mutton chop whiskers and glasses, Old Sleuth is in reality Harry Loveland, a man presumably in his early 30′s – at least in the first story; in the subsequent tales, he is, in fact, an old man.
The Old Detective’s Pupil; Or, The Mysterious Crime of Madison Square
By John Russell Coryell
Original Nick Carter, Detective Novel #1
Originally published for thirteen weeks, starting, September 18, 1886 in Street and Smith’s New York Weekly, Vol. 41, No. 46.
The First Nick Carter Novel
Who came up with the idea for Nick Carter? Was it John Russell Coryell, the author of the first story, or Ormond G. Smith, president of the publishing firm of Street & Smith? John Russell Coryell (1851-1924) is usually considered the creator of the character of Nick Carter, although the first plots may have been developed in a conference session between author and publisher before pen was put to paper. Such story conferences between publisher and writer became a tradition at Street & Smith.
Nick Carter Detective Library – Issue Number 1
The Solution of a Remarkable Case.
Originally Published August 8, 1891 by Smith and Street, New York.
Without a doubt, the best known hero of all the dime novels is Nick Carter, so much so that his name today is synonymous with the term dime novel. Nick Carter was a private detective in New York City, who frequently traveled the globe wherever his services were most needed, often encountering fantastic villains. Nick Carter made his first appearance in three popular serials which lasted from 1886 through 1889. The first weekly dime novel that featured him with complete adventures appeared in August 8, 1891 and continued without interruption until October 1915. Afterward he appeared sporadically in pulp fiction for a number of years, and then in a long-running weekly radio series from 1943 to 1955. Although some 1200+ dime novels were issued over 24 years (along with several serials), it is estimated that about 700+ stories were written about Nick Carter.
