The Secret Toll: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Secret Toll: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

The Secret Toll is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Thorne, Paul; Thorne, Mabel.
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Secret Toll" by Paul Thorne and Mabel Thorne is a crime fiction novel likely written in the early 20th century. The story follows Robert Forrester, a young civil engineer who, after returning from military service, finds himself targeted by a mysterious criminal gang called the "Friends of the Poor," which extorts money from wealthy citizens under the threat of death. The plot thickens as Forrester refuses to comply with their demands, becoming embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. At the start of the tale, Forrester discusses the gang's activities with a friend in an exclusive Chicago club, revealing his disbelief in their power over the police. He receives a chilling letter demanding a large sum of money under threat of death, which brings the case of George Nevins, a recent victim, perilously close to home. The opening chapters set the stage for Forrester's resolve to confront this menace, leading him to involve the police and a private detective while also emphasizing the escalating threat posed by the gang, who have left previous victims dead. Forrester’s determination to act against the shadowy figures behind the extortion promises a gripping conflict as the story unfolds.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Secret Toll
- Author credits: Thorne, Paul; Thorne, Mabel
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Chicago (Ill.) -- Fiction
- Detective and mystery stories
- Extortion -- Fiction
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Veterans -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery
- Category: Novels
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.


