Jacques Futrelle is best known for writing short detective stories featuring Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, also known as "The Thinking Machine" for his application of logic to any and all situations. A curiosity is that this author was one of the victims of the Titanic disaster.

The critic August Nemo presents seven short stories specially selected:

- The Problem of Cell 13

- The Thinking Machine

- Five Millions by Wireless

- Kidnapped Baby Blake, Millionaire

- The Problem of the Motor Boat

- The Problem of the Opera Box

- The Problem of the Vanishing man