The Big Bow Mystery · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill.
Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.
Chapter 1
The Big Bow Mystery
The opening chapter introduces the setting of a foggy London morning in the Bow district, where Mrs. Drabdump discovers the body of her lodger, Arthur Constant, in his locked bedroom. The police are called, and the mystery of the locked-room murder begins to unfold, with initial suspicions falling on the absent Tom Mortlake.
Chapter 2
I
Mrs. Drabdump, the landlady, grows increasingly anxious when her lodger Arthur Constant fails to respond to her morning calls. After repeated knocking and attempts to enter his locked bedroom, she becomes convinced he is dead. In panic, she rushes across the street to fetch the retired detective Grodman, who initially dismisses her fears but soon finds the door securely locked and bolted from within, raising serious concerns.
Chapter 3
II
The inquest into Arthur Constant's death begins, with testimony from Mrs. Drabdump, George Grodman, Denzil Cantercot, Inspector Howlett, Sergeant Runnymede, and Dr. Robinson. The medical evidence suggests the wound could not have been self-inflicted, yet the room was locked from within with no weapon found. Meanwhile, Tom Mortlake is arrested in Liverpool but quickly released, and he gives an interview blaming police harassment. The chapter also covers public reactions and the media's shifting narrative from suicide to mystery.
Chapter 4
III
The inquest into Arthur Constant's death continues, with witnesses testifying to his character and a letter revealing a rare moment of despondency. The coroner systematically argues against suicide, pointing to physical impossibilities, and then examines the possibility of murder, highlighting the sealed-room nature of the crime. The chapter ends with the coroner's summation, leaving the jury to decide between suicide and homicide.
Chapter 5
IV
The chapter describes the public and media frenzy following the open verdict in Arthur Constant's death. Letters pour into newspapers, including a notable one from retired detective George Grodman, who offers to solve the mystery and criticizes Scotland Yard. The public becomes obsessed with the case, spawning wild theories, jokes, and even a suggestion that a monkey committed the murder. Grodman's letter also includes a passage from Constant's last letter to Lucy Brent, showing Constant's hopeful yet realistic view of his work in the East End. The chapter ends with Grodman reading a critical letter from 'Scotland Yard' (Edward Wimp) and dismissing him scornfully.
Free preview
8 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.
8 more companions → free preview