# The Middle of Things — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Middle of Things by J. S. Fletcher.

- [I: Faced with Reality](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/i-faced-with-reality.md): Richard Viner and his aunt, Miss Bethia Penkridge, discuss the nature of fiction versus reality after finishing a sensational novel. Miss Penkridge insists that truth is stranger than fiction, recounting real-life unsolv
- [II: Number Seven in the Square](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/ii-number-seven-in-the-square.md): Richard Viner discovers the murdered body of Mr. Ashton in a passage near Markendale Square, having just encountered a young man fleeing the scene. He alerts a policeman, who summons Dr. Cortelyon and the police. Inspect
- [III: Who Was Mr. Ashton?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/iii-who-was-mr-ashton.md): Inspector Drillford questions Miss Wickham and Mrs. Killenhall about Mr. Ashton, learning that neither knew him well. Miss Wickham reveals she was left in Ashton's care after her father's death and had not seen him for t
- [The Ring and the Knife](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/iv-the-ring-and-the-knife.md): Viner attends the police court hearing for the man arrested in connection with Ashton's murder. Despite strong circumstantial evidence—the ring, the knife, and Viner's own identification—Viner becomes convinced of the ma
- [V: Look for That Man!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/v-look-for-that-man.md): Viner visits Hyde in custody and hears his account of finding the ring near the body. Hyde describes a tall man in a white muffler leaving the passage. Drillford remains skeptical, but Viner believes Hyde and resolves to

> 24 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=the_middle_of_things_se_633kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [VI: Speculations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/vi-speculations.md)
- [VII: What Was the Secret?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/vii-what-was-the-secret.md)
- [News from Arcadia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/viii-news-from-arcadia.md)
- [IX: Looking Backward](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/ix-looking-backward.md)
- [X: The Parish Register](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/x-the-parish-register.md)
- [XI: What Happened in Paris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xi-what-happened-in-paris.md)
- [XII: The Grey Mare Inn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xii-the-grey-mare-inn.md)
- [The Japanese Cabinet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xiii-the-japanese-cabinet.md)
- [XIV: The Ellingham Motto](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xiv-the-ellingham-motto.md)
- [The Present Holder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xv-the-present-holder.md)
- [The Outhouse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xvi-the-outhouse.md)
- [XVII: The Claimant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xvii-the-claimant.md)
- [XVIII: Let Him Appear!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xviii-let-him-appear.md)
- [XIX: Under Examination](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xix-under-examination.md)
- [XX: Surprising Readiness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xx-surprising-readiness.md)
- [XXI: The Marseilles Meeting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxi-the-marseilles-meeting.md)
- [On Remand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxii-on-remand.md)
- [XXIII: Is This Man Right?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxiii-is-this-man-right.md)
- [XXIV: The Broken Letter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxiv-the-broken-letter.md)
- [XXV: Through the Telephone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxv-through-the-telephone.md)
- [XXVI: The Dismal Street](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxvi-the-dismal-street.md)
- [The Back Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxvii-the-back-way.md)
- [XXVIII: The Truth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxviii-the-truth.md)
- [XXIX: Who Is to Tell Her?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters/xxix-who-is-to-tell-her.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_middle_of_things_se/chapters