The Murders in Praed Street · Character

Mr. Jacob Martin

A heavy-set former Praed Street tradesman who returns to the old neighborhood with a pistol in his pocket and a secret he intends to bury.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Martin, Martin, this unfortunate Mr. Martin

First appearance: i the street

As a supporting figure in The Murders in Praed Street, Mr. Jacob Martin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Receives a blackmail letter and is later found dead.

In the storyPart I: The CrimesOpen this moment free

Martin once kept a shop in Praed Street and now returns after fifteen years, summoned to an empty house by a man named Lacey and armed with an automatic he is all too ready to use. Proud of his powers of intimidation, he is nevertheless unnerved by how much the street has changed and by the sinister reputation it has lately acquired. His private errand collides with the murders in a way that makes him both suspect and victim.

See Mr. Jacob Martin in Part I: The Crimes Book page

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Character Web

15 connections

A slice of how Mr. Jacob Martin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Praed Street suspects and investigators
Minor witnesses and community members
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it delivers the psychological peak of dread and revelation as Prof…

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In the story

Mr. Jacob Martin appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Part I: The Crimes
Receives a blackmail letter and is later found dead.
At No. 407, Praed Street
A prosperous wine merchant and secret receiver of stolen goods; receives a blackmail letter from 'John Lacey' about a discovery in the cellar of his former premises; arms himself and goes to meet Lacey at 407 Praed Street.
IX: A Strange Affair
Found dead in the cellar; his death is suspected to be murder linked to the previous crimes.
X: At Scotland Yard
His death is discussed; the inquest ruled suicide but Whyland suspects murder.
Part II: The Criminal
Martin receives a blackmail letter, linking him to the unfolding criminal plot.
XXI: An Explanation
Victim lured to Praed Street via a blackmail letter; killed by a poison device in a cellar.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mr. Jacob Martin unlock in the free preview.

See Mr. Jacob Martin in i the street

See Mr. Jacob Martin in Part I: The Crimes