Edgar Wallace 
Iron Grip 

Jack Bryce is an ordinary, well-educated man. He has no experience of criminals or the criminal mind. No longer in the army, he is having problems securing new employment. Visiting a lawyer, an old friend of his father, it looks as if he will be rejected yet again. But his luck changes. His new career as a detective creates a compelling tale of adventure. Eventually, however, he is overpowered — caught in the tender grip of love from which he has no desire to escape.