Philo Gubb, Correspondence-School Detective

by Ellis Parker Butler

"Philo Gubb, Correspondence-School Detective" by Ellis Parker Butler is a collection of humorous detective stories first published in 1913. The work follows Philo Gubb, a small-town paperhanger who learns detective work through correspondence courses and fancies himself a "deteckative." Unlike traditional brilliant sleuths, Gubb bumbles through cases with elaborate disguises that fool no one, theories that constantly shift, and solutions that arrive almost by accident. His murder of the English language and persistent good nature create comedic situations as he attempts to emulate his idol, Sherlock Holmes.