Fred McClement, "The Strange Case of Ambrose Small" (1974)

Ambrose Small disappeared mysteriously from the streets of Toronto in 1919, the same day as he and his wife sold their chain of Canadian theatres for over $1.5 million. He handed over a cashier's cheque for $1 million dollars, transacted some other business around the city, and was never heard from again. His disappearance wasn't made public for over two weeks. His body was never found. His fate remains a mystery.

This book, written in the early 1970s, is clearly intended for a popular audience. It lacks footnotes, and makes little effort to indicate sources. That being said, there is almost no writing about the case, so most of the sources were likely newspapers of the time, covering the story or subsequent court cases. In 1960, the provincial police closed the case and tragically disposed of their files related to it.

Overall, this book provides an interesting, if brief glimpse into the rarified Toronto/Canadian upper society during the First World War era. It captures some of the sense of Catholic/Protestant clashes, and the moral ambiguity that revolved around popular entertainment. Unfortunately, the book leaves many questions unanswered, but given its size, the nature of the source material, and the intended audience, it offers an enjoyable, casual read.