"The Luminous Face" by Carolyn Wells is a mystery novel written in the early 20th century. The story unfolds around the suspicious death of Robert Gleason, which is initially treated as a suicide but quickly reveals layers of intrigue and potential foul play. Key characters include Doctor Ely Davenport, a physician with a strong sense of self-importance; Pollard, a man with a mysterious connection to Gleason; and Phyllis Lindsay, who is revealed to have had a complicated relationship with the deceased. At the start of the narrative, a group of acquaintances discusses the unsolved murder of Gleason, establishing a tense atmosphere as they contemplate the nature of crime and motives. The dialogue hints at the complexity of human emotions surrounding the concept of murder. Soon after, a frantic call from Gleason claiming he has been shot propels Doctor Davenport into action, ultimately leading to the discovery of Gleason's body and raising questions about the circumstances of his death. The opening effectively sets the stage for a tangled web of relationships and motives that will likely unfold as the investigation progresses. (This is an automatically generated summary.)