Matravers is „an Apostle of Aestheticism” with „fixed views of life, down to even it’s most trifling details.” „A poet, philosopher, and man of fashion” who has „no intimate friends.” He writes for the London papers and reviews. One evening he is taken to the theater by a friend to see a „Norwegian” play by Istein, which he savages in his review. However the actress who plays the lead, Berenice, is brilliant, and is the same woman with whom he has been exchanging coy glance...
An engrossing tale of financial intrigue, full of shadowy characters and shady dealings from the author of mystery and espionage thrillers E. Phillips Oppenheim. Phineas Duge, leader of a group of American millionaires who work financial deals together, suspects his colleagues of crooked dealings, and tricks them into signing a document that gives him power over the group. During a struggle the document is stolen from Duge, and everyone is pulled into a frantic search to re...
Stirling Deane has sold the Little Anna Gold Mine which he discovered in South Africa early in his career. The sale has made him a rich man and the head of the company to which he sold the mine. His is engaged to Lady Olive Nunnelly, and is the envy of all of society. Deane is threatened with ruin when a old enemy – Richard Sinclair- shows up in London with what appears to be a legitimate prior deed to the mine. After a meeting with Deane, the man is found murdered and the ...
A very interesting and early novel is extremely popular in the 1920s and 1940s by the famous author E. Phillips Oppenheim. It differs from its later works, here are considered more gloomy themes and a tragic plot. This story tells of a wealthy Englishman who fell in love with the daughter of an Italian nobleman who lives on the island of Krutha in the Mediterranean Sea. The very dark influence of the Catholic Church in this period will not prevent the victory of love and ha...
British author E. Phillips Oppenheim achieved worldwide fame with his thrilling novels and short stories concerning, mystery, international espionage and intrigue. Many of his novels have been adapted for the screen. Mr. Oppenheim can be depended upon to give his plots that turn which is as admirable as it is unexpected, and „The Seven Conundrums” is one of the best of his many good and exciting books. His plotting is as smooth as silk, with the virtue of creating believabl...
A collection of nineteen stories, by Edward Phillips Oppenheim, mostly from the 1890’s and early 1900’s, published in magazines, and collected in 1913. Ghost stories, bizarre adventures, strange appearances and disappearances, and improbable love are the themes of these very enjoyable stories by the master storyteller. Young men courting women, psychic phenomena, and humorous characters abound. „Those Other Days” stories are almost Victorian in their diction and flavor, wit...
The state of the working class in the early 20th century caused significant changes in the left-wing political parties. The Liberal Party, which enjoyed the support of the working class, was threatened by the Party of Labor and trade unions that were in the forefront of the socialist and communist movement. In this novel, we are talking about a great deal of sympathy for the poorest workers who lost their jobs due to automation, recession and mass layoffs. The use of taxes ...
The secretive financier and Press baron Warren Rand is working to bring about Global Peace and Disarmament, against the plotting of England, France, Germany, and Russia. The story expands to include the chief characters in Rands life: his security chief a British officer Tellesom who falls in love with Rand’s estranged daughter, the financier John Glynde and a large cast of evil Russian and German spies. His machinations of the gold market and international sabotage bring t...
This third novel by Oppenheim was published in 1895. It was originally published under the title „A Daughter of the Marionis” and was reprinted several times. The story of a vendetta, makes a capital plot for the novelist who takes characters from Southern life for his story, and in Margharita, „a daughter of the Marionis,” we have a not impossible character. She does not appear till late in the story, but takes up the vendetta of her uncle with a will. Marionis himself is ...
A best-selling author of novels, short stories, magazine articles, translations, and plays, Oppenheim published over 150 books. He is considered one of the originators of the thriller genre, his novels also range from spy thrillers to romance, but all have an undertone of intrigue. The tiny kingdom of Theos is surrounded by Eastern European powers in this 1902 novel of politics, war, and romance. Russia and Turkey are plotting to take over the peaceful and rural country. A ...
Miss Mott quickly rose from the sound of knocking at her office door. She was engaged in the typical task of writing her advice to a young woman whose relationship with the acquisition had been pulled in, and she forgot the flight time. Her typist left, her ambassador was a boy and a shy but very nice young clerk who helped her in various activities. In other words, Miss Mott was alone on the top floor of the building, not far from Adelphi, and she did not wait for the subs...
The usual little throng of Americans, journalists, men of business and loiterers, were occupying their accustomed chairs in one corner of the long, green-carpeted room. Around the bar, would-be customers were crowded three or four deep–many of them stalwart Canadians in khaki, making the most of their three days’ leave, and a thin sprinkling of men about town on their way to lunch in the grill-room adjoining. On the outskirts of the group was a somewhat incongruous figure, ...
In 1914, after seven years of service in the most famous room in the Grill Room in London, he dropped his very favorable position and went to France. In 1919, he came from a war with two crutches and many medals. He came to Paris and looked enviously at the funny scenes in the cafe, and thought that it was all over for him.
Oppenheim was famous for his hundreds of spy and espionage novels. This is not one of them. It’s billed as a novel of social intrigue and as a story of revenge without violence and moves quickly. Duke Henry Chatfield with his family, and family lawyer Sir Stephen are riding through central Italy when the car breaks down in Pellini, where, 20 years earlier, the Duke’s brother had a mistress and illegitimate child. Duke’s daughter Monica is intrigued by a young Englishman nam...
Written in 1910, „The Illustrious Prince” is set in England some time after the Russian-Japanese War which ended in victory for the Japanese in 1905. The Emperor of Japan, suspecting an ulterior motive in the world cruise of the American battleship fleet, dispatches his cousin, Prince Maiyo, on a mission to learn the secret if one existed. Two American spies are murdered, an intrepid detective from Scotland Yard is hard on the trail of clues that will lead him to the killer...
E. Phillips Oppenheim (1866-1946) was an internationally renowned author of mystery and espionage thrillers. His novels and short stories have all the elements of blood-racing adventure and intrigue and are precursors of modern-day spy fictions. 1924’s „The Wrath to Come” is one of his novels that are „fascinating extrapolations of the political dangers that faced Europe and America in the first half of the twentieth century”. This novel is very occasionally mentioned as be...
A breathtaking tale of intrigue, romance, and revenge from one of the twentieth century’s most prolific and popular authors of suspense. „The Wicked Marquis” is a story of privilege and the attempt to keep what has been lost. Marquis will go to any length to get enough money to enjoy his title, including forcing one of his daughters to marry an unsuitable candidate with money. Although this novel was published in 1919, its setting and subject is more consistent with a pre-w...
England has not been invited to attend a conference of European nations in the Hague. Some think war is about to break out. „The Vanished Messenger” presents the international intrigue and conspiracy of the Powers against England to separate her from her colonies. Mr. John P. Dunster, an American, is traveling to the Hague with an important document that may prevent the outbreak of war when he mysteriously disappears after a train wreck in England. Richard Hamel is asked by...
Malcolm Gossett is a Scotland Yard detective, fed up by the endless conferences and hierarchy of The Yard, he resigns his position and establishes himself as a private investigator, specializing in helping hopeless cases. Clients whom everyone believes to be guilty. There is a great sequence of mysterious cases; International commerce and politics, kidnapping and the international sex trade, Indian succession, jewel theft, and romance. Written in 1933, compounded of a serie...
This mystery that takes place in 1947 in Nice about conflicting political goals between an American and a Chinese. Shortly thereafter, the granting of independence to the Philippine Islands by the United States, Japan attempts to seize them by force. When the Japanese attempt to invade the newly freed islands, their entire fleet is destroyed by a single battleship of the United States Navy using a weapon that concentrates and amplifies electric currents in the earth’s atmos...
In this novel we have Oppenheim’s as it best, with the story of a man hunt set in an English village, and involving a well-known banker and the Lord of the Manor. The story is a thriller built on several interlaced mysteries which are suddenly thrust on the sleepy village of Sandywayes: three men committing shockingly unexpected suicides, three strangers with questionable backstories but no obvious connections simultaneously appearing in town, and large amounts of money qui...
Arnold (a writer), Allan (an artist) and Arthur (works in finance) all live together. Once their attention is caught by a middle age man and a young girl about sixteen who seems frightened. They overhear where they are eating and continue to watch the couple and Arnold even goes over to offer her assistance. Then a surprising thing happens, his acquaintance shoots the man she’s with and disappears. Amid all the confusion and hospital and police, Arnold stays with the young ...
The six stories in Part I of this book trace the early career of Peter Benskin. He is a public school graduate with a small private income who joins the police force in London. After an early success he transfers to Scotland Yard where he becomes a detective. He is successful in solving several difficult cases but is hampered at times by his ethical feelings towards criminals who have been coerced or forced to commit crimes. He allows the „innocent” to escape, while he purs...
Joseph P. Cray is an American manufacturer who has just completed a year serving coffee to the troops in France during World War 1. He is motivated by good will, and also to escape his American second wife who is the head of a temperance organization. With sybaritic glee, he returns to London, dons civilian garb, and enjoys his first cocktail. He is soon joined by his daughter, the beautiful Lady Sara Sittingbourne, who lives in London. Together the two seek „adventure” in ...
