Captain Jan Henderson master of the cargo ship Henrietta Anne trading between London and Holland is working with mysterious conspirators (Sir Gregory Fawsitt and Lady Judith Martellon) to smuggle goods from Holland to London. His deck boy, David, falls in love with Judy, a pretty dancer. When Anthony Loman, an haggard traveler, staggers up the stairs of the tenement house at Bunter’s Buildings, Judy listens while he is flung to his death. As Police Sergeant Sanders’ investi...

The young handsome Mayor of Mechester, Daniel Poynton is the owner of a very successful shoe manufacturer, the major employer in the city and the mayor will soon be a Lord Mayor. Never before interested in women, or even in social affairs, he is stricken by the beauty of The Lady Ursula Manningham and falls in love. As the novel develops, Poynton’s factory is threatened by foreign manufacturers who want to establish a cooperative monopoly with him. At the same time, Poynton...

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 ...

This 1929 novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim neatly describes some of the frothy financial dealings of the late stage of the roaring 20’s in England and centered around a commercial chemical formula. The formula for the process is carefully guarded from it’s own employees, but is stolen one night by a band of five adventurers who plan to ransom it for 1 million pounds. Two men are killed during the robbery. Plans to ransom the process are put on hold, and the documents are depo...

Cruelly betrayed by the testimony of Reuben Argels, his business partner and close friend, Moran Chambers is sentenced to 10 years in Sing Sing Prison. Haunted by the feeling that Chambers will exact revenge, Argels flees on the next boat to London, where he finds their third partner, the dour Scotchman Andrew Pulwitter, and Moran’s mistress, the lovely actress Ambouyna Kotinzi. Argels finds success in London, but is all the while haunted by the thought – when will Chambers...

Lady Wilhemina Thorpe-Hatton lives a life of extraordinary wealth and privilege. She is visiting her extensive estate in England, which includes the town of Thorpe, and all it’s inhabitants. When Victor Macheson, a young man chock full of ideals and theories about how to make the world a better place, petitions her for the use of a barn where he can speak on these subjects, she refuses. He is dismissed and harried out of town by the son of the estate manager Stephan Hurd. B...

This story takes place before WWI and follows the adventures of a disgraced English politician who hasn’t given up on his country in her hour of need. His nemesis is a suave but evil German prince who is plotting the downfall of he British empire. The only thing that stands in his way is our hero... and two beautiful women. „The Mischief-Maker” presents a fascinating picture of the political mindset of the day to go along with the twists and turns of the story. And so on, a...

In the courtroom of Lord Malladene, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Richard Lebur stands accused of murdering his lover’s lover. Lebur is convinced to change his plea to guilty to avoid a death sentence. At the last minute, as he is being taken to jail, he shouts out that he is innocent. Seven years later, Martin Campbell Brockenhurst, Viscount and ex-policeman, with Scotland Yard, pursues the case further, convinces that Lebur is innocent, motivated by his love for Leb...

Captain Austen Rotherby is on a mission of revenge in Paris and chances upon Louis, the head waiter of his favorite restaurant. Bored, he follows Louis to a shady café where he spots a pair he’s long been intrigued by – a South American gentleman and a young girl. Because of certain complications, Captain Rotheby finds himself forced to leave Paris, only to find himself travelling with the aforementioned gentleman, Mr. Delora, and his niece, Felicia. Arriving in London, Mr....

A mystery story that involves the revolution in Portugal. Arnold Chetwode never intended to become involved in international intrigue. Arnold, a gently born young man in impecunious circumstances, toils as a lowly, ill-paid clerk in the prosperous London firm run by Mr. Weatherley, he is industrious but common merchant. A surprising invitation puts him at the right time and place to be a witness to a public murder. His employer and employer’s family are involved in the afte...

In this remarkable 1927 novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim, a great conference has been called in London to renegotiate the war debt. It is clear that Germany is suffering, and all of Europe is affected. The great Financier Felix Dukane is in London with his beautiful daughter Estelle. It is rumored that he stands ready to loan Germany One Billion Pounds if the conference is able to limit the total debt. The outcome of the conference hinges on military and industrial secrets. T...

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...

In this tale of espionage set during World War I Britain, we encounter a variety of characters. Surgeon-Major General Hugh Thomson, the works apparent antagonist, who is endeavoring to clear the British troops of spies. He is on the trail of a German master spy who seems to be able to travel across the lines and back and forth between Germany and England. Captain Granet is a wounded war hero recently awarded the DSO and recovering after having been captured twice and escapi...

In this funny satire, Oppenheim offers us an argument that has been used in several movies: Two brothers come into a large inheritance with a pre-condition that they need to spend a big amount of money within a month. In the letter from their deceased father, they are enjoined to learn how to spend as well as that have learned how to save. The story deals with their noble efforts to spend their money without waste or ostentation. They back a musical comedy, finance a gold c...

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 Man and His Kingdom” is set in an imaginary South American Republic. The hero is a benevolent English millionaire and ex-Member of Parliament who, after many adventures, marries the Presiden...

This is another collection of short stories by Edward Phillips Oppenheim, the prolific English novelist who was in his lifetime a major and successful writer of genre fiction including thrillers and spy novels, and who wrote over a 100 of them. He was the self-styled „prince of storytellers”, generally regarded as the earliest writer of spy fiction as we know it today, and invented the „Rogue Male” school of adventure thrillers. His plotting is as smooth as silk, with the v...

This is another great novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim, the prolific English novelist who was in his lifetime a major and successful writer of genre fiction including thrillers and spy novels, and who wrote over a 100 of them. David Newberry is released from Wandsworth prison having served a year for burglary. He was briefly a member of The Lambs, a London gang run by Tottie Green, with the help of the beautiful, coarse, but alluring Belle. Vowing revenge, Newberry buys a gym...

John Peters is the dissolute Crown Prince of Bergeland. The nephew of the rapacious and immoral King. Grace Pellisier is an English American actress who meets a thoughtful, serious, hiker in the mountains of Switzerland. Bernhardt is the energetic Chief of the Secret Service, protecting the aging King, and constantly searching for „The Watcher,” the leader of the revolutionary republicans. Written during a period of intense anti-monarchy which saw the end of the Russian Tza...

This 1907 novel was one of the early popular novels of society by E. Phillips Oppenheim. The story revolves around the conflict between a gentleman’s obligation to defend the honor of a lady, and his responsibility to his own feelings, family, and freedom. Sir Wingrave, imprisoned wrongfully for killing a man, finishes his sentence and plans his vengeance against those who would not tell the truth to help him during his trial. He becomes misanthropic, seeking only revenge. ...

Mr. Hardross Courage is a wealthy young Englishman whose life has been carefree and uneventful. He plays cricket for his county, he attends to the management of his estates, he serves as a local magistrate. He has never taken any interest in a career of any sort. On a trip to London to participate in a cricket match, Hardross is confronted by a man who forces his way into his hotel room imploring him to hide him. His reason – „They want to kill me”. So begins a tale that is...

Glenlitten Manor is the home of Andrew, Marquis Glenlitten, and his lovely, tiny, vivacious French wife, Felice. On the night of a small game hunt, the unsavory Baron de Bresset is murdered and the priceless Glenlitten diamond is stolen. Who stole the necklace and killed de Bresset? The subplot around the origins of Felice, who was orphaned in a French chateau at a very young age, form an interesting side story. Suspects include Sir Richard Cotton, the famous London crimina...

Believe it or not, here is an Oppenheim story without a single scene laid in Monte Carlo. And high time, too, for that lode, profitable as it no doubt has been, has shown signs, of petering out. The entire action of this novel takes place in England, and most of the characters, with the exception of a few detectives, belong to the upper classes. Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866-1946) was an English novelist, in his lifetime a major and successful writer of genre fiction incl...