William Le Queux

The Wiles of the Wicked

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

The Wiles of the Wicked (1900) is a mystery novel by Anglo-French writer William Le Queux. Published at the beginning of Le Queux's career as a leading author of popular thrillers, The Wiles of the Wicked is a story of mystery, murder, and redemption. Using his own research and experience as a journalist and adventurer, Le Queux crafts an accessible, entertaining tale for readers in search of a literary escape. Known for his works of fiction and nonfiction on the possibility of Germany invading Britain-a paranoia common in the early twentieth century-William Le Queux also wrote dozens of thrillers and adventure novels for a dedicated public audience. Although critical acclaim eluded him, popular success made him one of England's bestselling writers. In The Wiles of the Wicked, a young man goes abroad to discover himself, but returns home totally blind. Following the death of his father, Wilford Heaton embarks on a tour of Europe, avoiding responsibility at the cost of his intellectual promise. In Italy, a sudden onset of scleritis robs him of the power of sight, forcing him to return home to London. Having spent his fortune without thought for his future, Heaton moves into a dismal flat to be close to his friend Dick Doyle, a promising writer and caring companion who helps Heaton navigate daily life with a terrible disability. When Doyle leaves for several weeks on business, Heaton-overcome with despair-takes a risk by venturing into the streets of London alone. Struck by a carriage, he lies unconscious for hours before waking in a strange apartment in the company of several strangers. Conversing with these Good Samaritans, Heaton feels his sense of humanity slowly return to him. As a piano plays Chopin's "Andante Spianato," a woman suddenly cries out, and a fight leaves her and another man murdered. Having witnessed this terrible crime without the ability to see it, Heaton steels himself not only to solve the mystery, but to regain his hold on life. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of William Le Queux's The Wiles of the Wicked is a classic mystery novel reimagined for modern readers.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Mint Editions
• Seitenzahl: 216
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. Mai 2021
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 203mm x 127mm x 13mm
• Gewicht: 265g
• ISBN-13: 9781513280967
• ISBN-10: 1513280961
• Artikelnr.: 61881560

Autorenporträt

Anglo-French journalist and author William Tufnell Le Queux was born on July 2, 1864, and died on October 13, 1927. He was also a diplomat (honorary consul for San Marino), a traveler (in Europe, the Balkans, and North Africa), a fan of flying (he presided over the first British air meeting at Doncaster in 1909), and a wireless pioneer who played music on his own station long before radio was widely available. However, he often exaggerated his own skills and accomplishments. The Great War in England in 1897 (1894), a fantasy about an invasion by France and Russia, and The Invasion of 1910 (1906), a fantasy about an invasion by Germany, are his best-known works. Le Queux was born in the city. The man who raised him was English, and his father was French. He went to school in Europe and learned art in Paris from Ignazio (or Ignace) Spiridon. As a young man, he walked across Europe and then made a living by writing for French newspapers. He moved back to London in the late 1880s and managed the magazines Gossip and Piccadilly. In 1891, he became a parliamentary reporter for The Globe. He stopped working as a reporter in 1893 to focus on writing and traveling.