Advice Limited

E. Phillips Oppenheim

The long boat train which had only a few minutes before started from Dover Pier Station on its way to Victoria came to an unexpected halt alongside the almost deserted platform of the Town Station. Habitual travellers, who knew the irregularity of such a proceeding, let down the windows and leaned out from their places. There was little to be seen, however, and nothing to be learnt from the various attendants. About a dozen station officials and a few other men who looked like officials in mufti were forming a sort of a ring around one of the vans in the rear of the train from which a number of heavy, iron clamped cases were being unloaded. The proceedings were entirely unusual. Curious questions and comments flashed backwards and forwards amongst the passengers. The train attendants, however, knew nothing of what was transpiring.

The Portrait of a Lady

Henry James

Isabel, the main character of the story, knows the charm of marriage with a worthless person. Her fate the confluence of fatal circumstances. Being a dowry and finding herself in Europe, she refuses to quite worthy applicants for a hand, and having received a fortune, she links life with the rogue Osmond, who married her only to provide a bastard daughter, Pansy, born of a courtesan, a decent existence. Illusions are crumbling, there is no hope for happiness, but Isabelle, with stoic courage, endures all the misfortunes that have fallen to her lot.

Serapis

Georg Ebers, Clara Bell

Georg Ebers is famous for his historical novels. At the heart of the Serapis novel, Christians are going to rally against the god Serapis. This army of the Saviour whose very essence was gentleness and whose spirit was love, seemed indeed to have deserted from his standard of light and grace to the blood-stained banner of murderous hatred. However, all this happens very poetic and calm.

The Golden Hades

Edgar Wallace

This early work by Edgar Wallace was originally published in 1929. "The Golden Hades" is a tale of murder and a symbol on bank notes leading to a sinister organization. This mystery novel features Wilbur Smith of the Treasury Department for Counterfeit in his investigations. Each time a crime happens be it a robbery or a murder, there is a sinister sign of Pluto (Hades) gold there... a statue of the Greek god of the underworld and the sign of dangerous gang of forgers. One of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, Edgar Wallace was an immensely popular author, who created exciting thrillers spiced with tales of treacherous crooks and hard-boiled detectives.

Love of Life and Other Stories

Jack London

Love of life is not only the name of the story, but also the main quality of one of the characters. Such an acute, almost tangible desire took possession of man that he, exhausted by hunger, cold, chills, illness, dislocation, hallucinations and other troubles that can await a lonely generational man in the forest. He survived the battle with a bear, with a wolf, with his mind and body, persuading him to rise again, persuading him to survive. The story is small in volume, wild and completely killing every touch of romanticism, which will revive again, barely reaching extreme significance.

Dead Man Manor

Valentine Williams

There is a secret surrounding the abandoned local manuar and the death of the local miller. When a lawyer on vacation is found slaughtered, the law enters into force. One area of interest for the British reader is the different legal system and methodology used by Sergeant Biguri, who is conducting an official investigation. His personality perfectly complements and contrasts with the personality of Tredgold. The love interest between Dr. Wood and Adrienne de Saint-Remy is well maintained, and the villagers, including the mayor, priest and notary, come alive.

Rubies of Doom

J.U. Giesy, Junius B Smith

Swartzberg was a cunning and mysterious man. First, he won all the guys in the cards, and then went out into the street, as if nothing had happened. But the detective who saw this picture, did not trust him. There was something about his personality that repelled him. The detective did not like his dark, heavy features, his swollen eyes, his mustache with curled tips, his thick, red lips, his heavy lobed ears or his smug look.

Bones in London

Edgar Wallace

Bones is back in the second story of The Lieutenant Bones series. After a tour of duty overseas, the eccentric character Augustus Tibbetts (known as Bones to his associates) returns to London to embark on civilian life. A mischievous businessman, he seems to have every financial schemer in London coming after him, but somehow he always comes out on top. In a series of loosely connected but consistently hilarious tales and vignettes, Bones inadvertently stumbles into a series of improbable but exciting adventures and too-good-to-be-true business ventures. Humor and romance follow Bones as well, as he makes his way through the underworld of London moneymakers.