Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
London: British Library, 2015
Description
"A literary craftsman, who could spring surprises with his humour and sense of suspense." -The Times Owen Bradwell is a courageous naval officer who returns to England in the 1930s. He believes that his career is over because he has become colour-blind but with Nazi Germany an increasing menace, the authorities cannot do without Bradwell, and he is assigned a special mission. A former acquaintance of Bradwell's has been trapped into betraying his country's secrets by a Nazi agent. Bradwell is sent to spy on the spy, and travels down the Thames on a surveillance trip under cover of a fishing weekend. Things soon take an unexpected turn, and Bradwell finds himself in the company of a dead man, and a pretty young interior decorator called Sally. Will Bradwell triumph over the villains, and will he and Sally fall in love? This neglected thriller from 1945 is a pacy and entertaining read, rich with the classic twists of the genre: amnesia, blackmail, and a convict's escape from Dartmoor.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member druidgirl
Lt. Commander Owen Bradwell returns to London to have his sight checked because he has gone color blind. While in London an old friend assigns him a special mission, he is sent to spy on a spy. Excellent story line and interesting characters.
***I received this book in exchange for an honest
***I received this book in exchange for an honest
Show More
review*** Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
This is a classic British mystery, first published in 1945 and republished by Poisoned Pen Press. It's great fun to read one of these old mysteries, to see what has held up with the years and what has not. This is a good, basic mystery, full of pre-WWII espionage. There are several characters
There is, of course, a murder, but it is not especially grisly or gruesome. There is a bit of romance thrown in. The characters are all pretty much very good or very bad – not much gray happening here. There are very few “bad” words, especially compared to more modern mysteries.
The expressions of the time, the dated slang, was fun but there was so much of it, it did get a bit old. Everybody smokes. Everywhere. “'Damn the doctor!' Sally puffed out a rebellious cloud of smoke.” She is certainly not the only one.
I enjoyed reading one of these old mysteries, and by an author I'd never read before. It is dated, but in a rather charming way, and while I would not want to make a constant diet of these old mysteries, I think it is going to be entertaining to occasionally dip into them. I'm delighted that Poisoned Pen Press is going to be publishing more of these classics in the U.S.
I was given an uncorrected proof for review. The quote may have changed in the finished edition.
Show More
introduced in few number of pages, but it doesn't take long to sort them out.There is, of course, a murder, but it is not especially grisly or gruesome. There is a bit of romance thrown in. The characters are all pretty much very good or very bad – not much gray happening here. There are very few “bad” words, especially compared to more modern mysteries.
The expressions of the time, the dated slang, was fun but there was so much of it, it did get a bit old. Everybody smokes. Everywhere. “'Damn the doctor!' Sally puffed out a rebellious cloud of smoke.” She is certainly not the only one.
I enjoyed reading one of these old mysteries, and by an author I'd never read before. It is dated, but in a rather charming way, and while I would not want to make a constant diet of these old mysteries, I think it is going to be entertaining to occasionally dip into them. I'm delighted that Poisoned Pen Press is going to be publishing more of these classics in the U.S.
I was given an uncorrected proof for review. The quote may have changed in the finished edition.
Show Less
LibraryThing member eyes.2c
...punts and agent provocateurs!
1930's pre World War II and Naval Lieutenant-Commander, Owen Bradwell, freshly returned from the China station, has just been diagnosed as colour blind. A disorder apparently acquirable at a later stage of life given appropriate stimuli, and in this case, a writer's
The language is that of a bygone time, lending a certain piquant attractiveness to the story. Somehow it colours the thrill of the chase with a different brushstroke to what we are used to. I did feel like I'd fallen into The Thirty-Nine Steps or Foyle's War. Owen Bradwell's belief in his sidelined new life is given a certain cachet. His task is dangerous yet honourable, for 'King and Country.' As Bradwell refelects, he is looking forward to the 'prospect of lending a hand in this desirable and highly patriotic task.' Today the language used would not be politically correct in terms of referencing people's antecedents.
There's plenty of action, tempered by the leisurely use of punts, mysterious murders and blackmail in this 1940's thriller. Amusing and stylish complete with the requisite evil doers, traitors, Whitehall types, and a budding romance.
A NetGalley ARC
1930's pre World War II and Naval Lieutenant-Commander, Owen Bradwell, freshly returned from the China station, has just been diagnosed as colour blind. A disorder apparently acquirable at a later stage of life given appropriate stimuli, and in this case, a writer's
Show More
raison d'être for the commander having to resign his post. This leads to Bradwell becoming tied up with the secret service and Nazi spies. The language is that of a bygone time, lending a certain piquant attractiveness to the story. Somehow it colours the thrill of the chase with a different brushstroke to what we are used to. I did feel like I'd fallen into The Thirty-Nine Steps or Foyle's War. Owen Bradwell's belief in his sidelined new life is given a certain cachet. His task is dangerous yet honourable, for 'King and Country.' As Bradwell refelects, he is looking forward to the 'prospect of lending a hand in this desirable and highly patriotic task.' Today the language used would not be politically correct in terms of referencing people's antecedents.
There's plenty of action, tempered by the leisurely use of punts, mysterious murders and blackmail in this 1940's thriller. Amusing and stylish complete with the requisite evil doers, traitors, Whitehall types, and a budding romance.
A NetGalley ARC
Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
As a rule I don't enjoy spy novels but this is a well (and clearly) written book with many engaging and interesting characters. This is a republished part of the Poison Pen Press Classic Spy series written roughly half a century ago about Nazi agents in England just before the beginning of World
Show More
War 2. There is also a secondary love story plot as the hero, Owen Bradwell, has amnesia after being knocked on the head and nursed back to health by an attractive young lady. A must read for British spy novel lovers. Show Less
LibraryThing member seeword
A lively spy thriller written during WW2 but set in England the period just before the war. Lots of action, a romance, nasty blackmailer, traitors, and, of course, a German spy. A good quick read.
Free advance copy from the publisher.
Free advance copy from the publisher.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1945
Physical description
288 p.; 19 cm
ISBN
9780712356039