Kirjahaku

Woman falls from window of flat. Doctor says killed instantly.Well, thought Ludovic Travers as he set the newspaper aside, that finally put a period to a highly unsuccessful case. The woman, a Mrs. Strand, had seemed a bit deranged when she came to him for help in locating some missing friends, but he quest led to a dead end.So Travers turns to the infinitely more challenging new mystery of the missing diamonds- 50,000 of them, stolen from an impregnable safe in a distinguished London jeweller's, and perfect, if worthless, replicas substituted. He meets some charming people who may or may not be thieves. And he finds himself up against not only an unholy threesome-the grand alliance-but also a merciless blackmailer and a murderer.Oddly enough, the unfinished business of Mrs. Strand provides the key to this almost unfathomable mystery-and Christopher Bush's thousands of admirers will find here his hallmarks of fine craftsmanship: believability, ingenuity, real characters. Bush is one of the top purveyors of civilized entertainment, spiced with highly uncivilized mayhem.The Case of the Grand Alliance was originally published in 1964. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

"Death from manual strangulation after a blow that slightly fractured the skull."Ludovic Travers, private investigator, is approached by a slight acquaintance from his past, one Isabel Herne. She has seemingly fallen into the hands of a charming con-man, who has promised her the earth, including a very expensive racehorse. When the race-horse fails to materialize, and the man vanishes, she tasks Ludovic with finding the latter and, if possible, recovering her money. But what appears to be one kind of case soon plunges headlong into another - one of blackmail, black magic, a black sheep, and murder. Ludo will have to pit his wits against a desperate killer-and his wife Bernice will play an unexpectedly active part.The Case of the Jumbo Sandwich was originally published in 1965. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

Seeing Munro Burnside was a last resource.The young narrator of this mystery thriller is stony broke. In dire straits he appeals to his former boss, now a top men at a London newspaper, for a writing job. Mr. Burnside suggests he go out and find himself a really piquant subject for a series of articles, one in which he can involve himself personally if possible. It is not long before the would-be scribe spots three lean men and, smelling a good story, follows the curious trio into an adventure far beyond the world of journalism. The narrator's incredible journey takes him to a sinister middle-European nation, up to his ears in diabolical international intrigue, and embroiled in a plot of implacable revenge and pre-meditated murder.In 1932 Christopher Bush took a short break from his 'Ludovic Travers' mystery series to write this one-off thriller, the style and milieu of which will be familiar to readers of Buchan, Ambler and Cheyney. Originally published under the name of 'Noel Barclay', it has remained Bush's rarest book until now. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Tony Medawar.