E. W Hornung
Today, a family would think nothing of the fact that one of their sons had fallen in love with an Australian woman. In the stodgy nineteenth century, however, the news was taken somewhat differently. Indeed, for the proper British Bligh family in E. W. Hornung's A Bride From the Bush, a dispatch delivering this information is received in the manner of a bomb detonating at the breakfast table. The author skillfully spins what starts out as
...First published in 1909, A Thief in the Night is the first novel detailing the exploits and intrigues of gentleman thief A. J. Raffles in late Victorian England. The novel is a darker work than the three preceding short story collections (The Amateur Cracksman, The Black Mask and A Thief in the Night.) In it a more cynical Raffles finds a corrupt moneylender, Mister Brigstock, is entrapping the young sons of the wealthy
...3) No Hero
Wounded warrior Duncan receives a mysterious letter from an old friend requesting his counsel. During a follow-up visit, he presses Elizabeth for details, and she admits that an older woman whose intent could be nefarious has set her sights on Elizabeth's nineteen-year-old son. Sensing her obvious distress, Duncan agrees to pitch in and help, setting off on an international manhunt with consequences no one could have foreseen.
This tightly plotted mystery from E. W. Hornung tells the tale of Mr. Cazalet. Though he appears to be a globe-trotting adventurer without a care in the world, his past holds a dark secret—and he'll go to the ends of the earth to seek revenge. But when the object of his hatred turns up dead, Cazalet drops everything to figure out the identity of the murderer.
5) Peccavi
Once a beloved clergymen and pillar of the quaint village community that he served, Robert Carlton has fallen upon hard times, brought to his knees by an unspeakable tragedy that soon spirals into a scandal. Cast out of his ecclesiastical role, Carlton is forced to learn how to fend for himself, as none of his former flock will have anything to do with him. Will he redeem himself and rise again from the ashes of his besmirched reputation?
Teenager Tony Upton, beset by a chronic case of asthma, has lived a sheltered, quiet life, tucked away from the world and left mostly to his own devices. But everything changes one day when what starts out as a humdrum trip to the doctor takes a rapid detour. Our hero takes a liking to an unusual camera he spies in a store window, and that chance sighting sets into a motion a series of strange and mysterious events.
7) Stingaree
A mysterious stranger appears at a secluded compound in the Australian outback. Gallant and sophisticated, it is clear that his past is at odds with his current situation. Where did he come from, and why has he condemned himself to such a primitive existence? Find out in E. W. Hornung's thrilling Stingaree.
E. W. Hornung struck literary gold with his unforgettable creation A. J. Raffles, a gentleman thief whose capers and heists are carried out according to a strict (though skewed) moral code and with enviable aplomb. This delightful second collection of stories about Raffles and his friend Bunny expands on the formula Hornung established in the first book, following the pair on adventures beyond their criminal endeavors.
This surprisingly sophisticated series of linked tales will definitely ensnare the attention of fans of supernatural fiction. Set in a small community called Witching Hill, the book recounts several strange episodes that have occurred in the area. Are they connected, or a mere series of coincidences? Do they have an otherworldly cause, or are they readily explainable flukes? Read Witching Hill to find out.
10) At Large
During a formative period in his early adulthood, English-born author E. W. Hornung spent several years working as a tutor at a desolate outpost in the Australian wilderness. This experience proved to be instrumental as a source of inspiration in his later work. The intricately plotted mystery novel At Large unfurls against the backdrop of the unforgiving Australian landscape.
This fast-paced page-turner from E. W. Hornung has something for every reader: a juicy murder mystery, a tender romance, charming local color, a critique of Victorian social mores, around-the-world adventures, and much more. The plot twists come at a breakneck pace, so don't blink or you might miss a crucial clue!
First published in 1899, The Amateur Cracksman was the first collection of stories detailing the exploits and intrigues of gentleman thief A. J. Raffles in late Victorian England. Raffles was E. W. Hornung's most famous character. Popular in its day, the book led to three later works: The Black Mask and A Thief in the Night, both collections of short stories, and Mr. Justice Raffles, a complete novel. In public a popular
...Though the author was born and raised in England, it was E. W. Hornung's travels and military service that served as the chief source of inspiration for his literary works. The volume Notes of a Camp-Follower on the Western Front is a gripping account based heavily on the time Hornung spent on the margins of military camps in France at the height of World War I.
England-born author E. W. Hornung spent several years working as a teacher in rural Australia, and the experience proved to be a centerpiece of his career in fiction. Like many of his novels, The Boss of Taroomba takes as its setting the stark, desolate outback of Australia, delving into the often-shady inner workings of a small town.
15) Young Blood
Having sown his wild oats, young Harry Ringrose has finally returned home to his family to celebrate his birthday and settle down on a new path toward stability and maturity. But just as he's preparing himself to turn over a new leaf, an unspeakable tragedy befalls the Ringrose family. Is it just bad luck—or the result of a nefarious scheme?
16) My Lord Duke
Many of E. W. Hornung's novels explore the classic fish-out-of-water scenario by exiling a sophisticated, well-born aristocratic to the austere environment of the Australian outback. My Lord Duke reverses the situation. A humble, rough-and-tumble fellow born and raised in the Australian bush finds out that he has inherited a sizable sum and is forced to navigate the mysterious mores of upper-crust London society.
An English author who gained fame with a series of novels about a raffish but lovable thief named Arthur J. Raffles, Ernest William Hornung also tried his hand at mystery and detective fiction, perhaps inspired by his brother-in-law, Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of master detective Sherlock Holmes. In Dead Men Tell No Tales, Hornung spins a yarn that starts out with a love affair that blossoms on a boat journey, but soon turns deadly.
...18) The Crime Doctor
Author E. W. Hornung is perhaps best remembered for creating the unforgettably raffish criminal mastermind, Raffles. In the novel The Crime Doctor, Hornung flips the script and takes a hard look at crime from the other side of the equation. Doctor John Dollar is a learned scholar and practitioner who becomes obsessed with the idea of preventing criminal behavior before it takes hold—and he's willing to take extreme measures to fulfill
...Set in rural Australia, E. W. Hornung's mystery novel The Shadow of a Man follows a pair of newlyweds who are determined to make their improbable union work, no matter the odds. But little do they know exactly how high the odds are stacked against them—and the lengths that some will go to sabotage their love. Will the pair be able to overcome the obstacles in their way and live happily ever after?
Straying from the mystery fiction that propelled him to literary acclaim, E. W. Hornung produces a gripping action-adventure yarn in Denis Dent. Set in Australia, the novel skillfully weaves elements of romance, exploration, war, and death-defying bravery into a satisfying whole.