Quayle lived, mentally, as far ahead as possible, mainly because the people who were dependent upon him lived from moment to moment, sometimes dying even more suddenly than that.The sinister business of counter-espionage is played out by an array of magnificent characters. Quayle, spy master, is a blend of wisdom and administrative genius. He seemingly has the ability to live without sleep, wine or women; Shaun O'Mara, who loves all those things, looks like an actor and is an aristocrat, and works with subtlety, artistry and distinction; and there is Ricky Kerr, a cleverly drawn portrait of a man not quite able to stand the pace.The women, of course, dress superbly, move like angels, are as beautiful as diamonds and, with one notable exception, behave abominably.The Dark Street was originally published in 1944.'If there are better thrillers it is hardly possible to think of them while under the spell of this one' Times Literary Supplement'A...

A Secret Service thriller of double-cross and double double-cross! As exciting as only Cheyney can make it.The Second World War has just ended and the Secret Service discover that two lists of German war criminals have vanished. Peter Quayle is the head of the responsible department, and he is now tasked with the recovery of the lists. Instead of sharing the job with his usual agents he calls in a special group of people who operated behind enemy lines during the war.Quayle's second in command, Michael Frewin, appears too dapper to be an effective agent - but he is a cold blooded killer. Then there is Antoinette Brown, the 'Practical Virgin' - elegant, sexy, immune to men and a first-class brain. She recruits Aurora Francis and then the suave, debonair Anthony Keirnan - a former agent with hidden depths.Once the team is complete, the novel follows twist with turn, rocketing ever faster towards a final, shocking conclusion.Dark Wanton was originally...

For five years he had tortured, mutilated and put to death British secret agents. Now the war was over, only one execution remained - his.Shaun Aloysius O'Mara, intelligence agent for the British 'second bureau', has been ordered by his superiors to go to Paris to obtain information that will lead to the capture of the lone survivor of the Nazi espionage system.So when Shaun arrives in Paris he becomes a crude and shiftless drunkard and entangles himself with a clever and ruthless spy, Tanga de Sarieux, who is as brave as the men that surround her . . .Dark Interlude was originally published in 1947.'A Peter Cheyney novel always tingles with life' Daily Sketch

Nikolls held out two glasses.'Which is it goin' to be?' he said. 'Seltzer or the hair of the dog?'Callaghan took the whisky.Slim Callaghan, private detective, is drawn into a particularly dubious case - even for him. A Mrs Paula Denys says she paid a man to steal the priceless Denys Coronet from her husband's safe. Now the thief won't hand over the goods and is attempting to blackmail her.Callaghan solves the problem for his client but, too late, discovers the alluring Mrs Denys might be taking him for a ride. Callaghan is determined to get to the bottom of it all - but will curiosity kill the cat this time?They Never Say When was originally published in 1944.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the top ranks of private eyes. What a man!' New York Times'A Peter Cheyney novel always tingles with life' Daily Sketch

"Don't worry . . . we're here. We're the British."Tough and hard as the Ozarks that bred him, Rene Berg fought his way up through the gangs of Chicago during the days of prohibition. Then, at the peak of his power and success, he was framed by a beautiful woman and forced to flee for his life.How this dashing, steel-nerved gunman turns up years later as the 'dark hero' of the Norwegian Underground makes a story that will hold you spellbound. Thrill piles upon thrill as Berg pits his skill and courage, learned in the school of Chicago gangdom, against the vicious efficiency of the German Gestapo. And then, once again, he runs afoul of the lovely woman who betrayed him.Dark Hero was originally published in 1946.'Our favourite author has done it again' The Queen'A first-rate thriller' The Sketch

All sorts and conditions of ladies and gentlemen found their way into the expensively furnished, well-appointed Ventura Club. You could get anything you liked there if you knew how to ask for it.Slim Callaghan is called to Devonshire to investigate a burglary at Margraud Manor, where valuable jewels - heirlooms of the Vendayne family insured for £100,000 - have disappeared.With his assistant, Windemere Nikolls, he discovers some startling facts - particularly about the lovely Esme Vendayne - and the mystery leads Callaghan to a shady London nightclub and a violent underworld.You Can't Keep The Change was originally published in 1940.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the top ranks of private eyes. What a man!' New York Times

Operation 42-7-3-36.Special Agent Lemuel H. Caution will proceed to New York for the purpose of effecting under-cover contact with Federal Special Agent Myras Duncan, Chicago "G" Division, from whom further instructions will be obtained.Special Agent Caution will assume the identity of Perry Charles Rice, travelling bond salesman: home town Mason City, Iowa. Contact with Myras Duncan to be made casually at Moksie's Cafe, Waterfront, New York.Duncan will have assumed identity of Harvest V. Mellander, rich middle western manufacturer seeking good time in New York. He may be identified by top joint of little finger missing from right hand. Special Agent Caution will prove identity by razor cut scar running from lower wrist across left palm.Necessary funds available local "G" office. Take immediate action.Read, learn, destroy.Poison Ivy was originally published in 1937.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times

Callaghan was five feet ten and thin. He had sevenpence halfpenny and a heavy smoker's cough. His arms were a little too long for his height and his face was surprising.Slim Callaghan had been hired by beautiful Cynthis Meraulton to stop her cousins getting her step-father's money. But when the old man is murdered, the only suspect with no alibi and a giant motive is Cynthis.Slim always played his cases the way they came, but it turned out the Meraulton job had more twists than a hangman's rope.The Urgent Hangman was originally published in 1938.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the top ranks of private eyes. What a man!' New York Times

'Some wise guy - Confucius or somebody - said there was nothin' like the truth, which is a thing that I believe in - sometimes. Anyhow, I am goin' to try this nothin' but the truth stuff on this dame I spoke to. What can I lose, anyway?'When Julia Wayles is kidnapped in the US and taken to England, FBI agent Lemmy Caution finds himself caught up in a tangled web of intrigue and international espionage. Julia is being held by two American mobsters, who may or may not be who they say they are. And as usual it's the dames in the story who distract Lemmy from business.Never a Dull Moment was originally published in 1942.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times

"Isn't life wonderful! Everybody else gets the fun and I carry the spades and quicklime."Quayle is the master of a British spy ring in World War II. He is unprepared to deal with tough guy Foden, a man newly arrived in London from Morocco armed with information about German troop movements. This intelligence could change the course of the war - but is Foden the patriot he seems, or something else entirely?Quayle leads his agents through the twists and turns of the murky 'need-to-know' espionage world, one recognizable to readers of John Le Carré and Len Deighton. It is a world populated by those prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause of war.The Stars are Dark was originally published in 1943.'A Peter Cheyney novel always tingles with life' Daily Sketch

Peter Cheyney is perhaps best known for his short stories and novels about agent/detective Lemmy Caution. Caution was first portrayed as a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, and in later stories as a private detective.Another popular creation was the private detective Slim Callaghan who also appeared in a series of novels and subsequent film adaptations. He was constructed as a British response to the more hardboiled detectives of American fiction such as Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.A meticulous researcher, Cheyney kept a massive set of files on criminal activity in London, but these were destroyed during the Blitz in 1941; he however, soon began to replace his collection of clippings. He dictated his work. Typically he would "act out" his stories for his secretary, Miss Sprauge, who would copy them down in shorthand and type them up later...Contents:Lemmy Caution BooksThis Man Is DangerousPoison IvyDames Don't CareCan Ladies Kill?Don't Get Me...

Some mug by the name of Confucius - who was a guy who was supposed to know his vegetables - once issued an edict that any time he saw a sap sittin' around bein' impervious to the weather an' anything else that was goin', an' lookin' like he had been hit in the kisser with a flat-iron, the said sap was suffering from woman trouble.I reckon Confucius musta been thinkin' of me.In his seventh adventure 'G' man Lemmy Caution is sent to investigate the murder of a female agent and the disappearance of a prominent scientist. His search leads Lemmy to notorious gangster Enrico Pranzetti, and straight into a trap . . .Your Deal, My Lovely was originally published in 1941.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times

If you have nerve enough to kill someone, you have nerve enough for anything.Three dazzling sisters are suspects in the murder of their own mother. If only Viola could have predicted the potential danger when she drafted the will - which prevented any of her daughters being married strictly for her fortune.But no case is too intriguing for shrewd detective Slim Callaghan, who stirs up seemingly calm waters in the tiny village of Alfriston, leaving chaos in his wake and a stunningly solved puzzle at the adventure's thrilling close. One of the author's finest stories of mystery and detection.Uneasy Terms was originally published in 1946.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the top ranks of private eyes. What a man!' New York Times'A Peter Cheyney novel always tingles with life' Daily Sketch

"It's about that dame. I thought I oughta tell you. Somebody's bumped her."It's wartime London. Inspector Gringall of the Yard, long-time friendly rival of private detective Slim Callaghan, sends Slim on a mission to meet Doria Varette, a torch singer at Ferdie's Place.Callaghan knows Gringall has something up his sleeve. And when, backstage, Doria asks him to take on a job - to find her boyfriend Lionel Wilbery, a poet with the wrong friends and a drug problem - Callaghan finds Gringall has more than a missing person in his sights.It Couldn't Matter Less was originally published in 1941.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the top ranks of private eyes. What a man!' New York Times

I am thinkin' about Adolf Hitler. I am thinkin' that if it was not for this guy I would probably be kickin' around some swell place in the U.S. takin' things nice an' easy.Cara, Gayda, Pearl: three sizzling dames. Travis, Clemensky, Clansing: three desperate men. Add a set of secret papers. Bring in FBI man Lemmy Caution to recover the papers. Mix well and serve for another classic and fast-moving story of espionage, deception and double dealing.Lemmy Caution once again steers his way round the bodies of dead men and beautiful, very much alive, women to a successful conclusion.You Can Always Duck was originally published in 1942.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times

Kane looked at her appreciatively. 'I don't know whether anybody's ever told you, but you've got the swellest pair of legs I've ever seen,' he said. Valetta looked at him sideways along her dark eyelashes. He thought she was very beautiful; her mouth delicate, sensitive, almost tremulous. He could look at it for hours on end. It was that sort of mouth . . .'The British, once they take the gloves off - once they forget to play cricket, to be English gentlemen - they are the toughest things on earth,' says one German espionage agent to another in Dark Duet. And the trouble with Michael Kane, hero of this spy thriller, is that he never plays cricket with Nazi spies . . .Dark Duet was originally published in 1942.'Action as slick and fast as ever' Observer'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times

"Oklahoma Police Headquarters calling all cruisers, all Highway Police. . . .""Look out for Lemmy Caution who has to-day broken jail at Oklahoma city, after killing a guard and deputy-Sheriff."Last seen proceeding in the direction of the State line near Tahlequah. Is probably proceeding to Joplin. Be careful. This man is dangerous!"He is driving a dark green Ford V8 Sedan, with the near side driving window broken. The car is carrying Missouri State plates but these will probably be changed. Caution is armed. He is a killer."Caution was serving a twenty years' sentence for the shooting of an Oklahoma State policeman last year."Oklahoma Police Headquarters calling all police cruisers, all Highway Police. . . . Look out for this man. Warn garages between Tulsa and Tahlequah that he will probably need gas. Go get him boys! Go get him boys!"This Man is Dangerous was originally published in 1937.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of...

I do not propose to be Lemmy Caution of the F.B.I. on this job. No, sir. I have come over as Cyrus T. Hickory of the Transcontinental Detective Agency-a private dick-an' I will tell you why.Blood's runnin' down my face from where this guy's just bust me, my nose feels like it's split in half. Then this dame gets up an' strolls over to me - I reckon I am not lookin' quite so good.She says: 'Well for cryin' out loud.'Is this my big day or is it?She stands lookin' at me, sippin' champagne. 'So you're a big "G" man,' she says. 'Well, personally, if you hadn't got a lot comin' to you I would take a bust at you myself, you lousy, crawlin', gum-shoein' dick. Have a drop of liquor, big boy.' She pours the contents of her glass over my face. It stings like hell, but I'm tellin' you it was good liquor./Another Lemmy Caution detective story, this time taking him to Paris, packed with chills, spills, action and dames.You'd Be Surprised was...

Callaghan awoke and looked at the ceiling. His lips were dry and his tongue felt like a yellow plush sofa. Outside he could hear the rain pattering on the windows. He looked at his wrist-watch. It was eight o'clock.Vivacious Mrs. Riverton has hired Slim to find her missing stepson, whom she admits she hates.A dame has to have more than beauty and breeding to stop Slim Callaghan doing things his way. Mrs. Riverton has plenty of both, but when she begins to interfere in Slim's search, things start to hot up.Slim's motto is: 'We get there somehow and who the hell cares'. The problem is that someone does . . .'Dangerous Curves was originally published in 1939.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the top ranks of private eyes. What a man!' New York Times

If you go to the pleece or try any funny bisness little Cecilia will get her throte cut so now you know.Slim Callaghan, the British answer to an American hard boiled private detective, is arguably Peter Cheyney's greatest creation. Callaghan has delighted readers from his first appearance in 1938, and all his adventures are now happily back in print.No investigation is too audacious for Callaghan, who finds time, in Calling Mr. Callaghan and between the obligations of booze and broads, to solve twelve piquant mysteries. He is aided of course by the redoubtable Windemere Nikolls and loyal secretary Effie Thompson.Calling Mr. Callaghan was originally published in 1953.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the top ranks of private eyes. What a man!' New York Times'A Peter Cheyney novel always tingles with life' Daily Sketch

I'll Say She Does! is the result of a promise I made to two brave officers in the Australian Forces. Lieut.-Commander Al Palmer, D.S.C., and Major Brooke Moore. I told them I would do a Lemmy Caution novel especially for them and prisoners of war. This is it.In his tenth and final adventure, set just after the end of the Second World War, Lemmy Caution is in Paris investigating the theft of secret State Department documents. In the opinion of his chief, however, Lemmy has fallen down on the assignment given to him - to trail two suspected enemy agents, one a Frenchwoman and one an American - and he is ordered to bring them in.The trail leads from Paris to England, and a thrilling conclusion in the Surrey countryside.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times

'Proceed with caution . . . to Mexico . . .'Or as special agent Lemmy Caution sees it: 'It's hot as hell. Away down the dirt road some guy's playin' one of them wailin' Mexican fandangles which give me that twilight feelin' . . . maybe it'd be a relief to start dyin' . . .'Across the road some guy in a funny hat is handin' out a spiel to a dame about what a great bullfighter he used to be. Maybe she's his wife. If she is, then all I can say is she's a bad picker . . . Me, I'd have married the bull . . .'A Lemmy Caution adventure south of the borders, packed with chills, spills, action and dames.Don't Get Me Wrong was originally published in 1939.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times

Effie said: 'You're expecting trouble?' She felt scared.Callaghan said: 'I've been expecting trouble all my life, Effie, and I usually get it.'Slim Callaghan, of Callaghan Investigations, the world famous detective and connoisseur of women, is at work again. Ruthless, tough, cynical, Slim was just getting wise to the game of Nicky Starata, an overly-smooth poker player, when he got involved in the mysterious Admiral Gardell case.No one asked Slim Callaghan to investigate - but they had to like it. A £40,000 insurance claim, two beautiful dames and possibly a fake suicide were at stake.Callaghan's motto was, 'We get there somehow and who the hell cares how'. He got there and got himself a client, eventually - an exquisitely lovely one . . .Sorry You've Been Troubled was originally published in 1942.'Peter Cheyney is the Damon Runyon of crime' The Times'Slim Callaghan's quick wit and knowledge of rough and tumble place him in the...