SCOTLAND YARD AND BEYOND

By Edgar Wallace. Edited and Introduced by Graeme R. Newman

The Spies and Criminals of Edgar Wallace — Volume 2 brings together one of Edgar Wallace’s most intriguing crime novels alongside the stories that introduced one of his most famous creations. At the center of this volume is the gripping novel The Black, a tale of mystery, intrigue, and shadowy power in which a secretive criminal force challenges the authority of the law and tests the ingenuity of those determined to bring it down. Filled with unexpected twists, daring schemes, and Wallace’s trademark rapid pacing, the novel showcases the author at the height of his storytelling powers.

Complementing the novel are the classic stories of The Law of the Three Just Men, the remarkable vigilante trio who became one of Wallace’s most celebrated inventions. Acting outside the formal machinery of government, the Three Just Men intervene when justice fails. Their warnings are precise, their judgments uncompromising, and their reach seems limitless. Governments tremble when they speak, for their word is always followed by action.

Together, The Black and the stories of The Law of the Three Just Men reveal Wallace’s extraordinary ability to create suspenseful plots and unforgettable characters. His world is one where spies, secret societies, and daring investigators move through a landscape of danger and intrigue, where justice may come from unexpected quarters, and every page brings a new surprise.

In this second volume of The Spies and Criminals of Edgar Wallace, readers are invited to rediscover the excitement, ingenuity, and narrative brilliance that made Wallace one of the most widely read thriller writers of his time—and whose stories continue to entertain audiences around the world.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 299p.

 SCOTLAND YARD AND BEYOND

By Edgar Wallace. Edited and introduced by Graeme R. Newman

From the shadowed streets of London to the secret worlds of spies and master criminals, Edgar Wallace delivers the kind of high-speed storytelling that made him one of the most widely read writers of his age.

The Spies and Criminals of Edgar Wallace — Volume 1 gathers a thrilling selection of Wallace’s most entertaining tales of intrigue, deception, and daring adventure. Within these pages readers encounter brilliant detectives, elusive thieves, secret societies, and dangerous conspiracies that challenge the keenest minds of Scotland Yard. Each story unfolds with Wallace’s trademark pace—swift, suspenseful, and filled with surprising twists.

A master of popular fiction, Wallace combined sharp dialogue, vivid characters, and ingenious plots to create stories that remain as gripping today as when they first captivated readers in the early twentieth century.

This exciting new edition invites modern readers to rediscover a classic voice of crime fiction and experience the suspense, wit, and adventure that made Edgar Wallace a legend of the thriller.

Sir Hugh Clifford, K. C. M. G.

The Further Side of Silence by Hugh Clifford is a collection of interrelated stories set in the Malay Peninsula during the late nineteenth century, a period when traditional Malay societies were increasingly encountering the expanding authority of the British Empire. Drawing heavily on Clifford’s own experiences as a colonial administrator in the region, the book portrays the lives, customs, conflicts, and moral dilemmas of the people who inhabited the jungles, villages, and royal courts of Malaya.

Through dramatic narratives and vivid descriptions of the tropical landscape, Clifford explores themes of loyalty, honor, justice, and power within a society shaped by ancient traditions and emerging colonial rule. His stories depict Malay chiefs, warriors, villagers, and forest peoples whose lives are entangled in political intrigue, personal rivalries, and the pressures of a changing world.

Part adventure literature and part social observation, the book offers modern readers a window into the cultural and political realities of Southeast Asia during a transformative historical moment. At the same time, it stands as an example of early twentieth-century colonial literature, reflecting both the fascination and the assumptions with which Western writers interpreted the societies they governed.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 198p.

by Guy Boothby (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

To step into the world of Guy Boothby is to step into a whirlwind. At the turn of the 20th century, few authors could match Boothby's sheer velocity. A man who famously dictated his novels into a phonograph to keep pace with his imagination, Boothby was the architect of the "sensation novel," bridging the gap between the gothic mysteries of the past and the fast-paced thrillers of the future. This volume brings together two of his most gripping works: My Strangest Case and The Red Rat's Daughter. While different in setting, they share the quintessential Boothby hallmarks—exotic locales, high-stakes intrigue, and the relentless pursuit of justice (or survival).

The George Fairfax Mystery: My Strangest Case
In My Strangest Case, we are introduced to George Fairfax, a detective who stands in the long shadow of Sherlock Holmes but operates with a flair all his own. Originally published at the dawn of the 1900s, this story takes the reader from the high society of London to the rugged landscapes of the East. It is more than a simple whodunit; it is a globe-trotting adventure that explores the consequences of a long-hidden secret. Boothby’s talent for atmosphere ensures that the mystery feels as much a part of the environment as the characters themselves.

Intrigue in the East: The Red Rat's Daughter
The Red Rat's Daughter showcases Boothby’s obsession with the "Far East" and the political tensions of the era. Set against the backdrop of imperial Russia and the vast Siberian frontier, it is a tale of romance entangled with international conspiracy. The title itself—alluding to the mysterious "Red Rat"—promises a level of melodrama that Boothby delivers in spades. It captures a specific moment in literary history when the world felt both dangerously large and increasingly interconnected.
Why Boothby Matters Today
Reading Guy Boothby in the 21st century offers more than just nostalgia. It provides a window into the Victorian psyche:

• The Pace: Boothby’s narrative drive is modern; he rarely lets a chapter end without a hook.

• The Scope: He was an early pioneer of the "international thriller," refusing to keep his protagonists tethered to English soil.

• The Style: His prose is unapologetically bold, designed to entertain the masses of the Edwardian era.

Whether you are a devotee of classic detective fiction or a newcomer to the "sensation" genre, these two novels represent a master storyteller at the height of his powers. Turn the page and prepare for a journey that spans continents and decades.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2026. 350p.

By Ring W. Gardner (Author), Colin Heston (Preface) Format: Kindle Edition

Round Up gathers together the taut, muscular stories of Ring W. Lardner, a writer whose work bridges the divide between the mythologized West and its harsher, less forgiving realities. In these pages, Lardner is neither sentimental nor nostalgic. He strips the Western narrative to its barest elements, presenting us with a landscape that is both expansive and claustrophobic, and characters who are caught between the lure of freedom and the inevitability of fate.
Lardner’s contribution to the American short story lies in his ability to invest the familiar tropes of frontier life with psychological depth and moral ambiguity. His cowboys and ranchers are not mere archetypes; they are restless souls negotiating loyalty, isolation, and survival in a world where law and justice are provisional at best. The violence in these stories is never gratuitous—it is sudden, often senseless, and always carries a human cost. Lardner understands that the West was not only a place but also an idea, one that promised reinvention yet often delivered ruin.
What sets Lardner apart from many of his contemporaries is his prose: terse, unsentimental, yet charged with a quiet lyricism. His narratives move with the inevitability of a gathering storm, his dialogue as spare as the plains he describes. The result is a body of work that feels astonishingly modern in its refusal of easy resolutions.
In an era when the Western genre risks being dismissed as an artifact of popular culture, Round Up demands reconsideration. These are not mere adventure tales or moral fables. They are stories of a liminal world, where the boundaries between civilization and wilderness, justice and vengeance, myth and memory, blur and collapse. Lardner’s West is not simply the West that was; it is also the West as it continues to haunt the American imagination.

By George Meredith (Author), Colin Heston (Introduction)

Vittoria, published in 1867, is one of George Meredith’s most ambitious historical novels and serves as a sequel to his earlier work Sandra Belloni (originally titled Emilia in England). While Sandra Belloni explored the struggles of an Italian-born heroine within the confines of English provincial society, Vittoria shifts the scene entirely to Italy during one of the most turbulent and significant periods of the 19th century—the Italian Risorgimento, the movement for national unification and independence from foreign rule.
In Vittoria, Meredith combines the personal and the political, weaving a narrative in which the inner development of the heroine, Vittoria, mirrors the aspirations and tumult of the Italian national cause. The novel is set during the events of 1848, a year of revolutionary fervor across Europe, when Italy was in the throes of armed uprisings against Austrian dominance. Through the story of Vittoria, a gifted opera singer who becomes involved in the nationalist struggle, Meredith addresses questions of patriotism, duty, identity, and the costs of freedom. Ultimately, Vittoria is a novel about courage—the courage to defy oppression, to embrace love in the face of danger, and to live a life that is aligned with one’s highest convictions. It is both a stirring narrative of revolution and an enduring meditation on the responsibilities that come with freedom. For readers willing to engage with its intellectual demands, Vittoria offers a richly rewarding experience—a testament to Meredith’s belief that literature should challenge as well as enlighten.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 358p.

By Robert Louis Stevenson (Author), LLoyd Osbourne (Author), Colin Heston (Editor)

The Wrecker, co-written by Robert Louis Stevenson and his stepson Lloyd Osbourne, is a globe-trotting mystery and adventure novel centered around the mysterious fate of a derelict ship found in the South Seas. The story follows Loudon Dodd, an idealistic artist turned reluctant adventurer, as he unravels the secrets of the wrecked ship Currency Lass. Combining elements of detective fiction, satire, and romance, the novel explores themes of ambition, identity, and the illusion of fortune. Set against a backdrop of San Francisco, Paris, and the Pacific Islands, it presents a vivid and at times ironic portrait of late 19th-century capitalist enterprise and artistic struggle. This novel is taken from The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson VOL. XIII. This volume has been carefully edited and redesigned by Colin Heston, renowned novelist and story writer, to make the book more comprehensible to the present-day reader.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Australia-Philadelphia. 2025. 269p.

By Rudyard Kipling

PUBLISHER PREFACE: The book you are about to read is composed of stories written by Rudyard Kipling. Originally, these stories were in two volumes entitled "The Jungle Book." * and " The Second Jungle Book." The present volume combines all of the Mowgli Stories under one cover. In addition, "Rikki Tikki Tavi," "The Elephant Boy," * and "The Miracle of Purun Bhagat" have been included. Certain other stories that appeared in the original books have been omitted due to limitations of space. The stories that do appear in this book are unabridged, exactly as Kipling originally published them.

London. Classic Press and Ottenhelmer publishers. 1968, 1979. 225p. UNSED BOOK CONTAINS MARK-UP

By C. Serjeant

A boys adventure book linking Christian life to war…FROM CHAPTER 1:

“"Yes, mother. And you remember what he said about being good soldiers of our Lord, don't you?"

"I'm afraid I didn't hear quiteall the sermon," she said, trying to speak lightly. "I wish," she added to herself, "that Jack would stop talking about such things. Especially in public. It would be frightfully embarrassing if he began to discuss religion in front of Lady Hardcastle or Mrs. Lyle-Gault. I'm not sure that they wouldn't think it a joke.'

"Well, mother,"Jack was saying, "that was what his sermon was about--being good soldiers-and somehow I felt I wanted to be one of them-and I am, mother."

London. Pickering & Inglis Ltd. 1932. 67p. USED BOOK

K. M. Macleod

A boys book heralding the wonderful role of the Christian missionaries of imperialism.

FROM THE COVER: but what can the boys join:" A new school teacher, Miss Stanley, arrives, and has an unkind trick played on her by Derry. She, however, starts a company of Life Boys, under the Great Leader, Jesus Christ, and to Derry's surprise he is allowed to join. They soon christen Miss Stanley, "The Skipper," and the story abounds with Life Boy adventures, until a Mr. Wardic arrives from Central Africa, and falls in love with The Skipper. The Life Boys form the guard of honor at the wedding which folows, and the story ends with The Skipper leaving a s "Mrs. Wardic" to be a foreign missionary in Africa, and hoping to form a company of Life Boys there of little African boys.”

London. Pickering & Inglis Ltd. 1934. 69p. USED BOOK