First published in 1915, âThe Double Traitorâ by E. Phillips Oppenheim is set in the weeks leading up the outbreak of WWI. Stationed in Berlin, young British diplomat Francis Norgate finds himself drawn into the world of espionage after overhearing a secret conversation on a train. Full of danger, double agents, and conflicting loyalties, this is a gripping tale, as well as a fascinating insight into the mood of the time.
E. Phillips Oppenheim (1866-1946) was a hugely prolific and highly popular British author of novels and short stories. Born in Tottenham, London, Oppenheim left school as a teenager and worked for his leather-merchant father for 20 years prior to launching his literary career. Oppenheim published five novels under the pseudonym âAnthony Partridgeâ before establishing his reputation as a writer under his own name. An internationally successful author, Oppenheimâs stories revolved mainly around glamourous characters, luxurious settings, and themes of espionage, suspense, and crime. He is widely regarded as one of the earliest pioneers of the thriller and spy-fiction genre as it is recognised today. Oppenheimâs incredible literary success meant that his own life soon began to mirror that of his opulent characters. He held lavish, Gatsby-style parties at his French Villa and was rumoured to have had frequent love affairs aboard his luxury yacht. Oppenheimâs success earned him the cover of Time magazine in 1927. Some of his most well-known novels include âThe Great Impersonationâ, âThe Long Arm of Mannisterâ and âThe Moving Fingerâ.