First published in 1912, âPeter Ruff and the Double Fourâ by E. Phillips Oppenheim follows the story of country squire Peter Ruff as he is drawn into the criminal underworld. Named as successor of the mysterious âDouble Fourâ organisation, Peter has no choice but to throw himself into his new role. Full of spies, international espionage and mystery, this is a thrilling read from Oppenheim.
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.