Peril! by Sydney Horler (1930)

 

Peril! by Sydney Horler  (1930)

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About this edition: This edition has just the novel, with no promotional or preview material. This is one of five titles released simultaneously in a Christmas boxed set. These are the only five titles appearing in the green cloth binding.

Sydney Horler (photo: vintage45.wordpress.com)

About the author: Here is a Wikipedia article about Sydney Horler. He has two other titles in the Mystery League series: The Curse of Doone and The False Purple.

Characters:

• Jimmy Hannay, former officer and gentleman; now down and out
• Delia Miller, target of attempted theft
• Sebastian Miller, Delia's father; wealthy stockbroker
• Adele Miller, Sebastian's trophy wife, stepmother to Delia
• Horace Bray - Miller's financial secretary
• William Simmons - Miller's servant
• Kurt Zweig, master criminal, enemy of Sebastian Miller
• Hubert Dorman, wealthy criminal who works for Zweig
• Oscar Scanlon, a muscle who works for Zweig
• Johnson, another henchman
• Inspector Richard Pudan, Scotland Yard

Locale: England

Synopsis: Jimmy Hannay is destitute and homeless. Hubert Dorman picks him up one night with an offer of a job, which turns out to be an accomplice in an attempted jewelry theft from Delia Miller. Hannay realizes what is happening, thwarts the theft, and escapes from Dorman. Delia's father, Sebastian Miller, now offers him employment. Adele Miller, Sebastian's trophy wife, is used to getting what she wants. She makes a pass at Jimmy who rejects her.

Sebastian Miller is worried for his daughter's safety, and moves out to his country place, Steep Holm, along with Hannay. He hopes to keep her away from his enemy, Kurt Zweig, and his henchmen. Miller is working on a financial plan which is valuable to Zweig, and one of the henchmen is electrocuted while trying to enter the estate to steal it. 

Hannay is injured when he catches Adele Miller and an unknown man trying to steal the financial plan. He and Delia work to recover the plan and catch the culprits, falling into various distresses.