William Cook - Antique Dealer: A 1920s Thriller

By Richard Keverne

Published by George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., London, Hardback No D.J.

When Jean Jaques Malet dies in poverty, his final wish is that his friend Richard Culver should carry out an unfinished task, the only clue to which appears to lie in a pile of old papers. Finding an undelivered letter to ‘William Cook’ amongst the documents, Culver sets out to deliver the missive and discover more about the task that the dying Jean wished performed. But ‘William Cook’ is not the person Culver expected. In fact, ‘William Cook’ does not exist – it is simply the business name of Wilhelmina 'Bill' Coke, a glamorous widow who runs an antique shop in the sleepy Suffolk town of Oldford, and who seems keen that the true nature of her relationship with Jean should remain secret.

Determined to discover more, Culver teams up with Franklin Parry, an investigator with an agenda of his own. As their enquiries gain pace, Culver uncovers the true extent of Jean’s personal tragedy – and he and Parry must race against time to foil a daring robbery…

Originally published in 1928, this is a vintage crime thriller from the golden age of detection.