The House Opposite (Detective Club Crime Classics) - Hardcover

Farjeon, J. Jefferson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0008155844 ISBN 13: 9780008155841

Publisher: Collins Crime Club, 2015

Synopsis

From the Collins Crime Club archive, the first original novel to feature Ben the Cockney tramp, the unorthodox detective character created by J. Jefferson Farjeon, author of Mystery in White.

Strange things are happening in the untenanted houses of Jowle Street. There are unaccountable creakings and weird knockings on the door of No.29, where a homeless ex-sailor has taken up residence. But even stranger things are happening in the House Opposite, from where a beautiful woman in an evening gown brings Ben a mysterious message; and worse―the offer of a job!

Ben the ‘passing tramp’ was immortalised on film by Alfred Hitchcock in ‘Number 17’, based on a popular ’twenties stage play and novelisation by journalist-turned-author Joe Jefferson Farjeon. The House Opposite (1931) was the first full-length original novel to feature Ben, a reluctant down-at-heels Cockney sleuth, who went on to feature in six more successful detective thrillers from 1931 to 1952.

This Detective Story Club classic includes an introduction by H. R. F. Keating, author of the award-winning Inspector Ghote mysteries, which first appeared in the Crime Club’s 1985 ‘Disappearing Detectives’ series.

About this title

Review:

‘Jefferson Farjeon is quite unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures.’ Dorothy L. Sayers

‘There may be contemporary story writers who are equals of Mr Farjeon in the ability to put the reader swiftly and wholly under the spell of the eerie and uncanny – but they have not come within our reading.’ New York World

About the Author:

J. Jefferson Farjeon (1883-1955) was the author of more than 60 crime and thriller novels. His work was highly acclaimed in his day. He is now best known as the author of the bestselling “Mystery in White”, and also “No.17”, a play that was brought to the big screen by Alfred Hitchcock and led to the series of popular ‘Ben’ detective novels.

About this edition

• Publisher: Collins Crime Club
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0008155844
• ISBN 13: 9780008155841
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272