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Bulldog Drummond #7
The Return of Bulldog Drummond
Eager for new adventures, Bulldog Drummond is determined to solve the mystery surrounding the terrified young man who seeks refuge at Merridale Hall. The trail leads to a gruesome murder, for which an escaped convict is blamed, but Captain Drummond's suspicions are confirmed when he encounters once again the wicked Irma Peterson. Mistress of Drummond's former enemy Carlo Peterson, who is now dead, and foiled by Drummond in the past, Irma is determined to settle the score.
She and her fellow conspirators have devised an ingenious plan to defraud a leading financier of his fortune. Plot and counter-plot are cunningly interwoven in this marvellous thriller in which Captain Drummond comes up against the most testing challenge of his career.
She and her fellow conspirators have devised an ingenious plan to defraud a leading financier of his fortune. Plot and counter-plot are cunningly interwoven in this marvellous thriller in which Captain Drummond comes up against the most testing challenge of his career.
315 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1932
28 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Sapper
258 books37 followersSapper was the pseudonym of Herman Cyril McNeile, whose father was Malcolm McNeile, a Captain in the Royal Navy and, at who was at the time, governor of the naval prison at Bodmin, the town where Herman was born.
McNeile was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1907. He went to France in 1914 when World War I broke out and he saw action at both the First and the Second Battle of Ypres where he displayed considerable bravery, was awarded the Military Cross and was mentioned in dispatches.
His first known published work was a series of short war stories based on his own experiences, and published under the name 'Sapper' in the Daily Mail and in the magazine 'The War Illustrated'.
These stories were immediately successful and later sold over 200,000 copies within a year when subsequently republished in book-form. His realistic writing proved most popular at a time of great stress and Lord Northcliff, the owner of the Daily Mail who recognised his talent, was so impressed by that he attempted, but failed, to have McNeile released from the army so he could work as a war correspondent.
After the War was over, in 1919, McNeile resigned from the army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and became a full-time author, publishing his first novel, Mufti, in that year.
In 1922, he moved to Sussex and lived there for the rest of his life, having married Peggy Baird-Douglas with whom he had two sons.
He began the series for which he now best remembered, that of Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond in 1920 and thereafter he wrote 10 novels featuring his eponymous hero. The public took to Drummond and McNeile had great financial success.
The first book was adapted for the stage and produced, to great success, at Wyndham's Theatre during the 1921-1922 season with Gerald du Maurier playing the main character. Films followed and the first talkie BullDog Drummond film in 1922 was reputed to have earned McNeile the vast sum of $750,000. There were 26 films made of his books.
As well as Drummond, he wrote about Ronald Standish but the majority of his work was short stories that were published in various popular monthly magazines and continued to earn him good money. Indeed, in addition to his novels, many of his books were short story collections.
He was reputedly an unremittingly hearty man, who even his good friend and collaborator Gerard Fairlie, who continued the Drummond series after McNeile's death with seven further books, described as "not everybody's cup of tea". He died on August 14, 1937 at his home in Pulborough, West Sussex.
His funeral, with full military honours, took place at Woking crematorium.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
McNeile was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1907. He went to France in 1914 when World War I broke out and he saw action at both the First and the Second Battle of Ypres where he displayed considerable bravery, was awarded the Military Cross and was mentioned in dispatches.
His first known published work was a series of short war stories based on his own experiences, and published under the name 'Sapper' in the Daily Mail and in the magazine 'The War Illustrated'.
These stories were immediately successful and later sold over 200,000 copies within a year when subsequently republished in book-form. His realistic writing proved most popular at a time of great stress and Lord Northcliff, the owner of the Daily Mail who recognised his talent, was so impressed by that he attempted, but failed, to have McNeile released from the army so he could work as a war correspondent.
After the War was over, in 1919, McNeile resigned from the army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and became a full-time author, publishing his first novel, Mufti, in that year.
In 1922, he moved to Sussex and lived there for the rest of his life, having married Peggy Baird-Douglas with whom he had two sons.
He began the series for which he now best remembered, that of Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond in 1920 and thereafter he wrote 10 novels featuring his eponymous hero. The public took to Drummond and McNeile had great financial success.
The first book was adapted for the stage and produced, to great success, at Wyndham's Theatre during the 1921-1922 season with Gerald du Maurier playing the main character. Films followed and the first talkie BullDog Drummond film in 1922 was reputed to have earned McNeile the vast sum of $750,000. There were 26 films made of his books.
As well as Drummond, he wrote about Ronald Standish but the majority of his work was short stories that were published in various popular monthly magazines and continued to earn him good money. Indeed, in addition to his novels, many of his books were short story collections.
He was reputedly an unremittingly hearty man, who even his good friend and collaborator Gerard Fairlie, who continued the Drummond series after McNeile's death with seven further books, described as "not everybody's cup of tea". He died on August 14, 1937 at his home in Pulborough, West Sussex.
His funeral, with full military honours, took place at Woking crematorium.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 11, 2018
I would have never read this book in the ordinary course of events. But chance put it into my hands. A favourite spinster aunt of mine passed away recently, and her book hoard (she was a voracious reader) came into my possession. In it, I found an ancient, moth-eaten copy of this book.
My reading of this suffered from entering the series in the middle (undoubtedly!) but I would still say that Bulldog Drummond is an uninspiring hero. He seems to combine the qualities of James Bond and The Saint, but his background seems to be more suited to Bertie Wooster. And as for the 'mystery' itself, it was childish with a paper-thin plot and a singular lack of suspense, even with a highly promising beginning set in a British country house in Dartmoor.
A serendipitous read that turned out not to be very serendipitous.
My reading of this suffered from entering the series in the middle (undoubtedly!) but I would still say that Bulldog Drummond is an uninspiring hero. He seems to combine the qualities of James Bond and The Saint, but his background seems to be more suited to Bertie Wooster. And as for the 'mystery' itself, it was childish with a paper-thin plot and a singular lack of suspense, even with a highly promising beginning set in a British country house in Dartmoor.
A serendipitous read that turned out not to be very serendipitous.
March 9, 2025
A young man in a complete panick seeks shelter with Hugh Drummond. Before Drummand can hear his story out, the young man disappears from the house in suspicious circumstances.
An investigation follows but little progress is made. Drummond and his friends meet a rich man who stays with his daughter in a huge mansion. There they see a ghost and find the corpse of the hunted young man. An escaped murderer gets accused of committing that murder. Only Drummond has heard his side of the story, and importantly, Bull-dog Drummond believes the murderer, who has drowned in the swamps and cannot be questioned by the authorities.
After a while, Drummond and his friends find out that their Nemesis, Irma, is behind all fishy things that are going on.
But still, they have no inkling of what is planned and how it will be done. But Drummond and friends are determined to prevent it, whatever it may be.
With a lot of homour Sapper brings us another great story about Bulldog Drummond. Mysterious, with a hunted castle, the making of a movie, a millionaire that gets tricked and Drummond running after the facts hoping to catch up before something terrible, besides the two murders that he already found out about, will happen.
An investigation follows but little progress is made. Drummond and his friends meet a rich man who stays with his daughter in a huge mansion. There they see a ghost and find the corpse of the hunted young man. An escaped murderer gets accused of committing that murder. Only Drummond has heard his side of the story, and importantly, Bull-dog Drummond believes the murderer, who has drowned in the swamps and cannot be questioned by the authorities.
After a while, Drummond and his friends find out that their Nemesis, Irma, is behind all fishy things that are going on.
But still, they have no inkling of what is planned and how it will be done. But Drummond and friends are determined to prevent it, whatever it may be.
With a lot of homour Sapper brings us another great story about Bulldog Drummond. Mysterious, with a hunted castle, the making of a movie, a millionaire that gets tricked and Drummond running after the facts hoping to catch up before something terrible, besides the two murders that he already found out about, will happen.
July 17, 2014
another solid addition to the Bulldog Drummond cannon. This one however is somewhat let down by a fairly pedestrian end. The opening chapters in the house on Dartmoor however are top notch, but the bad guys scheme when it starts to emerge isn't as interesting as at first glance.
February 16, 2020
Lots of fun!
This book was fun! Surprisingly so. I read straight through it, indicating good rhythm. There were some odd errors, though.
This book was fun! Surprisingly so. I read straight through it, indicating good rhythm. There were some odd errors, though.
June 30, 2023
Good story but the ending makes no sense.
January 7, 2008
Book Description
While staying as a guest at Merridale Hall, Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond's peaceful repose is disturbed by a frantic young man who comes dashing into the house, trembling and begging for help. When two warders arrive, asking for a man named Morris - a notorious murderer who has escaped from Dartmoor - Drummond assures them that they are chasing the wrong man. In which case, who on earth is this terrified youngster?
About the Author
Sapper is the pen name of Herman Cyril McNeile, born in 1888 at the Naval Prison in Bodmin, Cornwall, where his father was Governor. He served in the Royal Engineers (popularly known as 'sappers') from 1907-19, being awarded the Military Cross during World War 1.
He started writing in France, adopting a pen name because serving officers were not allowed to write under their own names. When his first stories, about life in the trenches, were published in 1915, they were an enormous success. But it was his first thriller, Bulldog Drummond (1920) that launched him as one of the most popular novelists of his generation. It had several amazingly successful sequels, including The Black Gang, The Third Round and The Final Count. Another great success was Jim Maitland (1923), featuring a footloose English sahib in foreign lands.
Sapper published nearly thirty books in total, and a vast public mourned his death when he died in 1937, at the early age of forty-eight. So popular was his 'Bulldog Drummond' series that his friend, the late Gerard Fairlie, wrote several Bulldog Drummond stories after his death under the same pen name, which had by then become synonymous with fast-paced, intelligent thrillers and complex, vibrant characters.
While staying as a guest at Merridale Hall, Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond's peaceful repose is disturbed by a frantic young man who comes dashing into the house, trembling and begging for help. When two warders arrive, asking for a man named Morris - a notorious murderer who has escaped from Dartmoor - Drummond assures them that they are chasing the wrong man. In which case, who on earth is this terrified youngster?
About the Author
Sapper is the pen name of Herman Cyril McNeile, born in 1888 at the Naval Prison in Bodmin, Cornwall, where his father was Governor. He served in the Royal Engineers (popularly known as 'sappers') from 1907-19, being awarded the Military Cross during World War 1.
He started writing in France, adopting a pen name because serving officers were not allowed to write under their own names. When his first stories, about life in the trenches, were published in 1915, they were an enormous success. But it was his first thriller, Bulldog Drummond (1920) that launched him as one of the most popular novelists of his generation. It had several amazingly successful sequels, including The Black Gang, The Third Round and The Final Count. Another great success was Jim Maitland (1923), featuring a footloose English sahib in foreign lands.
Sapper published nearly thirty books in total, and a vast public mourned his death when he died in 1937, at the early age of forty-eight. So popular was his 'Bulldog Drummond' series that his friend, the late Gerard Fairlie, wrote several Bulldog Drummond stories after his death under the same pen name, which had by then become synonymous with fast-paced, intelligent thrillers and complex, vibrant characters.
January 19, 2010
Bertie Wooster channels James Bond :)
August 17, 2015
Not the best Bulldog Drummond tale, but still great fun!
June 3, 2018
A good adventure story with a slightly tame ending. Good chatacters though.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews