The Wire Devils

by Frank L. Packard

Two switch lights twinkled; one at the east, and one at the west end of the siding. For the rest all was blackness. Half way between the switch lights, snuggled close against the single-tracked main line, the station, little more than a shanty and too insignificant to boast a night operator, loomed up shadowy and indistinct. Away to the westward, like jagged points sticking up into the night and standing out in relief against the skyline, the Rockies reared their peaks. And the spell of the brooding mountains seemed to lie over all the desolate, butte-broken surrounding country -- for all was utter silence.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1918

About the author

Frank Lucius Packard was born in Montreal, Quebec and educated at McGill University and the University of Liege. As a young man he worked as a civil engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. His experiences working on the railroad led to his writing a series of mystery novels, the most famous of which featured a character called Jimmie Dale.

Frank Packard died in 1942 in Lachine, Quebec and was buried in the Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pulp from the creator of the Gray Seal.

A ruthless gang is robbing trains and banks, and every other depository of riches using the telegraph as a tool. The authorities try to track them down but get nowhere. A gentleman crook, known as The Hawk starts in on the gang, bigfooting their robberies. The police suspect The Hawk is behind the whole thing.

Full of cliffhangers and derring do, though definitely written in a 1920's writing style.

[Mh430 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Frank Packard’s finest novels. Master safe-cracker Harry Maul, AKA the Hawk, apparently learned nothing from a five year prison term in Sing-Sing. Almost immediately after his release from custody is reported in the newspapers he is pegged as the leader of a ruthless gang of criminals now operating in the western United States. They're called the Wire-Devils because they tap into the area's telegraph lines to learn about the movements of valuable items they then steal. Journalists are mistaken about their leadership, however. While the Hawk has recently carried out a series of daring holdups around Selkirk City, he has been preying on the local criminal organization as much or even more than he has the town's banks and railroads. Cool, resourceful, and operating under his own peculiar code of ethics, Maul continually evades capture - or worse - time and again until finally, in a very rousing finale he is- Well, read it for yourself and see. Then join me in lamenting that Packard never brought the Hawk back for a second appearance.

[Doug Frizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wire Devils
By FRANK L. PACKARD

A Mystery and Adventure Tale of the Masters of the Wires and of Secret Codes

They were experts in telegraphy—masters of the art of cipher codes. With every avenue of escape watched and every method of detection practised, “The Wire Devils” moved from one astounding exploit to another, baffling Secret Servicemen, Government agents and detectives.
“The Hawk,” indomitable, courageous, a marvel of expert skill, foiled the attempts of the “Wire Devils,” but only added to the confusion and consternation of the investigators.
Mystery and suspense are maintained to the very end. The story is a 100 per cent adventure tale.
(from the dustjacket advertising)

This is a great read; I can understand why some people wished more books about "The Hawk". For its time perhaps the best read for some years.

[Rick Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great railroad adventure tracking down the gang that has hijacked the railroad's telegraph system to send their own coded messages.

[Robyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My girlfriend picked this up for me from a yard sale or something. Old book, undated, unlikely a 1st ed or anything but probably published close to the original date. Not bad for what it is. Follows a robber/criminal around as he follows another band of criminals, cracks their communication code, and keeps getting to their target before they do. Lots of people trying to outwit each other. Amusing.

[Thomas O'Dell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rollicking novel, full of unexpected twists and turns that tickle the fancy as much as they defy the imagination. Harry Maul is one audacious and lucky guy!

The ending, though, was a real letdown and totally uncharacteristic, just like the Big Reveal of a second-rate Hollywood movie. Sigh.