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Bulldog Drummond #3
The Third Round
Professor Goodman gets tragically in avaraet and dies. So many thought, except for Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond. He suspects that something is wrong. It turns out, his latest discovery – a miraculous new formula for manufacturing flawless diamonds at negligible cost. His suspicions are even more awakened when he notices a member of the Metropolitan Diamond Syndicate during the investigation. Subsequently, the detective unravels an ominous conspiracy and begins the race for the real killer.
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1924
12 people are currently reading
55 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 24, 2024
This is my firts book I've read by this author and I didn't like. After 70% of the reading, I just dropped since it involves torture which is quite unacceptable in my humble opinion.
December 8, 2025
As clearly and simply as these books are written, it still surprises (and, a little, irks) me that this took so long to finish. I had to keep going back to pay more attetion to parts I missed, because otherwise it seemed like Bulldog Drummond was making miraculous leaps in logic to solve the mystery.
Professor Goodman has dev eloped a cheical process to manufacture gem-quality diamonds for £5/10/6 (around $US27.625) a time. The Metropolitan Diamond Syndicate doesn't want this formula to be disclosed to the Royal Society, so they contract wiht Carl Petersen to arrange for the destruction of the formula. Drummond has dinner with the Professor and gets the notes on the formula. Then the capers ensue…
It ends with the final confrontation between Drummond and Petersen. Or is ti final?
Ian Fleming said that these books insired the torture scenes in James Bond were inspired by these books and there are insights into Bond's character as well.
This thing isn't saving drafts properly, so I'll stop here.
Professor Goodman has dev eloped a cheical process to manufacture gem-quality diamonds for £5/10/6 (around $US27.625) a time. The Metropolitan Diamond Syndicate doesn't want this formula to be disclosed to the Royal Society, so they contract wiht Carl Petersen to arrange for the destruction of the formula. Drummond has dinner with the Professor and gets the notes on the formula. Then the capers ensue…
It ends with the final confrontation between Drummond and Petersen. Or is ti final?
Ian Fleming said that these books insired the torture scenes in James Bond were inspired by these books and there are insights into Bond's character as well.
This thing isn't saving drafts properly, so I'll stop here.
March 15, 2013
I LOVE the other Bulldog books. The first two, however, have more of Bulldog himself. This one was too much from the perspective of the bad guy. Bulldog is wonderful because of the dialogue-ing specifically from Bulldog himself. And because of the ladies. Irma or whatever her name is in each book is fantastic. Especially interacting with Bulldog, and I always like a little romance. So, darn it, there needs to be more of Mrs. Bulldog.
I needed more of both ladies and the Bulldogesque dialogue to have loved this one to pieces. That being said, it was super fun. And I'm already reading the next one. Recommended? Absolutely!
I needed more of both ladies and the Bulldogesque dialogue to have loved this one to pieces. That being said, it was super fun. And I'm already reading the next one. Recommended? Absolutely!
June 8, 2017
I'm happy I discovered these entertaining stories about Bulldog Drummond, a former British soldier who retires and goes rogue, solving crimes that baffle the authorities. He is clever, witty, compassionate and ruthless with no tolerance for the bad guys. This story in the collection is about a chemist who discovers how to create flawless diamonds, but the diamond syndicate wants to put him out of business! As I've said before, it's James Bond without the sex.
April 8, 2019
Originally published in 1924, this is the third of ten novels about the character Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond that were written by H. C. McNeile under the Pseudonym of Sapper. It is also the third of four of these novels that features his arch enemy Carl Peterson. The others being Bulldog Drummond (1920), The Black Gang (1922), and The Final Count (1926). While the characters make reference to their earlier encounters, there is no need to have read the previous two novels to enjoy or understand this one. After serving in World War I Bulldog Drummond finds that as a demobilised officer he finds peace incredibly tedious and would welcome diversion, as long as it is exciting.
In The Third Round the excitement starts when his wartime buddy Algernon Longworth comes to see Drummond because he is worried about his future father-in-law Professor Goodman, a chemist who has discovered an inexpensive method to make large diamonds that are indistinguishable from the mined gems. When the head of the international diamond syndicate hears about the discovery and that Dr. Goodman plans to present his findings to the Royal Society at their next meeting, he offers Goodman a quarter million pounds to suppress the information, which Goodman refuses to do. Hearing this, Drummond begins to worry for the Professor's life as the information could disrupt the entire diamond industry and fortunes would be lost. When the diamond syndicate fails to persuade Goodman, they agree to pay Peterson a half million pounds to prevent Goodman from making his discovery public. Peterson agrees to help, but sees the secret formula as something he could turn into a multi-million pound fortune if he possessed it. The excitement that Drummond needs is present throughout the rest of the story.
H. C. McNeile was a Captain in the Royal engineers or, as they were commonly known, The Sappers, who were combat engineers working on the front lines during World Was I. During the was he wrote war-themed stories under the pseudonym Sapper. After the was ended this once "unremittingly hearty man" suffered from delicate health, having been gassed and hospitalized several times during his 32 months on the front lines in France. He died at the age of 49 from terminal throat or lung cancer that could be traced back to his wartime service and the gas attacks he endured.
McNeile's Drummond is an Englishman that is typified by a "flamboyantly aggressive patriotism" towards England which is characterized by an opposition to those who challenge its stability or morality. Even his nickname, Bulldog, is symbolic of England. His English gentlemen friends, which McNeile calls "the Breed", fight a conspiracy of foreigners threatening England's stability. Most of the foreigners in the Bulldog Drummond series are villains or morally weak. While McNeile was very popular while he was alive and considered just an upstanding Tory who was proud of his country, after World War II critics start seeing signs of fascism in his writings as well as heavy handed xenophobia and anti-Semitism. In this novel this weak moral character is most obvious in the German chemist Professor Scheidstrun and his wife, who are bent to the will of Carl Peterson.
In The Third Round the excitement starts when his wartime buddy Algernon Longworth comes to see Drummond because he is worried about his future father-in-law Professor Goodman, a chemist who has discovered an inexpensive method to make large diamonds that are indistinguishable from the mined gems. When the head of the international diamond syndicate hears about the discovery and that Dr. Goodman plans to present his findings to the Royal Society at their next meeting, he offers Goodman a quarter million pounds to suppress the information, which Goodman refuses to do. Hearing this, Drummond begins to worry for the Professor's life as the information could disrupt the entire diamond industry and fortunes would be lost. When the diamond syndicate fails to persuade Goodman, they agree to pay Peterson a half million pounds to prevent Goodman from making his discovery public. Peterson agrees to help, but sees the secret formula as something he could turn into a multi-million pound fortune if he possessed it. The excitement that Drummond needs is present throughout the rest of the story.
H. C. McNeile was a Captain in the Royal engineers or, as they were commonly known, The Sappers, who were combat engineers working on the front lines during World Was I. During the was he wrote war-themed stories under the pseudonym Sapper. After the was ended this once "unremittingly hearty man" suffered from delicate health, having been gassed and hospitalized several times during his 32 months on the front lines in France. He died at the age of 49 from terminal throat or lung cancer that could be traced back to his wartime service and the gas attacks he endured.
McNeile's Drummond is an Englishman that is typified by a "flamboyantly aggressive patriotism" towards England which is characterized by an opposition to those who challenge its stability or morality. Even his nickname, Bulldog, is symbolic of England. His English gentlemen friends, which McNeile calls "the Breed", fight a conspiracy of foreigners threatening England's stability. Most of the foreigners in the Bulldog Drummond series are villains or morally weak. While McNeile was very popular while he was alive and considered just an upstanding Tory who was proud of his country, after World War II critics start seeing signs of fascism in his writings as well as heavy handed xenophobia and anti-Semitism. In this novel this weak moral character is most obvious in the German chemist Professor Scheidstrun and his wife, who are bent to the will of Carl Peterson.
August 20, 2020
In The Third Round, Sapper’s third book about Bulldog Drummond, there is an interesting shift in direction. In the first two books, Drummond is battling against Bolshevists and Jews. In this outing, the villains are capitalists, and not even foreign capitalists who are out to undermine Britain either.
The capitalists in question are prominent members of the diamond industry who are appalled when the absent-minded Professor Goodman devises a means of manufacturing diamonds in his laboratory. Faced with the destruction of their livelihood, the businessmen hire Drummond’s arch-enemy Carl Peterson to murder the Professor.
However Peterson has his own agenda. He fakes the Professor’s death, and takes Goodman away with him so that the scientist can manufacture diamonds for Peterson. Fortunately Goodman left the notes relating to his discovery in the hands of Bulldog Drummond, thereby ensuring that Drummond is at hand to thwart Peterson’s plans and rescue the Professor.
It is reassuring to see Sapper move away from the unpleasant left-baiting and Little England racism found in his first two books, though this does mean that this outing of Sapper’s famous hero is of less historical and political interest. While the villains here may be wealthy businessmen, we should not read any change in Sapper’s reactionary political views here.
The businessmen are eminently hissable, but Professor Goodman is also misguided, and the story ends with the Professor’s papers lost, thereby ensuring that the status quo is not seriously challenged. An ending in which the availability of cheap diamonds did destroy a powerful business would have been more interesting, but that is not the world of Sapper, whose writings merely work towards a restoration and preservation of the existing order.
As so often in fiction though we may well wonder wonder why, if a plan fails to work the first time, it is never tried again. There is no particular reason why Peterson should not recapture the Professor, and force him to work on rediscovering his formula, but we can be sure that this will not happen. By the next book, Goodman will be absent and Peterson will have moved on to another project.
As the title suggests, the issues at stake in the story are not to be taken seriously, by the writer, the reader or the characters. This is just another game of sport as far as Drummond and Peterson are concerned, and the language of sporting ventures is frequently used in their exchanges. Never mind that people are being murdered and tortured. This is all a game. When Drummond learns that the Professor has been murdered (as he thinks), he is instantly cheered up by the thought that he has Goodman’s papers and the game will continue. Peterson in turn makes jokes about the foot found in the explosion, the only remains of one of Peterson’s victims.
The game is played in a different way by Peterson. Peterson acquires the formula for the diamonds to make his fortune so that he can retire. Nonetheless as he and his ‘daughter’ Irma (the hints that she is really his mistress are more pointed than usual in this story) acknowledge, he would soon be bored of respectable wealth, presumably leading to his returning to crime.
Indeed the money is not really the issue for Peterson, any more than a passion for righting wrongs is really the reason for Drummond’s involvement. Both are seeking the emotional gratification and a little sport, perhaps a relief from boredom. In Peterson’s case there is also a growing hatred for Drummond, and at one point he suggests that he would happily sacrifice the diamond formula if he could kill Drummond.
This being so, his attempts at the life of Drummond are laughably inept. As ever the sport is the thing. Drummond could easily be knifed or shot or poisoned at any point, but Peterson wants the artistic touch, and the pleasure of personal involvement in Drummond’s death. As a result when Drummond is rendered unconscious by one of Peterson’s followers, he does not hastily finish him off as would be sensible, but hands him over to Peterson as a captive, so that he can be saved for a more satisfying murder later.
This idiotic exercise ensures that during his capture Drummond is able to physically scar three of Peterson’s followers, murder another, warn Goodson to stall giving Peterson his formula, and even receive a razor blade from Goodson, all without Peterson and his men realising what is happening until it is too late.
This seems on a par with Peterson’s general lack of intelligence concerning Drummond. He insists once again that he will not underestimate Drummond this time, but almost immediately afterwards makes fatuous remarks to suggest Drummond is too stupid to be capable of understanding the significance of the Professor’s formula.
Bulldog Drummond’s attempt to kill Peterson at the end of the book is equally woeful. Drummond has an opportunity to dispatch of his foe, but like Peterson he insists on treating the exercise as a game with rules. One snap of the neck would suffice, but instead Drummond offers Peterson the chance of a fight to the death on a glacier. The loser would be the one who falls down a crevice, guaranteeing a quick demise.
This premise is ridiculous (not to say derivative – it contains echoes of a similar fight on the edge of Reichenbach Falls between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, though at least that was not the result of a juvenile wish to give the other fellow a sporting chance). It is at least a potentially exciting finish to the book. Unfortunately it ends in bathos when Peterson easily distracts the idiotic Drummond long enough to strike him down while the villain makes his escape without going anywhere near a glacier. However Drummond is not too bothered that this evil man has escaped his clutches, as it ensures that there will be another sporting round between them again.
It is hardly surprising that Sapper makes such a point of extolling the virtues of Bulldog Drummond’s lack of intelligence, as the books themselves are equally brainless. The Third Round tells its story in a suitably page-turning way, but is never too exciting. The characters are stereotypes (upper class people talk like twits, professors are absent-minded, and so on). The dialogue is full of clichés, especially that of Peterson, which is almost a parody of the language of a fictional master villain. Still the book is certainly not dull if you want an idle read that doesn’t make too many demands on your brain.
The capitalists in question are prominent members of the diamond industry who are appalled when the absent-minded Professor Goodman devises a means of manufacturing diamonds in his laboratory. Faced with the destruction of their livelihood, the businessmen hire Drummond’s arch-enemy Carl Peterson to murder the Professor.
However Peterson has his own agenda. He fakes the Professor’s death, and takes Goodman away with him so that the scientist can manufacture diamonds for Peterson. Fortunately Goodman left the notes relating to his discovery in the hands of Bulldog Drummond, thereby ensuring that Drummond is at hand to thwart Peterson’s plans and rescue the Professor.
It is reassuring to see Sapper move away from the unpleasant left-baiting and Little England racism found in his first two books, though this does mean that this outing of Sapper’s famous hero is of less historical and political interest. While the villains here may be wealthy businessmen, we should not read any change in Sapper’s reactionary political views here.
The businessmen are eminently hissable, but Professor Goodman is also misguided, and the story ends with the Professor’s papers lost, thereby ensuring that the status quo is not seriously challenged. An ending in which the availability of cheap diamonds did destroy a powerful business would have been more interesting, but that is not the world of Sapper, whose writings merely work towards a restoration and preservation of the existing order.
As so often in fiction though we may well wonder wonder why, if a plan fails to work the first time, it is never tried again. There is no particular reason why Peterson should not recapture the Professor, and force him to work on rediscovering his formula, but we can be sure that this will not happen. By the next book, Goodman will be absent and Peterson will have moved on to another project.
As the title suggests, the issues at stake in the story are not to be taken seriously, by the writer, the reader or the characters. This is just another game of sport as far as Drummond and Peterson are concerned, and the language of sporting ventures is frequently used in their exchanges. Never mind that people are being murdered and tortured. This is all a game. When Drummond learns that the Professor has been murdered (as he thinks), he is instantly cheered up by the thought that he has Goodman’s papers and the game will continue. Peterson in turn makes jokes about the foot found in the explosion, the only remains of one of Peterson’s victims.
The game is played in a different way by Peterson. Peterson acquires the formula for the diamonds to make his fortune so that he can retire. Nonetheless as he and his ‘daughter’ Irma (the hints that she is really his mistress are more pointed than usual in this story) acknowledge, he would soon be bored of respectable wealth, presumably leading to his returning to crime.
Indeed the money is not really the issue for Peterson, any more than a passion for righting wrongs is really the reason for Drummond’s involvement. Both are seeking the emotional gratification and a little sport, perhaps a relief from boredom. In Peterson’s case there is also a growing hatred for Drummond, and at one point he suggests that he would happily sacrifice the diamond formula if he could kill Drummond.
This being so, his attempts at the life of Drummond are laughably inept. As ever the sport is the thing. Drummond could easily be knifed or shot or poisoned at any point, but Peterson wants the artistic touch, and the pleasure of personal involvement in Drummond’s death. As a result when Drummond is rendered unconscious by one of Peterson’s followers, he does not hastily finish him off as would be sensible, but hands him over to Peterson as a captive, so that he can be saved for a more satisfying murder later.
This idiotic exercise ensures that during his capture Drummond is able to physically scar three of Peterson’s followers, murder another, warn Goodson to stall giving Peterson his formula, and even receive a razor blade from Goodson, all without Peterson and his men realising what is happening until it is too late.
This seems on a par with Peterson’s general lack of intelligence concerning Drummond. He insists once again that he will not underestimate Drummond this time, but almost immediately afterwards makes fatuous remarks to suggest Drummond is too stupid to be capable of understanding the significance of the Professor’s formula.
Bulldog Drummond’s attempt to kill Peterson at the end of the book is equally woeful. Drummond has an opportunity to dispatch of his foe, but like Peterson he insists on treating the exercise as a game with rules. One snap of the neck would suffice, but instead Drummond offers Peterson the chance of a fight to the death on a glacier. The loser would be the one who falls down a crevice, guaranteeing a quick demise.
This premise is ridiculous (not to say derivative – it contains echoes of a similar fight on the edge of Reichenbach Falls between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, though at least that was not the result of a juvenile wish to give the other fellow a sporting chance). It is at least a potentially exciting finish to the book. Unfortunately it ends in bathos when Peterson easily distracts the idiotic Drummond long enough to strike him down while the villain makes his escape without going anywhere near a glacier. However Drummond is not too bothered that this evil man has escaped his clutches, as it ensures that there will be another sporting round between them again.
It is hardly surprising that Sapper makes such a point of extolling the virtues of Bulldog Drummond’s lack of intelligence, as the books themselves are equally brainless. The Third Round tells its story in a suitably page-turning way, but is never too exciting. The characters are stereotypes (upper class people talk like twits, professors are absent-minded, and so on). The dialogue is full of clichés, especially that of Peterson, which is almost a parody of the language of a fictional master villain. Still the book is certainly not dull if you want an idle read that doesn’t make too many demands on your brain.
July 7, 2025
The book was written a long time ago and probably considered as very far fetched - the creation of diamonds very cheaply. Today this has been achieved, although a lot of mystery is still existing around the process. The discovery eixsted already before before but the price was prohibity, more expensive than the actual price of the diamonds produced. Tody it is not as cheap as in this book, but enough to upset the market. And that makes the book very actual, with the people behind De Beers and other's whose fortunes are built on diamonds, are jus their living is linked to it, trying all tricks to prohibit or block this newly marketed diamonds for a fraction of the price of the naturally mined ones.
Foul play is not excluded.
For Drummond and his friends the discovery of the process of diamond creation is trivial but when their arch-enemy appears and takes a criminal interest, it becomes important for them too.
For a third time Bulldog and his friends face Peterson and yet another of his lieutenants with Irma in the background. A duel to the death seems to be inevitable as the end of the book approaches.
A lot of action takes place, deceit if never far off when Peterson is involved, Drummond plays a special part als going completely crazy after a knock on the head. After a boat-reace turns the tables, a climax is reached in Switzerland.
Action, suspense, humour, a bit of psychology and even some torture - what seems to be some sort of television on the cover is actually an oven that can become very hot to induce chemical processes - or for torture.
Foul play is not excluded.
For Drummond and his friends the discovery of the process of diamond creation is trivial but when their arch-enemy appears and takes a criminal interest, it becomes important for them too.
For a third time Bulldog and his friends face Peterson and yet another of his lieutenants with Irma in the background. A duel to the death seems to be inevitable as the end of the book approaches.
A lot of action takes place, deceit if never far off when Peterson is involved, Drummond plays a special part als going completely crazy after a knock on the head. After a boat-reace turns the tables, a climax is reached in Switzerland.
Action, suspense, humour, a bit of psychology and even some torture - what seems to be some sort of television on the cover is actually an oven that can become very hot to induce chemical processes - or for torture.
September 23, 2017
In which an elderly scientist develops a method for creating priceless diamonds for next to nothing; unscrupulous businessmen, failing to buy him off, employ villainous Carl Peterson to silence him; and our hero, Bulldog Drummond, pits his wits and his enormous strength against his arch-enemy. Loads of fun and entertainment via the magical voice of Roy McMillan.
I've listened to this a number of times and still enjoy the humour of Sapper's writing.
I've listened to this a number of times and still enjoy the humour of Sapper's writing.
August 14, 2017
This is a lovely old fashioned English crime story written in the 1920's. There's plenty of well-paced action, twists and turns, humour and wit. I have not read the previous two books in the series, but this didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story and understanding of the characters. A great audiobook for a long journey.
September 20, 2017
In this 1924 adventure, Bulldog Drummond is again pitted against master criminal Carl Peterson in a plot involving a new method of artificially creating flawless diamonds for around £5 each. Great undemanding fun.
July 30, 2018
Another cracking Bulldog Drummond adventure, filled with twists, turns, and humor. One of the best in the series.
July 28, 2019
Oh the plot of this one is really good. The ending was a bit weak though...
June 8, 2022
Hugh comes across as a bit brutal.
March 15, 2016
So, for some reason, I decided to take up Bulldog Drummond again, and I have to say, it's rapidly become tedious. The first was silly and improbable. The second was good enough that it tempted me to try the third. This one was tedious and I kept wishing it were over. It wasn't horrible, just not very good. Were I able to give +s and -s, this would most definitely be ***-, or more likely, **+.
Anyway, Bulldog Drummond finds himself locking horns with the world's master criminal, Carl Peterson, aka Comte du Guy, aka all kinds of other names.
In this book, a famous, elderly chemist, Professor Goodman, discovers a chemical method for creating perfect diamonds in his laboratory. The head of the diamond syndicate has dinner with him, sees the amazing diamond pendant his daughter is wearing—the daughter is betrothed to one of Bulldog Drummond's buddies—and becomes worried about the possible consequences. The professor, it seems, has created a diamond worth some 5,000 pounds for a mere fiver (they don't count labor time as part of the cost). So, the diamond syndicate, once they figure out that they can't buy the old guy off, hires master criminal, Carl Peterson, to see that that Prof. Goodman can't present his results to the next meeting of the Royal Society. Peterson could, of course, just kill the guy, but then his secret would die with him. Much better, Peterson thinks, would be to know the secret himself before he kills the old guy. So, we have Peterson abducting the old chemist; blowing up his laboratory in spectacular fashion; almost killing Drummond multiple times; Drummond trying to save the old chemist; almost killing Peterson multiple times; car and boat chases, and so forth. But in the end, Drummond escapes death and Peterson escapes Drummond, presumably so they can lock horns again in the next book in the series.
I'm not sure I'll go on with this series. This book got incredibly silly and tedious. It might be fun, however, were we elderly chemists considered worthwhile in any reasonable sense of the word. I'd likely suppress some of my research for a million or so pounds (or perhaps even a hottie red head!). But then, there's little commercial value in metastable nitrogen, so I'll likely just molder along for a few more years, continuing to amount to very little.
Anyway, Bulldog Drummond finds himself locking horns with the world's master criminal, Carl Peterson, aka Comte du Guy, aka all kinds of other names.
In this book, a famous, elderly chemist, Professor Goodman, discovers a chemical method for creating perfect diamonds in his laboratory. The head of the diamond syndicate has dinner with him, sees the amazing diamond pendant his daughter is wearing—the daughter is betrothed to one of Bulldog Drummond's buddies—and becomes worried about the possible consequences. The professor, it seems, has created a diamond worth some 5,000 pounds for a mere fiver (they don't count labor time as part of the cost). So, the diamond syndicate, once they figure out that they can't buy the old guy off, hires master criminal, Carl Peterson, to see that that Prof. Goodman can't present his results to the next meeting of the Royal Society. Peterson could, of course, just kill the guy, but then his secret would die with him. Much better, Peterson thinks, would be to know the secret himself before he kills the old guy. So, we have Peterson abducting the old chemist; blowing up his laboratory in spectacular fashion; almost killing Drummond multiple times; Drummond trying to save the old chemist; almost killing Peterson multiple times; car and boat chases, and so forth. But in the end, Drummond escapes death and Peterson escapes Drummond, presumably so they can lock horns again in the next book in the series.
I'm not sure I'll go on with this series. This book got incredibly silly and tedious. It might be fun, however, were we elderly chemists considered worthwhile in any reasonable sense of the word. I'd likely suppress some of my research for a million or so pounds (or perhaps even a hottie red head!). But then, there's little commercial value in metastable nitrogen, so I'll likely just molder along for a few more years, continuing to amount to very little.
January 22, 2017
Another fun story featuring the infamous "hero" Hugh Drummond. Sapper writes fast and accessibly so one needn't be too frightened to read the book, besides the occasional suspension of belief regarding an overly complicated plot.
This one sees Drummond's take on cracking down on a diamond pyramid scheme, seen in other such thrillers like Diamonds Are Forever. He was an influence after all.
There are sometimes too many characters but at least the dialogue is "witty", in fact, I'm sure that's the only reason the writer wrote these stories, to demonstrate expert English conversation. This one is fast, and the end sets up for the sequel, after Carl Peterson escapes Hugh's proposal for a death match. I have heard their rivalry concludes in the next one.
This one sees Drummond's take on cracking down on a diamond pyramid scheme, seen in other such thrillers like Diamonds Are Forever. He was an influence after all.
There are sometimes too many characters but at least the dialogue is "witty", in fact, I'm sure that's the only reason the writer wrote these stories, to demonstrate expert English conversation. This one is fast, and the end sets up for the sequel, after Carl Peterson escapes Hugh's proposal for a death match. I have heard their rivalry concludes in the next one.
May 3, 2013
A bit of a change from the two earlier books, Peterson's plans are all spelled out and the book spends at least as much time with him as with Drummond, Drummond himself has also changed a bit he talks less Wodehouse-ian rot and rather than blundering into situations with fists flying he seems to be using at least a little more brain power. All this said though it's still a rattling good old-fashioned adventure.
September 7, 2014
Felt there was a little too much concentration on "Carl Peterson" rather than on Bulldog Drummond and that's the only reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5. For me it came to life completely every time Bulldog was in the scene. Still loving the books :)
December 6, 2014
Another meaningless romp through the playground of good guy vs criminal mastermind. If you are looking for light fun reading, here it is. If you are looking for deep insightful drama, you might be better off looking somewhere else!. This reads more like a 007 movie than a 007 book.
August 15, 2016
What an author!
The writing is gripping. It maintains fascinating forward momentum to the very end. Great use of descriptive verbiage. Great sense of humor. Her, very well written.
The writing is gripping. It maintains fascinating forward momentum to the very end. Great use of descriptive verbiage. Great sense of humor. Her, very well written.
July 19, 2011
Cyril McNeile....AKA Sapper.
September 2, 2014
I dis not realy enjoy this book, but the last quarter was worth staying with it.
May 15, 2016
read some time in 1990
November 15, 2017
Very enjoyable adventure story. fast paced from beginning to end
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