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Michael's Evil Deeds
Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866-1946), was an English novelist, in his lifetime a major and successful writer of genre fiction including thrillers.
The 11 stories in this volume first appeared as a magazine series entitled 'The Sinister Quest of Norman Greyes' as early as 1921 in 'The Strand Magazine' in the UK and in 'The Red Book Magazine in the USA. It first appeared in book form in 1923 in America and 1924 in th UK under th title as catalogued here on goodreads.
The stories all concern the evil arch criminal Michael Sayers, who uses a variety of pseudonyms to commit his crimes, some of which are horrendous. He is pursued throughout the book by Sir Norman Greyes, once of Scotland Yard and he is often accompanied by a lady companion, who also uses a variety of pseudonyms.
The 11 stories in this volume first appeared as a magazine series entitled 'The Sinister Quest of Norman Greyes' as early as 1921 in 'The Strand Magazine' in the UK and in 'The Red Book Magazine in the USA. It first appeared in book form in 1923 in America and 1924 in th UK under th title as catalogued here on goodreads.
The stories all concern the evil arch criminal Michael Sayers, who uses a variety of pseudonyms to commit his crimes, some of which are horrendous. He is pursued throughout the book by Sir Norman Greyes, once of Scotland Yard and he is often accompanied by a lady companion, who also uses a variety of pseudonyms.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1923
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
E. Phillips Oppenheim
632 books80 followersEdward Phillips Oppenheim was an English novelist, primarily known for his suspense fiction.
He was born in Leicester, the son of a leather merchant, and after attending Wyggeston Grammar School he worked in his father's business for almost 20 years, beginning there at a young age. He continued working in the business, even though he was a successful novelist, until he was 40 at which point he sold the business.
He wrote his first book 'Expiation' in 1887 and in 1898 he published 'The Mysterious Mr Sabin', which he described as "The first of my long series of stories dealing with that shadowy and mysterious world of diplomacy." Thereafter he became a prolific writer and by 1900 he had had 14 novels published.
While on a business trip to the United States in 1890 he met and married Elise Clara Hopkins of Boston and, on return to England, they lived in Evington, Leicestershire until the First World War,and had one daughter. His wife remained faithful to him throughout his life despite his frequent and highly publicised affairs, which often took place abroad and aboard his luxury yacht.
During World War I Oppenheim worked for the Ministry of Information while continuing to write his suspenseful novels.
He featured on the cover of 'Time' magazine on 12 September 1927 and he was the self-styled 'Prince of Storytellers', a title used by Robert standish for his biography of the author.
His literary success enabled him to buy a villa in France and a yacht, spending his winters in France where he regularly entertained more than 250 people at his lavish parties and where he was a well-known figure in high society.
He later purchased a house, Le Vanquiédor in St. Peter Port, in Guernsey. He lost access to the house during the Second World War when Germany occupied the Channel Islands but later regained it.
He wrote 116 novels, mainly of the suspense and international intrigue type, but including romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life, and 39 volumes of short stories, all of which earned him vast sums of money. He also wrote five novels under the pseudonymn Anthony Partridge and a volume of autobiography, 'The Pool of Memory' in 1939.
He is generally regarded as the earliest writer of spy fiction as we know it today, and invented the 'Rogue Male' school of adventure thrillers that was later exploited by John Buchan and Geoffrey Household.
Undoubtedly his most renowned work was 'The Great Impersonation' (1920), which was filmed three times, the last time as a strong piece of wartime propaganda in 1942. In that novel the plot hinges around two very similar looking gentlemen, one from Britain and the other from Germany, in the early part of the 20th century. Overall more than 30 of his works were made into films.
Perhaps his most enduring creation is the character of General Besserley, the protagonist of 'General Besserley's Puzzle Box' and 'General Besserley's New Puzzle Box'.
Much of his work possesses a unique escapist charm, featuring protagonists who delight in Epicurean meals, surroundings of intense luxury, and the relaxed pursuit of criminal practice, on either side of the law.
Gerry Wolstenholme
He was born in Leicester, the son of a leather merchant, and after attending Wyggeston Grammar School he worked in his father's business for almost 20 years, beginning there at a young age. He continued working in the business, even though he was a successful novelist, until he was 40 at which point he sold the business.
He wrote his first book 'Expiation' in 1887 and in 1898 he published 'The Mysterious Mr Sabin', which he described as "The first of my long series of stories dealing with that shadowy and mysterious world of diplomacy." Thereafter he became a prolific writer and by 1900 he had had 14 novels published.
While on a business trip to the United States in 1890 he met and married Elise Clara Hopkins of Boston and, on return to England, they lived in Evington, Leicestershire until the First World War,and had one daughter. His wife remained faithful to him throughout his life despite his frequent and highly publicised affairs, which often took place abroad and aboard his luxury yacht.
During World War I Oppenheim worked for the Ministry of Information while continuing to write his suspenseful novels.
He featured on the cover of 'Time' magazine on 12 September 1927 and he was the self-styled 'Prince of Storytellers', a title used by Robert standish for his biography of the author.
His literary success enabled him to buy a villa in France and a yacht, spending his winters in France where he regularly entertained more than 250 people at his lavish parties and where he was a well-known figure in high society.
He later purchased a house, Le Vanquiédor in St. Peter Port, in Guernsey. He lost access to the house during the Second World War when Germany occupied the Channel Islands but later regained it.
He wrote 116 novels, mainly of the suspense and international intrigue type, but including romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life, and 39 volumes of short stories, all of which earned him vast sums of money. He also wrote five novels under the pseudonymn Anthony Partridge and a volume of autobiography, 'The Pool of Memory' in 1939.
He is generally regarded as the earliest writer of spy fiction as we know it today, and invented the 'Rogue Male' school of adventure thrillers that was later exploited by John Buchan and Geoffrey Household.
Undoubtedly his most renowned work was 'The Great Impersonation' (1920), which was filmed three times, the last time as a strong piece of wartime propaganda in 1942. In that novel the plot hinges around two very similar looking gentlemen, one from Britain and the other from Germany, in the early part of the 20th century. Overall more than 30 of his works were made into films.
Perhaps his most enduring creation is the character of General Besserley, the protagonist of 'General Besserley's Puzzle Box' and 'General Besserley's New Puzzle Box'.
Much of his work possesses a unique escapist charm, featuring protagonists who delight in Epicurean meals, surroundings of intense luxury, and the relaxed pursuit of criminal practice, on either side of the law.
Gerry Wolstenholme
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 7, 2022
'Michael's Evil Deeds' (and they are very evil at times) is a rather ingenious crime novel in more ways than one.
Firstly the 11 chapters each represent a separate incident but overall they do link together, if on occasions somewhat loosely. And secondly the tale is told by various of the protagonists so there is often a different point of view within each chapter.
Michael Sayers is the 'rogue male's' name but he uses a great variety of aliases as he is pursued throughout the book by a retired Scotland Yard officer, Norman Greyes. There are ladies in his life and they, along with females from the right side of the law, tell their side of the story as the tale progresses.
Robbery, murder and blackmail seem to be Michael's stock in trade and he gets away with all three despite being caught, and then escaping, a couple of times. At the end of the book he is ... [it has to be read to complete that sentence.]
7 November 2022
I must confess that I had forgotten that I had read this book some years ago, which because it is so ingeniously written is perhaps not surprising - well, that is my excuse!
There are 11 stories each of which has a different crime within it but the protagonists flit from one to another of the stories in a superbly crafted way. Michael Sayers is the main protagonist, as the title suggests, but his nemesis is Sir Norman Greves who pursues him throughout the book. Michael, to give him his birth name, uses so many pseudonyms and takes on so many different disguises that Greves has difficulty keeping up with him across the world and also in recognising him when he does.
Michael is at times accompanied by a lady friend, Janet, but she, too uses so many pseudonyms so is also difficult to recognise. Greves does manage, however, to recognise her more often than not, probably because he develops a soft spot for her, which leads to a rather surprising conclusion.
It is excitement all through and makes for a thrilling, and at time baffling, read and perhaps my original four star rating is one undermarked - but we will leave it at that!
Bibliographical note: The stories originally appeared in magazine form in 'The Strand Magazine' and 'The Red Book Magazine' under the apt series title 'The Sinister Quest of Norman Greyes' before appearing under this title in the USA in 1923 and the UK in 1924.
Firstly the 11 chapters each represent a separate incident but overall they do link together, if on occasions somewhat loosely. And secondly the tale is told by various of the protagonists so there is often a different point of view within each chapter.
Michael Sayers is the 'rogue male's' name but he uses a great variety of aliases as he is pursued throughout the book by a retired Scotland Yard officer, Norman Greyes. There are ladies in his life and they, along with females from the right side of the law, tell their side of the story as the tale progresses.
Robbery, murder and blackmail seem to be Michael's stock in trade and he gets away with all three despite being caught, and then escaping, a couple of times. At the end of the book he is ... [it has to be read to complete that sentence.]
7 November 2022
I must confess that I had forgotten that I had read this book some years ago, which because it is so ingeniously written is perhaps not surprising - well, that is my excuse!
There are 11 stories each of which has a different crime within it but the protagonists flit from one to another of the stories in a superbly crafted way. Michael Sayers is the main protagonist, as the title suggests, but his nemesis is Sir Norman Greves who pursues him throughout the book. Michael, to give him his birth name, uses so many pseudonyms and takes on so many different disguises that Greves has difficulty keeping up with him across the world and also in recognising him when he does.
Michael is at times accompanied by a lady friend, Janet, but she, too uses so many pseudonyms so is also difficult to recognise. Greves does manage, however, to recognise her more often than not, probably because he develops a soft spot for her, which leads to a rather surprising conclusion.
It is excitement all through and makes for a thrilling, and at time baffling, read and perhaps my original four star rating is one undermarked - but we will leave it at that!
Bibliographical note: The stories originally appeared in magazine form in 'The Strand Magazine' and 'The Red Book Magazine' under the apt series title 'The Sinister Quest of Norman Greyes' before appearing under this title in the USA in 1923 and the UK in 1924.
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January 12, 2019Evil Deeds, A Romantic Triangle.
Norman Greyes is retired from Scotland Yard, and has inherited a title. He is called in to pursue Mr. Michael Sayers, a criminal mastermind. Michael pulls off a succession of crimes, swindles, frauds, capers, and escapades across England, Europe and the US. Each time he is theatened by the diligent investigation of Sir Norman. Michael inspires his meek but beautiful housekeeper, Janet Soales, to join him in his life of crime, but she grows tired of him, and attracted to Sir Norman.
This unique series of stories by E. Phillip Oppenheim is told from the the point of view of each of the three main characters. The story advances as each of them relate how events transpire. There is an unusual (for EPO) amount of character development, and inner monologue, which results from this technique. The early twentieth century is vividly represented by the customs of the upper class, the geography if London, Marseille, and other locales, and the habits of transportation of the period.
Some good meals are consumed.
1923
Norman Greyes is retired from Scotland Yard, and has inherited a title. He is called in to pursue Mr. Michael Sayers, a criminal mastermind. Michael pulls off a succession of crimes, swindles, frauds, capers, and escapades across England, Europe and the US. Each time he is theatened by the diligent investigation of Sir Norman. Michael inspires his meek but beautiful housekeeper, Janet Soales, to join him in his life of crime, but she grows tired of him, and attracted to Sir Norman.
This unique series of stories by E. Phillip Oppenheim is told from the the point of view of each of the three main characters. The story advances as each of them relate how events transpire. There is an unusual (for EPO) amount of character development, and inner monologue, which results from this technique. The early twentieth century is vividly represented by the customs of the upper class, the geography if London, Marseille, and other locales, and the habits of transportation of the period.
Some good meals are consumed.
1923
March 25, 2016
Another collection of short stories from Oppenheim, that are as close to a novel as they are individual pieces. As is seemingly almost always the case with Oppenheim, some are all right, but some are dull and I still can't really see the attraction in his writing.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews