The Double Florin
The Double Florin is a 1924 thriller novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street.[1] Like H.C. McNeile's Bulldog Drummond and Agatha Christie's The Secret Adversary the plot revolves around a Bolshevik conspiracy to destroy capitalism and western democracy.[2] The title refers to the Double florin coin.
 First edition front endpapers | |
| Author | John Rhode |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
Publication date | 1924 |
| Media type | |
It was his second published novel and anticipated the introduction of his best-known character Dr. Priestley in his following book The Paddington Mystery. The conspiracy is being directed by Professor Sanderson, a brilliant mathematician.[3] Sanderson is not himself a communist, but is manipulating the organisation to try and create a new order based on pure reason.[4]
Synopsis
A young English aristocrat Lord Robert Mountmichael is recruited by LIDO, a secret organisation formed by international financiers to battle the forces of disorder. He eventually exposes the Professor as the mastermind behind the plot to destroy Britain's social system as a prelude to world collapse, while falling in love with his daughter Joan. After exposing Sanderson's true motivation, the professor is shot dead by one of his fanatical henchman.
References
- Turnbull p.48
- Evans p.58
- Evans p.58
- Evans p.59
Bibliography
- Evans, Curtis. Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery: Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, Alfred Walter Stewart and the British Detective Novel, 1920-1961. McFarland, 2014.
- Herbert, Rosemary. Whodunit?: A Who's Who in Crime & Mystery Writing. Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Turnbull, Malcolm J. Victims Or Villains: Jewish Images in Classic English Detective Fiction. Popular Press, 1998.