Paul Temple and The Front Page Men by Frances Durbridge

The second Paul Temple crime thriller was written in 1939, where we find Paul and ex-reporter Steve recently married. Living in a Mayfair flat, they not only find a mystery at their doorstep, it invites itself right on in.

'Andrea Fortune' has written a runaway bestselling detective novel called The Front Page Men, but she has kept her identity a secret, sending royalties to charity. The book's publisher and his wife, good friends of Paul and Steve, have no idea either.

When a series of robberies are committed, a calling card is left bearing the moniker of "The Front Page Men". Soon they change tactics and begin kidnapping children of wealthy families for ransom, and things turn deadly serious. Commissioner Graham Forbes and his team of undercover detectives stake out a ransom drop and require the use of a Mayfair flat - the home of Paul and Steve! Temple joins the case and begins to infiltrate London's seedy bars, mingling with criminals to discover who is behind the crimes.

Again, we are introduced to the criminals outright and follow their evil plots, so convoluted that even when you know who is behind it, Durbridge still manages to surprise you. There are false identities, ruthless murders, and always deadly retribution for speaking out about 'The Front Page Men'. As usual, even the members of the gang are not safe from each other! Steve is not involved so much, but the personal lives of all their friends fill out the plot. Terrific side characters you are sure may be the unknown head of the gang - or indeed, the secretive author Andrea Fortune - and you may be very much surprised! I never would have guessed.

This entry is full of action, and even the similarity in story to the first in the series Send For Paul Temple is forgotten when he ties all the ends up in the big reveal.

A lot of fun - a terrific read.

Highly recommended.

1939 / Tradeback / 274 pages