Peter Ruff and the Double Four

About E. Phillips Oppenheim

Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866–1946), an English novelist, was a major and successful writer of genre fiction, particularly thrillers. Featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1918, he was the self-styled "prince of storytellers." He published more than a hundred novels, mostly stories of suspense and international intrigue, as well as romances, comedies, and parables of everyday life. Perhaps Oppenheim's most enduring creation is the character of General Besserley, the protagonist of General Besserley's Puzzle Box and General Besserley's New Puzzle Box, which is one of Oppenheim's last works. His work possesses a unique 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. Oppenheim's first novel, which was about England and Canada, was called Expiation. This was followed by such titles as The Betrayal, The Avenger, The Governors, The Double Life of Mr. Alfred Burton, An Amiable Charlatan, The Black Box, The Double Traitor, The Cinema Murder, The Box With Broken Seals, The Devil's Paw, and The Evil Shepherd.