This week's contribution to Pattinase's Friday's Forgotten Books.Ok. Hands Up! Who read Dennis Wheatley?
My records show that I read this one back in 1978, and of course I have little recollection of it.
The blurb that I've found is tantalising enough:
' When Linda boarded the train that would take her to London and freedom, she was penniless and alone. A polite offer of help from the stranger in the seat opposite was the last thing she expected.
Life with Rowley Frobisher was everything she had ever dreamed of: fast, sophisticated - and expensive. In a few months the rough country girl had changed beyond recognition.
But then Rowley has a fatal heart attack - and once again Linda must take desperate action to survive.....'
I'm not sure at this stage that it was crime fiction.
THE STRANGE STORY OF LINDA LEE was published in 1971 by Arrow Books.
This is what Fantastic Fiction says about Dennis Wheatley 1897-1977:
Dennis Yates Wheatley was born in London, the son of a wine merchant. In 1926 his father died, leaving him as the sole owner of the family wine business. In the early thirties he had to sell the business and became nearly bankrupt. His first published novel The Forbidden Territory was an immediate success. It was translated in many languages and the film rights were bought by Alfred Hitchcock. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors in the 1950s and 1960s.
He was certainly a prolific author, and more than one title on the Fantastic Fiction list looks familiar.
First edition Wheatley's apparently fetch a high price. If you want to know more about him visit here. For even more visit Wikipedia.
Kerrie - I haven't read Wheatley, although I've heard of him. Still, I admit, this title doesn't jog my memory..hm....
ReplyDeleteMy hand is going up - at least I did read his books back in the 1970s. Needless to say I can't remember if I read this one or not. I did enjoy his books though.
ReplyDeleteSo many of these authors were very prolific writers Margot - and amazingly they must have had huge publishing contracts.
ReplyDeleteMargaret I think I read quite a few. Nice provocative cover this one isn't it? Must have been very avant garde for its day. We probably thought we were being very daring reading it too.
ReplyDeleteI am another one who read Wheatley in their Teens in the 70's, in fact the other day I came across my old copy of "To the Devil a Daughter" and thought about giving it another read, I think I just might now.
ReplyDeleteI presume they were sort of crime fiction?
ReplyDeleteSadly, my hand is not up. Sounds like it should be.
ReplyDeleteWheatley's most interesting contribution to crime fiction, I think, was the four 'crime dossiers' he produced just before the Second World War. The first, Murder off Miami, is probably the best.
ReplyDeleteWarren Flanagan:
ReplyDeleteI read just about all of his books in the 1970's and 1980's and I was so enamoured with them that I've been re reading them over and over ever since, when I go up to bed shortly I will pick up my copy of "They found Atlantis" for the goodness knows how manieth time and continue ;-)
I feel sorry for anyone who hasn't read his books and I also feel jealous of them if they are about to start.
I read this book as a teenager and still have the copy of the book which originally belonged to my father or mother. It was the first book i read by Dennis Wheatley and have read many of his novels since however Linda Lee will always be my favourite.
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