Böcker av J. I. M. Stewart

Penelope becomes the victim of a cruel hoax. Ferneydale, now a rich novelist, once proposed to her, but she turned him down. He married Sophie, although he had a string of mistresses and young boys. Penelope married Caspar, but he is withdrawn, scholarly, boring, and unsuccessful. There are many twists to this tale, not least the final surprise.

Robin Hayes breaks the news that his father is guilty of embezzlement and has been sentenced to two years. Complications arise when a junior pupil at his school turns out to be the grandson of the judge who passed sentence. This, however, is only the background to a typical Stewart mystery. There is a double kidnapping, and many sub-plots.

Lady Cameron and Hornett had been married fifty years ago, but he has forgotten about it. Embarrassment is evident when they meet whilst holidaying in Greece. In other stories there is an unknown Wordsworth manuscript and a sensational development concerning Coleridge. We also travel to Vienna where the identity of an arsonist is revealed.

Tobias, or Toby, was fostered and then adopted as the Feltons' heir after he had miraculously survived the sinking of a ship by a U-Boat. Then, someone who is clearly Toby's twin turns up as an under-gardener. He had been fostered by a couple, now dead. There is general and disturbed confusion on everyone's part - including the boys themselves.

Part of the complete reissue of "The Oxford History of English Literature", this volume covers eight writers of the early 20th century whom the author sees as representative of that time.