Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo

William Le Queux

May 2021 · Graphic Arts Books

About this ebook

Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo (1921) is a thriller by Anglo-French writer William Le Queux. Published at the height of Le Queux’s career as a leading author of popular thrillers, Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo is a story of mystery, murder, and international crime. Using his own research and experience as a journalist and adventurer, Le Queux crafts an accessible, entertaining tale for readers in search of a literary escape. Known for his works of fiction and nonfiction on the possibility of Germany invading Britain—a paranoia common in the early twentieth century—William Le Queux also wrote dozens of thrillers and adventure novels for a dedicated public audience. Although critical acclaim eluded him, popular success made him one of England’s bestselling writers. In Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo, Hugh Henfrey travels to Monte Carlo following the mysterious death of his father. In search of answers, he tracks down Mademoiselle Yvonne Ferad, a legendary gambler who frequents the tables of Europe’s casino capital. Having received a tip that Ferad knows something about his father, Henfrey finds and interrogates her. But at the moment the truth is to be revealed, an assassin appears and guns Ferad down, mortally wounding her. Henfrey is made the primary suspect, forcing him to flee the police by joining a network of criminals under the wing of the Sparrow, a gentleman ringleader and veritable mastermind who conspires to transport the young Englishman out of Monaco. As he moves through the shadows from Italy to Belgium and England, Henfrey begins to suspect that the secret of his father’s death has been right before his eyes the whole time. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of William Le Queux’s Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo is a classic thriller reimagined for modern readers.

About the author

William Le Queux (1864-1927) was an Anglo-French journalist, novelist, and radio broadcaster. Born in London to a French father and English mother, Le Queux studied art in Paris and embarked on a walking tour of Europe before finding work as a reporter for various French newspapers. Towards the end of the 1880s, he returned to London where he edited Gossip and Piccadilly before being hired as a reporter for The Globe in 1891. After several unhappy years, he left journalism to pursue his creative interests. Le Queux made a name for himself as a leading writer of popular fiction with such espionage thrillers as The Great War in England in 1897 (1894) and The Invasion of 1910 (1906). In addition to his writing, Le Queux was a notable pioneer of early aviation and radio communication, interests he maintained while publishing around 150 novels over his decades long career.