Frank Froest (1858–1930)

Rogues’ Syndicate starts off strong, but tanks very quickly.

American journalist, Jimmie Hallett, has just embarked on a European tour in an attempt to escape the attentions of all the newfound friends and relatives who have come out of the woodwork since he inherited a large sum of money. While wandering the streets of London one night, Jimmie is accosted by a young woman who appeals for his help because someone is after her; after pressing a mysterious parcel into his hands, she disappears into the thick, London fog. Jimmie opens the package to find a bunch of cancelled checks. Curiosity gets the better of him and he goes to pay a visit to the man named on the checks. When Jimmie enters the home he is immediately conked on the noggin, and—upon regaining consciousness—finds himself trapped in a room with a dead body. Inspector Weir Menzies of Scotland Yard is brought in to take charge of the case. As the investigation progresses, Jimmie defies law enforcement, faces numerous attempts on his life, and finds himself embroiled in the machinations of a villainous criminal organization.

On the plus side, the writing is much better than anything you will find in books written today; Rogues’ Syndicate was published in 1916 when educated people were actually educated & knew how to pen a decent sentence. The opening scenes of the novel are riveting and quickly draw the reader into the story. Unfortunately, the histrionics and absurdity of the characters create a tedious reading experience as the plot unfolds.

Jimmie Hallett starts out as a sympathetic young hero. However, he quickly transforms into a quarrelsome little ass. Although he admittedly knows better, Jimmie repeatedly lies to the police and obstructs their investigations by clumsily butting in where he is not wanted—continually risking his own life as well as the lives of others…all because he falls in love with an enchantingly beautiful and helpless woman two seconds after setting eyes on her. Ick.

Peggy, the questionable heroine of the tale, has only two modes of behavior: she’s either jutting her chin out obstinately or frantically wringing her hands while having hysterics. She’s not particularly charming at either speed.

Inspector Weir Menzies is described as an incredibly savvy career policeman. The authors assure us that Inspector Menzies understands the criminal psyche and can anticipate an evildoer’s every move. Yet, throughout the book, the criminals always manage to get the upper hand on Menzies. Even after he has captured all of the miscreants, it is clear that Menzies only came out on top because the authors needed the book to end, not because Menzies is really any good at his job. The fact that Menzies fails to arrest either Jimmie or Peggy for perpetually lying to him and impeding his investigation is laughable; their actions actually cost people their lives, but Menzies just beams at them inanely like a benevolent uncle & sends them on their merry way. Ick, again.

The most bizarre, nonsensical element of the book has to be the character who purposely chooses to lock himself inside a burning building & die a completely unnecessary, agonizing death rather than face charges of petty forgery. That whole scenario was just weird & still has me shaking my head in disbelief.

Rogues’ Syndicate was written at a time when overwrought melodrama was still a favored form of popular entertainment. Today, much of the book’s action and characters just seem improbable and downright silly.… (plus d'informations)

I found this little gem while looking through free and cheap Kindle eBooks. I love British Detective Fiction, and this was a really good one. I must confess that I had never heard of Frank Froest before seeing this book. There is a really good article on Wikipedia about him which peaked my interest in his book. There are a few not-so-politically-correct terms in his book, but this was published in 1916 so that is to be expected. I must admit to being confused by a few of the terms I found, including one of the criminals calling the police "gazebos." Most of the terms I was unfamiliar with were available in the dictionary on Kindle.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes British Detective stories. I plan on reading his other books as well.… (plus d'informations)