CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Peter Ruff's espionage adventures of international intrigue, daring heists, and the shadowy Double-FourBy E. Phillips Oppenheim
Length30h 28m
About this audiobook
In Clowns and Criminals, E. Phillips Oppenheim brings together the elements that made him a central figure in early twentieth-century popular suspense: disguise, social performance, hidden motives, and the unsettling proximity of amusement to danger. Written in his brisk, urbane prose, the book moves through a world of drawing rooms, dubious alliances, and criminal ingenuity, reflecting the Edwardian and interwar taste for thrillers in which manners and menace coexist. Oppenheim, often called the "prince of storytellers," was one of the most prolific British authors of his age, producing novels and stories that helped shape the modern spy and crime thriller. His familiarity with business, travel, European politics, and upper-middle-class society furnished him with the settings and tensions that animate his fiction. He understood that crime in modern life was not merely violence, but deception conducted under respectable surfaces. Readers who enjoy classic thrillers, elegant plotting, and the atmosphere of prewar and interwar intrigue will find Clowns and Criminals both entertaining and historically revealing. It is especially recommended for those interested in the development of popular crime fiction before the hard-boiled era, when suspense depended as much on wit, concealment, and social observation as on action.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreMystery and Thriller
Length30 hrs 28 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 1, 2016
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 1)
Show all chaptersShow less
6CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 2)
7CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 3)
8CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 4)
9CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 5)
10CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 6)
11CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 7)
12CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 8)
13CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 9)
14CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 10)
15CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 11)
16CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (pt. 12)
17Analysis
18Reflection
19Memorable Quotes
The Pawns Count (Spy Thriller Classic) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 11m$2 · $0.00
The Curious Quest (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 50m$2 · $0.00
The Spy Paramount (Thriller Classic) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim7h 53m$2 · $0.00
The Kingdom of the Blind (Spy Thriller Classic) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 1m$2 · $0.00
MYSTERY & CRIME Ultimate Collection: 110+ Thriller Novels & Detective Stories In One Volume (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim85h 28m$2 · $0.00
THE DOUBLE TRAITOR (Spy Thriller Classic) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 8m$2 · $0.00
Whodunit Murder Mysteries: 15 Books in One Edition (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim110h 3m$2 · $0.00
MYSTERY & SUSPENSE (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim265h 28m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of E. Phillips Oppenheim: 109 Novels & 200+ Short Stories (Illustrated) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim1202h 1m$2 · $0.00
A People's ManE. Phillips Oppenheim10h 3m$2 · $0.00
The Cinema MurderE. Phillips Oppenheim7h 54m$2 · $0.00
The SurvivorE. Phillips Oppenheim8h 1m$2 · $0.00
Advice, Ltd.E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 20m$1 · $0.00
E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM Ultimate Collection: 72 Novels & 100+ Short Stories in One VolumeE. Phillips Oppenheim695h 59m$1 · $0.00
E. Phillips Oppenheim: 72 Novels & 100+ Short Stories (Illustrated Edition)E. Phillips Oppenheim696h 1m$1 · $0.00
The Seven ConundrumsE. Phillips Oppenheim3h 21m$2 · $0.00
The Black BoxE. Phillips Oppenheim9h 56m$2 · $0.00
The Long Arm of MannisterE. Phillips Oppenheim4h 40m$2 · $0.00
The Zeppelin's PassengerE. Phillips Oppenheim8h 5m$1 · $0.00
The BetrayalE. Phillips Oppenheim7h 38m$1 · $0.00
Unfinished BusinessBlair Howard7h 17m$23
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The New Human Revolution, vol. 1Daisaku Ikeda7h 46m$12 · $0.00
Meddlesome MoneyMildred Abbott8h 21m$20
Midnight ShadowsS.E. Smith5h 40m$17
CollateralBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson13h 8m$23
The Complete Sherlock Holmes Novels & Stories (4 Novels + 56 Short Stories) (Annotated)Arthur Conan Doyle73h 13m$2 · $0.00
The ReunionJana Deleon6h 31m$26 · $0.00
Animal 3K’wan6h 33m$20
To Hold and ProtectSandra Owens7h 59m$8 · $0.00
Extinction WarNicholas Sansbury Smith12h 1m$23
Savy WisdomPeggy McColl2h 53m$15
3 a.m. Premium: Books 1–5Nick Pirog15h 27m$25
Farewell My Lovely (Annotated)Raymond Chandler10h 37m$2 · $0.00
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m$53 · $0.00
Tracing Killer EvidenceJodie Bailey5h 46m$12 · $0.00
AGATHA CHRISTIE Premium CollectionAgatha Christie37h 15m$2 · $0.00
Sign of the MakerBrian Shea7h 13m$17
No Sin UnpunishedLynDee Walker7h 43m$17
The Cases of Lord Peter Wimsey - Complete Series (Annotated)Dorothy L. Sayers148h 10m$2 · $0.00
You may also like
The Brotherhood of the Seven KingsL. T. Meade7h 46m$15 · $0.00
The Bomb-MakersWilliam Le Queux4h 17m$2 · $0.00
The English SpyDaniel Silva12h 4m$29 · $0.00
St. Nicholas Salvage & WreckingDana Haynes8h 27m$20
Code Name Blue WrenJim Popkin10h 25m$28 · $0.00
The Trail to Buddha’s MirrorDon Winslow12h 3m$23
Guardian of LiesSteve Martini14h 13m$33 · $0.00
The Wrecking CrewDonald Hamilton6h 2m$14
The Hidden TargetHelen MacInnes14h 53m$23
Impostor SyndromeKathy Wang10h 35m$29 · $0.00
The Day of the JackalFrederick Forsyth13h 23m$23
BRITISH MYSTERIES Boxed Set: 70+ Spy Thrillers & Detective StoriesEmma Orczy66h 10m$1 · $0.00
Cleek of Scotland Yard: Detective StoriesThomas W. Hanshew12h 2m$2.40
The Crystal StopperMaurice Leblanc8h 49m$2.30
The valley of fearArthur Conan Doyle6h 21m$3 · $0.00
SpookedBarry Meier8h 33m$26 · $0.00
The Complete Works of E. Phillips Oppenheim: 109 Novels & 200+ Short Stories (Illustrated) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim1202h 1m$2 · $0.00
The Crystal StopperMaurice Leblanc8h 49m$2.30 · $0.00
Crime & CompanyGina Billy55m$12
The Dark ArtEdward Follis, Douglas Century7h 27m$20 · $0.00