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
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (17)
Includes Goodreads
GenreMystery and Thriller
Length30 hrs 28 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 1, 2016
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1CLOWNS AND CRIMINALS (Thriller Classics Series) (Annotated)
11MICHAEL'S EVIL DEEDS (pt. 1)
2Introduction
12MICHAEL'S EVIL DEEDS (pt. 2)
3Historical Context
13MICHAEL'S EVIL DEEDS (pt. 3)
4Synopsis (Selection)
14MICHAEL'S EVIL DEEDS (pt. 4)
5PETER RUFF (pt. 1)
15JENNERTON & CO. (pt. 1)
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6PETER RUFF (pt. 2)
16JENNERTON & CO. (pt. 2)
7PETER RUFF (pt. 3)
17JENNERTON & CO. (pt. 3)
8THE DOUBLE FOUR (pt. 1)
18Analysis
9THE DOUBLE FOUR (pt. 2)
19Reflection
10THE DOUBLE FOUR (pt. 3)
20Memorable Quotes
THE WORLD'S GREAT SNAREE. Phillips Oppenheim11h 41m3.2 (17)$1.99 · $0.00
THE GREAT IMPERSONATION (Spy Thriller)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 42m3.8 (5.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
Clowns and Criminals - Complete Collection (Thriller Classics)E. Phillips Oppenheim30h 25m3.9 (17)$1.99 · $0.00
An Amiable CharlatanE. Phillips Oppenheim6h 17m4.1 (378)$16 · $0.00
The Vanished MessengerE. Phillips Oppenheim8h 19m3.8 (238)$16 · $0.00
The Zeppelin's PassengerE. Phillips Oppenheim6h 35m3.5 (167)$16 · $0.00
The Collected Works of E. Phillips Oppenheim (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim691h 51m$1.99 · $0.00
Das Mädchen mit den MillionenE. Phillips Oppenheim7h 10m$1 · $0.00
FinanzkönigeE. Phillips Oppenheim6h 18m$1 · $0.00
Schatten der VergangenheitE. Phillips Oppenheim6h 42m3.5 (41)$1 · $0.00
The Pawns Count (Spy Thriller Classic) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 11m3.9 (58)$2 · $0.00
The Curious Quest (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 50m$2 · $0.00
The Spy Paramount (Thriller Classic) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim7h 53m4.1 (25)$2 · $0.00
The Kingdom of the Blind (Spy Thriller Classic) (Annotated)E. Phillips Oppenheim9h 1m3.8 (56)$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 8m3.6 (122)$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 3m3.6 (32)$2 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
Three ComradesErich Maria Remarque15h 50m4.5 (47.3K)$2 · $0.00
AngelAnita Waller10h 30m4.6 (672)$30 · $0.00
The BorderDon Winslow29h 8m4.5 (35.7K)$53 · $0.00
FlashpointCatherine Coulter11h 38m4.5 (11.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Gothic Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Illustrated Edition)Edgar Allan Poe21h 5m4.5 (2.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m4.6 (495)$33 · $0.00
Fang Si-Chi's First Love ParadiseYi-Han Lin8h 25m4.5 (4K)$26 · $0.00
The Rose CodeKate Quinn16h 2m4.4 (493.7K)$33 · $0.00
No Woman Left BehindJulie Moffett8h 49m4.5 (3K)$25 · $0.00
CovertJanie Crouch6h 15m4.5 (2K)$12 · $0.00
Cold Case InvestigationNicole Helm5h 30m4.6 (321)$5 · $0.00
The ReunionJana DeLeon6h 31m4.5 (1.6K)$12 · $0.00
Courage Under FireSharon Dunn5h 50m4.5 (730)$24 · $0.00
Decoding the TruthJulie Miller7h 31m4.6 (350)$12 · $0.00
Murder Gone ColdB.J. Daniels5h 50m4.5 (562)$12 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky22h 22m4.4 (1.3M)$0.60 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoyevsky23h 14m4.4 (1.3M)$1 · $0.00
Exit FeeBrad Taylor3h 16m4.5 (1.9K)$18 · $0.00
Sworn to ProtectShirlee McCoy5h 7m4.5 (1K)$12 · $0.00
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