The Place of Dragons: A Mystery

"The Place of Dragons" (1916) is a mystery novel by Anglo-French writer William Le Queux. Published at the height of Le Queux's career as a leading author of popular thrillers, The Place of Dragons is a story of mystery, murder, and suspicion. 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 The Place of Dragons, an old man and his nephew settle in the sleepy seaside village of Cromer, where locals begin to wonder who they could be. While Vernon Gregory spends his days walking along the beautiful North Sea coast, the young Edward Craig frequents the local billiard halls and golf courses. Noted for his philanthropy and plain tastes, Gregory is soon revealed to be a wealthy industrialist whose fortune was made manufacturing steel armor plates for the British military. When the old man is discovered dead on a remote cliffside, and when his nephew goes missing the same day, the normally quiet town becomes the center of a national investigation. As secrets are slowly revealed, the people of Cromer are forced to confront truths about one another they had formerly hoped to ignore-truths detective Herbert Vidal is keen to expose and examine.