The Complete, Annotated Secret Adversary
The Complete, Annotated Secret Adversary

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Peschel Press

Published: 2013-12-01

Total Pages: 573

ISBN-13:

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A world war is over but Great Britain is still menaced by its enemies. Recently released from their wartime service, Tommy and Tuppence are young, energetic . . . and broke. Joining forces, they advertise that they’ll do anything for money. When they’re hired by the government to hunt for a missing treaty, they discover a plot led by the mysterious “Mr. Brown” to destroy the nation! Can Tommy and Tuppence defeat Bolshevists, Sinn Feiners, trade unionists and Labourites and save Britain in her hour of peril? Agatha Christie created intricate stories of murder and mayhem that have enchanted millions of readers worldwide. Bill Peschel, author of “The Complete, Annotated Mysterious Affair at Styles,” “The Complete, Annotated Whose Body?” and “Writers Gone Wild,” reads between the lines of Christie’s first thriller and tells the fascinating stories behind it. “The Complete, Annotated Secret Adversary” contains more than 700 footnotes describing words, idioms, people, places and contemporary events; essays on Agatha Christie:, her battles with the tax man and her 11-day disappearance that shocked the nation; essays on the times, including flappers, spy scandals, and the world after World War I. The book also contains a detailed chronology of Christie’s life and a list of all of her books.

The Complete, Annotated Secret of Chimneys
The Complete, Annotated Secret of Chimneys

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Peschel Press

Published:

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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Romance, politics, mystery, and murder collide at a British country home In this lengthy annotated edition of the classic Agatha Christie novel, adventurer Anthony Cade returns to Britain to deliver a politician’s memoirs and to rescue a woman from a blackmailing scheme. But when he arrives, he finds himself enmeshed in international intrigue and murder. The answer to these mysteries, as well as his pursuit of a beautiful spirited woman leads him to Chimneys, the country home. There, another murder puts him in the middle of the investigation that will require all of his wits and intelligence to keep him from the gallows. Meanwhile, the forces of Scotland Yard and the French Sûreté converge on Chimneys in pursuit of a master criminal, a missing British crown jewel, and the ultimate Secret of Chimneys. Published in 1925, “The Secret of Chimneys” was hailed as “a capital detective story,” “bright and cleverly written” and “an engrossing and entertaining yarn.” This new annotated edition, edited by Bill Peschel comes more than 30,000 words in footnotes and essays that delves into the background of the story and the life of its author. Learn about Abney Hall, the inspiration of all of Christie’s country homes, the real-life manor where major Hollywood productions are filmed, and the life of Agatha Christie during her most happiest time, before it all fell apart. “The Complete, Annotated Secret of Chimneys,” the fifth book in Peschel Press’ Complete, Annotated series, will entertain, educate, and enlighten you. You’ll see an Agatha Christie at her wittiest and in a way you’ve never seen her before.

The Cases of Blue Ploermell
The Cases of Blue Ploermell

Author: James Thurber

Publisher:

Published: 2021-10

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781950347322

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In 1923, the young reporter James Thurber was given a half a page in the Sunday Evening Dispatch of Columbus, Ohio, every week to fill with anything he wanted. For most of that year, he turned out book reviews, humorous commentary, jokes, stories, and even literary criticism.He also wrote a series of 13 short Sherlockian parodies - 10,000 words in all - starring Blue Ploermell, a "psychosocial" detective with a fondness for animal crackers. Aided (and occasionally impeded) by his Chinese manservant, Gong Low, Ploermell investigates cases marked by his cock-eyed deductions, loopy logic, and knack for leaping to the wrong conclusion.These juvenilia represents Thurber's first attempts at learning the craft of humor writing. Looking back at this work years later, he even considered publishing the Ploermell stores. The Cases of Blue Ploermell, for the first time in a century, collects the 13 stories. Edited and annotated by Bill Peschel, they show Thurber trying his hand at characterization, story structure, ethnic humor, and serial writing in a style rarely seen at any newspaper. In addition to the annotations, Peschel wrote essays on Thurber's years in Columbus, Ohio; journalism in the 1920s; the state of Sherlockian parodies; and depictions of Chinese men and women in American popular culture. Note: The 13 stories are very short, and take up 40 pages of this 200-page book. The rest of the book consists of these essays: "Becoming James Thurber" (39 pages); "Journalism in Thurber's Time" (4 pages); "Sherlockian Parodies in the 1920s" (8 pages); "The Ancestors of Gong Low" (13 pages); "The Chinese in Popular Culture" (35 pages); movie reviews (19 pages); chronology (9 pages); lists (7 pages).

The Complete, Annotated Murder on the Links
The Complete, Annotated Murder on the Links

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Peschel Press

Published:

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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This fully annotated edition of “Murder on the Links” includes: * 20,000 words in the footnotes describing words, historical events, and cultural references * Essays on Agatha Christie’s life, the French judicial system, golf novels, and the murderous inspiration of “Links” * Maps and illustrations of objects and places mentioned in the novel * Character list, French phrase list, and a full bibliography * Numerous photos and illustrations A dangerous threat. A mysterious woman. A murderous past. Hercule Poirot is hunting a killer! Responding to a hunted man’s desperate plea, Hercule Poirot and his friend Captain Hastings travel to the coast of France, only to find him murdered outside his home, the Villa Marguerite. Joining the investigation despite the opposition of a rival detective, he uncovers evidence that leads to the arrest of an innocent man. Poirot must prevent a deadly miscarriage of justice, but how can he succeed when even his close friend is working against him? The Belgian detective must tax his celebrated “little grey cells” to the utmost to uncover what happened that deadly night on the grounds of the Villa Marguerite. The Complete, Annotated Murder on the Links contains hundreds of explanatory footnotes — 20,000 words in all! — by Christie expert Bill Peschel. They describe in detail aspects of British and French culture unfamiliar to readers. They define cultural and historical events, define unfamiliar French and English words, and now-forgotten celebrities. Learn why red lipstick was seen as a sexual signal, who Christie dedicated the book too and why, and links in the story to other Christie works. When you’re done with the novel, dig into these essays — 12,000 words in all by Bill Peschel — that expand the world of Links and Agatha Christie: * The Woman Behind Murder on the Links Meet Marguerite Steinheil, the wealthy adventuress whose affair with the president of France ended in his death, and her involvement in a double murder (of her husband and mother) that put her on trial for her life! * England vs. France Why the two nations get like a longtime married couple who barely understand each other, but stay together anyway. * The British Invasion Links is set amid the English expatriates on the Boulogne coast. Why did they come to France, and what was the Christie connection? * The French Police The way French police investigate crimes is far different from their English counterparts. What is the difference between the Sûreté, the gendarmerie, and the municipal police? Read this and find out. * Agatha Christie in 1921 What was she doing and why was this her most happy time? * Education Of an Author Agatha Christie learned a lot about the publishing business during this time. Why did she drop her first publisher and move to Collins? * The History of Hastings Mystery’s second most celebrated sidekick gets an essay about him, describing why he was useful and why Christie dropped him. * Murder on the Golf Course Although Links didn’t have much to do with the game, there were plenty of mysteries taking place on the golf course. This overview describes the most notable ones of the 1920s and ’30s. * Editing Agatha There were numerous changes made in the book between its first publication and its final edition, including whole paragraphs omitted. This essay describes what was changed. Plus two maps created for the book, a list of French phrases, translated, and a list of characters.

The Complete, Annotated Man in the Brown Suit
The Complete, Annotated Man in the Brown Suit

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Peschel Press

Published:

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13:

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For Anne Beddingfeld, Southern Africa holds the key to a mystery, if she lives! Young Anne Beddingfeld came to London with a small inheritance and a taste for travel and adventure. She gets more than she bargained for when a stranger falls from the tube platform and is electrocuted on the rails. A man in a brown suit examines the body, but flees before the police arrive. It was an accidental death, but Anne is intrigued. Why did the dead man startle? Why did he have a note regarding an empty house owned by a high-ranking government official? Who was the man in the brown suit who examined him and fled? What is the secret in the cryptic message he left behind: “17-122 Kilmorden Castle”? The mystery deepens when a woman is found strangled in the official's empty house. Anne’s investigation leads her to a cruise ship heading for sunny South Africa, followed by a treacherous journey into Rhodesia. Anne encounters danger, daring escapes, romance, and uncovers a conspiracy that could shake the foundation of the British Empire. Published in 1926, The Man in the Brown Suit was praised for its ingenious plotting and unique narrative structure. This new annotated edition, edited by Bill Peschel, comes with more than 40,000 words in footnotes and essays that delves into the background of the story and the life of its author. The Complete, Annotated Man in the Brown Suit, the sixth book in Peschel Press’ Complete, Annotated series, will entertain, educate, and enlighten you. You’ll see an Agatha Christie at her wittiest and in a way you’ve never seen her before.

The Complete, Annotated Murder of Roger Ackroyd
The Complete, Annotated Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Bill Peschel (pub-9236556122599907)

Published:

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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This fully annotated edition of “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” includes:
* Nearly 15,000 words in the footnotes describing words, historical events, and cultural references
* Essays on Agatha Christie’s life and how she found love again, what to look for when rereading Ackroyd, the controversy over a claimed Scandinavian inspiration, what you’ll find in a doctor’s black bag, Christie’s legacy as a fictional character, a review of the Poirot episode, and what the reviewers thought of the book at the time
* Maps and illustrations of objects and places mentioned in the novel
* Character list, cover gallery, and a full bibliography
* More than 30 photos and illustrations

Agatha Christie’s most controversial novel

In this annotated edition of the groundbreaking Agatha Christie novel, Hercule Poirot retires to the village of King’s Abbot to raise vegetable marrows. But when his friend Roger Ackroyd is found stabbed to death in his study, Poirot is asked to investigate. Many people would benefit from the death of the country squire, but none of them could have done it, except for the man who vanished!

With the help of Dr. Sheppard, who narrates the tale, Poirot examines the evidence, but each clue raises more questions. Whose finger wore the wedding ring before it was tossed into the lake? Who visited the summer-house in the middle of the night? Who left muddy footprints on the window sill? What secrets are being kept from Poirot by the Ackroyd family and servants?

Published in 1926, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd established Christie as the premiere mystery novelist of her time, and her 11-day disappearance after its publication spread her name worldwide. This new annotated edition, edited by Bill Peschel, contains an additional 30,000 words in footnotes and essays describing unfamiliar words, expands on the story, and delves into the novel’s background and the life of its author.

The Complete, Annotated Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the seventh book in Peschel Press’ Complete, Annotated series, will entertain, educate, and enlighten you. Learn about Agatha Christie during her greatest crisis and how she rebuilt her life and found a second chance at love.

The Illustrated Life and Career of William Palmer
The Illustrated Life and Career of William Palmer

Author: Bill Peschel

Publisher: Peschel Press

Published: 2016-04-21

Total Pages: 410

ISBN-13:

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THE PRINCE OF POISONERS William Palmer was known to all in Rugeley. The son from a wealthy family had trained in London as a surgeon and returned to the English village with his beautiful, respected wife to raise a family and live out his days as a country doctor. But Dr. Palmer wanted more. More money. More excitement. More women. He dove into the shady world of horse racing, gambling heavily and spending a fortune to build his stable of thoroughbreds. When money grew tight, he found that a dosed drink or two could clear the way. He got away with it, poisoning his wife, mother-in-law, his infant children, fellow gamblers and many more, until he killed one time too many. The story of Dr. Palmer’s deadly treatments at the birth of the mass media riveted the nation and spread around the world. The sensational 12-day trial in London’s Old Bailey drew the attention of royalty (Prince Albert bought one of Palmer’s horses at auction) and literature (Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins followed the case) and made legal history as the first trial in which strychnine figured and the first to be moved because of the enormous publicity. Appearing soon after Palmer’s execution in 1856, “The Illustrated Life and Career of William Palmer” was published to cash in on the notorious case. The anonymous author combined facts and rumors about Palmer’s crimes with sketches on debauched medical students and crooked scams in horse racing, and pious meditations on Palmer’s wife. With the help of footnotes and essays, the result is a compelling, fascinating look at life in the early Victorian era, and the criminal doctor who was placed “at the head of his profession” by none other than Sherlock Holmes! Look for these other Peschel Press books on the Palmer case: “The Illustrated Times Trial of William Palmer” and “The Life and Career of Dr. William Palmer of Rugeley”.

Writers Gone Wild
Writers Gone Wild

Author: Bill Peschel

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2010-11-02

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1101445246

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Truth is stranger than fiction. If you've imagined famous writers to be desk-bound drudges, think again. Writers Gone Wild rips back the (book) covers and reveals the seamy underside of the writing life. Insightful, intriguing, and irresistibly addictive, Writers Gone Wild reveals such fascinating stories as: * The night Dashiell Hammett hired a Chinese prostitute to break up S. J. Perelman's marriage (and ran off with his wife). * Why Sylvia Plath bit Ted Hughes on the cheek. * Why Ernest Hemingway fought a book critic, a modernist poet, and his war correspondent/wife Martha Gellhorn (but not at the same time). * The near-fatal trip Katherine Anne Porter took while high on marijuana in Mexico. * Why women's breasts sent Percy Bysshe Shelley screaming from the room. * The day Virginia Woolf snuck onto a Royal Navy ship disguised as an Abyssinian prince. Pull up a chair, turn on good reading light, and discover what your favorite writers were up to while away from their desks. Sometimes, they make the wildest characters of all.

The Secret Adversary (Annotated) - Kids Fun Exercise Book
The Secret Adversary (Annotated) - Kids Fun Exercise Book

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Lazlo Ferran

Published: 2019-12-13

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13:

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This edition features 11 unique illustrations throughout to colour in. A girl on the sinking liner Lusitania is given a secret packet to save by a mysterious stranger. Pursued by criminals and the British government, she goes missing, leaving amateur detectives Tuppence and Tommy to find her and rescue the packet. This version of the second Agatha Christie story has been specially adapted for kids from nine to twelve years old. The language and vocabulary are easy, and emphasis is on action using past, present and future simple tenses. Punctuation meets UK or USA ESL/CEFR/IELTS Level B2. Lazlo Ferran is a fully qualified English teacher and teaches in London. He has also published more than twenty novels, making him the ideal choice to adapt Agatha Christie’s stories for children. Vocabulary Stretcher and UK or USA ESL/CEFR Level B2 editions are also available. Classics Adapted by a Qualified Teacher Paperback available on Amazon: http://bit.ly/sakexgt Categories: kids fiction, children's fiction, Ages 9-12, UK Key Stage 1, UK Key Stage 2, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7 Keywords: preteen, K12, K-12, detective, Agatha Christie, thriller, fun, age-group-9-12, classics, adaptations, crime, 1920s, education, reading practice, classic, world war I, teaching materials, punctuation, sleuth, USA Grade-4, Grade-5, Grade-6, Grade-7, Grade-8, cozy, UK-Key-Stage-2, UK-Key-Stage-3, action, amateur, WWI, England, British, vocabulary, murder, small town, war, education books for 4th grade, education books for 5th grade, education books for 6th grade, education books for 7th grade, home learning 4th grade, home learning 5th grade, home learning 6th grade, home learning 7th grade, reading practise 4th grade, reading practise 5th grade, reading practise 6th grade, reading practise 7th grade, at home tutor reading, home learning 4th grade, home learning 5th grade, home learning 6th grade, home learning 7th grade, teaching materials for 4th grade, teaching materials for 5th grade, teaching materials for 6th grade, teaching materials for 7th grade, education books for 9 year olds, education books for 12 year olds, education books for 10 year olds, education books for 12 year olds, home tutoring books, home learning ks1, home learning ks1,