THE UNKNOWN QUANTITY
“The English Catalogue of Books” says that this book was first
Published in January 1940 (possibly because the year was known but not the
exact month)
The British Library copy is dated as being received on 11th
June 1940 - 254 pages
The Bodleian Library copy is dated as being received on 28th
November 1940 - 254 pages
Due to wartime paper shortages, it was not uncommon for the
publication of books to be delayed
The true first edition has
blue boards with the title in yellow on the spine and the John Hamilton “sun
dial” logo at the base of the spine – see photographs of the book towards the
bottom of the page
Original first edition dust wrapper showing the price of 7/6. The identical dust wrapper appears on all
subsequent reprints. You can only tell a
first edition by looking at the boards of the book.
The French version of the book “C’est X Qui Frappe!” translates as
“It’s X who knocks!”
Republished in paperback by Norman Wright
in 2003 - 188 pages
This
excellent, fast moving and exciting adventure begins with Nigel Deane, known as
"Gunga", summoning his brother Guy, to discuss the death of their
older brother Peter. Pete was a journalist and Gunga is convinced he has been
murdered because of a letter that Pete sent to Gunga the night of his death.
Pete was investigating a mysterious gang, who identify each other by a 1904
Victorian Penny and whose members are only known by numbers. Pete was killed in
a car crash at a place called Blandford. Gunga and Guy resolve to kill everyone
involved in Pete's death and bring this criminal organisation down, come what
may. Being service men they both have guns and the ability to kill in cold
blood. It is clear from Pete's letter that the only person who knew of his
destination on the night of his death was his editor, Brimfield. Gunga and Guy
go to Brimfield's home address, show a 1904 Victorian Penny, and bluff about
the death of Peter Deane. Brimfield ('Number 23') reveals his involvement and they
shoot him dead. Gunga is able to use a private line to ring 'Number 17' in the
gang and tell him what they have done. He calls himself 'The Unknown Quantity'.
Paperwork from Brimfield's desk leads our two heroes to a seed shop that
supplies cocaine to its customers. Gunga suspects that Inspector Drysdale of
Scotland Yard is a member of the gang and he writes to him about the drug
dealing seed shop giving the address of the Cottage the brothers are staying
at. Gunga suspects that if Drysdale is bent there will be an attempt on their
lives. Sure enough a bogus policeman calls ('Number 119') and has to be shot.
His body is dumped outside Inspector Drysdale's home address. After stealing
some post from the seed shop, a lead takes our heroes to see a Lola Darling in
a private nursing home. Lola tells Gunga and Guy about her diary before she is
murdered by 'Number 17', an Archdeacon Brindon. Our heroes tell him who they
are and shoot him dead. Unfortunately, a photograph of a local cricket match
captures both them and their car and the police are on to them. Inspector
Drysdale pays our heroes a visit at their new base and an enigmatic
conversation ensues. Shortly after an attempt is made to blow the new base up.
Gunga and Guy search for Lola's diary. Logic and luck help them find it at the
flat of the now deceased 'Number 119' but Drysdale gets to the diary first. In
the flat they find a newspaper with an account of their brother's death at
Blandford and of another mysterious death in the same area that day, the son of
Sir Roland Alister-Bowes, killed in a shooting accident. Gunga knew the victim
from the army and using that pretext goes to call on Sir Roland and his
daughter Ann. On the way, a following car gets a hand grenade from Gunga. When
they meet Sir Roland, they take him into their confidence and he does likewise.
Lord Glenbold, the proprietor of the Daily Echo, Peter Deane's paper, is
blackmailing Sir Roland. Lord Glenbold is staying with Prince Rubenoff who
happens to live on the neighbouring estate. The main suspect for the murder of
Sir Roland's son is Prince Rubenoff's gamekeeper, a man called Tredwell. Gunga
and Guy pay him a visit, pretending to be gang members by showing the 1904
Victorian Penny. They learn that Lord Glenbold is 'Number 3' and they pretend
that they have been sent by 'Number 1' to order Tredwell to kill 'Number 3',
which he duly does. They then leave Tredwell to be arrested and face the
hangman. Getting into the residence of Prince Rubenoff, the mysterious and
masked 'Number 1' arrives for a conference. Inspector Drysdale also arrives.
The house is then secured by electronically closing shutters. Here Gunga and
Guy set to work avenging the death of their brother but there are still some
surprises and twists before the day's work is done.
The Unknown Quantity
Subtitle - none
Publication Details - originally published by John Hamilton
Original first edition book held by the Bodleian Library in
Oxford. This was stamped as received on
28th November 1940. There are
numerous reprints of this book, but I believe that the genuine first edition is
this one,
with the John Hamilton sundial logo at the base of the spine and
the title and author’s name all in yellow.
There appear to be numerous reprints of the book but none of them have
the John Hamilton sundial logo on them.
Above is the first edition from my own collection.
Above is the most common reprint
Above is a selection of different reprints for THE UNKNOWN
QUANTITY, they appear to be quite numerous!
2003 Reprint published by Norman Wright. Artist Andrew Skilleter was asked to repaint
the original jacket.