ORCHIDS FOR BIGGLES
Book First Published in June 1962 - 168 pages
I believe this Biggles book was never serialised elsewhere. If anybody knows differently then please E-MAIL ME
First edition dust jacket showing the original price of 8
shillings and 6 pence
Biggles is sent to South America
to find a traitor. Harold Neckel was a top man in
nuclear research and he has stolen documents so secret that if they ever got
into the hands of the enemy the results would be devastating. He is now
blackmailing the British Government and wants a million dollars for their
return. Meeting with a friendly orchid trader, known as Don Pedro, Biggles and
Bertie pass on to the town of Cruzuado in Peru where Neckel's post is collected. Here they discover a Russian
agent called Bogosoff. The receptionist at their
hotel is a girl called Dolores and it is discovered via one of Don Pedro's
employee's, called Jose, that she collects and delivers the post for a man
called Luis Salvador. Biggles suspects that Salvador may be Neckel.
Another woman, called Maria, is jealous of Salvador's relationship with Dolores
and murders Dolores, who was in the process of delivering a letter to Salvador.
Biggles finds both her body and the letter. After reporting the death to the
local police, Biggles delivers the letter to Salvador. The letter is addressed
to Neckel, and Salvador claims that this person is a
friend of his. Suddenly Bogosoff, bursts in with a
gun and interrupts their conversation. He wants the stolen documents. It is now
clear that Salvador is Neckel. The police arrive in
time and Bogosoff runs off. Biggles too has to leave.
Meanwhile, Bertie, who has already been hit over the head, has an unfortunate
encounter with an anaconda. Biggles later returns to Salvador/Neckel's house to try to obtain the plans and finds that he
has been murdered by Jose, who was in love with Dolores and blamed Salvador for
her death. Bogosoff also returns and he finds the
stolen documents where Biggles and Bertie fail. Biggles uses his plane to chase
Bogosoff's boat down the river and this is the
picture on the dust cover of the book. Biggles manages to get the plans back
and return them to safety.
With the exception of the frontispiece, there are no story
illustrations in this book.
Orchids for Biggles
Subtitle - An adventure of Biggles of the Air Police
Publication Details - published by Brockhampton
Press
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail
The “Children’s Book Club” edition reprint – click on the above
picture to find out more details