ORCHIDS FOR BIGGLES
First Published in June 1962 - 168 pages
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