BIGGLES AND THE DARK INTRUDER
First Published in April 1967 (uniquely as a paperback)
- 190 pages
Book First Published in hardback in February 1970 - 190 pages
I believe
this Biggles book was never serialised elsewhere. If anybody knows differently then please E-MAIL ME
The first edition itself, was a paperback, and it was published
nearly three years before the hardback.
The original price of the paperback was 3 shillings and 6 pence
The first hardback edition dust jacket showing the original
price of 12 shillings (and
with the reference to 60p as decimalisation was coming in 1971)
|
There were TWO editions of the hardback. The first hardback had blue boards and a
larger front flap priced at 12/- with 60p in brackets |
This is a picture of the spines of the two hardback editions |
The second hardback edition had red boards and a thinner front flap
priced at 70p |
Biggles investigates an unidentified
aircraft that is persistently flying into the country under the radar curtain.
The plane is always heading towards the Cornwall/Devon region, so Biggles
concentrates enquiries there. Alerted by the murder of a police constable at
Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie go there to make
further enquiries. Aerial photographs of the Moor reveal a burnt strip of land
and a fresh green strip parallel to it. This is next to an abandoned mine where
there is located a mysterious shepherd with a fierce dog. When Ginger
investigates the mine, he finds himself held at bay by the dog. Things start to
move when 'Cracker' Lewis escapes from nearby Dartmoor prison. Investigating a
suspicious Bentley car, Bertie finds out that Sir Humphrey Trethallan who lives
at nearby Hallstone Towers owns it. Keeping watch on Hallstone Towers Biggles
is shocked to see Sir Humphrey with Lewis. Biggles suspects the intruding
aircraft is flying escaped criminals out of the country in return for part of
their stolen loot and Sir Humphrey is behind the scheme. Bertie is assigned to
observe Hallstone Towers and he sees Sir Humphrey leading Lewis out to Bodmin
moor. Bertie then accidentally falls down an abandoned mine shaft and is
knocked unconscious. Coming to, he is confronted by the shepherd and realises
that the shaft he has fallen down must connect to the abandoned mine under
suspicion. With Ginger's help, Bertie gets out of the mine. The intruding
aeroplane arrives and Biggles, with the help of the local police move in to
make arrests. Sir Humphrey escapes and is pursued back to Hallstone Towers.
Here, he blows his own brains out with a gun, rather than be arrested. The
cover of both the first edition paperback and later hardback show Biggles
(presumably) with the Bentley car and the 'dark intruder' aircraft in the
background.
There are no story illustrations in this book
Biggles and the Dark Intruder
Publication Details - published by Brockhampton Press
Frontispiece of the later first hardback edition
Click on the above to see it in more detail