BIGGLES AND THE LITTLE GREEN GOD

Book First Published in March 1969 - 179 pages

I believe this Biggles book was never serialised elsewhere.  If anybody knows differently then please E-MAIL ME

 

The first edition dust jacket showing the original price of 12 shillings

 

CHAPTERS

Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or see the general story summary below

1 – NOT LOST BUT FAR FROM HOME

2 – THE AIR COMMODORE HAS A TALE TO TELL

3 – THE AIR COMMODORE CONCLUDES

4 – BIGGLES ASKS SOME QUESTIONS

5 – A THANKLESS ASSIGNMENT

6 – BIGGLES MAKES A CALL

7 – A WARNING AND A DECISION

8 – BARRENDO GIVES HIS VERSION

9 – DANGEROUS FLYING

10 – ASTONISHING NEWS

11 – THE CRASH

12 – DISTURBING EVENTS

13 – REVELATIONS

14 – BIGGLES TAKES A CHANCE

15 – A STRANGER INTERVENES

16 – A TAKE-OFF TO REMEMBER

17 – BIGGLES PLAYS THE LAST CARD

 

Biggles is asked by Air Commodore Raymond to investigate the disappearance of a 2 lb. carved lump of green jade with a large red ruby set in the middle of its forehead. This is a statue of an ancient South American God called Atu-Hua and it has recently been bought at auction by Don Carlos Ricardo Pallimo. Whilst the idol was being shipped back to Chile, the small plane that was carrying it has disappeared and now the insurance company stand to pay out £100,000 to cover its loss. Biggles makes enquiries and discovers that, apart from the crew, two men were aboard the plane, one called O'Higgins was the courier for the idol and the other called Barrendo was a political rival of Pallimo. Biggles and Algy fly out to Chile to search for the missing plane. They discover there is much more to the story than they have been told. Using their aircraft to search for the lost plane, they eventually come across a lone figure waving and they make a dangerous landing on a high plateau in the Andes. The figure turns out to be Conchita Gonzales, the air hostess from the lost plane. Algy parachutes down to make sure the ground is safe for landing and this is the picture on the dust cover of the book. Conchita says an exploding bomb brought the plane down. Biggles and Algy search the wreckage of the crashed plane but local Indians have looted it. They have found the idol and have now become hostile and attempt to sacrifice Pepe, another crew member from the plane. The Indians ignite the crashed plane's undamaged fuel tank and the resulting explosion kills some, whilst others flee. Biggles finds Pepe and the idol but is unable to take off from the plateau due to the weather conditions. Waiting for the weather to clear before the hostile natives return, Biggles is approached by a man called Estiban Huerta, who is on a special assignment for Pallimo. He tells Biggles that the idol is a cheap fake and not the real thing. The Indians return to attack Biggles' plane but he manages to take off in time. Biggles returns to confront Pallimo with what is in reality an insurance fraud.

 

There are no story illustrations in this book

The painting of the statue of “At-Hua” the “Little Green God” in question on the spine was not by Leslie Stead.  The artist is unknown.  Unfortunately, they did not read the description in the book.

“His eye, only one, set in the middle of his forehead was a ruby of exceptional dimensions”.  Although they have painted the ruby, they appear to have given the statue two eyes below it ….

 

Biggles and the Little Green God

Publication Details - published by Brockhampton Press

 

Frontispiece

Click on the above to see it in more detail

 

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