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"If anybody cared to sit down and figure how large a supporting cast was needed to back up Sexton Blake and Tinker not forgetting Pedro, I think they would be amazed. Of villains (minor and major ) of victims, of young lovers, of detective inspectors, of cooks, cleaners and maids, of Lords and Ladies, of down and outs, of cabbies and railway men, of sports world figures, of the whole host of fictional characters surrounding Sexton Blake in his adventures there could be no end. Some merely glided in and out and are long forgotten, some starred in a whole series and are dimly remembered, while others had but one or two series devoted to them but will never be forgotten." Raymond Cure, Collector's Digest, December, 1985
Throughout his long career there were many who fought alongside Sexton Blake as the detective unravelled mysteries in every corner of the globe. At the start of his career there was Jules Gervaise, a French detective and Blake's first partner. Then came We-wee a 9-year old Chinese boy Blake encountered on his first trip to China. He was followed by Griff the Man-Tracker, a trained ape, and then Wallace Lorrimer his secretary and pupil in 1901. But of course there were two characters in particular who would forever alter Blake's world, companions who would be by his side from the day of their creation and throughout the Blake golden age: Tinker his young assistant and Pedro his faithful bloodhound.
Tinker, a 'small, bright, cheeky-faced boy' first appeared in the 1904 tale Cunning against Skill, created by W. J. Lomax. He was an immediate sensation and became a feature in Blake's cases thereafter. He was joined a year later by Pedro the bloodhound in William Murray Graydon's The Dog Detective. Graydon, a highly prolific author also introduced readers to Mrs. Bardell, Blake's inimitable Baker Street landlady and housekeeper, famed for her language use and amazing culinary skill. In 1907 Cecil Hayter introduced two more great friends British explorer Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu, the mighty chief of the Etbaia tribe of Zulus to the Blake saga. The pair would feature in 38 tales over the next 25 years. A few months before the outbreak of the First World War Andrew Murray gave Blake a new ally, the Honorable John Lawless, an adventure loving-gentleman who often operated outside the law to right wrongs and further the interest of the British Empire.
This Sexton Blake anthology collects the origin stories of eight of Sexton Blake's closest friends and associates. You'll discover how he met We-wee in Chased through China, read about his first case with Tinker, and discover Pedro's history. You'll watch Mrs. Bardell make her debut in The House of Mystery and steal the show in The Mystery of Mrs. Bardell's Xmas Pudding. You'll discover how John Lawless and Blake first met, travel to Africa for Blake's first adventure with Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu and watch Blake team up with friend and rival detective Nelson Lee. All eight tales include a brief author biography. Enjoy!
Reviews
Chased Through China (Wei-wei)
"Among the best of the earliest tales" Mark Hodder, Sexton Blake Bibliography, Blakiana.
Cunning against Skill (Tinker)
""The introduction of Tinker is excellent -- in that the chemistry of the partnership is there straight away." Mark Hodder, Sexton Blake Bibliography, Blakiana.
The Dog Detective (Pedro)
"A nice debut for Pedro." Mark Hodder, Sexton Blake Bibliography, Blakiana.
The Slave Market (Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu)
"A tightly written, action-packed adventure of the first order." Mark Hodder, Sexton Blake Bibliography, Blakiana.
The Mystery of Mrs. Bardell's Xmas Pudding!
"An absolutely wonderful tale so packed with Christmas cheer that it gladdens the heart and raises a lump to the throat." Mark Hodder, Sexton Blake Bibliography, Blakiana.
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