The Sign of Silence

The Sign of Silence (1915) is a mystery novel by Anglo-French writer William Le Queux. Published at the height of Le Queux’s career as a leading author of popular thrillers, The Sign of Silence is a story of stolen identity, mystery, and international crime. Using his own research and experience as a journalist and adventurer, Le Queux crafts an accessible, entertaining for readers in search of a literary escape. Known for his works of fiction and nonfiction on the possibility of Germany invading Britain-a paranoia common in the early twentieth century-William Le Queux also wrote dozens of thrillers and adventure novels for a dedicated public audience. Although critical acclaim eluded him, popular success made him one of England’s bestselling writers. In The Sign of Silence, a man named Royle receives a late night telephone call from his friend Sir Digsby Kemsley, a wealthy socialite and renowned engineer. When he arrives at his mansion in Harrington Gardens, a strange air of secrecy and fear has taken over Digsby. Talking in a hurried manner, he asks his old friend to adopt a disguise in order to deliver a sealed envelope to a mysterious woman, then to await a call. Before he allows Royle to leave, he makes him promise to remain loyal to him at all costs, which the novel’s hero agrees to immediately. The next day, however, a man claiming to be Digsby reaches out via telephone, acting as though nothing had happened. As the story unfolds, a manhunt is launched for the shadowy figure whose friendship has been essential to Royle’s life in London, and whose disappearance will shock the world. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of William Le Queux’s The Sign of Silence is a classic thriller reimagined for modern readers.