Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
I want to read the book!
All characters reduced
The Wire Devils - cover

The Wire Devils

Frank L. Packard

Publisher: DigiCat

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

In "The Wire Devils," Frank L. Packard immerses the reader in the thrilling world of wiretapping and the shadows that accompany it. This novel, often categorized within the crime and mystery genres of early 20th-century literature, is characterized by its pacey narrative and vivid characterizations, showcasing Packard's ability to blend suspense with a nuanced exploration of morality. The backdrop of the novel—a rapidly industrializing society grappling with technological advancements—serves as a provocative commentary on both progress and the ethical dilemmas that arise from it. Packard's concise, punchy prose matches the electric tension of its subject matter, evoking a sense of urgency and intrigue throughout the story. Frank L. Packard, a prominent Canadian author known for his adventurous tales and a deep understanding of crime fiction, drew upon his diverse experiences as a journalist and writer. His proficiency in portraying the social undercurrents of the time can be traced back to his personal encounters with the darker sides of urban life and the legalities surrounding it. This background informed his depiction of complex characters who operate outside the bounds of societal norms, enriching "The Wire Devils" with authenticity and insight. For readers eager to explore the intricate relationship between technology and morality, "The Wire Devils" is a quintessential read. Packard's storytelling invites a critical examination of the power dynamics inherent in surveillance and secrecy, challenging readers to reflect on their own perceptions of right and wrong. This engaging narrative not only entertains but also provokes deeper thought, making it a valuable addition to the libraries of fans of classic crime literature.
Available since: 10/11/2022.
Print length: 191 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • Top 10 Short Stories The - Lafcadio Hearn - The top 10 short stories by Lafcadio Hearn - cover

    Top 10 Short Stories The -...

    Lafcadio Hearn

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. 
 
In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?  
 
The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. 
 
Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 
 
In this volume we examine one of the great names from the past whose works invite life, rituals and the spirit world together to fashion dramatic and chilling unforeseen happenings. 
 
 
1 - The Top 10 Short Stories - Lafcadio Hearn - An Introduction 
2 - The Ghostly Kiss by Lafcadio Hearn 
3 - L'Amour Apres La Mort by Lafcadio Hearn 
4 - The Undying One by Lafcadio Hearn 
5 - Stranger Than Fiction by Lafcadio Hearn 
6 - Diplomacy by Lafcadio Hearn 
7 - Before the Supreme Court by Lafcadio Hearn 
8 - Of A Promise Broken by Lafcadio Hearn 
9 - A Dead Secret by Lafcadio Hearn 
10 - The Corpse Rider by Lafcadio Hearn 
11 - The Vision of the Dead Creole by Lafcadio Hearn
    Show book
  • A Crooked Cottage by the Sea - cover

    A Crooked Cottage by the Sea

    John Anthony Miller

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Bar Harbor, Maine: summer of 1967 
When Billie Cooper receives a startling medical diagnosis just before a summer-long vacation, she decides to keep it secret. Her husband Derek is a Defense Department official immersed in the Vietnam war effort. Her two sons are backpacking through Europe. She can’t burden them. She has to face the issue alone. 
She settles into a beautiful house on a hundred-foot-high cliff just south of Bar Harbor. With her husband often in Washington, D.C., Billie befriends a part-time cook named Lillian Moore. Of Native American heritage, Lillian introduces her to ancient remedies in a desperate attempt to cure what might never be cured. Billie also befriends a senile neighbor, Riley James, a lonely but lovable man who tells preposterous stories and lives in a crooked cottage by the sea, as well as three young girls who joyfully play in a secret fort hidden in nearby woods. This mismatched band of friends, and the clues contained in an overgrown family cemetery, teach Billie the meaning of life, helping her see what she had never before seen. She touches the hearts and souls of those around her, just as they touch hers, friendships formed for eternity.
    Show book
  • The Forgotten Princess - cover

    The Forgotten Princess

    James Holden-White

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    King Edward of England looks to secure his annexation of Wales and resolves to put the heir to Gwynedd’s throne, the orphaned infant Princess, Gwenllian, out of mind, secure and forgotten in a Lincolnshire Priory. The lady Rowena, ever loyal, undergoes many an ordeal to find, comfort and protect the miserable child, whose real identity has been cruelly kept from her.Eighteen years later when the King conceives a plan to settle any question of Welsh succession and news of the Princess leaks to those who would free her, Rowena finds herself faced with the most agonising of choices.
    Show book
  • A Deceptive Composition - cover

    A Deceptive Composition

    Anna Lee Huber

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, hope they've finally found peace after a tumultuous summer, but long-buried family secrets soon threaten to unravel their lives . . . 
 
 
 
October 1832. Kiera is enjoying the slower pace of the English countryside. She, Sebastian, and their infant daughter have accompanied her father-in-law, Lord Gage, home so that he can recuperate from the injuries he sustained in a foiled attempt on his life. But as the chill of autumn sweeps across the land, they receive a summons from an unexpected quarter. Lord Gage's estranged uncle—a member of the notorious Roscarrock family—has been murdered, and his family is desperate for answers. Despite Lord Gage's protests, Kiera and Sebastian press on to Cornwall to assist. 
 
 
 
It isn't long before they discover that almost nothing is as it seems among the Roscarrocks, and they've been lured to their isolated cove under false pretenses. There are whispers of a lost treasure and frightening allusions to a series of murders stretching back decades that touch the lives of the family personally. Kiera and Sebastian are left with no choice but to uncover the truth before the secrets of the past threaten to destroy them all.
    Show book
  • Free - cover

    Free

    Meg Keneally

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    'It is a harsh land - yes, for you especially - but people can also rise here ...' Born into poverty in eighteenth-century England, her future was predetermined. But throughout her life Molly Thistle refused to follow the path laid out before her. Her headstrong nature, disdain for convention and desire for freedom were always destined to determine her fate. Following her involvement in a fatal childhood prank, Molly dresses as a boy and flees on a stolen horse. Her new-found freedom ends with her arrest and an uncertain journey towards Britain's farthest prison colony. Undaunted, Molly navigates her way through a society that denies power to her sex and scorns those who have not 'arrived free'. Her quick wit, resilience and ambition will attract the love of her life and the opportunity to forge a commercial empire. And those very same characteristics will create enemies intent on destroying all that she has battled to build for herself and her family. Inspired by historical figures and actual events, Free shines a light on the indomitable figure who first made her appearance in The Wreck. In a story told with warmth and compassion for those who struggled, survived and sometimes even prevailed - and for those who did not - Meg Keneally once again brings the complexity and brutality of colonial Australia vividly to life.
    Show book
  • Bonds of Friendship - cover

    Bonds of Friendship

    Evelyn Hood

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    The continuation of Evelyn Hood's The Paisley Women Scottish saga series. 
Will their friendship help them navigate difficult times? 
Paisley, Scotland 1775  In the midst of a street brawl, Margaret Knox first encounters Islay McInnes, a Highland girl struggling to support herself and her two cousins in the Paisley slums. 
Their two lives are polar opposites. Islay, at sixteen, spins yarn to make ends meet whilst Margaret, wife to a surgeon and teacher at the pauper school, pursues charitable endeavours to ease the plight of those less fortunate. 
With the slums rife with illnesses and as the pox begins to spread Margaret seeing it as her Christian duty to help, persuades her friend Jamie Todd to allow Islay and her cousins to live above his weaving shop. 
Meanwhile Islay is torn when she receives a marriage proposal that would mean moving away from all she knows and cares for, especially Margaret. But when she falls for a man who doesn’t seem to care for her at all, the consequences are disastrous. 
Can Islay stay in the new home she has grown to love and can Margaret hold together a family beset by conflict and illness? 
The continuation of The Paisley Women saga series from Evelyn Hood, the original bestselling Scottish saga writer. Storytelling at its best' 
Previously published in paperback as A Matter of Mischief 
PRAISE FOR EVELYN HOOD  'Scotland's Catherine Cookson' - Scots Magazine ‘Hood is immaculate in her historical detail’ - Scottish Herald 'Quite simply, I couldn't put it down. A rich and rewarding read' - Emma Blair 'Evelyn Hood has been called Scotland's Catherine Cookson. Unfair. She has her own distinctive voice' - Scots Magazine  ‘Touching, romantic and unforgettable’ - Reader Review ‘Love all her books’ - Reader Review ‘Evelyn Hood produces the best of stories’ - Reader Review  ‘I cannot put her books down’ - Reader Review  ‘Love everything Evelyn Hood writes’ - Reader Review  ‘Evelyn Hood is a fantastic writer, bringing the past to life and drawing you right into the story’ - Reader Review
    Show book