The Black Ghost

Raggy and Gremlin, owners of a small garage, have built a high-speed car which they call Pegasus. While giving it a trial run, they have an unpleasant encounter with a black Bentley. A third car, seemingly in league with the Bentley, drives Pegasus off the road and the Bentley mysteriously disappears. The boys connect this incident with several local robberies and, being already involved, they attempt to clear up the mystery of the disappearing car and its accessory. They have little success until Audacious Cotterell, an eccentric inventor of amazing gadgets, decides to throw in his weight on their side. His contribution is a radar-controlled model aeroplane which can be tuned in to follow any vehicle equipped with wireless-and the Bentley is fitted with radio! It is this mechanical sleuth which traces the Bentley and introduces the boys to some glorious hand-to-hand fighting and a surprising discovery. Audacious Cotterell's first public appearance should be carefully noted. His creator is already a highly successful writer of adult fiction, but The Black Ghost, his first thriller for boys, is written under a pseudonym. Even without the advantage of an established author's name, this book should simply romp home. It sets a new high standard in this type of fiction, and is rich in all those qualities which boy’s hope to find in story books. It has suspense, humour and good characterization, and is remarkable for the soundness of its detail and the clarity with which an intricate plot is unfolded. Audacious Cotterell is an endearing character whose further activities will surely be the concern of all readers of The Black Ghost. Librarian note *Children's book by John Newton Chance writing as David C. Newton. The book jacket of the later books lists this as the first book in the series.