Barend Vlaardingerbroek – författare

This delightful compilation consists mainly of 15 stories spanning the years 1875 - 1917 taken from the memoirs of Lord David Brooks, an eccentric, laid-back aristocrat known to all and sundry as Lord Davey. Most stories are grounded in specific period events, e.g. the intermittent appearance of Spring-Heeled Jack, the disappearance of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse keepers, the Dreadnought Hoax, and the Cottingley Fairies; the more widely known mysteries of the Mary Celeste, Piltdown Man, the disappearance of Rudolf Diesel, and Jack the Ripper also merit their own yarns. Special treats include a Victorian seance, the appearance of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as historical personages, and a closing story about a famous chess-playing automaton narrated by Lord Davey's grandfather.