The Yellow Crayon.

A single mysterious signal sets a shadowy organisation in motion, and a man who thought his life his own finds himself caught in a conspiracy that reaches across nations.

What it's about

The Yellow Crayon is a thriller by E. Phillips Oppenheim, the prolific Edwardian author known for his tales of intrigue and secret societies. It follows its protagonist into a web of conspiracy involving a powerful hidden organisation, international schemes and personal danger, unfolding through the twists and reversals that were Oppenheim's stock in trade. Mystery and suspense drive the plot as loyalties are tested and hidden hands revealed.

Themes

The novel plays on the anxieties of its age about secret power, international intrigue and the fragility of ordinary security in a world of unseen forces. Suspense, concealment and the struggle between individual will and shadowy authority give the story its charge.

Why it still matters

Oppenheim was one of the most popular thriller writers of the early twentieth century, and his work helped shape the conventions of the intrigue and spy novel that later authors would inherit. As a well-turned example of Edwardian popular suspense, the book offers both entertainment and a glimpse of the genre in its formative years.

Who it's for

For readers who enjoy vintage thrillers and tales of conspiracy, for those tracing the early history of the spy and intrigue novel, and for anyone in the mood for the brisk, plot-driven suspense of the Edwardian bestseller.