Cover of Okewood of the Secret Service

Okewood of the Secret Service

  • Free to read
  • 6 hours to read
  • 31 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"Okewood of the Secret Service" by Valentine Williams is a novel likely written in the early 20th century during the tumult of World War I. The story appears to revolve around themes of espionage and murder, centered on the character of Arthur Mackwayte, a once-popular music hall performer, and his daughter, Barbara. Following a performance, they find themselves entangled in a mysterious murder at their home, leading to unraveling dangerous secrets that could have far-reaching implications. The opening of the book introduces Mr. Arthur Mackwayte and his daughter Barbara as they navigate the challenges of a struggling performer amidst the changing landscape of entertainment due to the war. After an unexpected call to fill a role at the Palaceum Theatre, they return home only to find themselves thrust into a dark mystery when Mr. Mackwayte is found murdered. The narrative builds tension as the characters face personal and societal struggles while hints of a deeper espionage plot begin to surface connected to the glamorous yet menacing figure of Nur-el-Din, a celebrated dancer linked to the unfolding tragedy. This sets the stage for an intricate tale of deception, loyalty, and the perilous world of spies during a time of war.

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  • War stories
  • Spy stories
  • World War, 1914-1918 · Secret service

Read the opening

Chapter I: The Deputy Turn

Mr. Arthur Mackwayte slipped noiselessly into the dining-room and took his place at the table. He always moved quietly, a look of gentle deprecation on his face as much as to say: “Really, you know, I can’t help being here: if you will just overlook me this time, by and by you won’t notice I’m there at all!” That was how he went through life, a shy, retiring little man, quiet as a mouse, gentle as a dove, modesty personified.

That is, at least, how Mr. Arthur Mackwayte struck his friends in private life. Once a week, however, he fairly screamed at the public from the advertisement columns of “The Referee”: “Mackwayte, in his Celebrated Kerbstone Sketches. Wit! Pathos! Tragedy!!! The Epitome of London Life. Universally Acclaimed as the Greatest Portrayer of London Characters since the late Chas. Dickens. In Tremendous Demand for Public Dinners. The Popular Favorite. A Few Dates still Vacant. 23, Laleham Villas, Seven Kings. ’Phone” and so on.

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Contents

Show all 31 chapters
  1. Chapter I: The Deputy Turn
  2. Chapter II: Captain Strangwise Entertains a Guest
  3. Chapter III: Mr. Mackwayte Meets an Old Friend
  4. Chapter IV: Major Okewood Encounters a New Type
  5. Chapter V: The Murder at Seven Kings
  6. Chapter VI: “Name O’barney”
  7. Chapter VII: Nur-El-Din
  8. Chapter VIII: The White Paper Package
  9. Chapter IX: Metamorphosis
  10. Chapter X: D. O. R. A. Is Baffled
  11. Chapter XI: Credentials
  12. Chapter XII: At the Mill House
  13. Chapter XIII: What Shakespeare’s Comedies Revealed
  14. Chapter XIV: Barbara Takes a Hand
  15. Chapter XV: Mr. Bellward Is Called to the Telephone
  16. Chapter XVI: The Star of Poland
  17. Chapter XVII: Mr. Bellward Arranges a Bridge Evening
  18. Chapter XVIII: The Gathering of the Spies
  19. Chapter XIX: The Uninvited Guest
  20. Chapter XX: The Odd Man
  21. Chapter XXI: The Black Velvet Toque
  22. Chapter XXII: What the Cellar Revealed
  23. Chapter XXIII: Mrs. Malplaquet Goes Down to the Cellar
  24. Chapter XXIV: The Two Deserters
  25. Chapter XXV: To Mrs. Malplaquet’s
  26. Chapter XXVI: The Man in the Summer-House
  27. Chapter XXVII: The Red Lacquer Room
  28. Chapter XXVIII: An Offer from Strangwise
  29. Chapter XXIX: Dot and Dash
  30. Chapter XXX: Hohenlinden Trench
  31. Chapter XXXI: The £100,000 Kit

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About this edition

This free edition of Okewood of the Secret Service by Valentine Williams comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #2417, released 2000-12-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, Novels.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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