This is a grim, roaring story of Chicago's gang wars and the 'rackets'. The relentless fury of their feuds creates almost unbearable suspense and tense excitement.

The Big Shot, Tony Perelli, is a figure of cold brutality and enslaving power. His ruthlessness burns into the hearts of his gunmen, turning them into machines that have to kill.

A raw, chilling excitement emphasizes the humanity of those caught in Perelli's dominance - Minn Lee, his girl; Angelo Verona, his gang lieutenant; and the weak Jimmy, a tragic figure who finds his courage in a desperate climax.

First published in Great Britain by John Long Ltd. 1931
Arrow Edition first published 1955
This edition 1962

About the Author: EDGAR WALLACE (1875-1932) was born in London. His parents died when he was very young and he was sent to a workhouse; but a few years later he was adopted by a fish porter who sent him to a board school in Peckham. As he grew up he tried various jobs: in a rubber factory, on a Grimsby trawler, as a milk-boy, and as a newspaper seller. He joined the army in 1899 and was sent to South Africa. At the end of the war, in 1902, he decided to turn to journalism and returned to South Africa as war correspondent for Reuter's agency.

His first story was The Four Just Men which he published at his own expense in 1905. After this, for the space of twenty years, Wallace wrote or dictated about 150 novels of which over thirty have now been made into films or plays. He found his true metier in 'thrillers', peculiarly his own creation, which he himself called "pirate stories in modern dress."

About this book: A series of crimes begins with the mysterious appearance of cards bearing the symbol of the Feathered Serpent. Soon these drawings have to be taken seriously, for they herald murder.

First published April 1927
This edition 1958