Tickencote Treasure

The Tickencote Treasure (1903) is a work of adventure fiction by Anglo-French writer William Le Queux. Published at the beginning of Le Queux’s career as a leading author of popular thrillers, The Tickencote Treasure is a story of piracy, mystery, and suspense on the high seas. Using his own research and experience as a journalist and adventurer, Le Queux crafts an accessible, entertaining tale for readers in search of a literary escape. Known for his works of fiction and nonfiction on the possibility of Germany invading Britain—a paranoia common in the early twentieth century—William Le Queux also wrote dozens of thrillers and adventure novels for a dedicated public audience. Although critical acclaim eluded him, popular success made him one of England’s bestselling writers. In The Tickencote Treasure, a struggling doctor gets the chance of a lifetime when an old sea captain recruits him for a voyage to Africa. Unsure at first, Paul Pickering accepts his offer, embarking on a journey that brings him to the coast of Algeria. After several uneventful days at sea, the crew is surprised to discover a strange ship floating toward them. Although it resembles an old Elizabethan vessel, the hull looks relatively new. Thinking it abandoned, a group of sailors boards the phantom ship to find it hermetically sealed. Hoping for treasure, they go below deck to find a strange old man instead. As the story unfolds, an atmosphere of mystery and an ancient legend threaten to overwhelm Pickering and his comrades. This edition of William Le Queux’s The Tickencote Treasure is a classic work of adventure fiction reimagined for modern readers.

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