The Motor Pirate

by G. Sidney Paternoster

Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden Leaf Printing on round Spine (extra customization on request like complete leather, Golden Screen printing in Front, Color Leather, Colored book etc.) Reprinted in 2018 with the help of original edition published long back [1904]. This book is printed in black & white, sewing binding for longer life, printed on high quality Paper, re-sized as per Current standards, professionally processed without changing its contents. As these are old books, we processed each page manually and make them readable but in some cases some pages which are blur or missing or black spots. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume, if you wish to order a specific or all the volumes you may contact us. We expect that you will understand our compulsion in these books. We found this book important for the readers who want to know more about our old treasure so we brought it back to the shelves. Hope you will like it and give your comments and suggestions. - eng, Pages 280. EXTRA 10 DAYS APART FROM THE NORMAL SHIPPING PERIOD WILL BE REQUIRED FOR LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. COMPLETE LEATHER WILL COST YOU EXTRA US$ 25 APART FROM THE LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. {FOLIO EDITION IS ALSO AVAILABLE.} Complete The motor pirate, by G. Sidney Paternoster. With a frontispiece by Charles R. Sykes. 1904 Paternoster, G. Sidney, b. .

162 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

George Sidney Paternoster (1866-1925) was a British author. Born in Cirencester, he wrote many stories for magazines and newspapers including: The Red Magazine, The Grand Magazine, Crampton's Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and Truth Newspaper.

Reviews

[Pam]

As more than half of the reviewers mention, the author gives the villain away almost immediately, but we are supposed to believe the hot stuff main character, the police and everyone else is in the dark. As a detective story this book is awful. Its early though, published in 1903, so the author hasn’t had the opportunity to learn from Agatha Christie. It’s basically a pulp thriller but a poor one.

I’ll give it a few stars for its use of the novelty of racing around in early autos, its way-over-the-top villain—black mustache, bruh-ha-ha attitude and all the stereotypes. That might have been fun but went on far too long. George Lucas might have made a great send-up of the story and characters. The villain races around southern England in a torpedo shaped 100 mile per hour car, robbing other motorists, a brougham carriage with liveried coachman and old lady in fancy dress, the mail train and even an “August Personage.” Fans of early cars and racing might enjoy some of this. Paternoster even suggests the car is propelled by liquid hydrogen, something that has been done, but not until 1966.

[Andrew Ward]

There will be spoilers in this review, because the book itself is crammed with them. I have never known another book where the author makes the villain's identity so clear, so often. For example in chapter 3 (of 24), after the narrator has been held up by the Motor Pirate's supercharged futuristic car, he meets his friend Mannering:

Was it indeed Mannering's voice, or were my ears deceiving me? The intonation was remarkably like that of the stranger, who so short a time previously had bade us stand and deliver, that I sprang to my feet with an exclamation of astonishment.

In chapter 4 we learn that Mannering is something of a recluse, "the object of his retirement being to perfect some mechanical invention upon which he was engaged", about the details of which he "had never returned us any but the vaguest of answers, nor ever invited us into the workshop".

Again in chapter 7 "There flashed across my mind the strange similarity between Mannering's voice and the Motor Pirate's".

In chapter 9 a man believed to have been murdered by the Motor Pirate turns up to a dinner party where to the amazement of the guests: "Mannering appeared to be the most astonished, for he turned pale and his lips became livid."

At the same dinner party secret information is revealed to the handful present about the cargo of the Brighton Parcels Mail. The following night the Brighton Parcels Mail is robbed by the Motor Pirate.

In chapter 12 the narrator exchanges gunshots with the Motor Pirate, and shortly after Mannering appears with a bullet wound in his shoulder. While Mannering is recovering, the Motor Pirate "entered upon a long period of quiescence".

And so on and so on. At this point we are only halfway through the book, and yet somehow the narrator (and the Scotland Yard detective assisting him) are baffled by their inability to discern any clues as to who the Motor Pirate might be.

A 1904 review of the books says correctly:

The first two or three manifestations of the Motor Pirate are interesting; but when his identity is a secret to no one but the hero of the book and the police, matters become a little monotonous for the reader.

Still I quite enjoyed it. The Motor Pirate is entertainingly psychotic and murderous and the idea of a highwayman in a car very novel for the time. However I can't pretend that this is literature. PS Reader, the Motor Pirate was Mannering.

[Sem]

A ripping yarn!

[Jennifer Booth]

One word dull

I have many penny dreadfuls. I love earliest form pulp. I thought this book is not as exciting as Frank reade.

[Karen]

A mildly entertaining "car thriller" written in 1903, all a bit bonkers, but interesting from a historical perspective. Not so much a "whodunnit" as that seemed fairly obvious but more of a "how-will-they-catch-whodunnit". The detectives both professional and amateur did however seem a little slow on the uptake.

[Lanelle]

I really enjoyed this story. Even though I figured out who the villain was towards the beginning of the book, it was entertaining to watch how he was defeated. A quick read.