The Girl Behind the Keys

by Tom Gallon

The Girl Behind the Keys Broadview Encore Edition By Tom Gallon Edited by Arlene Young

"As the door was thrust open, I heard, as in a dream, the voice of Neal Larrard—calm and cool as ever—dictating to me; mechanically, my fingers touched the keys, and I began to type. While I did so, I felt that fearful dead thing pressing against my knees, and felt also the muzzle of the revolver hard against my side."

First published in 1903, The Girl Behind the Keys is a delightful example of early detective fiction in which Bella Thorn, a savvy young typist, foils the nefarious plans of her employer, a confidence man who exploits the hopes and fears infusing the popular imagination. As Arlene Young's critical introduction demonstrates, the story unites many of the cultural and literary motifs marking the dawn of the twentieth century, when the Victorian era was giving way to modernity.

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

Thomas Henry Gallon was an English playwright and novelist, many of whose books were subsequently filmed.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Girl Behind the Keys is definitely an Edwardian novel - it was published in 1903 - but that girl, Miss Bella Thorn, is definitely not a typical Edwardian heroine.

She was alone in the world, living in a rented room , and she was down to her last sixpence. She really didn't know where to turn or what to do; but as she tore up her newspaper to fuel the small fire possess that she had lit to take the chill off a cold, cold day, an advertisement caught her eye.

"Secretarial Supply Syndicate Limited
Young lady required, with knowledge of type-writing
Must possess great tact, and be willing to travel
Good salary"

Miss Thorn was proficient in the modern art of type-writing, and so she set off straight away to enquire about the position.

She was hired, she was given an advance on the salary that was far more than she had expected, and she learned that the work would be not very demanding at all. It seemed almost too good to be true.

It was too good to be true, and it didn't take Miss Thorn very long at all to work out that the Secretarial Supply Syndicate was a front for a gang of criminals; con men who were ready to use any means necessary to extract money from their victims.

It was fortunate that Miss Thorn was a bright and resourceful young woman. She knew that she could not afford to lose her job, but she knew she had to thwart her employers' schemes, without them ever realising what she was doing.

It was extraordinary how many different way there were that a typist - and her type-writer - could be used in schemes. The variety of the stories in this little book was wonderful. But the best thing of all was its heroine, who always worked out what was going on, who always kept her composure, and almost always managed her employers' intentions.

She told her own story, in a clear voice that always rang true, and so I quickly came to love and understand Miss Thorn.

Fortunately she had the good sense to realise that it wouldn't take long for employers to work out that she was working against them. As soon as she had built up a little nest-egg she gave notice. But it wasn't accepted.

Her employers didn't want to give her a chance of telling what she knew.

"As the door was thrust open, I heard, as in a dream, the voice of Neal Larrard—calm and cool as ever—dictating to me; mechanically, my fingers touched the keys, and I began to type. While I did so, I felt that fearful dead thing pressing against my knees, and felt also the muzzle of the revolver hard against my side."

The conclusion was nicely dramatic - and conclusive - but it was over much too quickly.

That was the drawback of this book. It was a little too quick, the characters, the scenarios were a little too simply drawn, and at times I almost felt that I was reading an outline rather than a finished book.

It was a lovely period piece, it was an enjoyable quick read; a book worth picking up if you should spot a copy, but not a book you need to rush out to find.

[Abeera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up randomly from the library and it was fun to go back in time. It has a nice mix of mystery and detective work in play. I liked the female narrative perspective and the strength of the character who is portrayed consistently throughout the novel and does experience growth as time goes on. I found that it was a little bit slow as I got bored with each mystery following a similar pattern. The way the character foils the plan of her employer without raising suspicion is a little too quick for my taste, she just appears to get ideas in the moment and they generally workout. It would have been more
captivating and realistic if the narrator had to face more ramifications and conflict. The introduction of the version I read prefaced the book well when they discussed that the woman portrayed is in between centuries. On one hand she is relatively independent, while she also lacks self confidence or appears to see herself as weak. It is most definitely not my favourite book but it is a worthwhile simply read.