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The Czar's Spy
"Yes, signore," replied the tall, thin Italian Consular-clerk, speaking with a strong accent. "An English steam yacht ran aground on the Meloria about ten miles out, and was discovered by a fishing-boat who brought the news to harbor. The Admiral sent out two torpedo-boats, which managed after a lot of difficulty to bring in the yacht safely, but the Captain of the Port has a suspicion that the crew were trying to make away with the vessel." "To lose her, you mean?" The faithful Francesco, whose English had mostly been acquired from sea-faring men, and was not the choicest vocabulary, nodded, and, true Tuscan that he was, placed his finger upon his closed lips, indicative of silence.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1905
28 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
William Le Queux
422 books29 followersWilliam Tufnell Le Queux was born in London on 2 July 1864. His father, also William of Chateauroux, Indre, was a French draper's assistant and his mother was English.
He was educated in Europe and studied art under Ignazio Spiridon in Paris. He walked extensively in France and Germany and supported himself for a time writing for French newspapers. It was one of his sensational stories in 'The Petit Journal' that attracted the attention of the French novelist Emile Zola and it was supposedly he who encouraged Le Queux to become a full-time writer.
In the late 1880s he returned to London where he edited the magazines 'Gossip' and 'Piccadilly' before joining the staff of the newspaper 'The Globe' in 1891 as a parliamentary reporter. But he resigned in 1893 and decided to abandon journalism to concentrate on writing and travelling. And his extensive travelling saw him visit Russia, the Near East, North Africa, Egypt and the Sudan and in 1912-13 he was a correspondent in the Balkan War for the Daily Mail. On his travels he found it necessary to become an expert revolver shot.
His first book was 'Guilty Bonds' (1891), which concentrated on political conspiracy in Russia to such a degree that it was subsequently banned in that country. A series of short stories 'Strange Tales of a Nihilist' followed in 1892 and from then on he was producing books on a regular basis until his death, and beyond, as a number of posthumous works were published.
His works mainly related to espionage activity and it was said that he was employed for a number of years as a member of the British Secret Service, where he was an expert on wireless transmission. He did claim to have been the first wireless experimenter to have broadcast from his station at Guildford in 1920/21 and he was president of the Wireless Experimental Association and a member of the Institute of Radio Engineers.
He stated at one time that he began writing to help finance his work for British Intelligence for whom he was required to undertake much travelling and to make personal contact with royalty and other high-ranking people. He recorded some of the latter meetings in his autobiography entitled 'Things I Know about Kings, Celebrities and Crooks' (1923).
He was at one time Consul of the Republic of San Marino and he possessed Italian, Serbian and Montenegrin decorations. He was also a keen collector of medieval manuscripts and monastic seals.
However, all his activities did not stop him turning out novel after novel and at the time of his death he had well over 100 books to his credit.
After several weeks' illness, he died at Knocke, Belgium, in the early hours of 13 October 1927. His body was returned to England and on 19 October he was cremated at Golders Green with the Reverend Francis Taylor of Bedford conducting the service, which was attended by Le Queux's brother and a few intimate friends.
Gerry Wolstenholme
January 2013
He was educated in Europe and studied art under Ignazio Spiridon in Paris. He walked extensively in France and Germany and supported himself for a time writing for French newspapers. It was one of his sensational stories in 'The Petit Journal' that attracted the attention of the French novelist Emile Zola and it was supposedly he who encouraged Le Queux to become a full-time writer.
In the late 1880s he returned to London where he edited the magazines 'Gossip' and 'Piccadilly' before joining the staff of the newspaper 'The Globe' in 1891 as a parliamentary reporter. But he resigned in 1893 and decided to abandon journalism to concentrate on writing and travelling. And his extensive travelling saw him visit Russia, the Near East, North Africa, Egypt and the Sudan and in 1912-13 he was a correspondent in the Balkan War for the Daily Mail. On his travels he found it necessary to become an expert revolver shot.
His first book was 'Guilty Bonds' (1891), which concentrated on political conspiracy in Russia to such a degree that it was subsequently banned in that country. A series of short stories 'Strange Tales of a Nihilist' followed in 1892 and from then on he was producing books on a regular basis until his death, and beyond, as a number of posthumous works were published.
His works mainly related to espionage activity and it was said that he was employed for a number of years as a member of the British Secret Service, where he was an expert on wireless transmission. He did claim to have been the first wireless experimenter to have broadcast from his station at Guildford in 1920/21 and he was president of the Wireless Experimental Association and a member of the Institute of Radio Engineers.
He stated at one time that he began writing to help finance his work for British Intelligence for whom he was required to undertake much travelling and to make personal contact with royalty and other high-ranking people. He recorded some of the latter meetings in his autobiography entitled 'Things I Know about Kings, Celebrities and Crooks' (1923).
He was at one time Consul of the Republic of San Marino and he possessed Italian, Serbian and Montenegrin decorations. He was also a keen collector of medieval manuscripts and monastic seals.
However, all his activities did not stop him turning out novel after novel and at the time of his death he had well over 100 books to his credit.
After several weeks' illness, he died at Knocke, Belgium, in the early hours of 13 October 1927. His body was returned to England and on 19 October he was cremated at Golders Green with the Reverend Francis Taylor of Bedford conducting the service, which was attended by Le Queux's brother and a few intimate friends.
Gerry Wolstenholme
January 2013
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 9, 2013
The Czar’s Spy, written by The English/French author William Le Queux in 1905, is a tale of international espionage and intrigue. This tale takes the reader in a slalom excursion from Italy to England to Finland and Russia and back again. The reason for this journey is to solve a mystery but only adds more questions and ambiguous happenings instead of the sought of answers. The story’s hero finds the torn photograph of a beautiful woman falls in love with this poor victim of circumstance and risks his life and more to save her. The story has it all… love, murder, deceit and mystery. At the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century’s, William Le Queux (1864-1927) was a prolific writer of mystery, espionage and thrillers and enjoyed much success but today is almost forgotten. This is a real shame as I think his style would appeal to many contemporary readers. I recommend it to everyone that enjoys naïve love and twisting mystery.
December 19, 2021
This is an entertaining tale of intrigue, international spies, and mystery. One little fact leads to another in an innocent succession which ends with quite a task for Gordon Gregg. The latter is the hero of the day; he saves Elma from a set of mighty powerful foes that threaten his own life not only in England, but also in Russia and Finland.
The novel is quite prophetic of the international upheaval and enmity which would later lead to the First World War. It is also a faithful portrayal of the decaying morals of the early twentieth century, and of the center which held no more, and had all the values of life tumble down in a heap of chaos. Thus, money became more important than family, power more valuable than honor, and a young girl a match for world leaders!
The novel is quite prophetic of the international upheaval and enmity which would later lead to the First World War. It is also a faithful portrayal of the decaying morals of the early twentieth century, and of the center which held no more, and had all the values of life tumble down in a heap of chaos. Thus, money became more important than family, power more valuable than honor, and a young girl a match for world leaders!
June 5, 2013
Yes, there is a big mystery going on. Weird stuff keeps happening. People are obviously lying, while other people are being killed - but there are no clues as to why until too late, in my opinion. By the time the author revealed anything, I had ceased caring. And the way this guy falls in love - blech! This book irritated me.
January 30, 2013
One of the best, most well-written, suspense stories I've read in a very long time. And think it was first published in 1905... let's go back to how people wrote then. Simple, beautiful, fascinating.
January 31, 2010
good mystery til the end.
March 28, 2024
This is an old fashioned thriller from the early 20th century. We begin with Gordon Gregg. He's a Brit, but lives much of the year in Leghorn, Italy. From time to time, the local British consul goes off for a bit and essentially leaves Gregg in charge.
One day, a British Yacht, the Lola, runs aground, but it pulled off the reef where it had been stranded. Greg visits the yacht and the owners ask him to dinner. Ostensibly, there are only two men on the yacht, Philip Hornby and Hylton Chater. The ship's captain, a crusty old Scott, has gone ashore. Presumably, there was a cook or steward serving the dinner, but it's not mentioned. Anyway, they have a lovely time and Gregg and Hornby form a bit of an attachment.
But, when Gregg gets back to the consulate, he discovers that it has been ransacked and that the safe broken open. He can't find evidence, however, that anything of value was stolen, perhaps some secret cyphers? The next morning, he learns that the Lola has taken off, but not before it appears that they have discharged a mysterious man, accompanied by a woman in black.
The Italian summers get to be insufferably hot, so Gregg decides to spend some time in Dumfries at the manor of his uncle, Sir George Little. There's a group of people who have rented the manor next door and are hosting rather a fancy shooting party. Gregg and his uncle are invited over, and Greg meets Philip Leithcourt, and more importantly, his charming daughter, Muriel. A day or so later, some new arrivals show up, most importantly a man introduced at being Martin Woodroffe. Woodroffe is the same person that Gregg knew as Philip Hornby. Woodroffe is alleged to be Muriel's fiancé. Gregg and Woodroffe pretend not to have ever met before, but Woodroffe disappears the next day, never to return.
Oh, on the Lola, Gregg came across a picture of an enchanting young woman that had been removed from its frame and torn up. He was intrigued. Imagine how much more intrigued he was to find the same picture in Muriel's chamber. Apparently, the young woman, Elma Heath, had been a school friend of Muriel's. She has more-or-less disappeared. Her "uncle" took her off to Russia, or some such.
Gregg, totally besotted by Elma, based solely upon her picture, decides to hunt her up. Also to hunt up the mystery of the Lola, which appears to have disappeared itself. He heads off to Europe. Eventually, he discovers that Elma's uncle is not really an uncle, but one Baron Xavier Oberg. He is in essence the ruler of Finland, which at that time, apparently, was under Russian control. The Finns referred to Baron Oberg as "the strangler". He was totally ruthless and unprincipled.
As for Elma, it seems that she was due rather a nice inheritance, but when she refused to marry Oberg's son, he decided to lock her up for an alleged crime of some sort.
Well, I'll stop here, but we have Gregg trying to trace Elma. We have dank lonely battlements housing dungeons, we have people fleeing in the woods where they hear wolves howling, and so forth. All very scary and exciting. It was rather a silly book, but a product of its time. A decent enough diversion for one cooped up inside, waiting for spring to arrive.
One day, a British Yacht, the Lola, runs aground, but it pulled off the reef where it had been stranded. Greg visits the yacht and the owners ask him to dinner. Ostensibly, there are only two men on the yacht, Philip Hornby and Hylton Chater. The ship's captain, a crusty old Scott, has gone ashore. Presumably, there was a cook or steward serving the dinner, but it's not mentioned. Anyway, they have a lovely time and Gregg and Hornby form a bit of an attachment.
But, when Gregg gets back to the consulate, he discovers that it has been ransacked and that the safe broken open. He can't find evidence, however, that anything of value was stolen, perhaps some secret cyphers? The next morning, he learns that the Lola has taken off, but not before it appears that they have discharged a mysterious man, accompanied by a woman in black.
The Italian summers get to be insufferably hot, so Gregg decides to spend some time in Dumfries at the manor of his uncle, Sir George Little. There's a group of people who have rented the manor next door and are hosting rather a fancy shooting party. Gregg and his uncle are invited over, and Greg meets Philip Leithcourt, and more importantly, his charming daughter, Muriel. A day or so later, some new arrivals show up, most importantly a man introduced at being Martin Woodroffe. Woodroffe is the same person that Gregg knew as Philip Hornby. Woodroffe is alleged to be Muriel's fiancé. Gregg and Woodroffe pretend not to have ever met before, but Woodroffe disappears the next day, never to return.
Oh, on the Lola, Gregg came across a picture of an enchanting young woman that had been removed from its frame and torn up. He was intrigued. Imagine how much more intrigued he was to find the same picture in Muriel's chamber. Apparently, the young woman, Elma Heath, had been a school friend of Muriel's. She has more-or-less disappeared. Her "uncle" took her off to Russia, or some such.
Gregg, totally besotted by Elma, based solely upon her picture, decides to hunt her up. Also to hunt up the mystery of the Lola, which appears to have disappeared itself. He heads off to Europe. Eventually, he discovers that Elma's uncle is not really an uncle, but one Baron Xavier Oberg. He is in essence the ruler of Finland, which at that time, apparently, was under Russian control. The Finns referred to Baron Oberg as "the strangler". He was totally ruthless and unprincipled.
As for Elma, it seems that she was due rather a nice inheritance, but when she refused to marry Oberg's son, he decided to lock her up for an alleged crime of some sort.
Well, I'll stop here, but we have Gregg trying to trace Elma. We have dank lonely battlements housing dungeons, we have people fleeing in the woods where they hear wolves howling, and so forth. All very scary and exciting. It was rather a silly book, but a product of its time. A decent enough diversion for one cooped up inside, waiting for spring to arrive.
April 12, 2024
There are mysteries upon mysteries and villains around every corner, disguises and prisoners, corrupt officials, and a spooky castle. The hero must at all costs, and completely alone, rescue his love. Yes, the one he’s never met. (It’s a good thing they have photographs or he wouldn’t even know of her existence. But I digress…) Corpses keep turning up and not all is as it seems. Oh, it’s nothing that one good conversation wouldn’t solve at multiple points along the way. But for some inexplicable reason, everyone insists on keeping silent.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the convoluted adventure, I just didn’t find it very believable. Then the ending…
It was clean so that was a point in its favor.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the convoluted adventure, I just didn’t find it very believable. Then the ending…
It was clean so that was a point in its favor.
June 5, 2025
‘The Czar's Spy’ (1905) is a thriller that is at times very prophetic of the fall of Imperial Russia as a world power. Reading occasionally like a classic Ruritarian romance, with Russian spies murdering anyone who got in their way, impregnable prisons complete with dungeons and water water dungeons, oubliettes, revolutionaries and bombs, le Queux leads his readers into a world of the nobility and aristocracy of Italy, England, France and Russia, filled with intrigue, suspense, romance and more than a touch of cruelty.
A great read, even after a century of wars brought about by some of the events suspiciously close to those described here.
A great read, even after a century of wars brought about by some of the events suspiciously close to those described here.
September 24, 2025
The Czar’s Spy is a brisk, cloak‑and‑dagger chase across Europe that thrives on momentum. I enjoyed how the storyline strings together disappearances, secret plots, and narrow escapes without lingering too long in any one place. The pacing stays lively—train compartments, shadowed streets, and sudden confrontations keep the tension ticking.
April 8, 2019
In parts genuinely tense, with uncertain loyalties and layers of mystery; in parts it felt repetitive, with villains having moments of coming off like cartoons, and moments where the greatest mystery feels to me like “why did you do that, protag?”
Including the Great Plot-Dictated Romance.
Including the Great Plot-Dictated Romance.
March 15, 2024
A mystery, where everything more or less falls into the protagonists lap. He acts the overbearing Englishman, and falls in love with a girl he's never met because her photograph is so pretty. Ugh. Definitely the product of another time.
August 20, 2017
Classic and one of the best. Well narrated and recommended.
January 26, 2021
I found it to be very interesting and entertaining the first 3/4 of the book, but then it fades into an ending that didn't satisfy me.
October 30, 2021
Perfect spy detective novel. I recommend.
February 1, 2024
Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDpYY...
August 18, 2025
An exploding cigar?! A convoluted story that would have been improved by fewer complications.
August 22, 2025
The Czar’s Spy is a whirlwind of information I found out that this story rambled on and on.
October 21, 2013
Mystery set in the late 19th or very early 20th century when Finland was controlled by Russia. It is a complex mystery with a number of rather implausible situations. The hero is a British aristocrat, Gordon Gregg, who moves in high circles who has even been hired by the czar to investigate certain prison conditions. Story starts in Italy moves to England then Finland and Russia and back to England. Gregg is a rather impulsive character who dashes headlong into things that a person of his caliber and experience shouldn't be doing and he gets away with it! Story involves a mystery yacht in Italy, mysterious characters and false identities who Gregg later encounters in England and sends him off on a mission to determine what happened and is happening. A large part of his interest centers on a mysterious young woman whose picture he finds on the yacht who he falls in love with, seeks to identify and then find her.
May 4, 2014
I often really enjoy reading non-canonical books. There's always the tantalizing hope that you'll discover a gem. This does happen sometimes--either my tastes are enough different from the average that I can fall in love with a book that everybody else thinks is bizarre, or fame has passed a book by due to factors other than the book's intrinsic merits.
Then, of course, there are books like this one, which are enjoyable primarily for providing contrast to those really good books so that you can make sure you can still tell the difference. Plus, who doesn't like unintentional humor occasionally?
Then, of course, there are books like this one, which are enjoyable primarily for providing contrast to those really good books so that you can make sure you can still tell the difference. Plus, who doesn't like unintentional humor occasionally?
February 11, 2014
Quite an interesting read. The plot is well constructed, although I found it very frustrating how all the information is kept from the narrator (and, thus, the reader) until a big info dump towards the end (which I found therefore to be quite anticlimatic).
One thing I liked though, was how one of, if not the, main confrontation in the book was entirely verbal instead of physical.
Also, the romance side of it was quite touching, and I was satisfied with its resolution.
All in all, very well written, and worth your time.
One thing I liked though, was how one of, if not the, main confrontation in the book was entirely verbal instead of physical.
Also, the romance side of it was quite touching, and I was satisfied with its resolution.
All in all, very well written, and worth your time.
June 17, 2020
Spy novels and turn of the century environments,especially Russia are of special interest so this novel was a real unexpected treat.I am constantly on the look out for new novelist's and very happy I found this writer.Through his writing style he took me back to the early 1900's.His story was especially interesting and very good.I am surprised I had never before heard of him.I am now glad I did.
September 22, 2011
Again on my recent roots-of-spy-novel jag...and Le Queux is one of the originals. This one is a little predictable at times, but it is so interesting to see where the genre started and how certain elements remain even today, that I hardly noticed the naivete. A fun read.
June 19, 2011
Dated but good
April 12, 2011
A little dated but a good thriller yarn
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May 29, 2013Italy, Scotland, Finland, Russia... Love, intrigue
Loved it!
Loved it!
June 28, 2016
Entertaining mystery that takes place across different countries. A classic of its type.
April 22, 2013
A bit dated in style and language, but altogether an enjoyable yarn of international intrigue.
May 30, 2013
Great read!
January 2, 2015
Turn of (last) century thriller. Some stilted language but overall a good read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews