Beware of Johnny Washington

Republished for the first time since 1951, Beware of Johnny Washington is Francis Durbridges clever reworking of the very first Paul Temple radio serial using his new characters, the amiable Johnny Washington and newspaper columnist Verity Glyn. Includes as a bonus the first Paul Temple short story, A Present for Paul. When a gang of desperate criminals begins leaving calling cards inscribed With the Compliments of Johnny Washington, the real Johnny Washington is encouraged by an attractive newspaper columnist to throw in his lot with the police. Johnny, an American gentleman of leisure who has settled at a quiet country house in Kent to enjoy the shing, soon finds himself involved with the mysterious Horatio Quince, a retired schoolmaster who is on the trail of the gangs unscrupulous leader, the elusive Grey Moose. Best known for creating Paul Temple for BBC radio in 1938, Francis Durbridges prolific output of crime and mystery stories, encompassing plays, radio, television, films and books, made him a household name for more than 50 years. A new radio character, Johnny Washington, Esquire, hit the airwaves in 1949, leading to the publication of this one-off novel in 1951. This Detective Club classic is introduced by writer and bibliographer Melvyn Barnes, author of Francis Durbridge: A Centenary Appreciation, who reveals how Johnny Washingtons only literary outing was actually a reworking of Durbridges own Send for Paul Temple.