The gunner by Edgar Wallace

 I didn’t like this one very much, but it was still an easy read. Just once, though.

Honestly I didn’t understand how this book was about this Gunner, if you read about this book in online shops, they say the book is about this skilled criminal and the detective trying to catch him, but this book was all about the Luke character and what happened to him. Sure, Gunner is in the book, but it’s not a book about him…

It’s from 1928.

When Rex commits suicide, Margareth is told by their friend Danty that it’s all Luke’s fault: rich Luke, so in love with her, could have saved Rex had he only given him the money he needed. So now Margareth hates Luke because of it. She asks and Luke puts all his money in her name, and after that she refuses to help him when he needs a cheque. It’s a shock for him, he goes out and starts walking.He meets Lewing and they start walking together, but they’re assaulted, and both are stabbed. Luke survives, and heals, but doesn’t tell anyone his real name. Connor thinks he’s a criminal, and Luke cares about nothing. He just goes along with things. He helps a girl steal from Tiffany, without knowing it. Then he learns, chatting, that Danty’s a criminal, his wife’s best friend is a criminal. He runs. Detective “Sparrow” Bird is not there. Connor knows his movements so he wants to get rid of him. A copcasually tells Margareth about Danty Morell being a con-man, a thief.

Gunner saves Luke, but Luke told Connor who he really s so now Connor wants money from Margareth for him. Gunner ruins his plans. Connor wants Danry’s help even if they’re of different gangs, but still Margareth won’t give him the money, she calls Sparrow instead. 

Margareth wants to see Luke, but he’s been taken away. Connor has him on a boat, and has him sign some cheques, and then Luke escapes by throwing himself at sea. A random man steals his clothes, leaving behind his own much poorer things. Now she looks like a beggar, like a poor man, he even has a long beard, so when he stops to ask the time, he is arrested for panhandling.

He’s tired, cold, starving: Luke is found by Gunner, and then by Margareth, who now wants to go with him. Gunner arranges for them to board a plane and go away - the same plane that Danty and Connor were supposed to be using to flee, but Gunner does not seek revenge and lets them go.

Now Luke and Margareth make peace and are again happy together, in Spain, and they say goodbye to Gunner who now wants to sail to Australia, where the journalist he likes has found work.

So… Gunner did something, and was rather important in saving them and all, but this book followed Luke along and wa all about him.

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