Sexton Blake: Schooldays #3 (Sexton Blake at Oxford)

Synopsis:
"The story of the great detective’s life at St. Anne’s College has been followed with intense interest by thousands of boys in every part of the globe. But my readers will discover, as Sexton Blake’s history is disclosed, that the period of his life spent at Oxford was far more exciting and adventurous than any previous time in his career. Indeed, I doubt whether the case in which Sexton Blake made his name, was not the greatest and most marvellous mystery—whether it did not show his extraordinary skill in the detection of crime to a greater extent than in any case upon which he has been engaged throughout his brilliant career. I am sure that every boy who misses reading the opening chapters of Sexton Blake at Oxford will deeply regret it afterwards." The Editor, The Boys’ Herald #278, 1908

The tales of Blake’s schooldays were quite popular with readers. The entire trilogy was reprinted (though heavily abridged) in the Boys’ Friend Library in 1909 and 1910, updated and reprinted in the Boys’ Friend Library in 1933 as Sexton Blake’s Schooldays, Sexton Blake Sixth-Former, and Sexton Blake at the Varsity; and then again by John Garbutt as Sexton Blake at School for The Pilot in 1937.

This is the first time the complete unabridged saga has been reprinted since its serialized publication in 1908. Aside from an excellent adventure mystery, it provides an interesting glimpse into British school life during the Victorian/Edwardian era.

Author Spotlight
Cecil Goodenough Hayter (1871-1922) was a prolific and popular British author who also wrote under the names Howard Steel and Lewis Bird. He wrote predominantly for the Amalgamated Press, his work appearing in several publications. His first Blake tale The Slave Market (Union Jack #171) introduced two of Blake’s most popular allies: Lobangu, the Zulu chief of the Etbaia, and Sir Richard Losely, better known to all as ‘Spots’. The two would team up with Blake and Tinker in close to forty adventures over the next 25 years, often solving mysteries in different corners of the world.
This is the first of several anthologies collecting the great Sexton Blake serials. Each edition includes all the original illustrations! Enjoy!