Sexton Blake Bibliography: 1968

Publishing: The SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY fifth series comes to an end and, aside from five more novels (one of which will be a TV tie-in), there will be no more official Blake text stories until 2014. Meanwhile, the detective is resurrected in comic strip format in the VALIANT. These tales, inspired by the television series, are very low grade affairs and feel more like episodes of Scooby Doo than they do the Blake of old.

DANGER AT WESTWAYS

by Donald Stuart

NOVEL · 1968 · Dean & Son Ltd · Price unknown

Illustrator: Unknown

Other content: None

Notes: This is a hardcover reprint of SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY 2nd series issue 645 (1938).

Unrated

THE SECRET OF THE SNOWS

by Gilbert Chester (Walter Tyrer)

NOVEL · 1968 · Dean & Son Ltd · Price unknown

Illustrator: Unknown

Other content: None

Notes: This is a hardcover reprint of SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY 3rd series issue 282 (1953). Gilbert Chester was usually the pen-name of H. H. Clifford Gibbons but, in this case, the original novel was attributed to Walter Tyrer, so he may be the author behind the pseudonym in this case.

Unrated

RAFFLES' CRIME IN GIBRALTAR

by Barry Perowne (P. Atkey)

NOVEL · 1968 · Dean & Son Ltd · Price unknown

Illustrator: Unknown

Other content: None

Notes: This is a hardcover reprint of SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY 2nd series issue 601 (1937).

Unrated

THE SECRET OF THE TEN BALES

by Anthony Parsons

NOVEL · 1968 · Dean & Son Ltd · Price unknown

Illustrator: Unknown

Other content: None

Notes: This is a reprint of Anthony Parsons' first Sexton Blake novel. When the clerk of a shipping company is murdered, it soon emerges that a permit for the collection of transported goods — ten bales of cotton — has been stolen. The bales were meant to be delivered to a company in India but were picked up by someone else. They then became involved in a bandit raid during which they were searched. It seems obvious that something was smuggled in them — but what? An Indian named Khan is the only suspect, so Sexton Blake follows his trail to India. There he meets with a secret service officer who tells him that unrest has been rife on the borders since the bales arrived and anyone who enquires after them ends up dead. The detective takes a train to the troubled area — Famipur — accompanied by Tinker and an agent named Ali Singh. At a frontier station he meets Captain Winfield of the frontier police and Doctor Kershaw and his daughter Judy. He also becomes acquainted with a gun-runner named Bir Beg who, he learns via a double-agent, got to the bales and looted them before Khan could recover them. Under the cover of a funeral procession, the content of the bales is to be smuggled across the border but, after a number of betrayals and double-crosses, Khan regains control and kills Bir Beg. He also captures Tinker and Winfield. Blake rescues them and, using information they have overheard, organises an ambush against the arms convoy. The raid is successful and the content of the bales is finally revealed — as is the unexpected identity of Khan. The villain flees but Blake and Tinker follow in a plane and parachute down for the final confrontation.

Trivia: This is a hardcover reprint of SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY 2nd series issue 596 (1937). The review notes are based on a reading of the original issue.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

BRAINWASHED

by Martin Thomas (Thomas Martin)

THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 5th series · Novel 42 · May 1968 · Mayflower Books · 3/6

Illustrator: Unknown

Other content: None

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

THE ABDUCTORS

by Desmond Reid (Christopher Lowder)

THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 5th series · Novel 43 · May 1968 · Mayflower Books · 3/6

Illustrator: Unknown

Other content: None

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

THE CASE OF THE RENEGADE AGENT

by Desmond Reid (Unknown)

THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 5th series · Novel 44 · Jul. 1968 · Mayflower Books · 3/6

Illustrator: Unknown

Other content: None

Notes: While on holiday in Italy, Sexton Blake, Edward 'Tinker' Carter and Paula Dane witness the death of Spencer Warley, who is pushed from a hotel window. Evidence from a chambermaid suggests that a man wearing yellow gloves was responsible, and Blake is later able to identify the culprit in the background of pictures taken by Mike Bremner, the son of a Hollywood mogul whose whole family was killed by the Nazis. The murderer turns out to be Otto Schulmann, who had been in charge of the death camp where the Bremners died. Blake traces Schulmann's daughter who, under the name Delina Ann, is working as an actress in a production being filmed not far away. She is unaware of her father's vicious past. When Tinker goes to find her, he learns that she has vanished. Blake correctly deduces that she has been kidnapped by a renegade Israeli Nazi hunter named Vendoza, who forced Schlumann to kill Warley or suffer his daughter's death. Warley had to die because he'd discovered that Vendoza had found a secret Nazi laboratory at the end of a tunnel beneath a vault in a graveyard. When Schulman follows his enemy, he is led to the vault where he falls into a trap and is forced by Vendoza to labour in chains to clear the tunnel of a fall of rocks. Tinker traces Vendoza to a nearby villa but finds it guarded by a tiger. He is captured by the villain and put to work alongside Schulmann until the passage is cleared and the Israeli can pass through to recover the formula for a deadly nerve gas from the chamber beyond. Blake, accompanied by Mike Bremner, follows his assistant's trail to the vault and catches Vendoza in the act of wiring the tunnel with explosives. The detective rescues Tinker but Schulmann and Vendoza break free and, battling each other, plunge into a ravine to their deaths. Delina Ann is found and the formula is burned by Blake, being too dangerous to fall into anyone else's hands.

Trivia: Mrs Bardell has a recently bereaved sister. Her name isn't mentioned — could she be Mary Ann Cluppins, the sister frequently mentioned in the old UNION JACK tales? If so, she must have re-married at some point, as she was already widowed in those stories (and let's not even discuss her probable age!).

Reference is made to the scene at the end of THE LAST TIGER (SBL4 issue 526, 1963) when Blake and Paula appeared to be on the verge of marriage. The moment passed, we are informed, and is unlikely to come again.

Rating: ★★★★★

DOWN AMONG THE AD MEN

by W. A. Ballinger (Wilfred McNeilly)

THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 5th series · Novel 45 · Oct. 1968 · Mayflower Books · 3/6

Illustrator: None

Other content: None

Notes: Barsford's Advertising Agency needs a new director and its executives are battling for the position. Alun Chaney gets his chance when he's asked to promote a new soft drink. He employs Miss Galaxy Dawn (real name Maggie Dunn) — who he spots in a restaurant — as a model. However, she turns out to be trouble; a hard-drinking nymphomaniac who's posed for a set of pornographic pictures. Then she vanishes after having been seen with a crook named Leon Procello and is later found by Sexton Blake drugged, with a gun in her hand and the dead body of Procello at her feet. Blake thinks the girl has been set up so he instructs Tinker to get her away from the crime scene. This does not go down well with Detective Superintendent Theodore Dukelow, who definitely can't be counted among Blake's Scotland Yard friends. It's not very rewarding for Tinker either; the girl eludes him and runs away. When Blake sends Paula Dane to search for her, Procello's bodyguards, who are now working for the mysterious "Toots", find Paula. They mistake her for Galaxy and, since Toots is after the pornographic pictures that the two bodyguards can't find, they try to force Paula to pose for a new set. Blake discovers who's buying shares in Barsford's and the whole case turns on its head. Realising what's going on, he races to Paula's rescue. The identity of Toots is revealed and the case is resolved ... but not before a not so innocent participant is shot through the head.

Trivia: We learn a lot about Blake's Baker Street premises in this story. It is in the same building (the whole of which he owns) as his apartment from the pre-Berkeley Square days; here given as number 252. The front door opens onto a public hallway that is covered in graffiti, painted by the local youths, who the detective refers to as 'The Baker Street Irregulars'. A shabby lift gives access to the five office floors and to Blake's rooms at the top. On the detective's floor, it opens onto a small landing and the door, which is opened via an electronic scanning device. The apartment beyond is decorated and furnished in a modern style, though Blake's old desk adds an element of eclecticism. We also gain information about Miss Pringle's father: apparently, he was an 'itinerant cattle dealer'. The Duke of Derwentwater receives a mention in this story.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND PERILS
(part 1)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 13/01/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Sexton Blake, Tinker and Pedro are on a climbing holiday in the Lake District when they are approached by Lomax Webb, lawyer to Sir Ralph Harley who, they are informed, died two weeks ago. In his will, he left his mansion — Darkdeed Grange — and fortune to his niece, Charlotte ... but she vanished the day after his death! The mansion is said to be haunted and the locals say that Charlotte has been seen at its windows, screaming for help. Webb gives Blake a master key that will open all the doors in the Grange. Upon arrival at the old house, Blake is opening the front door when black-gloved hands grope at him through its grill. Upon entering, though, he finds no-one there. However, in the dark, a glowing hand is seen to write a message of warning!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND PERILS
(part 2)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 20/01/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: When Blake pulls aside the curtain, the hand and message disappear. Beyond lies a vast chamber in which Blake and Tinker find an evil-looking portrait of a man named Sir Dog-Fang Harley ... known as 'The Wolf'. Dead for 200 years, the spirit of this wicked man is said to still roam Darkdeed Grange. The detectives move on into 'The Chamber of Eyes', in which hundreds of huge eyes line the walls and seem to follow their every move. As Blake turns to leave, a sword falls from above, narrowly missing him. The eyes shut and the room plunges into darkness. Through a window, they see Charlotte Smythe outlined against a window in another part of the grange. Suddenly, claw-like hands reach out and grab her.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND PERILS
(part 3)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 27/01/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake hurls himself through the window, races across the courtyard and climbs up to the opposite window. He pursues the shadowy figure which carries the girl into a dead end. Blake follows only to find that his quarry has vanished. Meanwhile a one-legged man, who claims to be the caretaker, challenges Tinker. Blake arrives and informs the man — whose name is Wally Wicklow — that they have been sent to Darkdeed Grange by Lomax Webb. Wicklow tells them that The Wolf is the ghost of Sir Dog-Fang Harley, who built the Grange. Suddenly, a stranger rushes in, claiming to have been attacked by the ghost.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND PERILS
(part 4)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 03/02/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: The stranger's name is Peter Frayle and he is Lomax Webb's junior clerk, sent to find out how Sexton Blake's investigation is progressing. Suddenly, The Wolf appears at the top of the stairs. Tinker rushes to tackle it but but the stairs open up beneath him and he is only saved from falling into a pit by Blake's quick reactions. That night, Blake enters the Grange alone, hoping to tempt The Wolf into the open. He fails to notice the room filling with gas and is quickly rendered unconscious.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND PERILS
(part 5)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 10/02/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake recovers consciousness to find himself caged. On the other side of the bars, he sees Charlotte Smythe and The Wolf. The girl tells him that the creature is forcing her to sign Darkdeed Grange over to him ... and whispers that The Wolf's true identity is Lomax Webb. The creature grabs the girl and carries her away. Blake breaks out of his prison and chases after them but falls through a hidden trapdoor. He drops onto a staircase and tumbles down into the main hall where he is greeted by Tinker and Peter Frayle. The latter looks out of the window and sees Webb approaching.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND PERILS
(part 6)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 17/02/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND PERILS
(part 7)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 24/02/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Breaking down the door, Blake finds Charlotte Smythe imprisoned with a man named Richard Stafford, who Lomax Webb reveals to be her fiance. The detective tells Lomax and Stafford to take the girl to London. They carry her out to the car but suddenly Stafford turns a gun on Lomax, revealing that he is the Wolf. Blake runs from the house and tackles him, finally capturing the Wolf.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 1)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 02/03/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 2)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 09/03/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: The figure introduces himself as Silas Stokes and offers the investigators a bed for the night. Tinker, though, is suspicious and so remains awake. When he sees a ghostly figure, he throws a books at it, smashing his bedroom window. Sexton Blake rushes in and they see the figure racing away outside with Tinker's jacket, in which he had all his money. They try to give chase but cannot open the front door. Silas Stokes approaches ...

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 3)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 16/03/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Silas Stokes claims that the story of the ghostly highwayman is all nonsense. He leads them back to Gallows Hill Manor and Tinker notices that he is wearing the same riding boots as the phantom. The detectives retire to their respective bedrooms. During the night, Blake's bed revolves on an axis ... had he been in it, he'd have plunged into a pit. However, he was standing guard and now climbs down into the darkness where he's confronted by the Phantom. While his attention is on the strange figure, someone creeps up behind him and cudgels him into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, a secret panel opens up behind Tinker and a sack is suddenly thrust over his head.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 4)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 23/03/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Sexton Blake recovers consciousness and finds himself locked in a cell. However, the stonework around the bars in the window is rotten and the detective is able to break out. He inches along a narrow ledge until he is able to see through a window into a room. Silas Stokes and his servant Boris are in there and Blake overhears them discussing their prisoners. They head towards his cell and he enters through the window and follows. When they open the cell door, he pushes them in and locks it. He then finds and releases Tinker. However, before the detectives can make another move, the Phantom Highwayman appears, slams shut the door and locks them in. The ceiling begins to descend ...

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 5)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 30/03/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Sexton Blake and Tinker find a concealed door through which they are able to escape from the descending ceiling. In the secret room beyond, they discover Silas Stokes and Boris... both bound hand and foot! Stokes admits that he serves the Phantom Highwayman who had reacted angrily when his servant had impersonated him in order to rob the detective. He tells Blake that there is a fortune hidden somewhere in the house and that the Highwayman's secret lair is behind the fireplace. Blake sends the two men out of the house, never to return. He and Tinker then pass through the fireplace to a chamber beyond in which they see the Phantom sleeping. As they approach him, the floor opens beneath them and they plummet into a shallow pit.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 6)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 06/04/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake gives Tinker a shin-up and the young detective clambers out of the pit only to find himself confronted by a wide-awake Phantom Highwayman. He flees, hoping to lead the ghostly figure away from Sexton Blake, and is pursued up to the belfry. Tinker manages to turn the tables on the Phantom and locks him in before returning to free his guv'nor. The two men then head up to confront their enemy but on the way hear a weak cry from behind a locked door. There is another prisoner in the manor!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 7)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 13/04/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake breaks through the door and, inside the room, the detectives find an old man chained to the wall. He reveals himself to be Edward Grimes, the owner of Gallows Hill Manor. Some months ago, he says, the ghost appeared, imprisoned him, and has been trying to find his ancestor's treasure. The chest of jewels is hidden in a maze beneath the house ... and has not yet been discovered by the Phantom. He leads the detectives to a shaft and they descend into a massive secret chamber. Suddenly the Phantom appears and grabs the old man. The chamber is plunged into darkness.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 8)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 20/04/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake pulls out a torch and by its light finds a secret panel through which the Highwayman has apparently pulled Grimes. However, he cannot find a way to open it, so he and Tinker continue to search for the treasure chamber. In a large room, they find five suits of armour and a message warning that the ghost's pack of panthers will attack anyone who approaches the treasure. Suddenly, a pack of panthers come bounding down some stairs. The detectives run in separate directions and the cats pursue Blake. One leaps onto him and the floor beneath his feet swivels. Man and cat plummet to the floor below, the panther cushioning Blake's fall. Meanwhile, Tinker, who had taken shelter behind the suits of armour, notices that where there were five, there are now six!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 9)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 27/04/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: The sixth suit of armour suddenly comes to life and pursues Tinker. Sexton Blake appears and races to his assistant's rescue. The Ghost of the Highwayman dives into the shadows and vanishes. The detective surmises that the Highwayman will strike again that night, so he and Tinker camp out beside the road. Sure enough, they witness the appearance of the ghost as it waylays a group of passing tourists. Blake tells his assistant that they'll follow the Highwayman to his lair, where he will reveal himself to be Edward Grimes.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 10)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 04/05/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake and Tinker watch as the Phantom Highwayman enters a secret tunnel. They follow and proceed down a dark passage. Suddenly, they hear cries for help from behind a locked door. Blake breaks it down and finds Grimes imprisoned inside, near to drowning in rising water. The detective saves him and the old man reveals that their ghostly foe has discovered the family treasure. He leads the detectives up through secret passages to the manor where they are confronted by the Highwayman who boasts that he has the treasure and they will never see him again. As he thunders away, Blake mounts a horse and gives chase.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 11)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 11/05/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake races his horse after the Phantom Highwayman, leaping over a coach and dodging a bullet from his quarry. He jumps from his charger onto the ghostly figure and they both crash to the ground. The Phantom kicks Blake away and draws his pistol.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GHOST OF THE HIGHWAYMAN
(part 12)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 18/05/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake strikes the pistol from the Phantom Highwayman's hand and knocks him out. He carries the figure back to the manor and asks Grimes to unmask him. Grimes does so and reveals his own stepbrother, Zachary. The villain recovers, snatches Tinker's gun and escapes through a secret panel. Blake follows him up to the belfry where, in defending himself, he knocks Zachary over the edge. The crook plunges to his death.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 1)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 25/05/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Sexton Blake and Tinker are sailing off the Yorkshire coast when a storm forces them ashore at a fishing village which is overlooked by a sinister castle situated on a rock by the coastline. In the local inn, the detectives overhear a man named Alfred Witheridge, secretary to the new owner of the castle, trying to hire fishermen to take him to 'Peril Rock'. The caretaker he hired to look after the castle while his employer is abroad seems to have vanished. However, the fisherman are afraid to go there due to a legend which states that a treasure — a golden bow and diamond-studded arrows — is guarded by The Golden Archer, a ghostly (and deadly) apparition. Blake offers to sail Witheridge to the rock. As the his approaches, The Golden Archer appears on the castle's battlements.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 2)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 01/06/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 3)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 08/06/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 4)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 15/06/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake dives down and catches hold of the rope. He swings it back and forth and — at the end of a swing — slices through the rope with a knife. He and Tinker are thrown to the edge of the water. They emerge from the pool room into a chamber where a man is standing on the end of a piller in the middle of a pit of spikes. If he falls, he'll die!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 5)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 22/06/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 6)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 29/06/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Crusty Pye shows Blake and Tinker a concealed door and they enter a maze of secret passages unaware that the Golden Archer has been spying on them. Pye follows arrows he scratched onto the walls, leading the detectives to the treasure. However, ahead of them, the Archer obliterates one of the markers and replaces it with an arrow pointing in the wrong direction. The group unwittingly follows the false trail which leads to a room facing a huge aquarium filled with deadly sea creatures. The exit to the room slams shut and a statue of the Golden Archer fires an arrow at the glass tank. The creatures spill into the room.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 7)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 06/07/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake, Tinker and Crusty try to flee from the flooding room through a dark tunnel hidden behind the statue but a shark blocks Crusty's path. Blake punches its snout and it thrashes away, leaving their escape route free. The tunnel leads to the treasure room where they find the golden bow and arrows. Blake reaches for them but a grill slides down and traps his hand. Behind him, the spectral archer appears and grabs Tinker.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 8)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 13/07/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake manages to free himself from the grill and chases after the abducted Tinker. Meanwhile, Crusty Pye enters the chamber and sees the treasure. He takes it and makes for the boat he used to get to the island. Sexton Blake catches up with the Golden Archer who has carried Tinker into a large chamber. The sinister figure throws a tablet onto a burning brazier and the room fills with black smoke. Through the gloom, the blazing eyes of ferocious hunting hounds glare at the detective.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 9)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 20/07/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake uses a burning brazier to ward off the savage hounds. He escapes over a door and finds himself in an armoury which is occupied by the Golden Archer. The ghostly figure fires an arrow which strikes the detective on the side of the head. Blake collapses unconscious. Meanwhile, Tinker manages to free himself from his bonds and follows a passage to its exit where he sees Crusty Pye escaping with the treasure.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 10)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 27/07/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Tinker tries to persuade Pye to help him search for Blake but they are interrupted by the Golden Archer. Pye flees in a boat leaving the treasure behind but when Tinker examines the golden bow and jewelled arrows he discovers that they are fake. The real items must still be somewhere on the island. The young detective returns to the tunnels and follows them back to the armoury where, to his horror, he sees Sexton Blake tied to a table with a sword suspended over him by a thread which is being slowly burned by a candle.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 11)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 03/08/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Tinker aims an arrow at the falling blade but just as he fires a hand touches his elbow, spoiling his aim. The arrow misses but Sexton Blake regains consciousness in the nick of time and throws himself sideways. The blade just misses him. The hand proves to be that of Alfred Witheridge, who apologises for his untimely interruption. He says that he came to the castle to show the detectives where to find food and supplies. Blake whispers to Tinker that he thinks Witheridge is actually the Golden Archer.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 12)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 10/08/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Witheridge leads Blake and Tinker to a small kitchen where they prepare some food. The detectives then examine the inscription at the base of the statue on the main stairs. Blake follows the clues to a secret door which he opens, despite Witheridge's objections. He and Tinker step through into a large chamber but the door swings to behind them, shutting Witheridge out. Suddenly, the room begins to flood with molten metal.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 13)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 17/08/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: As the molten metal floods into the room, Blake spots footprints in the dust which lead to, and end at, a blank wall. Leaping over the flames, he and Tinker reach the wall and find the floor sinking beneath them. The hidden lift takes them down into an ancient vault where they are confronted by the Golden Archer. Blake deflects an arrow and chases the phantom figure through the tunnels. Tinker lags behind and, while Blake readies himself to pounce on an approaching figure, his assistant sees the golden bow emerging from a nook and makes a grab for it.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 14)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 24/08/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake leaps upon the approaching figure but discovers that it isn't the Golden Archer but a man named Charles Delmont, whose boat has broken down and who entered the castle to look for help. The investigators begin searching for Witheridge and find him in a hall of mirrors; each mirror reflecting a statue of the archer. Witheridge realises that Delmont is the name of tha castle's owner. Suddenly, a sinister figure steps out of a mirror frame and makes a grab for him.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 15)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 31/08/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: One of the reflections suddenly pounces on Alfred Witheridge. Sexton Blake leaps forward and smashes his way through the mirrors and races up the stone stairway which he finds beyond. He follows the passage to a room where he finds Witheridge entrapped in a glass cage which is slowly descending towards deep water. On a platform beyond, he sees the treasure; the golden bow and jewelled arrows. Suddenly, a giant octopus emerges from the water. Blake dives in to rescue the trapped butler.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 16)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 07/09/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Sexton Blake swims to the glass cage and tears it open. Witheridge swims for his life but Blake is caught by the octopus and dragged beneath the surface. As he fights for his life, the Golden Archer appears and reaches for the treasure.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 17)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 14/09/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: While Blake battles with the octopus, Tinker and Alfred Witheridge helplessly watch the Phantom Bowman lay claim to the treasure. Blake rises to the surface of the water having won the fight and swims after the ghostly figure. The detective pursues the archer through a secret door and up some stone steps but is suddenly confronted by a spiked cylinder which comes rolling down the steps towards him... and he has no means of escape!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE PHANTOM OF PERIL ROCK
(part 18)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 21/09/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake narrowly avoids the spiked roller before continuing his pursuit of the Golden Archer. He confronts the weird figure and finds himself on the receiving end of an arrow ... but it shatters above his heart! The detective leaps onto the archer and fights him into submission. When Tinker and Witheridge catch up, Blake rips the mask from the archer's face revealing Charles Delmont, a cousin of the castle's owner. He then removes a book from his jacket — it had blocked the arrow and saved his life!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 1)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 28/09/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Property tycoon Archibald Degard arrives at the Henwood Museum to inform the curator that he intends to pull the building down in order to build a block of flats on the site. As he enters the dark hallway, a mummified hand reaches for him. Next morning, Sexton Blake is visited by Joshua Collins, Degard's partner, and Sir Giles Quentin, the trustee of the museum. They commission him to find out why Degard has disappeared. The detective and his assistant drive to the museum where Pedro follows the missing man's trail to the door. Here, the visitors are confronted by a terrifying vision.
Trivia: This adventure occurs in the early 1930s.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 2)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 05/10/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Confronted by a glowing mummy, Sexton Blake leaps into action but the spectre races away and vanishes. The detective returns to the museum to interview the curator, Ebenezer Crabtree. He shows them around the exhibits but suddenly goes missing. An Egyptian sarcophagus slowly creaks open ...

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 3)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 12/10/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: In the Egyptian Room, a sarcophagus opens and a glowing mummy emerges. Sexton Blake tackles it but is knocked senseless. When he recovers, Tinker tells him that the strange apparition had returned to its coffin. They try to open it but the lid is locked. Pedro picks up Degard's scent again and leads his masters to the Greek Room. They find traces of luminous paint which suggest that the phantom is as human as they are. Suddenly, a huge statue topples towards them.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 4)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 19/10/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Pedro leaps and pushes Blake out of the way as the statue crashes to the floor. The bloodhound then sniffs out a signet ring belonging to Degard. The trail leads them into the Roman Gallery where malevolent eyes follow their progress. Suddenly, a siege catapult fires a massive boulder at them.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 5)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 26/10/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: The detectives leap aside as the boulder from the catapult crashes to the floor. Drops of glowing paint give the clue that the mummy was responsible for firing it. Pedro continues to follow the trail of the missing tycoon and leads Blake and Tinker into the next exhibition room. An arrow is fired at them from one of the displays. An attached note warns them that they will perish if they continue their investigation. Suddenly, a suit of armour behind Blake raises its sword to strike!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 6)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 02/11/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake leaps aside as the sword descends and grabs a battle-axe from a nearby stand. The knight knocks this from his hands and strikes the detective over the head. Later, Blake recovers consciousness to find that Tinker has disappeared. As he begins to search for his assistant, a weird figure looks on through a secret panel.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 7)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 09/11/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake comes across a message which tells him that he is doomed. Then an iron cage falls from above and encloses him. As he tries to escape, a mocking laugh echoes around the chamber. It comes from the glowing mummy, which has positioned a giant crossbow so that it's aimed straight at the detective.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 8)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 16/11/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: The mummy fires the crossbow. Blake manages to rock his cage to one side and the crossbow bolt smashes it open. However, by the time he climbs free, the mummy has vanished. Pedro leads him into the next room where he finds Tinker strapped to a giant man trap. Carefully avoiding the trigger, Blake liberates his assistant.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 9)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 23/11/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: A glowing mummy appears before Blake and Tinker then turns and disappears through a door. The detectives follow and find themselves witnessing a terrible scene: Archibald Degard is strapped to a chopping block and beside him the dummy of an executioner stands with his axe raised. Candles burn beneath the waxwork's arms ... and when they melt the axe will fall. The mummy warns the detectives that they will face the same fate. Blake darts forward as the blade drops towards Degard's neck.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 10)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 30/11/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake catches the axe before it hits Degard, saving him. The tycoon reveals that he has no idea why he was kidnapped by the Phantom. Blake reveals that he believes that the ghost is, in fact, Ebeneezer Crabtree. Unknown to the detective, his statement is overheard by a mysterious glowing figure.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 11)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 07/12/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Sexton Blake suspects Ebenezer Crabtree of being behind the strange events but he seems to be proven wrong when he opens the door of the next gallery and sees Crabtree inside with his head locked in a guillotine. A rope leads from the execution device to a clock ... and momentarily, when the hour is struck, the blade will fall! As the chimes begin, Blake sends Pedro leaping for the rope. The hound holds the blade at bay and Crabtree is saved. However, the next danger is just minutes away. As the group passes an exhibition portraying the death of Nelson, the ship's mast breaks and topples towards them!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 12)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 14/12/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: The men leap aside as the mast falls. They escape unscathed except for Crabtree who collapses from the shock. While Tinker stays with the stricken man, Blake and Degard continue the search for the villain. Pedro leads them to a wall where the detective discovers a secret recess. Inside, he finds a gramaphone — which had been the source of the fiendish laughter — and the luminous bandages worn by the mummy. Meanwhile, a menacing figure approaches Tinker.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 13)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 21/12/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: A hand reaches out towards Tinker and he gives a cry of alarm. This is heard by Blake and Degard, who rush into the room only to find that the lad has vanished. Pedro paws at the fireplace, which Blake discovers to be a secret door. He follows the bloodhound into the dark passage beyond but trips a booby-trap — the walls start to rumble inwards!

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

SEXTON BLAKE AND THE MUSEUM OF FEAR
(part 14)

by Anon. (Unknown)

VALIANT · 28/12/1968 · Fleetway Publications Ltd · 7d

Illustrator: Anon. (Eric Dadswell)

Other content: Various strips and text stories.

Notes: Blake holds the walls apart while Degard and Pedro run to safety. He then manages to inch forward and escapes from the closing section of the passage. Pushing onward, they come to a door which opens onto a reproduction of a Victorian Street. Suddenly a manhole cover opens and a hand appears ...

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

THE VALIANT BOOK OF TV'S SEXTON BLAKE · 1968 · Fleetway Publications · 6/6d

Other content: Sexton Blake's Honour (strip); Interpol — Enemy of World Crime (article); Four-Legged Crime-Buster (strip); The Tealeaf Trio (strip); Crooked Chuckles; The Valiant Men in Blue (article); Emperor of Crime (strip); Sexton Blake's Casebook (quiz); Material Evidence (strip); Crook-Catchers — The Siege of Sidney Street (strip); Tricks of my Trade by Sexton Blake (article); Lawless Laughs; Crook-Catchers — Public Enemy No.1 (strip); Decoy for Diamonds (strip); The Man-Hunters (article); Fun at the Fair (strip); Toby Jugg (strip); Crook-Catchers — The Taming of the Idaho Kid (strip); Terror of the Tong (strip).

Containing:

THE PERFECT CRIME

by Anon. (Unknown)

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

TINKER'S CHALLENGE

by Anon. (Unknown)

Illustrator: Unknown

Notes: None at present.

Unrated

SEXTON BLAKE — DETECTIVE

by Anon. (Harry Blyth)

Illustrator: Eric Parker

Notes: This is a reprint (in an abridged form) of the first Sexton Blake tale to have ever appeared in the UNION JACK (1st series issue 2) but mistakenly claims that it was the first Blake story ever written.

Unrated