9 h 40 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
How far can you run when your enemy has followers in many lands and never loses his calm?
Richard Hatteras is brave, fond of the open sea, and no trained detective or soldier. In Guy Boothby's A Bid for Fortune; Or, Dr. Nikola's Vendetta, this young Englishman finds himself drawn into a dangerous contest with Dr Nikola. Phyllis Wetherell's fate is tied to Nikola's scheme, and Hatteras is determined to protect her.
Nikola has learning, money, quiet manners, and followers far beyond one city. Hatteras must discover how far his enemy's reach extends as the pursuit crosses land and sea. Steamships and telegraphs connect this world, but distance remains part of the danger. Money, power, and safety are prizes worth gambling for—and the people pursuing them are ready to take great risks.
What you’ll discover
- A villain with style Meet Dr Nikola, whose polite confidence makes his criminal aims all the more chilling.
- Courage without special training Follow Hatteras as fair play and determination meet an enemy with money and followers.
- Pursuit across the oceans Travel through a chase where steamer routes and long voyages give distance a dangerous weight.
- A fate worth fighting for Share Hatteras's resolve to protect Phyllis Wetherell from the scheme that entangles her.
- The nerve to gamble Explore how the hunger for money, power, or safety drives people toward great risks.
Who will love it
For lovers of Victorian adventure, scheming villains, sea voyages, disguises and daring rescues, and for anyone who enjoys a hero who thinks fast and a mystery that spans the globe.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A mysterious host summons three hired men
- A pearler meets a girl in Sydney
- A conjurer in London shows he knows too much
- A visit to the family home leads to Bournemouth
- A pencil mark on a telegraph pad raises alarm
- A drugged journey ends in the streets of Port Said
- Two captives find a way to send for help
- Fear, loyalty and fortune drive the story
- A hero tells his own story with relish
Who’s who
- Dick HatterasA tall, strong pearler and trader from Thursday Island who is alone in the world and falls in love with Phyllis Wetherell.
- Dr. NikolaA polished, hypnotic schemer who travels with a huge black cat and wants something from Wetherell, and he hires men to help.
- Phyllis WetherellThe Colonial Secretary's brave daughter, who loves Dick and will marry no one else, whatever her father says.
- Sylvester WetherellThe Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, a proud man haunted by fear of Nikola who keeps the reason secret for much of the story.
- The Marquis of BeckenhamA sheltered young heir saved from the sea by Dick, eager to see the world and loyal to his friend.
- Mr. BaxterThe Marquis's tutor, dressed as a clergyman, who carries out Nikola's orders while posing as a harmless scholar.
- PrendergastA white-haired man with a scarred face who works for Nikola and guards the captives with a sneer.
- EastoverA tall, well-dressed agent of Nikola with a slight American accent, sent across the world to Sydney.
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Ein Gebot auf das Glück; oder: Dr. Nikolas Rache in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Ein Gebot auf das Glück; oder: Dr. Nikolas Rache
by Guy Boothby · 1895
A pearler from Thursday Island saves a young heir, and a cat-stroking doctor named Nikola starts to close in.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
What could bring three strangers from Hang-chow, Bloemfontein and beyond to a London dinner table, summoned by a host who has never met them? In this adventure novel by Guy Boothby, a strange doctor named Nikola, with a huge black cat on his shoulder, begins a plot against a rich man.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A mysterious host summons three hired men
The book opens in a London restaurant, where the manager worries over a letter from Cuyaba, Brazil. It orders dinner for four, red candle shades and a saucer of milk, all booked three months ahead. Three guests arrive with plain cards marked by a red dot. They give their names as Eastover, Prendergast and Baxter, and none has ever seen the host.
Punctually at eight, Dr. Nikola enters. He is slim, dark and polite, and he strokes a huge black cat while he talks. He tells his guests that a rich man has done him a lasting injury and that he means to ruin him. Each man will earn ten thousand pounds if the plan works, and each is sent off to his task.
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What is A Bid for Fortune about?
It follows Dick Hatteras, a pearler from Thursday Island, who meets the schemer Dr. Nikola. When he saves a young marquis and falls in love with Phyllis Wetherell, he is drawn into a plot that crosses oceans.
Who is Dr. Nikola?
Nikola is the villain, a dark-eyed, polite doctor who hypnotizes, drugs and kidnaps to get what he wants. He often appears with a huge black cat, and he moves between London, Egypt and Australia.
Is A Bid for Fortune part of a series?
Dr. Nikola is Guy Boothby's recurring villain, and he appears in several of the author's books. This novel tells its own full story, so you can read it first and meet the doctor with no earlier knowledge.
The author
Guy Boothby
1867–1905 · Australian novelist
Guy Boothby (1867–1905) was an Australian novelist born in Adelaide. He lived in Australia and later in England. He wrote novels and short stories, including stories featuring Dr Nikola. His books include A Bid for Fortune, published in 1895, and A Prince of Swindlers, published in 1897.
More by Guy Boothby
All 2 booksMore like this
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