The Exploits of Fidelity Dove is a mystery novel by William Edward Vickers. It was first published in 1924 under the pen name David Durham and then again in 1935 under Vicker's more popular pen name Roy Vickers. It is considered one of the rarest mystery books of the twentieth century.[1]
Plot overview
Fidelity Dove has been described as a femme fatale,[2] a female master criminal,[3] and an altruistic avenger.[4] In the backmatter of one Vickers' other works she is described as "a lovely Puritan maid whose charm makes her irresistible - even to the detective whom she baffles at every turn."[5]
Fidelity is an ash blonde with violet eyes, and is always clad in grey, an outward reflection of her puritan beliefs. She has the face of an angel and her beauty and charm have enabled her to gather a gang of highly skilled men: an actor, a scientist, a lawyer and others to assist her in her crimes.[6][7] Her exploits consist of twelve tales:
A Face and a Fortune
Suspense
The Genuine Old Master
A Classic Forgery
The Gulverbery Diamonds
The Merchant Princess
Fourteen Hundred Percent
A Deal in Reputations
The Laughing Nymph
Proverbs and Prophets
The Meanest Man in Europe
The Great Kabul
There is a certain Robin Hood element to her crimes. Fidelity helps those who have been wronged, cheated or exploited, but in almost every tale her actions result in profits for herself and her gang of men.[6]
Reprints
The Fidelity Dove tales have only been reprinted four times in complete editions: three times in English and once in Japanese.
Complete Collection of 12 Tales
The Exploits of Fidelity Dove, by David Durham. Hodder & Stoughton, 1924
The Exploits of Fidelity Dove, by Roy Vickers. George Newnes, 1935
The Exploits of Fidelity Dove, by Roy Vickers. ROH Press 2022 ISBN: 978-1998879007
フィデリティ・ダヴの大仕事 Fideriti davu no ooshigoto (Japanese) Roy Vickers, Translator: Yuichi Hirayama, Kokushokankokai, 2011 ISBN: 978-4336054456
Individual Tales
Ellery Queen was the first American publisher to publish Fidelity Dove tales in his various publications. She made her debut in America in 1943 in The Female of the Species The Great Women Detectives and Criminals. Her appearances are listed below.
The Great Kabul repinted in * The Female of the Species The Great Women Detectives and Criminals. Edited by Ellery Queen. Little, Brown and Company, 1943., Boston, 1943
The Meanest Man in Europe reprinted in:
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine #19, November 1944
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine “Overseas Edition for the Armed Forces” #19, November 1944
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (Australia) #31, January 1950
Ellery Queen's Anthology #5, 1963, as by Roy Vickers
Ellery Queen's Anthology #5, 1963, as by Roy Vickers
Other publishers, most notably Otto Penzler brought Miss Dove back into pront in the 21st century.
A Classic Forgery reprinted in The Armchair Detective, October 1978
The Genuine Old Master reprinted in: The Big Book of Rogues and Villains. Edited by Otto Penzler. Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2017 ISBN: 978-0525432487
The Gulverbery Diamonds reprinted in: The Big Book of Locked Room Mysteries. Edited by Otto Penzler. Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2018 ISBN: 978-0307743961
A Face and a Fortune reprinted in: Moriarty’s Rivals: 14 Female Masterminds. ROH Press, 2020 ISBN: 978-1987886658
^Barnett, Colleen A. "Fidelity Dove". Mystery Women: An Encyclopedia of Leading Women Characters in Mystery Fiction. ReadHowYouWant.com. ISBN9781459612327.
^Steinbrunner Chris and Penzler Otto. Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection. London : Routledge & K. Paul 1976 p 128