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1Adventures of Jimmie Dale

By Frank L. Packard

Frank Lucius Packard (February 2, 1877 – February 17, 1942) was a Canadian novelist born in Montreal, Quebec. He worked as a civil engineer on the Canadian Pacific Railway. He later wrote a series of mystery novels, the most famous of which featured a character called Jimmie Dale. <BR><BR>Jimmie Dale is a wealthy playboy by day, with a Harvard education and membership to New York City’s ultra-exclusive private club St. James. But at night he puts on a costume and becomes The Grey Seal, who enters businesses or homes and cracks safes, always leaving a diamond shaped, grey paper "seal" behind to mark his conquest, but never taking anything. He was just doing it for "the sheer deviltry of it" at first, but when a woman catches him, she blackmails him to war on certain crime organizations. <BR><BR>Jimmie Dale/The Grey Seal is often credited with greatly influencing and popularizing later pulp and comic book heroes. The foppish playboy-by-day-crimefighter-by-night routine had a precursor in The Scarlet Pimpernel, but it was Jimmie Dale that brought the idea into a contemporary setting and added the idea of a costume and mask for his secret identity, serving as a possible influence for characters like Zorro and The Shadow. He also established the concept of a hero's secret hideout or lair, The Sanctuary, a precersor of the Batcave or the Fortress of Solitude. (Summary by Wikipedia and Maire Rhode)</p> The sequel to this book, <a href="https://librivox.org/the-further-adventures-of-jimmie-dale-by-frank-l-packard/">The Further Adventures of Jimmie Dale</a>, can also be found on Librivox.

2White Moll

By Frank L. Packard

Frank Lucius Packard (February 2, 1877 – February 17, 1942) born in Montreal, Quebec, was a Canadian novelist. Packard is credited with bridging the gap from the “cozy” style mysteries to the more gritty, hard-boiled style of such writers as Dashiell Hammet and Raymond Chandler. Packard also wrote a series of novels, beginning in 1917, featuring Jimmie Dale. A wealthy playboy by day, at night, Jimmie becomes a crimefighter “The Gray Seal” complete with mask and secret hide-out, “The Sanctuary”. This character certainly influenced later crime-fighting characters such as Batman and The Shadow.</br><br>In The White Moll (1920) Rhoda Gray, “The White Moll”, an angel of mercy who spends her time helping the poor in the slums of New York City, is drawn into the criminal world when she attempts to help Gypsy Nan, who is not what she seems. Accused of a crime and on the run from the police, she must battle the most nefarious criminal gang in the New York underworld to prove her innocence. Populated by such characters as Pierre Dangler, the Pug, Pinkie Bonn, Skeeny, the Sparrow and above all “the Adventurer”, this story contains shoot-outs, car chases, adventure and enough suspense and deception to satisfy the most avid mystery lover. (Summary by Rowdy Delaney)

3Further Adventures of Jimmie Dale

By Frank L. Packard

In the <a href="https://librivox.org/the-adventures-of-jimmie-dale-by-frank-l-packard/">previous book of adventures</a>, we met Jimmie Dale, a wealthy playboy by day, who at night put on a disguise and became The Gray Seal, a daredevil entering businesses or homes and cracking safes, always leaving a diamond shaped, gray paper "seal" behind to mark his conquest. He never took anything, but just wanted the thrill of it. This had spun out of control when a mysterious woman, whom Jimmie Dale nicknames The Tocsin, caught him at it and blackmailed him into doing her bidding. On her instigation, he got involved in numerous underworld crimes, righting wrongs and protecting innocent bystanders. The Tocsin is herself in hiding from her enemies in the underworld, and the two of them barely escape with their lives when they are pursued by both the criminals and the police.<BR><BR> At the end of those previous adventures, Jimmie Dale thought he had left off his dealings with the underworld for good, and could settle down with the woman he loved. But now, The Tocsin has disappeared. Jimmie Dale is drawn back into the world of crime, crooks and opium dens to look for her, and The Gray Seal is resurrected. (Summary by Anna Simon)

<BR>Jimmie Dale, alias The Gray Seal, alias Smarlinghue, is back in the criminal underworld of New York. He is desperately trying to find the criminal called the Phantom, alias Gentleman Laroque, in order to protect Marie, alias The Tocsin, the love of his life. A fast-paced, adventurous story riddled with aliases, disguises, gunfire and opium dens. <BR><BR>Third book about the adventures of Jimmie Dale. <a href="https://librivox.org/group/587">The first two are already available at LibriVox.</a> - Summary by Anna Simon

5Night Operator

By Frank L. Packard

A collection of ten railroad short stories: "And so these are the stories of the Hill Division and of the men who wrought upon it; the stories of those days when it was young and in the making; the stories of the days when Carleton, 'Royal' Carleton, was superintendent, when gruff, big-hearted, big-paunched Tommy Regan was master mechanic, when the grizzled, gray-streaked Harvey was division engineer, and little Doctor McTurk was the Company surgeon, and Riley was the trainmaster, and Spence was the chief despatcher; the stories of men who have done brave duty and come to honor and glory and their reward—and the stories of some who have gone into Division for the last time on orders from the Great Trainmaster, and who will never railroad any more." (Frank L. Packard)

Frank L. Packard worked as a civil engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He brings this experience to the fictional Hill Division -- those those twisting, climbing, dangerous and glorious miles of track that lead from the Division Point at Big Cloud over the magnificent but treacherous Rockies to the straight and level Pacific Division. Here are fifteen stories of exciting times on the Hill Division and of the remarkable men—Regan, Carlton, Spence and all the others—whose determination, ability, even heroism, tamed the fabulous Hill Division. (Summary by Delmar H Dolbier)

7Doors of the Night

By Frank L. Packard

New York City, 1922—Murder—half-million dollar robbery—false accusation—secret passage—the underworld—a mystery woman—a masked man—a crooked lawyer—stolen jewels—a forged will. . . “Every hour . . . held a surer promise, not only of desperate peril to himself, but a promise that he would find himself launched in a sea of crime, of shuddering things, of murder, of blood, of sordid viciousness, of hate.” - Summary by Delmar H. Dolbier

8Four Stragglers

By Frank L. Packard

This thrilling novel teems with intrigue and unforgettable characters. It opens during WWI with a few allied soldiers lost at night behind German lines. One of them shoots at another in the darkness. Members of a criminal gang before the war, the men resume their unlawful activities when peacetime returns. The gang’s leader receives a letter that results in his leaving London for a small island off the Florida Keys. He is “as clever a scoundrel and as miserable, inhuman and unscrupulous a one as ever blasphemed the image in which God made him… He is without conscience, ruthless, a fiend who would do honour to hell itself." <br> Frank L. Packard authored many popular novels, several of which were made into movies, including a series in which he originated the idea of a heroic crime fighter with a secret double identity. --Lee Smalley

9Wild Pastures

By Winthrop Packard

American naturalist, Winthrop Packard, takes on a journey along pastures, ponds, bogs, brooks and woods alerting us to their many inhabitants. He points out the birds, butterflies, fish, frogs and even skunks, and describes them and their habitat with free flowing narrative that is both informative and entertaining, sometimes dramatic and sometimes poetic. - Summary by Larry Wilson

10Wildwood Ways

By Winthrop Packard

American naturalist, Winthrop Packard, takes us on a journey among the wild woods and ponds alerting us to their many inhabitants. He points out the birds, hornets, muskrat and mink and their habitat, particularly during the New England winter, with free-flowing narrative that is both informative and entertaining, sometimes dramatic and sometimes poetic. - Summary by Larry Wilson

11Wood Wanderings

By Winthrop Packard

American naturalist, Winthrop Packard, takes us on a wandering journey into the woods alerting us to the many inhabitants and their habitat. He points out the birds, squirrels, woodchucks, and the variety of trees to be found particularly during the New England autumn, with free flowing narrative that is both informative and entertaining, sometimes dramatic and sometimes poetic - Summary by Larry Wilson

"A survey of the White Mountains of New Hampshire from a naturalist's standpoint, useful alike to the tourist, the "tramper" and the nature-lover." - Small, Maynard & Co., Publishers, Boston - Publisher's Weekly Vol 81, 1912 <br><br> Revel in the beautiful and detailed descriptions of the flora, fauna and views observed by the author while hiking in the White Mountains in the early 20th century. A true labor of love! - Summary by J. M. Smallheer

13Woodland Paths

By Winthrop Packard

American naturalist, Winthrop Packard, takes us on a wandering journey into the woods, alerting us to the many inhabitants and their habitat. The descriptions follow the spring months in New England, including such topics as March Winds, Bobbing for Eels, and the Harbingers of Summer. Packard writes with a free flowing narrative that is both informative and entertaining, sometimes dramatic and sometimes poetic (Summary by Larry Wilson)

14Literary Pilgrimages of a Naturalist

By Winthrop Packard

Noted American Naturalist, Winthrop Packard, who gave us such titles as “Woodland Pastures,” “Wood Wanderings,” and “Wildwood Ways,” now takes us to the haunts of New England literary luminaries such as Whittier, Alcott, and Thoreau. Birds, plants, and wildlife are noted in these sites from Walden Pond to Vermont, giving us a glimpse into the world of these poets and authors. - Summary by Larry Wilson

15Florida Trails

By Winthrop Packard

American naturalist, Winthrop Packard, has given us such accounts as Wild Pastures, Wood Wanderings, and White Mountain Trails now he takes us on a wandering journey along Florida trails as seen from Jacksonville to Key West and from November to April, alerting us to the many inhabitants and their habitat. Through orange groves, palmettos, mangroves, to the sea he tells us about warblers, butterflies, pelicans, alligators, and wild turkeys, and more. Packard writes with a free-flowing narrative that is both informative and entertaining, sometimes dramatic and sometimes poetic. - Summary by Larry Wilson

16Young Ice Whalers

By Winthrop Packard

Noted American naturalist, Winthrop Packard, has given such enchanting nature books as Wildwood Ways, White Mountain Trails, and Woodland Ways, was also a Member Corwin exploring expedition to Alaska, Siberia and the Arctic, 1900. <br><br> Against the background, comes this riveting story of the men who ventured into this hazardous territory aboard the Whaling Bark Bowhead. - Summary by Larry Wilson