Agaton Sax and the Max Brothers

By Nils-Olof Franzén

Agaton Sax, private detective and editor of the world's smallest newspaper (but also the best) loves a good trick.

Mind you, a brain like his is pretty hard to fool.

So when conjurors extraordinaire the Marvellous Max Brothers come to Byköping just days after there has been a daring raid on the Bank of England, the stage is set for a magical mystery tour that will see our heroes and villains travel across Europe - by train, car, plane, helicopter and... barrel?!

The Agaton Sax series of books were first published in Sweden, later being translated into English and printed with illustrations by much-loved artist Quentin Blake (perhaps best known for his work on the books of Roald Dahl). The English translations became immensely popular, achieving the status of the most re-issued mystery & detective series in the history of Nordic children's literature.

Now, after many years out of print, Oak Tree Books is proud to publish the entire Agaton Sax series, newly translated and illustrated for the next generation. This new collection includes the eleventh book which has never before been released in English.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oak Tree Books
• Release date: May 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781789827590

Book preview

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A Not Unexpected Visit

There are times scattered across the great expanse of history that, though seemingly humdrum in the moment, reveal themselves over time to have been of earth-shattering importance. Or – at very least – of enormous interest to historians, which isn’t always the same thing. There are others that zing with promise from the off.

In the small Swedish town of Byköping, 9:17 in the morning on Friday the 23rd April belonged to the latter group. For it was there and then that Agaton Sax, famed sleuth and editor of the Byköping Post,[1] was handed the following telegram:

DEAR AGATON STOP

MUST RAISE THE ALARM STOP

UNKNOWN GANG HAS STRUCK AGAIN STOP

PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF CLUE STOP

ONLY LEAD WE HAVE STOP

WE MUST FIND A WAY TO MAKE THEM STOP STOP

OH DEAR, IS THAT TOO MANY STOPS? STOP

LISPINGTON

SCOTLAND YARD

Agaton Sax allowed himself an affectionate smile at his friend’s mild panic. Inspector Joshua Lispington was in many ways a fine crime-fighter, but he did have an unfortunate tendency to work himself up into a frenzy – particularly at the beginning of a case, when clues were less readily available.

Nonetheless, it was clear that something serious was afoot and that the good Inspector needed advice and reassurance; these were two things that Agaton was more than happy to provide.

He swivelled in his chair, seized the telephone and rang the Byköping Post Office.

A dour, crotchety voice answered.

‘What?’

Agaton’s moustache twitched. He knew that Gertrude Olsson, the town’s Postmaster General, had a heart of gold. Unfortunately, she kept it extremely well hidden under an exterior of metal spikes.

‘It is I, Agaton Sax.’

‘And?’

‘And I would like to send a telegram.’

‘If you must.’

‘I must. It is perhaps the most important telegram I’ve ever sent.’

‘I’ll take your word for it. Go ahead.’

‘It’s for Inspector Lispington of Scotland Yard and should read as follows…’

Agaton dictated the following telegram to Gertrude. She only sighed in exasperation twice.

MY DEAR LISPINGTON STOP

CLUE IS SAFELY UNDER LOCK AND KEY STOP

FEAR NOT, IT IS ME THEY’RE AFTER, NOT YOU STOP

AND I BELIEVE I HAVE SOLVED THE RIDDLE STOP

BEST COME AT ONCE STOP

MUST GO STOP

AUNT MATILDA IS BANGING ON THE WALL STOP

AGAIN STOP

AGATON SAX

‘Did you get all of that, Miss Olsson?’

Gertrude sniffed down the line.

‘I did. Seems like some petty nonsense to me. Clues and Aunts banging on walls.’

‘That’s as may be, but if I don’t reply to Aunt Matilda, she’ll never… STOP!’

Agaton waited briefly for a response to his little joke. None was forthcoming.

It was his turn to sniff haughtily.

‘Goodbye, Miss Olsson.’

Gertrude’s tone brightened slightly.

‘Thank goodness. Goodbye, Mr Sax.’

Agaton hung up the phone and shook his head. Despite her unappealing tone, he knew he could trust her implicitly to send his message promptly and accurately.

He enjoyed knowing who he could trust, even if they weren’t always sweetness and light.

Speaking of which… he thought.

‘Alright, Aunt. I hear you banging. Is the coffee ready?’

Through the ingenious speaking tube that hung on one of the office’s walls, the voice of Matilda Sax could now be heard.

‘Coffee, pah! You can have your coffee when you’ve dealt with the scoundrels at the door.’

‘There’s someone at the door?’

‘Did I not just say that, Agaton? And you asked me to let you know when anyone arrived.’

‘And they are scoundrels, you say?’

‘Scoundrels. Criminals. Detectives. The usual unruly lot that visit you. These ones are carrying walking sticks and swinging them about.’ She growled under her breath. Swung walking sticks were entirely too much, clearly.

‘Good, good,’ said Agaton happily. ‘Now, remember my instructions. Let them ring three times before answering. Then, tell them that I am out and no one but grandfather knows where I am.’

Aunt Matilda did not reply, but her meaning was clear. She didn’t hold with any of this, but as usual she was willing to go along with Agaton’s plans. She didn’t always think they made complete sense, but she did know that she was there to get him out of any trouble into which he might stumble – and she trusted herself entirely.

‘Very well,’ she finally said and the speaking tube was deactivated with a dull thump.

Agaton rubbed his hands in expectation; it was always exciting when a carefully laid-out scheme came together. He reached across his desk and grabbed a decrepit-looking, greenish[2] smoking jacket that lay folded there.

Donning this, he leapt from his chair towards a large, ornate chest at the other side of the room. Opening it, he plunged into its contents, reappearing some moments later entirely transformed.

He now wore a long, white beard and a pair of half-moon spectacles. Beneath his arm, he carried a substantial volume entitled How to Be Old: A Beginner’s Guide.

The great detective tapped the pocket of his smoking jacket, to ensure the presence of the letter he had written the previous evening, in anticipation of today’s events.

The doorbell rang for the first time. As instructed, Aunt Matilda ignored it. As, indeed, she did with the second ring as well. On the third, she pulled the door open abruptly, revealing the three gentlemen she had previously observed through a tiny peephole.

The men were even more intriguing in appearance than she had previously noted. One was extremely tall and thin, while his companions were shorter and stockier. All three swung their walking sticks in a curiously syncopated manner, as though it were part of some sort of music hall act.

All of them were extremely stylishly dressed, from their spats to their grey Ascot toppers.

The tallest of them stepped forward, doffed his hat, and spoke. His accent was not Swedish, though he seemed to speak the language fluently.

‘My dear Madame. I would very much like to see Mr Agaton Sax.’

Aunt Matilda glared at him.

‘Not here.’

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