Samuel Hopkins Adams: 31 books

In this charming and quirky romance, beautiful heiress Polly Brewster is willing to go to the ends of the earth to evade her annoying trio of suitors. She winds up in a tropical paradise that is being torn asunder by political conflict -- and in this unlikeliest of settings, she happens to cross paths with the man of her dreams.

Adrian Van Reypen Egerton Jones, who prefers his nickname ''Average'' to his full name for obvious reasons, is a member of the very exclusive Cosmic Club, whose members are all experts in very diverse fields. Jones, who lives at the Club, is an adviser to firms on advertising, and uses his intelligence and good humour to solve very unusual crimes and cases.

Originally titled "Enter D'Arcy," Wanted: A Husband is the name of the 1919 silent film based on this story.