The Black Gang · Character

Count Zadowa

A hunchbacked foreign count in Peterson's pay, he runs the Communist agitation in England while privately dreading the fate of subordinates who fail their chief.

supporting

Also known as Count, Zadowa, the Count

First appearance: In Which Count Zadowa Gets a Shock

As a supporting figure in The Black Gang, Count Zadowa is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Revealed as the mastermind behind the Hoxton operation, he issues orders to Latter and prepares for an emergency when the alarm bell rings.

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Zadowa moves through Bloomsbury hotels and Green Street offices as the respectable Mr. Atkinson, fronting a criminal network whose real business he is careful never to ask about. His terror of the man calling himself the Reverend Theodosius Longmoor is matched only by his greed, and when a bomb outrage destroys his office he can think of nothing but the diamonds possibly still in his secret drawer. His sweaty, sleepless scheming in the novel's middle chapters shows exactly what kind of nerve Peterson's organization runs on.

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See Count Zadowa in In Which Count Zadowa Gets a Shock

Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Count Zadowa sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Professional
Other

Character groups

Core Allies and Villains
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Drummond’s near-drowning marks the climax because it is the moment of absolute physical and psychological extr…

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Relationships

Hugh Drummond
rivalry · negative
Count Zadowa is an enemy of Hugh, involved in criminal plots. How this plays out →
Charles Latter
professional · negative
Charles Latter
professional · negative
Hugh Drummond
rivalry · negative
Count Zadowa is an enemy of Hugh, involved in criminal plots. How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Count Zadowa in In Which Count Zadowa Gets a Shock

In the story

Count Zadowa appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

In Which Count Zadowa Gets a Shock
Revealed as the mastermind behind the Hoxton operation, he issues orders to Latter and prepares for an emergency when the alarm bell rings.
VI: In Which an Effusion Is Sent to the Newspapers
Furious and worried about the publicity, he receives a threatening letter from 'X' and fears the reactions of his continental associates.
In Which There Is a Stormy Supper Party at the Ritz
Recounts his bombing of the Black Gang's headquarters, which inadvertently destroyed the diamonds.
X: In Which Hugh Drummond Makes a Discovery
Alias Mr. Atkinson, the hunchback, is in a state of dread over the failed bombing and the potential loss of diamonds, fearing his chief's retribution.
In Which Count Zadowa Is Introduced to Alice in Wonderland
Revealed to be the true identity of Mr. Atkinson after being kicked down the stairs.
In Which a Murderer Is Murdered at Maybrick Hall
Present at the meeting, he is visibly shaken by the planned execution.

Chapter companion notes

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See Count Zadowa in In Which Count Zadowa Gets a Shock