The Crimson Circle

by Edgar Wallace

When James Beardmore receives a letter demanding £100,000 he refuses to pay—even though it is his last warning. It is his son Jack who finds him dead. Can the amazing powers of Derrick Yale, combined with the methodical patience of Inspector Parr, discover the secret of the Crimson Circle? Who is its all-powerful head and who is the stranger who lies in wait? Twice in a lifetime a ruthless criminal faces the executioner.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Classics, Detective, British Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was a prolific British crime writer, journalist and playwright, who wrote 175 novels, 24 plays, and countless articles in newspapers and journals.

Over 160 films have been made of his novels, more than any other author. In the 1920s, one of Wallace's publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him.

He is most famous today as the co-creator of "King Kong", writing the early screenplay and story for the movie, as well as a short story "King Kong" (1933) credited to him and Draycott Dell. He was known for the J. G. Reeder detective stories, The Four Just Men, the Ringer, and for creating the Green Archer character during his lifetime.

Reviews

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Classic British Crime Novel

Edgar Wallace was England's famous King of the Thrillers, churning out almost 200 novels in his career. They say in the 20's and 30's, one in every four books read in England was a Wallace novel. Written in 1922, The Crimson Circle was one of his more famous works which was later made into a film.

This novel has the same charm as Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini, or The Scarlet Pimpernel by The Baroness Orczy. Some of that can be ascribed to the manners and behaviors of the early twentieth century, and I believe some can be ascribed to the need to provide audience diversion post WWI. This type of novel would have been perfect.

The book opens in Tolouse. A group of people have been drinking and laughing through the night; come the dawn, they have a serious task to perform - an execution. At first light, they trudge down a hill, where pieces of a machine lie haphazardly on the ground. Assembly does not go smoothly, so a nail is added where a nail does not go.

The prisoner is put into the machine. The blade is released ... It hits the nail, instead of the neck. Three times it hits the nail, so, being superstitious, they cancel the execution. These events will change the future in London.

A secret criminal syndicate called the Crimson Circle - led by one person, known also as the Crimson Circle, with hundreds of members, all unknown to each other will terrorize London by blackmailing and murdering prominent citizens.

Inspector Parr - the head of the case for the Scotland Yard. He is hot on their trail, but doesn't have enough to put anyone away. Crimson Circle members who have been captured, or come forward are murdered before they can talk to authorities.

Derrick Yale - the Psychometric Detective, a private citizen with mental abilities that allow him to touch objects and know who last handled them. He is helping Inspector Parr with the Crimson Circle Case.

Thalia Drummond - a beautiful, yet sassy secretary to the neighbor of a Crimson Circle murder victim is seen leaving the crime scene. She is a cold and suspicious individual who keeps popping up everywhere.

Felix Mar, a former thief and criminal on the continent, turned land speculator with prominent partners. Could he be falling into old habits?

Murder and blackmail are ramping up. Any time Parr and Yale are close to getting an ID on the kingpin, their contact dies. People die in locked rooms guarded by the police. The police look completely incompetent. No one feels safe. The press is running out of ink between asking for Parr's resignation and giving out the gruesome details of these creative murders. Will London be controlled by Crimson?

This is a good, old fashioned, suspect everyone type of case. It was charming. It was fun. I thought I had it all figured out. I was sooo wrong. I was shocked by the ending.

I think I will find a few more Edgar Wallace novels to read. Perfect summer read for a quick fix of crime solving.

Highly Recommended!

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.crimesegments.com/2019/06/...
(posted with my thoughts on Wallace's The Angel of Terror.)

I have to admit that once I started this book, I had trouble putting it down. It has that sort of cool, pulpy vibe about it that I absolutely love. I mean, who wouldn't like a book about a secret crime organization where none of the members know the identities of the other, with one person heading up the entire syndicate, outsmarting the police at every turn? Then there's a detective that uses "psychometrics" to help his clients, and finally, it also happens to have one of the most twisty endings, where not one but two surprises await the reader. This one also got the silent "bravo" in my head after I'd finished it.

Readers of old pulp fiction would certainly enjoy The Crimson Circle , or anyone who is exploring the work of Edgar Wallace certainly could not go wrong starting with this book.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Δεύτερο βιβλίο του Έντγκαρ Γουάλας που διαβάζω, μετά το "Οι Τέσσερις Δίκαιοι" που διάβασα και απόλαυσα τον Ιούνιο του 2017, και δηλώνω και πάλι αρκετά ικανοποιημένος και ψυχαγωγημένος, γνωρίζοντας πριν το πιάσω στα χέρια μου ότι θα διάβαζα ένας παλαιάς κοπής αστυνομικό θρίλερ, με τα θετικά και τα αρνητικά που έχουν συνήθως τα βιβλία της εποχής αυτής (το συγκεκριμένο εκδόθηκε στην Αγγλία το 1922).

Η ιστορία έχει να κάνει με έναν δαιμόνιο εγκληματία με το ψευδώνυμο Κόκκινος Κύκλος, ο οποίος έχει συγκροτήσει μια συμμορία από ανθρώπους που δεν γνωρίζονται μεταξύ τους, και ο οποίος εκβιάζει επιχειρηματίες και γενικά ανθρώπους με μεγάλη οικονομική επιφάνεια, ώστε με αντάλλαγμα ένα συγκεκριμένο ποσό, να σώσουν τη ζωή τους. Ο ιδιωτικός ντετέκτιβ Ντέρικ Γέιλ, καθώς επίσης και ο επιθεωρητής Παρ, καλούνται να βγάλουν μια άκρη σχετικά με την ταυτότητα του Κόκκινου Κύκλου και να σταματήσουν την εγκληματική του δράση. Ο γιος ενός θύματος του Κόκκινου Κύκλου, καθώς και μια κοπέλα που είναι μπλεγμένη στον κόσμο του εγκλήματος, θα παίξουν τον ρόλο τους στην όλη υπόθεση...

Το βιβλίο γράφτηκε πριν από σχεδόν εκατό χρόνια, και αυτό φαίνεται τόσο στη γραφή, όσο κυρίως στην πλοκή και τον τρόπο εξέλιξης των γεγονότων. Υπάρχουν κάποιες εκπληξούλες εδώ και κει, αλλά γενικά τα πράγματα είναι μάλλον αναμενόμενα. Όμως το βιβλίο διαβάζεται κυριολεκτικά μονορούφι, μιας και το ένα γεγονός διαδέχεται το άλλο, χωρίς κανένα διάλειμμα για οτιδήποτε πέρα από το κεντρικό μυστήριο, ενώ υπάρχει και η σχετική αγωνία για την αποκάλυψη του εγκληματία. Η γραφή είναι απλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, χωρίς κουραστικές και λεπτομερείς περιγραφές, ενώ οι χαρακτήρες κάνουν ικανοποιητικά τη δουλειά τους, έστω και αν δεν έχουν ιδιαίτερο βάθος. Γενικά είναι ένα βιβλίο που προτείνεται κυρίως στους λάτρεις της Χρυσής Εποχής της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rather exciting classic murder mystery, I'll recommend it to any reader inclined to such...

[Rita ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really one of those mysteries that put you quite literally on the skin of the detective, trying to make sense of the actions that the characters make and putting together the pieces yourself. And we really embrace that and want to understand everything!!

Loved how until the very end it’s almost impossible to know the real intentions of every character, at least for me. I suspected of everyone at some point (except jack for some reason).

This was just the second novel by Wallace that I read, being the first one “The four just men” but I really like it. Truly a master in this genre.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Edgar Wallace's best mysteries, largely because of how he wrote Thalia Drummond. I really couldn't figure out if she was good or evil until the very end. I thought I had a line on the Crimson Circle's identity only to find I was off by a few degrees. A lot of fun.

[Miguel Angel Pedrajas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Por fin encuentro un libro que tiene todos los elementos de género negro, sin la figura del detective o analista sobrehumano que falsamente juega con el lector a que todas las piezas para resolver el misterio están ahí. Edgar Wallace, pese a componer esta novela con los componentes clásicos de novela policiaca, hace un relato más o menos moderno con personajes muy interesantes y variopintos. Y aquí hay otra novedad: pese a ser un género tradicionalmente de hombres (salvo por algún personaje conocidos de Agatha Christie como Miss Marple), uno de los personajes más trabajados y que tiene una huella tremenda en la historia es Thalia Drummond, una chica joven nada convencional y extremadamente ingeniosa en sus diálogos y acciones.

Cierto es que hay treinta o cuarenta años desde los inicios de la novela negra hasta la publicación de “El Círculo Carmesí” en 1922, pero la evolución creo que le sienta muy bien. Obviamente la influencia del cine ya está ahí. De hecho Wallace participa en la industria (es el coautor de "King Kong") y la secuenciación de las escenas, las descripciones, la importancia de lo que se transcribe al lector y lo que no, los diálogos… Todo es mucho más escénico y teatral, más cercano a lo que estamos acostumbrados hoy en día por el cine y las series de televisión.

En resumen: una novela muy entretenida que, sin ser una genialidad, tiene suficientes cosas a tener en cuenta (trama, personajes, giros) como para considerarla una buena representante del género negro, híbrido entre el estilo clásico y moderno.

[natalija · Rating 3 out of 5]

a krimić ko krimić

[Hugh Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nicely plotted and well-written book of its type - it's not literature, and doesn't pretend to be. I am reading books of this kind as research, to discover little social details (though this is set post-WW1, there are many points in common with Holmes' world), and to get a feel for the changes in language between then and now.

This is one of the best Edgar Wallace stories I've read so far (and the man was a master of his craft). I thought I knew the identity of the villain (but I was somewhat unsure), but I didn't know the identity of the true hero until the end. The story is hardly realistic in its depiction of police methods as I understand them to have been in that period (the 1920s), but at the same time, we are entering a fantasy world of master criminals and super-detectives, so it doesn't really matter.

Highly recommended.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 An entertaining listen from LibriVox, well narrated by Anna Simon, this was my first experience of Edgar Wallace. Many plot twists and an interesting female lead character, Thalia Drummond, keep it moving.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rip-roaring suspense thriller in which a blackmailer, extortionist and murderer is pursued by a stolid Scotland Yard detective and a private investigator who is more the policeman's colleague than his rival.

Wealthy men are receiving notes marked with a crimson circle, telling them to pay large amounts of money or be killed. Several are killed - to encourage the others - and much blame falls on the Scotland Yard man for not preventing the deaths, or making much progress on identifying the criminal. Because it is, mainly, a single criminal, who finds out people's guilty secrets and uses a carrot-and-stick approach to get them to do key elements of the crimes, without being able to recognize each other or him thanks to strict compartmentalization. It reminds me of a classic science fiction story about what's basically a prediction of Taskrabbit, which is used to get people to do acts, innocent in themselves, that add up to criminality or resistance to authority - though here the stooges are usually fully aware that their actions are criminal or contributing to a crime. (If anyone knows the story I'm thinking of - which could be by Simak or Heinlein or someone of that era, though it might be one of the cyberpunks, maybe even Cory Doctorow - please let me know in the comments.)

Weaving through the narrative is a young woman, who seems at various times to be a thief, one of the stooges, perhaps a murderer, maybe even the Crimson Circle. A young man is in love with her despite himself, which was the aspect of the story I found weakest. Wallace's romances are generally not well motivated or well developed, and this is no exception. The young man's father is one of the early victims, and seemingly the only one whose death is really regrettable, extremely wealthy or powerful men being what they are.

The stakes are raised when the Crimson Circle threatens a dozen cabinet ministers, and the policeman, who has just been basically fired for incompetence, is kept on in order to work alongside the private detective at the latter's insistence. The final reveal is a big twist, and makes sense of something that seemed a departure from the usual Wallace approach when it first appeared. All throughout, it seemed like people knew things they shouldn't, but the twist explains a lot (not all) of this.

There's plenty of tension and drama and action along the way, and all in all, it's a strong book of its type, namely highly-coloured pulp thriller. No wonder so many of Wallace's books were filmed.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre bizarre : narrateur externe mais pas très fiable, on déduit facilement le coupable par élimination mais impossible de comprendre le reste puisqu'on n'a pas les infos mais apparemment l'inspecteur savait tout depuis le départ. Les personnages sont difficiles à comprendre (tout le monde cache son jeu mais on sait pas pourquoi)

[Evgenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Έξυπνο, περιεκτικό, χωρίς φλυαρίες. Ένα κλασικό αστυνομικό!

5/5

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite typical of Edgar Wallace but definitely one his better works. I used to read a lot of him when I was a teenager and this bought back quite a few memories. More thriller than detective story but none the worse for that. It wasn't difficult to spot who was the villain but there was an interesting twist at the end. Inspector Parr is a very engaging character: I wonder if he is featured in any other stories.

Good stuff in a schoolboyish way. I enjoyed it!

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really this book deserves 2 1/2 stars... It was a servicable mystery but I figured out who The Crimson Circle was about 2/3 in & also deduced most of the other twist as well. Generally I am not good at solving mysteries before the detective, so I view my ability to solve this one as a sign that it wasn't that difficult. I enjoyed the characters & again I found Wallace's work to be surprisingly undated (well, undated in the sense it could have been written in the 1950's instead of the 1910's but not in 2010).

I found "The Clue of the Twisted Candle" to be overall a better mystery, so if this is your first taste of Wallace I would recommend trying that before giving up on him.

[Mohamed Osman · Rating 3 out of 5]

الانجليز بارعون في كتابة القصص البوليسية حقيقة مؤكدة لا تقبل الشك

في هذه الرواية وبرغم سوء الترجمةالتي قد تجعل الملل يتسرب إلي النفس إلا أن نهاية هذه الرواية تغفر الكثير من الأشياء كل ما أستطيع أن اقوله إنها خدعة بارعة من إدجار والاس وكل شئ يعتمد عليك في أن تنخدع أو تحل الخدعة و لا تقلق فيمكن الوصول لإجابة مبكر

[Bojana Paunovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprise at the end of the book!

[Trần Phúc]

Tác phẩm: Vòng tròn máu - Tác giả: Edgar Wallace

- “Vòng tròn máu”, một trong những tác phẩm xuất sắc bậc nhất của tác giả Edgar Wallace, người sở hữu 18 kịch bản sân khấu, 957 truyện ngắn và 170 tiểu thuyết cùng nhiều tác phẩm khác. Xuất bản lần đầu năm 1922, vòng tròn máu đã 4 lần được dựng thành phim và đã góp phần ghi dấu tên tuổi tác giả Edgar Wallace như là một trong những nhà văn trinh thám thành công nhất ở thời kỳ của mình

- Nội dung: tác phẩm mở đầu với một vụ hành quyết một tử tù bằng máy chém nhưng đã không thành công do thiết bị gặp phải vấn đề ngoài ý muốn. Mười một năm sau, 1 tổ chức tội phạm mang tên "Vòng tròn máu", là một tổ chức tội phạm với quy môn không xác định chuyên tống tiền những người có địa vị và tài sản lớn trong xã hội. Rất nhiều người đã đồng ý trả tiền để được an toàn, nhưng cũng có những người không làm theo ý chúng và đã nhận lại cái kết không có hậu. Tác phẩm sẽ là cuộc điều tra của vị thanh tra Parr với không 1 điểm gì nổi bật ngoài thâm niên hành nghề, liên tục để tuột mất dấu vết dù đã ở rất gần. Đồng hành cùng ông là thám tử Yale với năng lực tâm linh đặc biệt khi có thể biết được 1 thông tin nào đó của người sở hữu món đồ, mà cũng có lúc ông cũng không biết. Liệu cuối cùng, họ có thể tìm ra tên hung thủ ẩn khuất sau bóng tối hay không

- Cẩm nhận: tác phẩm sở hữu số lượng nhân vật không nhiều nên rất dễ nhớ và theo dõi các tình tiết, sách dày 300 trang và mình đã hoàn thành 1 mạch trong 1 buổi chiều. Vị thanh tra cùng với thám tử được mô tả hết sức chân thực, họ không sở hữu những bộ não thiên tài mà là những con người bình thường, cũng phải chật vật điều tra từng manh mối một và luôn bị tên trùm đi trước một bước. Nói đến tên trùm, thì hắn là một kẻ thông minh dường như luôn nhận biết được nguy hiểm sắp xảy đến mà né tránh một cách hoàn hảo, mình cũng rất thích cái cách hoạt động của tổ chức "Vòng tròn máu", các bạn nên đọc để thấy được độ hay của tổ chức này nha. Ngoài ra sự xuất hiện của cô gái Thalia bí ẩn cùng với những hành động của mình, càng khiến diễn biến trở nên khó đoán. Diễn biến truyện hấp dẫn đều từ đầu đến cuối, không có những tình tiết quá giật gân, việc chia tác phẩm thành nhiều chương nhỏ khiến tác phẩm dễ theo dõi và tăng cảm hứng đọc lên rất nhiều.

- Đánh giá tác phẩm: 8/10
- Hình thức bìa: mình 7/10 (nhiều màu đỏ quá nên hơi khó nhìn với mình)

- Câu nói hay mình thích trong tác phẩm: “Khi một chàng trai và một cô gái cùng bị ném vào sa mạc, sẽ là hết sức tự nhiên khi mà chàng trai cho rằng người kia là cô gái duy nhất trên đời”

[Mădălina Udrescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uneori îmi place să revin la autorii clasici de romane polițiste, iar Wallace e întotdeauna o alegere perfectă. În copilărie, romanele lui au fost o adevărată oază de fascinație, mai ales „Arcașul verde” pe care l-am devorat, și sinceră să fiu, nici astăzi lucrurile nu stau altfel, cu toate că aleg foarte rar să citesc vreo carte de la Wallace, iar asta din cauză că există pe piață o avalanșă perpetuă de thrillere, cu care îmi place să țin pasul pe cât posibil - fapt pentru care nu mă mai pot întoarce la geniile ce au pus bazele, apoi au consolidat cu fiecare poveste genul detectivistic.

„Cercul purpuriu” zăcea de mult pe lista mea tot mai lungă cu cărți de citit, însă am tot evitat s-o încep, până într-o zi, pe la începutul anului, când mi-a căzut la propriu în brațe. Dacă am apreciat vreodată ceva la Wallace, cu excepția faptului că nu se lungește aiurea cu vorbăria și descrierile care nu sunt esențiale pentru acțiune, e faptul că reușește să concentreze întreaga intrigă în doar o sută și ceva de pagini; să expună toate personajele cu trăsăturile lor definitorii, să experimenteze, să-și arunce protagonistul în brațele hazardului ce-l mână pe mai multe piste greșite, ca în cele din urmă să pună punctul pe „i” și să elucideze enigma. În ciuda faptului că romanul e de mici dimensiuni - nu e nevoie să scrii o cărămidă ca să spui ceea ce trebuie, așa cum se întâmplă astăzi, de multe ori fiind doar o risipă de cuvinte și cerneală - simbolistica pe care autorul o îngrămădește între pagini nu are deloc de suferit, chiar dacă uneori mi-a lăsat impresia că lipsește ceva, că ar fi putut oferi mai multe amănunte despre anumite caractere sau despre rolul lor în narațiune, însă nu detaliile contează, ci imaginea de ansamblu, pentru că Wallace încearcă să ne spună că și protagonistul - detectivul său - e om - un om cu o minte sclipitoare -, prin urmare, e limitat de condiția sa și nu e atotștiutor, iar asta ni-l aduce cumva mai aproape.

Pentru mine „Cercul purpuriu” a fost o pauză bine meritată, deși scurtă. Mi-a adus aminte de copilărie și m-a făcut să-mi promit că măcar o carte pe an de la Wallace își va face loc pe lista mea, pentru că oricât de multe și bune ar fi romanele ultra-contemporane, clasicii nu se dezmint!

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Crimson Circle is a secret criminal society run along the lines of the Black Hand and other such organizations. Its leader demands that prominent business men and wealthy aristocrats pay up or be killed. The vast organization includes ruined men of business and petty thieves--none of them know each other and none of them have seen the face of their leader. After a few example are made of stubborn men, most of its victims hand over the cash with little struggle. But James Beardmore ignores the warnings and the demands for £100,000 and calls upon Scotland Yard's methodical Inspector Parr to track down the evil mastermind behind the Crimson Circle. Parr, in turn, requests the help of Derrick Yale, an amateur detective with incredible powers of observation and perception.

Unfortunately, this duo is unable to prevent Beardmore from becoming another victim after he ignores his final warning. When Beardmore's neighbor and rival Harvey Froyant receives a demand for money as well, Parr is determined that this will be the last demand the Crimson Circle will make. But is the Inspector up to the task and will Yale's skills be the help that he needs?

As a sideline, Jack, Beardmore's son, has fallen for Froyant's secretary--a young woman with a mysterious past of her own and whose talent for liberating the property of others gets her into a great deal of trouble. Jack is certain that she's not really a bad girl, but is his heart getting in the way of the facts? Is Thalia Drummond really part of the Crimson Circle or just a poor girl who has gotten some bad breaks? Jack doesn't realize how important the answers to those questions will be to the solution of his father's murder.

Fair warning from the start: This is a fast-paced, detective-adventure not a sedate, Golden Age puzzle plot with clues strewn about for the quick-witted reader to gather and try to solve the mystery before the detective. Edgar Wallace was one of the most prolific crime writers with 130 novels (18 written in 1926). Writing at such a clip, it isn't a surprise that he didn't spend a lot of time on red herrings and clues with double-meanings. But that doesn't mean that this isn't an enjoyable read. Wallace's fast-pace carries over into the story and the reader is carried along, swallowing the various improbable events along with the more normal ones until she is brought to a screeching halt at the solution. I suspected where Wallace, my driver, was taking me, but thoroughly enjoyed the scenery along the way.

Parr is an understated detective. You think he's a plodding copper who may not be quite as swift on the uptake as what one might like in an Inspector--but he gets there in the end and, in fact, has a few tricks up his sleeve that we (and the Crimson Circle) never expect. This is only my second Wallace novel--the first was read back in the early 1990s, long before blogging so I have little record or memory of it--but it won't be my last. [Particularly since I've been accumulating them on my TBR mountain range...] I look forward to hopping in Wallace's crime fiction race car again sometime in the near future. ★★★ and 1/2.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cine ar fi crezut că un fapt atât de lipsit de importanţă ― petrecerea zilei de naştere a domnului Paillon în 19 septembrie, anul nu contează ― avea să prilejuiască evenimente atât de surprinzătoare. Dacă n-ar fi fost această petrecere n-am mai fi vorbit acum despre „Secretul cercului purpuriu”; apoi, mai bine de o duzină de oameni ar mai fi fost încă în viaţă, iar Thalia Drummond n-ar fi fost acuzată de furt şi complicitate la furt de către un inspector cu figură imparţială.

Domnul Paillon dăduse de băut la Coq d’Or în Toulouse. Invitaţi erau trei dintre colaboratorii lui. Atmosfera era destinsă şi cheful în toi, când, pe la vreo trei dimineaţa, domnul Paillon îşi aminti că, de fapt, se afla la Toulouse pentru execuţia lui Lightman, un criminal englez.

― Băieţi, se strădui el să fie grav în ciuda limbii împleticite, e târziu şi mai avem de pus pe picioare „duduia sângeroasă”.

Se îndreptară spre piaţeta din faţa închisorii unde aştepta, încă de la miezul nopţii, o căruţă cu ghilotina demontată. Cu o pricepere demnă de cauze mai bune, câştigată prin repetate exerciţii, înălţară schela sinistră şi montară ghilotina la locul ei. Numai că vinurile grele ale sudului pun la anevoioasă încercare şi cea mai exersată mână: ghilotina refuza să cadă cum se cuvenea.

― Lăsaţi pe mine, zise domnul Paillon şi bătu un cui exact acolo unde era mai puţină nevoie de el. Se simţea tot mai nervos pe măsură ce trecea timpul.

Curând soldaţii se postară la locurile lor. Când se lumină de-a binelea, aşa încât fotograful distingea cu uşurinţă chipul prizonierului, acesta din urmă în adus spre eşafod.

― Curaj! îi şopti domnul Paillon.

― Lua-te-ar dracu’! scrâşni victima, cu capul deja fixat pe butuc.

Domnul Paillon trase de frânghie. Cuţitul porni şuierând, dar… se înţepeni în cui! Călăul reluă totul de trei ori cu acelaşi rezultat. Mulţimea revoltată rupse cordonul de soldaţi vociferând. Condamnatul trebui să fie condus înapoi în celulă.

Peste încă unsprezece ani cuiul acesta avea să pricinuiască moartea unui şir întreg de oameni.

[Larry Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

One should never wait for more than a few hours before writing up a review/synopsis of an Edgar Wallace tale. They're so convoluted one can hardly remember what happened just a few days later on. At least that's the case for those us with "mature" minds. Whatever, Wallace is always supremely entertaining, and invariably results in a Good Read.

In this case, a mysterious entity (person?) known as the Crimson Circle is about the business of extorting money from rich folks. Unless the money shows up where and when dictated, said folks will be murdered. And...they are! It seems that the head of the Crimson Circle has a host of henchmen (henchpeople?) to assist him, but none of them really knows another, nor do they know who is giving out the orders. How to unravel it all?

So, the police work away on this, partly assisted by a private detective, who effects to be a proponent of psychometry. He can hold a spoon, or something, and tell you about the person associated with the spoon, or some such.

Anyway, we have Jack Beardmore, whose father was one of the murdered. He gets involved with the investigation, which is being spearheaded by Insp. Parr. The mysterious psychometric detective, Derrick Yale, hangs around to help. They keep running into Thalia Drummond, who is reputed to be "a crook and companion of crooks". Jack is smitten by Thallia and can't believe her alleged criminal behavior.

Well, anyway, we have interesting characters, shady goings on, unearthing skulduggery from the past and so on. Eventually, all is laid bare. A good read [should be given ***+].

[María Sol Obes · Rating 4 out of 5]

El funcionamiento del círculo carmesí es atrapante y genera suspenso. A diferencia de cualquier secta u organización, no sabemos quién es su líder y los participantes no se conocen entre sí. Las apariciones del jefe de la mafia son muy interesantes. Por ejemplo: manejando un auto, en la oscuridad y con la voz modificada. Me hizo acordar al personaje del comic llamado “La Sombra”, pero con el paso de las hojas es poco creíble. Principalmente, en la primera reunión de los supuestos feligreses en el capítulo “El círculo se reúne” en la iglesia de Santa Inés en Londres.
Me gusto que les dieran un papel importante a las mujeres en la novela, ya que muchas veces aparecen solo como víctimas o personajes secundarios insignificantes, dando prioridad a los personajes masculinos. Aunque el final del casamiento me pareció un poco pobre. También es muy original el uso del humor y la ironía dentro del El círculo Carmesí en los personajes como la figura de Froyant, un avaro empedernido difícil de engañar. Luego lo estafa su socio Marl y le roba su secretaria. También aparece la ironía en los hechos, cuando la novela empieza y termina con la misma escena en tiempos diferentes.

[S. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crimson Circle - The Crimson Circle is a quick, competent crime novel by Edgar Wallace about a crime organization called The Crimson Circle terrorizing London.

Tasked with the job of finding the mastermind orchestrating the organization's criminal deeds are Inspector Parr and "psychic detective" Derrick Yale, who find themselves seemingly befuddled by the plague of unsolvable extortions and murders sweeping the city. Tangled up in the investigations are the young Jack Beardsman whose own father is targeted by the criminal organization, and the mysterious young Thalia Drummond for whom Jack carries a torch.

The mystery is plotted well, the pace keeps the reader's interest, and the ultimate resolution, while slightly far-fetched, is not wholly unbelievable. Some of Wallace's crime fiction can be overly convoluted and haphazard, but The Crimson Circle is definitely one of his more well-crafted works.

[An Nguyễn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay quãi, thích Thalia thặc sự
Quá thích nên phải viết review ngay và liền. Một câu chuyện trinh thám cổ điển xoay quanh 1 tổ chức tội phạm bí ẩn bật nhất. Điều làm mình hứng thú nhất tất nhiên là danh tính của Vòng tròn máu, và 1 điểm khiến mình thích hơn cả là nhân vật Thalia. Một cô gái hết sức khó đoán, đôi lúc thì lạnh lùng vô cảm tưởng như là liên can đến tội ác nhưng ở cô lại có gì đó khiến mình thấy thương cảm.
Cái twist thì nói thật ko phải đỉnh nhưng mà đủ shock và ko dễ đoán đâu nhá. Càng về sau thì lại càng hồi hộp và khi đc hé lộ thì quả thật là nể phục cái đầu của ông thanh tra luôn.
Ko thể ko khen tác giả đã xây dựng nhân vật khá tốt, các nhân vật có nét riêng nên ko thể lẫn lộn hay gây khó hiểu. Mạch truyện cũng nhanh nên ko bị chán. Nói chung đây là cuốn trinh thám ok nhất từ đầu năm đến giờ của mình!

[Nacho Ferrero Maneiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta el estilo de Edgar Wallace. Dinámico y sin florituras, el autor nos introduce en un mundo donde una organización secreta (me encantan las organizaciones secretas) causa el terror entre los ricos de la Inglaterra de principios de siglo. Su marca es un círculo carmesí que está en el boca a boca de todo Londres. Los poderosos tienen dos opciones, pagar o pasar al otro barrio.
Personajes variopintos, ritmo frenético y un resolución original. Fácil de intuir pero original, al menos en parte. En cuanto olvide un poco esta novela, leeré la de Los Cuatro Hombres Justos, su primera y más conocida historia, si dejamos en otra categoría el guion de King Kong

[Tim Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The big question, of course, is the identity of the Crimson Circle, criminal mastermind and head of a blackmail and murder ring. Well, I figured that out pretty early on. And usually, I abandon mysteries once I know who dunnit. But Wallace is such a good writer I pressed on.


And there is a second question which is much more mysterious than the first: who is Thalia Drummond really, and what is she up to? She is ruthless, efficient, intelligent, fearless, and equipped for a deadly struggle. Yet no one believes she the criminal type. Curiouser and curiouser.


One thing never explained, is why it took so long to make an arrest.

[Hiếu Lê · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cách hoạt động của Vòng tròn máu khá thú vị với mình. Đọc mà khá ức chế với cách phạm pháp thản nhiên của Thalia Drummond và sự dại gái của cậu ấm Jack Beardmore. Và cách xây dựng Parr hững hờ với vụ án khi về hưu ở gần cuối sách đã đánh lạc hướng nghi ngờ của mình. Dụng ý của tác giả đã thành công khi đọc đến twisted mới vỡ lẽ ra tất cả vì sao các nhân vật hành xử như vậy. Gần cuối truyện thì vòng tròn máu đã ít bí ẩn và ít nguy hiểm hơn.

[Raúl Duarte Arroyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tenía 30 años de haberlo leído y no recordaba casi nada de la trama. Conforme lo leía de nuevo e iba recordando algunas cosas, me volví a meter en la intriga y el suspenso de la historia, y no puedo decir otra cosa que es un libro muy bueno, lleno de intriga e incertidumbre pero que hace que no dejes de leerlo.

[Meakuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine unterhaltsame Krimigeschichte, die von Anfang bis Ende betont, dass nur ein kleiner Umstand große Auswirkung haben kann. Ich hatte zwar gleich zu Beginn einen Verdacht, der sich schließlich auch bewahrheitete, aber der Verlauf ließ mich gern etwas schwanken, was mir durchaus zusagt. Die Charaktere haben mitunter Biss, manche sind aber auch einfach nur abstoßend und etwa sexuell übergriffig.