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The Edgar Wallace Souvenir Book
Four complete novels by Edgar Wallace:
The Four Just Men
Eve's Island
The Clue Of The Twisted Candle
The Man Who Knew
The Four Just Men
Eve's Island
The Clue Of The Twisted Candle
The Man Who Knew
510 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1933
1 person want to read
About the author
Edgar Wallace
2,126 books260 followersRichard 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 15, 2012
I slowly worked my way through the four novels in this large omnibus volume and reviewed each part separately as I come to it.
1. The Four Just Men **** (Read from June 4 to 8 2012)
There can't be many authors who have a best seller that bankrupts them but Wallace managed it with this book, the story of how he did is every bit as entertaining as anything he wrote and is well worth investigating, anyway back to the book. A short book, a novella really, how four criminals pull off a remarkable crime under the police-force's nose. This isn't a book of hero's and villains, there's no Sherlock Holmes to solve the crime and the four men themselves are shadowy figures, it's just to see how the crime is committed that builds up the tension.
2. Eve's Island ** (Read from Aug 7 to 12 2012)
The story of a man who founds his own colony on an uninhibited island returns to England to find true love and manages to keep the island out of the hands of various foreign powers.
A book that started out quite interestingly, told by various narrators in the form of an official document, that loses it's way at around the halfway point and becomes fairly conventional, for the English sections and has a rushed conclusion.
3. The_Clue_of_the_Twisted_Candle **** (Read from Nov 23 to 29 2012)
An excellent piece of Edgar Wallace nonsense. A locked room mystery, murder, disguises, kidnapping, blackmail and torture all in less than 200 pages.
4. The Man Who Knew **** (Read From Dec 7 to 14 2012)
This is another nice convoluted story from Wallace, with an ending that could have done with a bit of expansion. A memory expert, murder, an inheritance, bigamy, kidnapping, drugs, corruption and all the usual Wallace ingredients go to make up a story that is pure Edgar Wallace from start to finish.
1. The Four Just Men **** (Read from June 4 to 8 2012)
There can't be many authors who have a best seller that bankrupts them but Wallace managed it with this book, the story of how he did is every bit as entertaining as anything he wrote and is well worth investigating, anyway back to the book. A short book, a novella really, how four criminals pull off a remarkable crime under the police-force's nose. This isn't a book of hero's and villains, there's no Sherlock Holmes to solve the crime and the four men themselves are shadowy figures, it's just to see how the crime is committed that builds up the tension.
2. Eve's Island ** (Read from Aug 7 to 12 2012)
The story of a man who founds his own colony on an uninhibited island returns to England to find true love and manages to keep the island out of the hands of various foreign powers.
A book that started out quite interestingly, told by various narrators in the form of an official document, that loses it's way at around the halfway point and becomes fairly conventional, for the English sections and has a rushed conclusion.
3. The_Clue_of_the_Twisted_Candle **** (Read from Nov 23 to 29 2012)
An excellent piece of Edgar Wallace nonsense. A locked room mystery, murder, disguises, kidnapping, blackmail and torture all in less than 200 pages.
4. The Man Who Knew **** (Read From Dec 7 to 14 2012)
This is another nice convoluted story from Wallace, with an ending that could have done with a bit of expansion. A memory expert, murder, an inheritance, bigamy, kidnapping, drugs, corruption and all the usual Wallace ingredients go to make up a story that is pure Edgar Wallace from start to finish.
Displaying 1 of 1 review