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Mr. J.G. Reeder #2

The Mind of Mr J G Reeder

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'I see wrong in everything,' said Mr Reeder, 'I have the mind of a criminal.'
At first glance J G Reeder is an ordinary, slightly shabby little man with red hair, weak eyes, whiskers, square-toed boots and a chest protector cravat. However, working for the Public Prosecutor he finds plenty to stretch his extraordinary mind. Here are eight thrilling, highly original tales from one of the greatest talents ever applied to detective fiction.

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1925

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About the author

Edgar Wallace

2,179 books260 followers
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.

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5 stars
65 (20%)
4 stars
123 (38%)
3 stars
100 (31%)
2 stars
28 (8%)
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3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Bev.
3,276 reviews349 followers
October 1, 2019
The Murder Book of J. G. Reeder (aka The Mind of Mr. Reeder; 1925) by Edgar Wallace is a small collection of short stories featuring the mild-mannered, bland-looking Mr. J. G. Reeder. Reeder works for the Public Prosecutor and those who see him might mistake him for a simple office clerk. But those who attempt to operate outside the law do so at their peril.

Mr. Reeder wore whiskers and a frock coat--he always carried an umbrella--his strongest expression was "Dear, dear!"--but he spread grim death through London's underworld.

Many a criminal has taken one look at Reeder and thought how easy it was going to be to put one over on the little man...only to find themselves inside a prison cell before they knew quite what had happened. He claims that his secret is simple: "You see, I have a criminal mind." Apparently, if he had wanted to he could have (as has been said about Holmes) made a formidable crook. Instead he uses his insight into the villainous mindset to help him trap the villains.

An interesting collection of stories from the early 20th Century. They lean a bit towards the Holmes style--not all (and sometimes not many) clues are displayed for the reader. But still an enjoyable, short read. ★★★

Observations: there is less murder going on in the "Murder Book" than one might suppose from the American title--fraud, theft, kidnapping, forgery abound and Mr. Reeder is more often investigating these less violent crimes. When murder does rear its ugly head its usually tangential to the crime which has initially caught Mr. Reeder's attention. Despite his preference for the "lesser" (if you will) crimes, he is perfectly up to the task of catching a murderer out...evidenced by the second story in this collection, "The Treasure Hunt." Reeder uses a criminal's intention to take revenge as a tool to (quite literally) dig up evidence of an ingenious murder.

Other stories:
"The Poetical Policeman": Despite evidence implicating the bank's manager, Mr. Reeder is convinced that there is another answer to the question of who masterminded the operation. A policeman's poetical tendencies help illuminate the problem.

"The Troupe": The investigator takes on a jewelry fraud with artistic ties to a theatrical group.

"The Stealer of Marble": A story about embezzlement and a housekeeper's inordinate interest in acquiring chips of marble.

"Sheer Melodrama": Two members of the criminal fraternity combine forces for a spot of forgery and an effort to do Mr. Reeder down. They should leave the melodrama behind in the theater when they ambush Mr. Reeder and his young lady one evening.

"The Green Mamba": Mr. J. G. Reeder, outsmarts one of the leading master-criminals in London at the very moment when he is on the verge of his greatest criminal coup. Mo Lisky has held sway in London for quite some time, but when he crosses Mr. Reeder he finds that his power can't protect him from a strike as deadly as that of a poisonous snake.

"The Strange Case":When a wealthy government minister dies, suspicion falls on the man's heir who stood badly in need of money. But Mr. Reeder suspects a much deeper plot.

"The Investors": Mr. Reeder becomes curious about a number of mysterious disappearance--but he becomes very concerned when there are hints that the disappearances may be related to a certain investment opportunity. An investment opportunity that his young lady is now taking part in.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting any review content. Thanks.
Profile Image for Jim.
2,421 reviews800 followers
October 1, 2013
Edgar Wallace is probably best known today for writing the screenplay for the original King Kong just before he died. Apparently, he was a prolific author. On the back cover of my Dover edition was written "[d]uring his two-decade period of popularity, in the 1920s and 1930s, it was estimated that one out of every four books read in England, excepting only Bibles and textbooks, was authored by Wallace."

What was even more incredible to me is that the man is an excellent writer. The Mind Of Mr J.G. Reeder (American Title: The Murder Book of J. G. Reeder) is every bit as good as some of the Sherlock Holmes contemporaries such as Richard Austin Freeman (Dr. Thorndyke), Ernest Bramah (Max Carrados), or Arthur Morrison (Dorrington & Hicks, Martin Hewitt). So good, in fact, that I plan to pick up some more titles and read them in the coming months.

Mr. J. G. Reeder is an investigator with the London Public Prosecutor's Office. He is an unassuming middle-aged man with square-toed shoes and an out-of-fashion hat who conveys an impression of bumbling, but who is sharper than a tack.

Of the eight stories in this collection, easily seven of them were excellently crafted with an occasional felicitous turn of phrase which is usually not found in the genre.
Profile Image for Manuel Alfonseca.
Author 80 books214 followers
September 30, 2025
ENGLISH: While I was reading this book, just now, I found myself feeling: I know this, I must have read it before, but at the same time I did not know exactly how each of the 8 short stories in the book would finish, so I could enjoy them as though they were new.

After finishing the book, I looked in my archives and found out that I had already read it twice (one in 1965 and one in 1974) both times in translations to different languages. This third time was the first I read the book in the original English. Even so, and although it was over 40 years since I had read it last, something of the book remained in my deepest memory. I cannot say this of every book I've read.

ESPAÑOL: Mientras leía este libro, pensaba todo el rato: Esto lo conozco, debo de haberlo leído antes; pero al mismo tiempo no sabía exactamente cómo terminaría cada uno de los ocho relatos, así que podía disfrutarlos como si fueran nuevos.

Después de terminar, busqué en mis archivos y descubrí que lo había leído dos veces (una en 1965 y otra en 1974), ambas traducidas a diferentes lenguas. Esta tercera vez fue la primera que leí el libro en el inglés original. Aun así, y aunque habían pasado más de 40 años desde la última vez, algo del libro permaneció en las profundidades de mi memoria. No puedo decir lo mismo de todos los libros que he leído.
Profile Image for Laura.
7,134 reviews607 followers
June 4, 2015
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
,Mr JG Reeder has the mind of a criminal, using it to uncover the peculiar circumstances surrounding a bank robbery, the death of the night-watchman and the part in the plot played by his beautiful daughter.

This first story provides useful insight into the past of Mr JG Reeder. His novel methods bring the criminals of 1920s London to justice.

Novelist, playwright and journalist, Edgar Wallace, is best known for his popular detective and suspense stories which, in his lifetime, earned him the title, "King of the Modern Thriller."

Although created at roughly the same time, Mr JG Reeder is the diametric opposite of Sam Spade, Philip Marlow and Mike Hammer. He is a shabbily dressed, diffident civil servant who prefers a cup of tea and a slice of seed cake to a shot of something stronger.

Reeder is a uniquely English detective. An apparent fuddy-duddy working in some obscure capacity in the Public Prosecutor's office, he actually has a razor-sharp intellect and is a super-sleuth. He solves his mysteries because he fully understands the "criminal mind".

Read by David Horovitch

Abridged for radio by Neville Telle
Profile Image for Paul Hasbrouck.
264 reviews23 followers
December 25, 2019
Mr. Reeder, the quiet older detective, who thinks like evildoers, is the creation of Edgar Wallace the thriller writer of the 1920's. Wallace produced novels, short stories, plays and screenplays.
Reeder in his mild manned way, hunts murderers, frauds, bank robbers and in the final story a serial murder with a deadly death trap.
Reading this collection is turning to UK of 100 years ago, fog haunt streets, noble bobbies and dirty thieves.
Profile Image for Bettie.
9,976 reviews5 followers
March 6, 2014
A series of enthralling mysteries by written by Edgar Wallace.
They feature the enigmatic figure of Mr JG Reeder who works for the Public Prosecutor's office and has the mind of a criminal.

His novel methods bring the criminals of 1920s London to justice.

Profile Image for Judy Abbott.
863 reviews56 followers
January 6, 2024
Klasik polisiye sevenler için kısa öyküler. Epey klasik ama.
Profile Image for Marco.
1,022 reviews6 followers
January 12, 2022
Diciamola tutta: 4* stelle perché è un amore di gioventù. I racconti sono simpatici ma la 'svolta' per chiudere i racconti è sempre assai debole. Però mi diverte leggerlo
Profile Image for Pınar.
36 reviews
October 10, 2016
inanılmaz sıkıldım okurken oysa polisiyeyi çok severim ama bu kitabı hiç sürükleyici bulmadım
Profile Image for Suresh Ramaswamy.
126 reviews5 followers
July 16, 2020
As I have stated in an earlier review of another Edgar Wallace book, I have read a good number of his works, but over a period of 40 to 50 years, the titles as well as stories are hazy in memory. “The Mind of J.G. Reeder” was one of the books, I recall I had read earlier. All that I recall was that one of the stories was entitled ‘The Green Mamba’ – I recalled the title, because to the best of my knowledge, the harmless looking mamba is BLACK and not GREEN. And amongst the eight thrilling, highly original tales was the tale titled ‘The Green Mamba’.

The introduction to the book reads

“I see wrong in everything,' said Mr Reeder, 'I have the mind of a criminal.'

At first glance J G Reeder is an ordinary, slightly shabby little man with red hair, weak eyes, whiskers, square-toed boots and a chest protector cravat. However, working for the Public Prosecutor he finds plenty to stretch his extraordinary mind. Here are eight thrilling, highly original tales from one of the greatest talents ever applied to detective fiction”

very aptly describes the book and its eight tales.

The Murder Book of J. G. Reeder (aka The Mind of Mr. Reeder; 1925) by Edgar Wallace is a small collection of short stories featuring the mild-mannered, bland-looking Mr. J. G. Reeder. Reeder works for the Public Prosecutor and those who see him might mistake him for a simple office clerk. But those who attempt to operate outside the law do so at their peril.

Many a criminal has taken one look at Reeder and thought how easy it was going to be to put one over on the little man...only to find themselves inside a prison cell before they knew quite what had happened. He claims that his secret is simple: "You see, I have a criminal mind." Apparently, if he had wanted to he could have (as has been said about Holmes) made a formidable crook. Instead he uses his insight into the villainous mindset to help him trap the villains.

At this reading, I loved ‘The Investors’ – hats off to the author for this mystery with a strange twist.

I have been an avid Edgar Wallace fan for the past half century or more, and I was more enamoured of his novels than those of Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot and Superintendent Bliss notwithstanding – because inspite of the suspense, Agatha Christie’s plots move within a certain framework, the same cannot be said of Edgar Wallace’s plots.

I greatly enjoyed the reading of “The Mind of J.G. Reeder” and was thoroughly enthralled by each of the eight tales.

A must read anthology for addicts of crime thrillers – a different approach from the American crime writers like Ellery Queen and others.

As a biased reviewer and judge, I have absolutely no hesitation in giving this book full five stars.
154 reviews
March 29, 2022
Poirot, Holmes ayarında ama onlardan karakter ve fiziksel özellikler bakımından tamamen ayrılan sevgili Reeder…”Bay Reeder, kırlaşmaya başlamış kum rengi saçlı, uzun suratlı, ellisini geçmiş bir adamdı. Yanaklarında, neyse ki bakışları kep­çe kulaklarından başka yere yönelten favoriler vardı. Burnunun ucuna çelik çerçeveli bir kelebek gözlük kondurulmuştu. Gerçi onun bu gözlükten baktığını gören yoktu ya! Adam bir şey oku­yacağı zaman daima gözlüğünü çıkarırdı. Kafasındaki yüksek ve düz tepeli melon şapka sıska göğsünün üzerinde sımsıkı iliklen­miş redingotuna hem uyuyor, hem de uymuyordu. Ayakkabıları küt burunluydu. Geniş, göğsü koruyan cinsten, hazır alınmış kravatı Gladstone tarzı bir yakanın altına düğümlenmişti. Bay Reeder'ın en şık uzantısı, havalı bir baston zannedilebilecek kadar sıkı ve düzgün biçimde sanlıp katlanmış bir şemsiyeydi. İster yağmur yağsın ister güneş açsın bu eşyasını daima kolunda taşırdı Bay Reeder. O güne dek şemsiyenin açıldığını gören de olmamıştı.” Türü sevenlere önerilir!!!7️⃣
Profile Image for Lucy Fisher.
Author 10 books3 followers
December 6, 2017
These stories are entertaining and bizarre, featuring as detective the elderly Mr JG Reeder, an expert in statistics and financial fraud. He's fond of saying "You see, I have a criminal mind." In an early story he falls for Margaret, who is being pestered by a poetic policeman. He takes her out to tea, and to theatrical melodramas. There is a strange entry in the series involving chalk caverns and a collapsing house and a five-mile swim for Margaret. JG becomes an unlikely action hero and she proposes at the end of this book, but they never seem to get married, and in other stories they are as distant as ever.
Profile Image for Robert Hepple.
2,282 reviews8 followers
November 12, 2023
First published in 1925, 'The Mind of Mr JG Reeder' is a collection of 8 very short crime/mystery stories. I really enjoyed this - some superb and fast-paced stories, all read and finished with way too soon, I just have to find more of these.
30 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2020
Simply told crime stories from the 1920's featuring Edgar Wallace's curious, elderly and mild-mannered investigator from the Department of Public Prosecutions. A fun, very quick read.
22 reviews
December 30, 2020
Read and listened to the audiobook. Reeder is so cool. Don't underestimate him and his umbrella ;)
And I love the dynamic between J.G. and Margaret Belman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for DeAnna Knippling.
Author 174 books282 followers
October 30, 2019
A master detective with the mind of a criminal--a male Miss Marple, but no amateur.

Fun, solid read, of the same milieu as Agatha Christie but not quite up to her level of craft. Nevertheless a good time.

Recommended for fans of classic mystery.
Profile Image for Nicky Warwick.
690 reviews2 followers
January 30, 2024
PODCAST AUDIOBOOK

My first encounter with Edgar Wallace & I thoroughly enjoyed this little set of stories.
Profile Image for Ram.
41 reviews
March 11, 2016
This is a quaint collection of short crime stories highlighting the criminal mind of the affable Mr J G Reeder, a detective at the Public Prosecutor’s office. His USP, as he keeps reminding his boss, is that he has a criminal bent of mind and views everything from that perspective, allowing him to second-guess and anticipate the actions of the criminal fraternity.

The stories themselves are fairly straightforward, with the denouement often nicely crafted. The first set of this collection is better than the second set, with the endings in the latter relying on coincidences that are only borderline believable. Nevertheless this is a good collection of short crime stories for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

https://theprintedword.wordpress.com/...
Profile Image for Alaina.
423 reviews18 followers
May 5, 2014
I'm afraid the J.G. Reeder stories suffer from comparison to Sherlock Holmes. Reeder resembles Holmes in a few respects; quirky, with a fantastic memory and a talent for putting together clues. I enjoy Holmes' arrogance and manic qualities. Reeder, on the other hand, is outwardly demure, unimpressive, and except for a seeming inability to do anything but work, is without charming faults to balance his brilliance. Still, I shouldn't be so critical. In fact I enjoyed these little stories, despite Wallace's inability to create any sort of tense build-up. The "reveal" is always thorough and satisfying.
Author 10 books7 followers
November 16, 2013
I first discovered these stories when I heard two of the stories in a collection of old mystery pieces on audio book. The collection is good. The character is impossible and fun to read about. The mysteries are preposterous but would you want it any other way? The writing is smart and ornate, nice diversion
Profile Image for Jeff Hobbs.
1,088 reviews32 followers
February 24, 2023
Contains:

*The poetical policeman
*The treasure hunt
The troupe
The stealer of marble
Sheer melodrama
The green mamba
The strange case
The investors
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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