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The Clue of the Twisted Candles
The Clue of the Twisted Candles
An excellent locked-room mystery by the master of British thrillers.
Book Excerpt
"You must remember I am a Greek, and the modern Greek is no philosopher. You must remember, too, that I am a petted child of fortune, and have had everything I wanted since I was a baby."
"You are a fortunate devil," said the other, turning back to his desk, and taking up his pen.
For a moment Kara did not speak, then he made as though he would say something, checked himself, and laughed.
"I wonder if I am," he said.
And now he spoke with a sudden energy.
"What is this trouble you are having with Vassalaro?"
John rose from his chair and walked over to the fire, stood gazing down into its depths, his legs wide apart, his hands clasped behind him, and Kara took his attitude to supply an answer to the question.
"I warned you against Vassalaro," he said, stooping by the other's side to light his cigar with a spill of paper. "My dear Lexman, my fellow countrymen are unpleasant people to deal with in certain moods."
"He was so obliging at first," said Lexma
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Readers reviews
4.7
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A good story, in part because the super-duper detective forms a significant contrast to Sherlock Holmes, unlike so many from this period.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really couldn't put it down. Great plot and pacing. You could tell that the author had done some research into several areas for background on the many places and people the book introduced.
Loved the dialogue. Reminded me of the kind of snappy repartee you get in 1930s/1940s films. That said, this was a very modern book and could with only slight alterations have been set at any time in the last century -- even in this one. The ending was unlikely but satisfying given everything else that had happened.
Loved the dialogue. Reminded me of the kind of snappy repartee you get in 1930s/1940s films. That said, this was a very modern book and could with only slight alterations have been set at any time in the last century -- even in this one. The ending was unlikely but satisfying given everything else that had happened.
12/01/2011
This was my first book to read by Wallace. This book was really worth the time to read! Definitely five stars! An exciting plot with a flowing story line kept me going. I didn't want to put the book down! I highly recommend this book to those who love murder mysteries.
11/25/2011
Had a couple of hours to kill on a flight to Dallas, this book was amazing. I honestly had no idea who did the murder. Very good book. Take my advice and read it!
09/30/2011
I liked this story because you actually sympathize with the murderer. That doesn't happen too often. I don't wanna give away any of the plot, but it was really cool!
09/30/2011
The villian in here was so evil, I kinda liked him. And I certainly did NOT sympathize with his murderer. Over all, the book was cool. There were a couple hard-to-believe scenes, but over all...worthy of five stars.
09/30/2011
This book was sweetness itself. There was this one chapter where I was like, "Oh, my gosh, what's gonna happen!!" And I hardly ever get that way. Usually, I am like, "Blahdedededah. Okay, this is boring." But not with the one. I think I'm gonna check out more from this author, cuz this book was awesomeness
09/29/2011
this was a 3-in-the-morning thriller! luv it!
09/29/2011
This was a awesome book! I give it five stars!! Can't think of anything I'd change!!
09/29/2011
I love T.X. Meredith! I want to read more books featuring him, but I can't find any others. I enjoyed this, chiefly because of the clever and the urbane T.X. (he has all the good dialogue!).
This is the first book I have read by Edgar Wallace, and I was a little taken aback by the viciousness of his villain--definitely painted with a black brush, no shades of grey--which gave him a one-dimensional, subhuman quality. Are all of Wallace's evildoers painted completely black? I will have to try another one of his books to find out. Enjoy.
This is the first book I have read by Edgar Wallace, and I was a little taken aback by the viciousness of his villain--definitely painted with a black brush, no shades of grey--which gave him a one-dimensional, subhuman quality. Are all of Wallace's evildoers painted completely black? I will have to try another one of his books to find out. Enjoy.
07/25/2009