Rating: 3/5
Finished On: 20th of December 2013
The clue of twisted candle is a mystery novel by Edgar Wallace,first published in 1918. This is the second Wallace novel that i've read in 2013. The other one was the Book of all Power.
John Lexman is a novelist who writes detective fictions. He's very accomplished in creating scenarios that often baffle not only the average reader but also the people that are in police department.
Remington Kara is a very wealthy businessman. Although he is wealthy,what he desires immense power and he doesn't cares weather he gets it by hook or crook.
T X Meridith is the eccentric but very shrewd,deputy commissioner of Scotland yard. He is called to solve the most perplexing cases. He is a friend of John Lexman.
When Kara is found murdered in mysterious circumstances,even T X is at his wit's end as to the identity of the killer. So he urges his friend Lexman to get involved in the case who was already acquainted with Kara and had known him for what he was. Reluctantly he agrees to apply his mind for the first time not in creating a baffling situation but for reaching to a conjecture by gathering clues and solving a mystery that has befuddled chief of police of major countries.Would he be successful in solving the mystery??We'll you'll have to read the book for that,my friend.
My opinion:
The book was average. It was nothing very extraordinary but also it was not too bad. Also i really like the character of T X Meridith who had always something witty to say which at first my seem insulting but was a part of his charm.
For example:
I want you to come down here at once," said the voice urgently, and even over the telephone T. X. recognized the distress. "I have shot a man, killed him!"
T. X. gasped.
"Good Lord," he said, "you are a silly ass!"
I am very distressed at this happening," he went on, "and I am more distressed because I feel that as I introduced Lexman to this unfortunate man, I am in a sense responsible."
"If I were you," said T. X., leaning back in the chair and looking half questioningly and half earnestly into the face of the other, "I shouldn't let that fact keep me awake at night. Most people are murdered as a result of an introduction. The cases where people murder total strangers are singularly rare. That I think is due to the insularity of our national character."
You are a very clever man, Mr. Meredith—I think that is your name?"
"That is my name," said T. X. calmly. "There has been, no need for me to change it as often as you have found the necessityAlthough he may seem flippant at times but beneath that veneer he's a very shrewd personality.
There were some parts in the middle that lagged and i lost my attention. For example how Meredith found about Hiabam Hussein Effendi , i couldn't figure out. If somebody does please drop me a line. But the ending was great and that notched up the book from 2.5 stars to 3 stars. So i can for this is that all's well that ends well.
Some quotes from the book:
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
People with lots of money seldom get hung. You only get hung for wanting money.
The book is available in public domain and here are the links from where you can download the book at no cost:
Project gutenberg link to The Clue of twisted Candle
Amazon link to the The clue of the twisted candle
happy reading guys
Finished On: 20th of December 2013
The clue of twisted candle is a mystery novel by Edgar Wallace,first published in 1918. This is the second Wallace novel that i've read in 2013. The other one was the Book of all Power.
John Lexman is a novelist who writes detective fictions. He's very accomplished in creating scenarios that often baffle not only the average reader but also the people that are in police department.
Remington Kara is a very wealthy businessman. Although he is wealthy,what he desires immense power and he doesn't cares weather he gets it by hook or crook.
T X Meridith is the eccentric but very shrewd,deputy commissioner of Scotland yard. He is called to solve the most perplexing cases. He is a friend of John Lexman.
When Kara is found murdered in mysterious circumstances,even T X is at his wit's end as to the identity of the killer. So he urges his friend Lexman to get involved in the case who was already acquainted with Kara and had known him for what he was. Reluctantly he agrees to apply his mind for the first time not in creating a baffling situation but for reaching to a conjecture by gathering clues and solving a mystery that has befuddled chief of police of major countries.Would he be successful in solving the mystery??We'll you'll have to read the book for that,my friend.
My opinion:
The book was average. It was nothing very extraordinary but also it was not too bad. Also i really like the character of T X Meridith who had always something witty to say which at first my seem insulting but was a part of his charm.
For example:
I want you to come down here at once," said the voice urgently, and even over the telephone T. X. recognized the distress. "I have shot a man, killed him!"
T. X. gasped.
"Good Lord," he said, "you are a silly ass!"
I am very distressed at this happening," he went on, "and I am more distressed because I feel that as I introduced Lexman to this unfortunate man, I am in a sense responsible."
"If I were you," said T. X., leaning back in the chair and looking half questioningly and half earnestly into the face of the other, "I shouldn't let that fact keep me awake at night. Most people are murdered as a result of an introduction. The cases where people murder total strangers are singularly rare. That I think is due to the insularity of our national character."
You are a very clever man, Mr. Meredith—I think that is your name?"
"That is my name," said T. X. calmly. "There has been, no need for me to change it as often as you have found the necessityAlthough he may seem flippant at times but beneath that veneer he's a very shrewd personality.
There were some parts in the middle that lagged and i lost my attention. For example how Meredith found about Hiabam Hussein Effendi , i couldn't figure out. If somebody does please drop me a line. But the ending was great and that notched up the book from 2.5 stars to 3 stars. So i can for this is that all's well that ends well.
Some quotes from the book:
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
People with lots of money seldom get hung. You only get hung for wanting money.
The book is available in public domain and here are the links from where you can download the book at no cost:
Project gutenberg link to The Clue of twisted Candle
Amazon link to the The clue of the twisted candle
happy reading guys
FTC Disclosure: इस पोस्ट में एफिलिएट लिंक्स मौजूद हैं। अगर आप इन लिंक्स के माध्यम से खरीददारी करते हैं तो एक बुक जर्नल को उसके एवज में छोटा सा कमीशन मिलता है। आपको इसके लिए कोई अतिरिक्त शुल्क नहीं देना पड़ेगा। ये पैसा साइट के रखरखाव में काम आता है। This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy from these links Ek Book Journal receives a small percentage of your purchase as a commission. You are not charged extra for your purchase. This money is used in maintainence of the website.
I was a fan of Edgar Wallace's books in my teens (I am 58 now). I don't remember having read this one. Thanks for the info - maybe I'll find it & read it now.
ReplyDeleteyeah you can download it from the project gutenberg. i've given the link in the post. And i agree his books are highly entertaining.
ReplyDelete