The Ringer Returns by Edgar Wallace, 1931

 

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Henry Arthur Milton, "The Ringer"
• Superintendent Bliss, Scotland Yard
• Detective Inspector Mander, Bliss' "incompetent assistant"

Locale: England

Synopsis: This is a collection of 17 short stories featuring "The Ringer", a master-of-disguise character who operates outside the law to bring his own brand of justice to evildoers; while constantly pursued by Superintendent Bliss of Scotland Yard. Some criminals The Ringer chases are murderers, but there are also scam artists and thieves. The stories are standalone, but some refer to characters in the preceding ones, so reading in order is recommended.

Review: The Ringer is from the same mold as Leslie Charteris' The Saint. He operates outside the law, sometimes with a wink-wink from Scotland Yard; with a goal of restoring fortune to those who have lost it. He is always pursued by the authorities, but always manages to fool them. One aspect which sets him apart from The Saint is that The Ringer is a master of disguise, and this figures in most of the stories as he uses impersonation frequently.

Again the Three Just Men by Edgar Wallace, 1928

 

Series: This is the Four Just Men series #6.

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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

This is a series of ten short stories featuring the three just men: Leon Gonsalez (a.k.a. Señor Mandrelino), George Manfred (a.k.a. Señor Fuentes), and --- Poiccart; and Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Reginald Fare. The three are described thus: "The 'Three Just Men' was an organisation which set itself to right acts of injustice which the Law left unpunished. It is believed that the members were exceedingly rich men who devoted their lives and fortunes to this quixotic but wholly unlawful purpose." The stories are best read in order, as some refer back to previous ones.

The Man Who Lived at Clapham: Noah Stedland had an office and fancied himself a financier, but his real occupation was blackmail.

The Man With the Canine Teeth: Professor Tableman is found dead in his laboratory, apparently strangled. The Three Just Men have a different theory.

The Man Who Hated Earthworms: Dr. Viglow is engaged to be married to Miss Moleneux, but she is concerned about his erratic behavior, and his hatred of earthworms. 

The Man Who Died Twice: Gregory Ballam operates an opium den and gambling operation in three adjoining houses, until the Three Just Men send him to "prison". 

The Man Who Hated Amelia Jones: Amelia Jones approaches the Three Just Men. She is worried her imprisoned husband is going to 'do her in' when he is released. The Three Just Men provide an alternate victim.

The Man Who Was Happy: Leon Gonsalez has a problem: A criminal has discovered he is one of the Three Just Men. And Lord Pertham has a marriage problem: too many wives. The Three Just Men set out to fix both problems.

The Man Who Loved Music: Mr. Lynne cannot get to sleep unless he plays his record of Tschaikovsky's "1812" - very loud, annoying the neighbors. The Three Just Men use the ruckus to their own advantage.

The Man Who Was Plucked: Jack Eden, neighbor to Manfred and Gonsalez, is despondent over gambling debts. He attempts - and fails - suicide, and the Three Just Men go after the the man who caused the whole thing.

The Man Who Would Not Speak: Clever "Spaghetti" Jones pulls off a kidnapping, and won't reveal where the child is hidden, until the Three Just Men find a way to make him talk.

The Man Who Was Acquitted: Dr. Twenden poisoned his wife, and got away with it. Until the Three Just Men figure out how it was done.

Ten short stories - each one a good length for a bedtime read before turning out the light, and going to sleep knowing justice has prevailed.

Red Aces by Edgar Wallace, 1929

 

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This book consists of three short stories featuring detective J.G. Reeder:

The Red Aces

Kennedy, the Con Man

The Case of Joe Attymar

This review is only of the first, The Red Aces.

Major characters:

• George McKay
• Kenneth McKay, his son
• Margot Lynn, Kenneth's girlfriend, niece/secretary to Walter "Benny" Wentford
• Walter "Benny" Wentford, Margot's uncle
• Rufus Machfield, Kenneth's friend
• Walter Enward, lawyer
• Henry Green, Enward's clerk
• Eric Kingfether, bank manager
• Ena Burslem, a Woman of the World
• J.G. Reeder, private detective
• Constanble James Verity

Locale: England

Synopsis: Kenneth McKay is out in the countryside and spots his girlfriend, Margot Lynn, out with another man. She refuses to  introduce them, and soon McKay gets a 'Dear John' letter breaking off their relationship. McKay tells this to his friend Rufus Machfield, who reveals that he is deep in gambling debt, and his bank is missing some funds.

Lawyer Walter Enward and his clerk Henry Green are called out on a snowy night to the cottage of Walter "Benny" Wentford. On the way, they are stopped by Constable James Verity, standing in the road alongside a dead body. Enward identifies the body as Wentford. Private Detective J.G. Reeder comes on the scene, and goes to Wentford's nearby cottage to find Margot inside, awaiting her uncle's return. He also finds two red ace cards pinned to the door. Contable Verity cannot be located, and is later found dead alongside the road.

Review: This was my first J.G, Reeder story and it was enjoyable. It is jam-packed to fit a full length novel's share of plot and characters into 100 pages, so it is quite condensed. There are a lot of characters and inter-relationships to keep track of. For example, Margot is not only Wentford's secretary, she is also his niece. J.G. just seems to be everywhere at once. I was a bit confused as to his position, he is called a private detective at first, then a member of the Public Prosecutor's Office. 

Once the action stops, there is one final chapter, which is quite different from what came before. J.G. himself writes the last chapter, calmly providing a detailed synopsis of the action and tying up all the loose ends. I found this valuable, since I had lost track of a lot of the details along the way. 

Overall, the story reminded me of the Rex Stout triple-volumes, consisting of three short Nero Wolfe adventures. The length is just right for a one-evening read. 

The Green Ribbon by Edgar Wallace, 1930

 

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Donald Gray, deceased
• Edna Gray, Donald's niece and heiress
• Alberto Garcia, Edna's friend
• Inspector Matthew Mark Luke

The staff of The Green Ribbon agency:

• Joe Trigger, operator of Trigger's Transactions
• Dr. Blanter, the brain  
• Elijah Goodie, horse trainer, tenant of Gillywood Cottage
• Arthur Rustem, a disbarred attorney
• Mr. Pilcher, Rustem's clerk

Locale: England

Synopsis: Recently-disbarred attorney Arthur Rustem handles the estate of the late Donald Gray, Venezuelan cattle farmer; consisting of two properties: Gillywood Cottage/Farm and adjacent Longhall. Upon Gray's death, they have passed to his niece, Edna Gray. Edna arrives from Venezuela, intending to live at Longhall, and instructs Rustem to oust the tenant, horse trainer Elijah Goodie. She travels there to find Gillywood Cottage and horse stables well kept, but nearby Longwood neglected. Goodie tries to discourage her from moving in.

Edna has made the acquaintance of Inspector Matthew Mark Luke of Scotland Yard. He is investigating possible crimes associated with horse racing, and in particular the operation of the Green Ribbon Agency, owned by Joe Trigger. Trigger has developed a profitable - and marginally legal - method of making money from the races. He invites subscribers to place funds on deposit with him, and his agents place last-minute bets - so close to the race time that the bets cannot affect the odds.* His associates are trainer Elijah Goodie, Dr. Blanter, and Arthur Rustem.

*at least that's how I understand it.

Review: For a long time I was puzzled as to where this book was going. There is a murder, but it takes until page 261 (of 311) to occur. There are not even any crimes up to that point - it is emphasized again and again that the Green Ribbon operation is quite legal. Inspector Luke is always watching and waiting for them to do something illegal.

I enjoyed the description of how Trigger's Transactions were organized and operated, in order to keep the investors (bettors) anonymous.

Despite this odd construction, the story moves right along and kept my attention all the way. I don't understand how horse racing odds work, but that was not a barrier to enjoying the story. I think Wallace just enjoyed writing about horse racing, since a number of his novels are on that topic. 

There are some of surprises along the way - when Goodie's pets are revealed, what's really going on in the Perrywig Caves, and the last paragraph of the book manages to bring in a love interest!

Blue Hand by Edgar Wallace, 1925

 

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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Septimus Salter, solicitor
• Jim Steele, his secretary
• Eunice Weldon, Jim's girlfriend
• Lady Mary Danton, the missing heiress, widow of...
• Jonathan Danton,  deceased
• Dorothy Danton, their daughter
• Mrs. Jane Groat, Jonathan's sister
• Digby Groat, Jane's son
• Madge Benson, a nurse

Locale: London

Synopsis: Jim Steele, secretary to solicitor Septimus Salter, sees himself as an amateur detective and is fascinated with one of Salter's cases. The case involves the Danton fortune of Jonathan and Lady Mary Danton, held in trust for their daughter Dorothy. Twenty years ago, the Dantons had gone to America, Lady Mary dropped out of sight, and daughter Dorothy may have been lost in a boating accident but no one is really sure. Under the Danton will, if Lady Mary and Dorothy do not show up after twenty years, the fortune reverts to Jonathan's sister, Mrs. Jane Groat. The clock is running down on that, and Jane's pompous son, sinister doctor Digby Groat, wants to be sure he gets his hands on the fortune.

Jim's girlfriend, Eunice Weldon, takes a position as secretary to Mrs. Groat. Eunice is unnerved by Digby's medical experiments on animals, and she receives anonymous notes, signed by "Blue Hand", warning her to leave the position; along with a blue handprint smeared on the wall each time. Meanwhile, Jim tracks down Dorothy Danton, but before her can get her, she is kidnapped by Groat who attempts to get her to France via car, train, boat, and airplane; none of which work.

Review: Jim Steele takes the James Bond role in this thriller, which has everything thrown in: mysterious mansions, people being tied up, several secret identities, wills being burned, poisons, a missing heiress, an evil doctor, drugs, car chases, train chases, boat chases, and airplane chases. With all these transport options, one would think they could get across the English Channel. The only thing missing is a secret passage. The action is nonstop, and is surprising it is pulled off with such a small cast of characters. Three amusing henchmen (Villa, Fuentes, and Bronson) appear late in the book and are all dealt with quickly. Pro tip: If you are a passenger in an open-cockpit airplane, be sure your seat belt is fastened.

I was a bit confused for a time on the status of Jonathan Denton, but well into the book it is stated that he is long-ago dead and that Lady Mary is his widow.

Animal lovers will note there are several references to Groat's vivisection experiments, but nothing graphic. 

Sergeant Sir Peter by Edgar Wallace, 1933

 

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Synopsis: Sergeant Sir Peter is Peter Dunn, Scotland Yard's debonair young aristocrat detective. After the war, Peter Dunn inherited a fortune and a baronetcy. Now he consults for Scotland Yard for modest fees to make the relationship legal. This title consists of eight vignettes (seven short stories, one novella) from his adventures:

Case I: The Four Missing Merchants - Peter Dunn is introduced to the reader. After inheriting a title, he steps back from routine police work to focus on special problem cases of Scotland Yard. He becomes aware of cases where merchants take a holiday, then do not return as expected. He finds they are all intertwined with an Indian doctor, Dr. Lal Singh, who has a history with the police.

Case II: The Desk Breaker: Sir Peter investigates a case of a burglar who breaks into homes, rifles through desks and letters, yet steals nothing.

Case III: The Inheritor: Sir Peter investigates a case of a wealthy man who accuses his butler of stealing a small amount from his desk, then abruptly changes his mind. 

Case IV: Dr. Fifer's Patient: Sir Peter grudgingly accepts an invitation to meet Dr. Cornelius Fifer, a crime expert from America. No sooner does Dr. Fifer arrive, than he is murdered in a locked bathroom.

Case V: The Burglar Alarm: Sir Peter investigates a jewel theft from a heavily protected business. The alarm goes off, but a woman leans out the window to explain to the police she is the secretary and set it off accidentally. Neither is true.

Case VI: Buried Treasure: Some crooks staged a robbery and the loot was never recovered. Now one of them decides to reveal its location.

Case VII: The Principles of Jo Loless: An ex-con gives a sob story to Sir Peter which leads to a car accident, burglary, and murder. 

Case VIII: The Death Watch (novella): Sir Peter meets and falls in love with Patricia Hannay, who lives at Diggins Folly, believed to be haunted by the dreaded Deathwatch Beetle. The house is staffed with a strange assortment of servants, none of whom are what they appear.

Review: The entire book is enjoyable and hilarious, and the highlight is The Death Watch. Every imaginable mystery trope is tossed in: two identical houses side by side - one derelict, the other sumptuous; a damsel in distress, a creepy prowler who is not what he appears, a creepy butler who is not what he appears, a creepy gardener who is not what he appears, a creepy maid who is not what she appears, a creepy professor who is not what he appears, secret passages, ghosts, oiled hinges, a missing fortune, screams in the night, an ominous deathwatch beetle clicking away in the night to mark an upcoming death, and of course a beautiful blonde who has caught Peter's eye but will have nothing to do with him.

The Day of Uniting by Edgar Wallace (1930)

 

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About this edition: This is one of five titles released simultaneously in a Christmas boxed set. These are the only five titles appearing in the green cloth binding.

Edgar Wallace (photo: wikipedia)

About the author: Here is a Wikipedia article on Edgar Wallace. He also authored The Hand of Power in the Mystery League series.

Major characters: 

• Jimmy Blake, 27, wealthy happy-go-lucky war ace
• Gerald Van Roon, Jimmy's cousin, roommate, and scientist
• Joe Sennett, foreman at Ponters Ltd.
• Delia Sennett, Joe's daughter
• Tom Elmers, employee at Ponters Ltd.
• John Stamford Chapelle, Prime Minister of England
• John Stope-Kendrick, Secretary of State
• Walter Maggerson, mathematician and explorer
• Lord Harry Weltman, Minister of Defence
• Tyrhitt Palythorpe, ex-con, printer of Spice, a scandal sheet

Locale: England

Synopsis: Ponter's Ltd. is a commercial print shop, specializing in scientific texts. They also have a contract to printing government documents. One night foreman Joe Sennett catches Tom Elmers fooling around with the type.  It is found that someone is sabotaging the books being printed by inserting erroneous or nonsense text after the proofs have been approved. Highly embarrassing. 

Jimmy Blake, wealthy happy go lucky war ace, meets and is taken with Delia Sennett; daughter of foreman Joe Sennett. Blake gets an invite from his lodger, Gerald Van Roon, to a dinner of scientific types hosted by Prime Minister Chapelle. At the dinner, explorer Walter Maggerson staggers in begging the PM to stop "The Terror" (but no one knows what "The Terror" is).

Tyrhitt Palythorpe, ex-con and printer of a seamy scandal sheet, tries to lure Tom Elmers away to work for him. 

One night Gerald Van Roon is called away, and is soon found dead on the nearby heath. Soon John Stop-Kendrick dies also by his own hand, while running from "The Terror".

Whatever "The Terror" is, it is the main focus of a group of officials who meet at night in a vacant building and engage in a frenzy of activity to stop it.

Review: This is a fun adventure. There are clues throughout as to what The Terror is, so by the time it is revealed you probably have figured it out. It is a clever plot, and the cause of The Terror has a bit of karma in it for the participants, since they pretty much brought it on themselves. It is exciting to read how the panic spreads and the government officials get more and more desperate. Wallace even manages to thread in a love story while everything is falling apart. If you like dark-doings-on-the-moor type of mysteries, this one will not disappoint.

The Hand of Power by Edgar Wallace (1930)

 

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About this edition: This edition has just the novel, with no promotional or preview material.

Edgar Wallace (photo: Wikipedia)

About the author: Here is a Wikipedia article on Edgar Wallace. He also authored The Day of Uniting in the Mystery League series.

Characters:

• Dr. Joshua Laffin, creepy retired physician who lives in a creepy house, and guardian of...
• Betty Carew, red-headed actress, and love interest of...
• Lord Clive Lowbridge, who has just inherited his title and mansion, but without any funding to manage it
• Benson, Lowbridge's butler, who also knows how to find out things.
• La Florette, a dancer, claims to be French but lets a Cockney accent slip occassionally.
• Police Inspector Bullott, who rents an unused room to...
• William "Bill" Holbrook, who quits his advertising job at Pawter Publicity Services to get back into journalism, along with...
• Pawter, head of Pawter Publicity Services
• Captain Harvey Hale, out-of-work sea captain since he ran his ship aground
• Toby Marsh, a street-wise, educated, well-spoken burglar, and a boarder of ... 
• Jenny Hamshaw, mother of La Florette
• Lambert Stone, American millionaire, and brother of...
• Leiff Stone, founder of the Sons of Ragousa, a shady fraternal organization which runs a lottery to attract members
• Brother John Flanagan, an ex-priest, curious about Betty's stint in the window (names shown in red indicate those unfortunates who do not survive the novel). Brother John does not even survive two pages.
• Mr. Charles Van Campe, manager of the theatre

Locale: England, and at sea

Synopsis: Betty Carew and La Florette work in the theatre, but when the play closes early Betty is compelled by her guardian Dr. Joshua Laffin to take a job from Pawter Publicity Services posing in a store display window; ostensibly advertising a unique desk. The real purpose is to deliver a message to a stranger who may show up at some point and ask for it.

Once the message is delivered, the display window job is done. Dr. Laffin takes Betty home, and locks her prisoner in her room. Journalist Bill Holbrook and thief Toby Marsh observe, conspire, break in, and release her. 

Betty returns to the theatre. She is approached and questioned by Brother John Flanagan, a member of the shady fraternal organization Proud Sons of Ragousa; whose only purpose seems to be running a lottery. Brother John meets his end on the street immediately following. Bill Holbrook joins the Ragousas in an effort to infiltrate it. The Ragousas kidnap Betty in the belief she is destined to be their new leader.

Soon the action moves to an ocean liner bound for New York, with all the principal characters aboard, and apparently the evil Dr. Laffin too. The Ragousas are aboard also, with their eyes on plundering a cash shipment to the US.

Review: Oh, what a fun madcap adventure! It has everything. Foggy nights on Dartmoor, a prison, hooded characters in robes, a mystical fraternal organizaion, secret ceremonies, an evil doctor, kidnapping, and even piracy! There's something for everyone. 

The Gaol Breaker by Edgar Wallace (1924*)

 The Gaol Breaker (US title) / We Shall See! (UK title)

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Edgar Wallace

Major characters:

• Det. Sergeant Mont of Scotland Yard, narrator
• Billington "Billy" Stabbat, private detective
• Levy Jones, operative for Billy Stabbat
• Mary Ferrera, bank clerk and gambler, a.k.a. Miss Hicks and Miss X
• Thomson Dawkes, man-about-town, a gambler
• Sir Philip Frampton, bank owner and Mary Ferrera's uncle
• George Briscoe, a thief

Locale: England, Monaco, and France

Synopsis: Detective Sergeant Mont (our narrator) is on vacation from Scotland Yard. He visits his old friend Billington "Billy" Stabbat, a private investigator. Billy is not really cut out for the business - he is an old softie, especially for the ladies; so he has operative Levy Jones do most of his legwork.

Man-about-town Thomson Dawkes is puzzled by a young woman he encounters in Monte Carlo. Calling herself "Miss X" or "Miss Hicks" (as 'X' is pronounced in French), she gambles large sums while referring to written notes, obviously some sort of system. She wins substantially more than she loses. He tries to make her acquaintance but is repeatedly rebuffed. When Dawkes encounters her in London, he hires Billy Stabbat to find out about her and her system. This leads to an encounter in Billy's office, in which Dawkes advances on her and she shoots him - seriously injuring him. Billy, trying to protect her, "confesses" to the shooting himself.

The investigation reveals she is Mary Ferrera, a clerk at Frampton's Bank in Elston. She is also the niece of bank owner Sir Philip Frampton. It is suspected Frampton has cooked up a gambling system and employs Mary to work the gaming tables. At a meeting - again at Billy's office - Mary and Frampton are left alone, and Frampton is found shot to death. Meanwhile Billy stands trial for Dawkes' shooting and is sent to prison for seven years.

Mont and Levy find the Mary's gun - still fully loaded - and deduce she was not the shooter of Dawkes and Frampton. Confounded, they plot to spring Stabbat from Dartmoor prison so he can solve the case.

Review:

Won't these P.I.s ever learn to not leave adversaries together unsupervised? The first time a client gets shot and wounded, and then they go right ahead and set it up again, this time with a client getting killed. Oh well, leaving the two shootings a mystery to the reader is the plot, as the reader is not privy to what really occurred in the room each time.

Stabbat is exactly the wrong type to be a P.I., constantly getting personally involved with clients and acting out of sympathy to them. However, this makes a good story line as he delegates most of the client contact to Levy.

Levy is an orthodox Jew and is constantly telling self-deprecating jokes and amusing (but stereotypical) stories about Jews, which is unnecessary and detracts from the story line. That aside, he makes a good Archie Goodwin to Stabbat.

The jail break episode is unique and amusing and worthy of a Manning Coles.

*The date 1924 is uncertain. My copy is an omnibus (The Mammoth Mystery Book), and it unclear which story has which publication date.

The Calendar by Edgar Wallace (1930)

 

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Edgar Wallace

Major characters:

• Garry Anson, horse owner/player, our protagonist
• Jack Anson, his wealthy cousin
• Hubert Hillcott, his butler
• Lady Wenda Panniford, Garry's best friend since childhood
• Lord Willie Panniford, Wenda's drunken lout of a husband
• Molly Panniford, Willie's sister
• Henry "Harry" Lascarne, employee of the War Office
• Peter Hepplewayne, the warned-off horse owner
• John Dory, bookmaker

Locale: England

Synopsis: The Racing Calendar is a popular newsletter for the horse racing/betting crowd, eagerly perused by our characters, and the social media of its day. Many of the events of the story are chronicled there.

Garry Anson learns from his best friend, Lady Wenda Panniford, that her marriage to Lord Willie Panniford is on the rocks; and she wants to "borrow Garry's name" (that is, name him a co-respondent in a divorce action, despite the fact there is no affair happening). Wenda hints she may interested in marriage once the divorce goes through. Garry is conflicted - he never felt for Wenda in a romantic way, like he does for her sister-in-law Molly Panniford. Wenda and Willie head to Italy for a vacation for a last chance to straighten things out.

Garry's wealthy uncle, "The Colonel" passes away and leaves the bulk of his fortune to his other nephew, Jack Anson. The papers get the story mixed up and state it went to Garry, which makes Wenda all the more enthusiastic about her plan - hoping to eventually marry Garry's wealth. 

Garry, getting deeper and deeper into gambling debts, is planning to run his horse, Rangemore, in the Ascot. Then he finds he can come out ahead financially by not winning Ascot, but saving Rangemore for a later race, the Northumberland Plate, in which he more likely to win against rival Silver Queen. Wenda has a big bet on Rangemore, so at the last moment, Garry sends her a note telling her he is "stopping" Rangemore in the race (that is, telling the jockey to intentionally hold back and not win); and cancels her bet to avoid a big loss.

However, intentionally losing a race is a serious violation; and now he has sent Wenda a written note stating that is exactly what he is doing. This had happened recently to another owner, Peter Hepplewayne, who was caught and "warned off" (disqualified from all future racing). Garry has a change of heart, and does not tell the jockey to slow down. Rangemore comes in second, but a technicality disqualifies the first place winner, Silver Queen, so Rangemore is promoted to be winner. Wenda, in possession of the incriminating note, now has power over Garry.

Review: I never know quite what to expect from Edgar Wallace, whether it will be a murder mystery, or thriller, or something completely different. This is one of the completely different ones. There is no mystery at all, and no one gets murdered*. Listed as "A Racing Romance" on the dust jacket, it is a soap opera set at a race track. I know nothing about horse racing, but was able to follow the story easily and found it fascinating, although discussions of figuring odds was beyond my comprehension. It turned out to be Kentucky Derby weekend while I was reading, so it was a perfect fit.

It was a refreshing change - no murders, no detectives. The best character is butler Hubert Hillcott. He is an ex-con and lacks some of the social graces, never closes a door (so he can hear what's going on), and is a bit uncouth and sarcastic. He does come in handy when Garry needs to learn some safe-cracking technique.

*One (natural) death to a minor character does occur "off-stage", so I was able to count this one for the Medical Examiner challenge. 

The Devil Man by Edgar Wallace (1931)

 

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Edgar Wallace

This is available as a free eBook from this page at Project Gutenberg Australia.

Major characters:

• Dr. Alan Mainford
• Madame Clarice Stahm, a Russian
• Peter Baumgarten, a Russian, Madame Clarice's secretary
• Jane Garden, a nurse
• Charles Peace, The "Devil Man"
• Carton, ex-con, former army mate/butler to Dr. Mainford
• Sgt. Baldy Eltham
• -- Eckhardt, developer of the silver steel process
• Arthur Dyson, engineer in possession of the formula and crystals
• Kate Dyson, Arthur's wife
• Lamonte, a prisoner

Locale: Sheffield, England

Synopsis: Dr. Alan Mainford is called out one snowy night to attend Madame Clarice Stahm. He arrives and her secretary, Peter Baumgarten, brings Mainford to see her. She is in a coma-like trance, but suddenly pops out of it. A strange man, Charles Peace, arrives and plays the violin to her which calms her.* Mainford can do nothing for her, and on his way out her nurse, Jane Garden, begs him to get her away from the house. 

Sheffield is a steel center and many companies are rushing to perfect a new kind of steel which does not rust, called 'silver steel' (which we know as stainless steel). The engineer who perfected the process is -- Eckhardt, who is now in the US. He had revealed the formula to Arthur Dyson, along with a small vial containing crystals essential to the process. Madame Stahm has an interest in the Silver Steel Company, and wants the crystals to analyze them for the formula. She had abducted an engineer of the Silver Steel Company, Lamonte, to try to gain the formula but he escapes and dies. She now hires Charles Peace to get it, and his strategy is to start a love affair with Dyson's wife, Kate Dyson, to gain opportunity to steal the crystals. Peace enlists the help of an ex-con, Carton, who happened to be serve with Alan Mainford in the army.

Peace steals the vial of crystals, passes them to his confederate Carton. Carton does not realize their significance and gives them to his old army mate, Dr. Mainford. 

* reminiscent of Biblical account when King David played his harp to calm Saul, in 1 Samuel 16:14

Review: This was a great page-turning thriller. Reading some reviews on Goodreads, I found this was based on an actual person - and Wallace's story closely follows the real life story of Peace (1832-1879), as outlined in this Wikipedia article. Here is a photo of the real Charles Peace.

wikipedia

White Face by Edgar Wallace (1930)

 

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Edgar Wallace

Major characters:

• White Face, an anonymous criminal
• Michael Quigley, crime reporter
• Janice Harman, volunteer nurse
• Dr. Thomas Mardorf, clinic doctor
• Donald Bateman, of South Africa
• Harry Lamborn, a thief
• Louis and Inez Landor 
• Dr. Rudd, police surgeon 
• Gregory Wicks, taxi driver
• Detective Sergeant Elk
• Inspector "Sympathetic" Mason
• Lorna Weston,

Locale: The Tidal Basin, London

Synopsis: Dr. Mardorf runs a charity children's clinic in the run-down Tidal Basin area of London, and Janice Harman has been his volunteer nurse. Janice is comfortably wealthy from an inheritance, and is the girlfriend of crime reporter Michael Quigley.

Quigley has been following the story of White Face, a thief operating in London. So called due to the white mask over his face, he enters night clubs and steals valuable necklaces right off society ladies.

Janice has been corresponding with Donald Bateman, supposedly a farmer in South Africa. He has written to her hinting for money with which to buy an adjoining property. She intends to marry him, but finds he is an ex-convict confidence man. 

Bateman is accosted on the street, and stabbed. After he falls, thief Harry Lamborn goes through his pockets, taking his money and watch; but throwing them over a fence as the law approaches. A knife scabbard (but not the knife) is found under the body, it is traced to Louis Landor, and it found that his wife Inez Landor was married to Bateman - and as she believed he was dead, now finds herself in a bigamous marriage.

Review: This is a fun title by Edgar Wallace. It paints a clear picture of the seamy side of London, a sketchy alley called Gallows Court - where policemen dare not walk alone. It is the perfect setting for Dr. Mardorf's charity clinic. 

The taxi driver Gregory Wicks is an interesting character with several things to hide. As a matter of fact, pretty much everyone - with the exception of the police - has things to hide. But all is revealed.

The ending in the remote deserted farmhouse comes as a big surprise, when the identity of White Face is revealed to the reader.

I did expect some closure with reporter Quigley and Janice Harman, but, sadly, nothing was said. The story ends with the capture of White Face.

The Face in the Night by Edgar Wallace (1925)

 

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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 (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Edgar Wallace

Major characters:

• Laker, a courier
• Mr. Malpas, a recluse with a mask
• Martin "Bunny" Elton
• Dora Elton, his wife
• Audrey Bedford (a.k.a. Audrey Torrington), Dora's sister
• Hon. Lacy Marshalt, former senator from South Africa
• Tanger, his valet
• Captain Dick Shannon, Scotland Yard
• Richard James "Slick" Smith, a crook or a Scotland Yard spy

Locale: London - the setup is like this:

• Curzon St. - home of Martin "Bunny" Elton and his wife Dora
• Portman Square - home of mysterious Mr. Malpas, and next door live Lacy Marshalt and his valet, Tanger. The two homes share a common wall.

Synopsis: Laker, a criminal courier, meets with his boss, Mr. Malpas, in London. He wants to see his face, hidden by a false chin over his face. Malpas reacts much as the Phantom of the Opera did -  Laker is dropped into the Thames shortly after. 

Audrey Bedford has been scraping a living from chicken farming. Destitute, she sells the farm and heads to London to stay with her sister, wealthy Dora Elton and her husband, Martin "Bunny" Elton. Captain Richard "Dick" Shannon of Scotland Yard has a minor traffic accident with a bus. Audrey gets off the disabled bus and Shannon gives her a ride to her destination. Shannon falls in love with her on sight.

The Queen of Finland is visiting the American Embassy in London. Shannon was there, keeping an eye on her priceless diamond necklace. While leaving the party, her necklace is stolen by Martin and Dora Elton. They are preparing to send it to Pierre, a fence, but are lacking a courier (Laker is now dead). They talk unsuspecting Audrey into making the delivery. As she makes the delivery, she and Pierre are arrested by Shannon.

Fast forward a year. Audrey is out of prison, and takes a highly-paid job from Mr. Malpas. It consists of rewriting his correspondence by hand. Meanwhile, nasty sister Dora is having an affair with Lacy Marshalt (Mr. Malpas' neighbor). Shannon continues to seek the lost diamonds, while Dora plots a way to get rid of Audrey.

Review: Well, this novel has everything thrown in. We have our leading lady, Audrey, out of jail and in the money from creepy Mr. Malpas, being paid a big wage to copy his correspondence out by hand. Malpas not only wears a mask to cover an apparent deformity, he lives in a large house full of electrical gadgets, microphones, a gigantic oriental idol complete with altar, secret compartments, secret passages, booby traps, and a revolving fireplace. Scary sounds occur in the night, and faces looking in skylights, and glowing green faces float around scaring people away. Bodies disappear and reappear! A mysterious limping man is always skulking around, of course. Piles of diamonds appear and reappear. Doubles and imposters! 

A couple of big fat parallels jumped out at me immediately:

1. Audrey being hired for an exorbitant salary to get out of the way and laboriously hand copy correspondence is reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Red Headed League.
   
   
2. Mr. Malpas reminds me of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, having a facial deformity hidden by a mask, a hideout full of gadgets, and the habit of communicating with the world by dropping little notes.

This book feels like one of the crazy titles from the Mystery League (which would appear about five year's hence). Enjoy it not for the depth of detection and figuring out the puzzle, but hang on for the wild ride through the spooky house at the amusement park, with every trope from the classic mysteries thrown in!