Description
East End landlady Mrs Drabdump is alarmed when she cannot rouse her lodger Arthur Constant. She summons the assistance of her neighbour, retired Scotland Yard detective George Grodman. He breaks down the door to Constant's room, only to find the man lying dead on his bed, with a deep cut to his throat. No-one, it seems, could have got in or out of the locked room and there is no sign of the murder weapon. Who was the killer and how will he be identified? A man is condemned to death for the seemingly impossible crime but Grodman is unconvinced that he is guilty. With its sardonic style and vivid, Dickensian characters, Zangwill's short novel remains a cleverly plotted and ingenious murder mystery which will still appeal to readers today.
About the Author
Born in London's East End into an immigrant family that had arrived in the city from the Russian Empire, Israel Zangwill (1864-1926) became a well-known playwright and novelist, and a leading spokesman for Jewish causes. The Big Bow Mystery, first published in the previous year, is often cited as the very first 'locked-room' crime novel and has been the basis for three films.
Book Information
ISBN 9780857300072
Author Israel Zwangwill
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Crime & Mystery Club Ltd
Publisher Oldcastle Books Ltd
