Edgar Wallace was a writing machine in the early 1900s, churning out thrillers and mysteries that kept the British public hooked. The Clue of the Twisted Candle is a prime example of his knack for a head-scratcher of a plot.

The Story

John Lexman is a novelist invited to the country estate of the wealthy and deeply unpleasant John Martin. Martin is so fearful of being robbed or murdered that he sleeps in a specially fortified bedroom. One night, after a tense dinner, he retires to this room, locking and bolting the single door from the inside. In the morning, he is found dead, stabbed with a peculiar weapon—a candle knife. The room is sealed, the key is still in the dead man's pocket, and the only other possible entrance is a tiny, barred skylight. It's the perfect 'impossible crime.' Enter Scotland Yard's Superintendent Sikes and the tenacious journalist T.X. Kelly, who must untangle a web of suspicion involving Lexman, a mysterious foreign visitor, and the victim's own shady past.

Why You Should Read It

This book is less about gritty police work and more about the joy of the puzzle. Wallace sets up a fantastic 'howdunit' and lets you race the characters to figure it out. The atmosphere is great—you can almost smell the cigar smoke in the library and feel the tension in that creepy, locked bedroom. Superintendent Sikes is a solid, dogged investigator, but for me, the real charm comes from the side characters and the glimpses into the social manners (and crimes) of the time. It's not a deep character study; it's a clever, fast-paced entertainment designed to make you think.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for fans of classic puzzle mysteries, especially the 'locked-room' subgenre made famous by authors like John Dickson Carr. If you enjoy Agatha Christie's intricate plots but want something from a slightly earlier, pulpier era, you'll feel right at home. It's also a great, quick read for a rainy afternoon or a commute. Just be prepared to scrutinize every detail of that sealed room alongside the detective. The solution, when it comes, is satisfyingly clever.