The Four Just Men - Couverture souple

Wallace, Edgar

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 184232683X ISBN 13 : 9781842326831

Editeur : House of Stratus, 2008

Synopsis

Book by Wallace Edgar

A propos du livre

Revue de presse :

The Four Just Men is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a tautly written thriller following four mysterious, wealthy Europeans, each a master of disguise and deception, who seek to deliver justice when police and governments cannot. Operating outside the law, they are ruthless and exacting in their dedication. A classic and enduring work brought to life with the skilled narration professional actor Bill Homewood, The Four Just Men is especially recommended for public library audiobook collections. - --The Audiobook Shelf, Midwest Book Review

Starred Review Fans of classic mysteries and thrillers will rejoice in Homewood's superb reading of Wallace's brief but dramatic tale (published in 1905), which pits the eponymous men against those invoking political injustice. The four wealthy Europeans warn Britain s foreign secretary that unless he removes support for an extradition bill (jeopardizing the safety of a Spanish activist who sought political asylum in England), he is their next target. The men have successfully assassinated important world figures before, so this is not an empty threat. All of England waits for the outcome as the police seek these vigilantes, who dare to take justice into their own hands. In contrast to many characters in contemporary mysteries, these men are enigmas, leaving Homewood to perform a clever locked-room mystery (with the ingenious murder of a man thought to be protected by the police) that relies more heavily on atmosphere than the characters backgrounds. Homewood assigns the men distinctive accents (English; Spanish, including a Castilian lisp; French) and cadences that reflect their civilized, cosmopolitan personalities. He also voices a cacophony of regional accents that represent Parliament members, police officers, and numerous Londoners involved in discussions as the clock ticks down to the deadline imposed by the men. Homewood darkens his deep voice to create a moody, menacing atmosphere that dominates this compelling story, and he modulates pace and intensity to dramatize ruthless justice. Those who enjoy smart, civilized mysteries will be pleased. --Joyce Saricks, Booklist

This fast-moving little story and its accomplished reader takes the theme of vigilante justice out of this current polished, slick, technology-dependent world and brings it back to a simpler, more black-and-white one. featured in SoundCommentary's 'Best Audiobooks of 2011' list - --Joanna Theiss, SoundCommentary

Edgar Wallace was one of the early thriller writers, known to us more from the movies than his books. In his Four Just Men series, the villains are four men who practise vigilante law. While their actions are outside the law, which one cannot approve of, there is a certain sympathy for their actions. Read with perfection by Bill Homewood, the first in the unabridged Naxos AudioBooks Classic Crime series of that title takes us to the London of 1905, where the police hunt four men determined to right wrong with violence. --Alide Kohlhaas, Seniors Review

Biographie de l'auteur :

Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born illegitimately in Greenwich, London, in 1875to actors Mary Jane Richards and T. H. Edgar. As an infant he wasadopted by George Freeman, a porter at Billingsgate fish market. Aged eleven, Wallace sold newspapers at Ludgate Circus and upon leaving school took a job with a printer. He later enlisted in the Royal West Kent Regiment, beforetransferring to the Medical Staff Corps, and was sent to South Africa. In 1898 he published a collection of poems called The Mission that Failed, and subsequently left the army to become acorrespondent for Reuters.South African war correspondent for The Daily Mail followed and hisarticles were later published as Unofficial Dispatches. His outspokenness infuriated Lord Kitchener, who removed his credentialsas a war correspondent. He thenedited the Rand Daily Mail, but gambled disastrously on the South African Stock Market. Returning to England, he at first reportedon crimes and hanging trials, before becomingeditor of The Evening News. It was in 1905 that he founded the Tallis Press, publishing Smithy, a collection of soldier stories, and The Four Just Men. The latter waspublished with the ending removed as anadvertising stunt and he offered £500 to readers who could successfully guess the ending. Unfortunately, many did and he was almost bankrupted. At various times Wallacealso worked as a journalist on The Standard, The Star, The Week-End Racing Supplement and The Story Journal. In 1917, he became a Special Constable at Lincoln's Inn and also a special interrogator for the War Office. The Daily Mail sent Wallace to investigate atrocities in the Belgian Congo, a trip that provided material for his Sanders of the River books. In 1923 he became Chairman of the Press Club and in 1931 stood as a Liberal Parliamentary candidatefor Blackpool. mHis first marriage in 1901 to Ivy Caldecott, daughter of a missionary, ended in divorce in 1918 and he later married his much younger secretary, Violet King. Along with countlessarticles, some 23 screenplays and many short stories,Wallacewrote more than 170 books, which have been translated into 28 languages and sales of which have exceeded 50 million copies. Over 160 films have been made from his books - more than any other author. In the 1920's one of Wallace's many publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him. His sales were exceeded only by The Bible. He died in 1932 whilst workingon the screenplay for King Kong,

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: House of Stratus
• Date d'édition: 2008
• ISBN 10: 184232683X
• ISBN 13: 9781842326831
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 134