The Traitor's Gate

by Edgar Wallace

Hope Joyner, ward of a Mr Hallet whom she has never met, is in love with Sir Richard Hallowell. Diana Montague, who was once engaged to Sir Richard, now keeps very dubious company - Sir Richard's brother Graham for one. He has just been released from prison. Since Graham has been away Diana has acquired money, and she is now Press Secretary for the Prince of Kishlastan, who according to Colly Warrington, is totally besotted with her...

Genres: Crime, Mystery

Paperback

Published February 12, 2001

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.

Over 160 films have been made of his novels, more than any other author. In the 1920s, one of Wallace's publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him.

He is most famous today as the co-creator of "King Kong", writing the early screenplay and story for the movie, as well as a short story "King Kong" (1933) credited to him and Draycott Dell. He was known for the J. G. Reeder detective stories, The Four Just Men, the Ringer, and for creating the Green Archer character during his lifetime.

Reviews

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

„La picior…, arm'!”
Treizeci şi una de puşti căzură cu o singură mişcare, treizeci şi una de mâini, înmănuşate în alb, mişcate ca de un mecanism invizibil, se lipiră de cusătura a treizeci şi unu pantaloni.
Nemişcaţi, în poziţie „pentru onor”, rândul de tunici roşii şi căciuli din blană de urs păstra o aliniere fără cusur. Grupa continuă să cânte ultimele măsuri ale marşului şi tăcu exact în momentul când cei patru codaşi ai grupei înlocuite dispăreau pe după colţul turnului alb.
„Rupeţi rândurile”
Cu o mişcare puternică, Bobby Longfellow vârî în teacă lama subţire a sabiei sale, îşi potrivi monoclul şi-şi îndreptă privirea către silueta bondoacă a capelei St. Peter ad Vincula, care părea că doarme sub razele acestei dimineţi de vară. După câteva momente avu impresia că o doamnă corpolentă şi nu prea înaltă se apropiase de el, ţinând în mână un ghid. Sergentul grupei sta la o distanţă de câţiva paşi, în poziţie de drepţi. Faţa lui arămie părea că râde pe-nfundate.
— Scuzaţi-mă, domnule…
Obrazul doamnei corpolente era gras, congestionat, prietenos şi ofiţerul băgă de seamă că avea o guşă întreită şi un nas de formă mai curând bărbătească.
— Nu mi-aţi putea arăta unde este mormântul lui Lady Jane Grey?
— Mormântul cui?
— Al lui Lady Jane Grey, domnul meu.
Bobby aruncă o privire dezolată către sergent, în timp ce degetele-i răsuceau nervos mustaţa care abia mijea.
— V-aţi… hm!… V-aţi uitat prin cimitir? pronunţă el rar, aşteptând ca inferiorul lui să-i vină într-ajutor.
— În care cimitir, domnule?
— Cel mai bun lucru, doamnă, ar fi dacă v-aţi adresa pentru informaţii vreunui paznic.

[সৌরজিৎ বসাক · Rating 3 out of 5]

অনেকেই নিজের ভাষাতেই রিভিউ লিখেছেন। আমিও তাই বাংলাতেই লিখছি। পড়লামও বাংলা অনুবাদে। সুধীন্দ্রনাথ রাহা'র মোটামুটি ভালো অনুবাদ।
ব্রিটিশ আমলের পশ্চিমা থ্রিলারের বাংলা অনুবাদ প্রচুর ছিল এদেশে। এটিও তাই। সস্তার আইটেম। লজিক খুঁজলে হবে না। শেষের সমাপতনগুলিও লোমহর্ষক বিস্ময় বলে হজম করে ফেলতে হবে। তবে যতই যা হোক এসব পড়তে গিয়ে পাতা উল্টাতে কষ্ট হবে না।

এরই সঙ্গে এই বছরের মতোন বই পড়া শেষ। ১৭৫-এ ইনিংস শেষ হল। আসছে বছর আরও হবে।

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theft of the crown jewels is the least important of the two major plot strands in this fun and unlikely tale from Edgar Wallace. A typical nice light read that zips along and gets to it's ending all too soon.

[Eduardo Garcia-Gaspar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otra buena historia, muy divertida del prolífico autor. Londres, un mafioso brillante, una joven de desconocido origen, dos hermanos muy diferentes, una vieja dama aristócrata muy conservadora y otros personajes se unen en una historia atractiva que haría una buena miniserie de televisión.

[Cristina Rold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non uno dei migliori di Wallace, non c'è un grande enigma sotto, si capisce presto come va a finire.

[Simonetta Scotto · Rating 3 out of 5]

il primo e spero unico libro di Wallace che non mi ha coinvolto né con la storia né con i personaggi, entrambi un po' banali e, la storia, un po' raffazzonata e soprattutto scontata. Peccato!

[Jasleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking it was a thriller or at least some mystery, but I couldn't be more wrong. Let's just say it was a good fiction. That's it.

[Scilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Edgar Wallace mystery takes place in London. The major characters are brothers, Sir Richard and Graham Hollowell (who has just gotten out of prison); Diana Martyn, formerly engaged to Sir Richard and married to Graham; Hope Joyner, a beautiful young woman Sir Richard would like to marry; and Tiger Trayne, a wealthy owner of gambling houses. Various Scotland yard inspectors, a ship captain, Bobby Longfellow, the Maharajah of Kishla, and Colley Warrington, a man who seems to have an "instinct for scandal" have minor parts. The plot includes robbery of Crown jewels from the Tower of London and a kidnapping.

[Amber]

A.L. Burt, 1926