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The Four Just Men #5
Die drei Gerechten: Ein Edgar-Wallace-Krimi
Die junge Miss Mirabelle Leicester, die auf einer kleinen Farm im Umland von London lebt, ahnt nichts Böses, als Sie einen Brief mit dem Hinweis auf eine Stellenanzeige als Sekretärin für ein chemisches Laboratorium in London erhält. Da die Farm selbst nur wenig Geld abwirft, bemüht sich Miss Leicester erfolgreich um die Stelle bei Oberzohn & Smitts.
Doch dies bleibt nicht unbeobachtet. Denn die berüchtigten „drei Gerechten“, haben Miss Mirabelle Leicesters neuen Chef, den Schweden Dr. Oberzohn, schon länger unter Beobachtung, denn sie verdächtigen Dr. Oberzohn mehrerer fürchterlicher Verbrechen.
Werden die „drei Gerechten“ Dr. Oberzohn aufhalten können, bevor dieser sein kriminelles Meisterstück begehen wird? Und welche Rolle wird Miss Leicester in diesem Katz-und-Maus-Spiel innehaben, bei dem lange nicht klar ist, wer die Katze und wer die Maus ist?
Packender historischer Krimi von Edgar Wallace.
1. bearbeitete Auflage 2014. Umfang: 222 Normseiten. Redimus Verlag – www.redimus-verlag.de.
Doch dies bleibt nicht unbeobachtet. Denn die berüchtigten „drei Gerechten“, haben Miss Mirabelle Leicesters neuen Chef, den Schweden Dr. Oberzohn, schon länger unter Beobachtung, denn sie verdächtigen Dr. Oberzohn mehrerer fürchterlicher Verbrechen.
Werden die „drei Gerechten“ Dr. Oberzohn aufhalten können, bevor dieser sein kriminelles Meisterstück begehen wird? Und welche Rolle wird Miss Leicester in diesem Katz-und-Maus-Spiel innehaben, bei dem lange nicht klar ist, wer die Katze und wer die Maus ist?
Packender historischer Krimi von Edgar Wallace.
1. bearbeitete Auflage 2014. Umfang: 222 Normseiten. Redimus Verlag – www.redimus-verlag.de.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1924
4 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Wallace
2,162 books260 followersRichard 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 18, 2020
I just finished The Three Just Men by Edgar Wallace, and I think I'm finally done with the Just Men, whether there are three or four of them. I've never figured out why they can't seem to hold on to a fourth one for longer than one book. It seems at the beginning of the first book they had a fourth man who had died, but the replacements never lasted more than one book after him. Anyway, this was my least favorite among them, if you don't count the short stories which are probably what led to this being my least favorite. The book just before this one was The Law of the Four Just Men and I wasn't reading too long until I realized it wasn't a novel but a book of short stories. I hate short stories, I have enough trouble trying to remember novels, short stories are next to impossible for me to remember, therefore it feels like a waste of time reading them at all. But I had started them, so I kept going, for a while anyway. I thought it was strange in the first story, that it was mostly about Leon, Manfred just seemed to sit in his chair making wise comments and smiling, and Poiccart wasn't in it at all, he was taking some time off growing onions in his garden. Poiccart is obsessed with onions, always has been. The next story was exactly the same, Leon ran around solving the crime while Manfred looked wise and Poiccart did his onion growing. After six stories of this I quit reading. Leon was never my favorite, Manfred was, and I was incredibly sick of him doing absolutely nothing and Leon doing absolutely everything. Except growing onions I suppose. So I moved on to The Three Just Men and found that though Manfred did manage to have a bigger role in the book, and Poiccart even showed up, every time Leon walked into the room I was annoyed, and that meant I was annoyed a lot.
As to what the story is about, it's about a snake. The snake is terrorizing London, it seems to bite people and kill them immediately, but no one ever sees the snake, and the snake can bite them anywhere it wants to, it can bite grown men standing up in the face and no one sees the snake, even though he's surrounded by people.
But we also have Mirabelle Leicester, a young woman who lives on a small farm with her aunt Alma. Mirabelle is lured to London by this ad:
"£520 p.a. Wanted at once, Laboratory Secretary (lady). Young; no previous experience required, but must have passed recognized examination which included physics and inorganic (elementary) chemistry. Preference will be given to one whose family has some record in the world of science. Apply by letter, Box 9754, Daily Megaphone. If applicant is asked to interview advertiser, fare will be paid from any station within a hundred and fifty miles of London."
It fits her perfectly, she is young with no experience, except with farm animals, she has her certificate, and her father was a scientist. She's perfect, just the young woman that is wanted for the job. Really she is the only one wanted for the job, and when she gets to London and takes the job, she finds it hard to get away again. But before she has even replied to the advertisement, she has this conversation with her aunt:
"Isn't it wonderful? This solves all our problems. We leave the farm to Mark, open the flat in Bloomsbury... we can afford one or even two theatres a week... "
Alma read the announcement for the second time.
"It seems good," she said with conventional caution, "though I don't like the idea of your working, my dear. Your dear father... "
"Would have whisked me up to town and I should have had the job by to-night," said Mirabelle definitely.'
But Alma wasn't sure. London was full of pitfalls and villainy untold lurked in its alleys and dark passages. She herself never went to London except under protest.
"I was there years ago when those horrible Four Just Men were about, my dear," she said, and Mirabelle, who loved her, listened to the oft-told story. "They terrorized London. One couldn't go out at night with the certainty that one would come back again alive... and to think that they have had a free pardon! It is simply encouraging crime."
"My dear," said Mirabelle (and this was her inevitable rejoinder), "they weren't criminals at all. They were very rich men who gave up their lives to punishing those whom the law let slip through its greasy old fingers. And they were pardoned for the intelligence work they did in the war—one worked for three months in the German War Office—and there aren't four at all: there are only three. I'd love to meet them—they must be dears!"
If I was going by this book, I could tell you if Leon was a dear, I'd have no idea whether Manfred or Poiccart were. But back to Mirabelle and her job in London. She now works for Dr. Eric Oberzohn, a tall grey man, with an enormously high forehead and a sallow face. He tells her she is perfect for the job and she must start that day, that very minute, then takes her to the room where she will be working. It is a laboratory, with shelves of white porcelain jars, the contents engraved in frosted letters. There was apparatus of every kind arranged in order, and a glass topped table with delicate instruments, ranging from scales to electric machines. He tells her that in every jar there is a certain quantity, but no one knows how much because the last secretary was careless and kept no book. Sometimes when he goes to get something it isn't there, it is gone and he never knew. She is to measure it all. She tells him she will have to send a telegram to her aunt telling her she will be staying there overnight and her aunt should join her the next day. He says he will take her telegram, she thanks him and he leaves. But then this happens:
Fortunately for her peace of mind, Mirabelle Leicester had no occasion to consult her employer or attempt to open the door. Had she done so, she would have discovered that it was locked. As for the telegram she had written, that was a curl of black ash in his fire.
Now it's up to you to find out why Dr. Oberzohn lured her to London with the perfect advertisement, why he demanded she start immediately, why he burnt her telegram, why he locked the door, what the snake has to do with any of it, and when do the Four, I mean Three Just Men show up. It's a short book, so go ahead and read it, there's always something happening, but be prepared to follow Leon all over the place. One thing I do like about Leon is that if you spell his name backwards you get Noel, but that's just me. Happy reading.
As to what the story is about, it's about a snake. The snake is terrorizing London, it seems to bite people and kill them immediately, but no one ever sees the snake, and the snake can bite them anywhere it wants to, it can bite grown men standing up in the face and no one sees the snake, even though he's surrounded by people.
But we also have Mirabelle Leicester, a young woman who lives on a small farm with her aunt Alma. Mirabelle is lured to London by this ad:
"£520 p.a. Wanted at once, Laboratory Secretary (lady). Young; no previous experience required, but must have passed recognized examination which included physics and inorganic (elementary) chemistry. Preference will be given to one whose family has some record in the world of science. Apply by letter, Box 9754, Daily Megaphone. If applicant is asked to interview advertiser, fare will be paid from any station within a hundred and fifty miles of London."
It fits her perfectly, she is young with no experience, except with farm animals, she has her certificate, and her father was a scientist. She's perfect, just the young woman that is wanted for the job. Really she is the only one wanted for the job, and when she gets to London and takes the job, she finds it hard to get away again. But before she has even replied to the advertisement, she has this conversation with her aunt:
"Isn't it wonderful? This solves all our problems. We leave the farm to Mark, open the flat in Bloomsbury... we can afford one or even two theatres a week... "
Alma read the announcement for the second time.
"It seems good," she said with conventional caution, "though I don't like the idea of your working, my dear. Your dear father... "
"Would have whisked me up to town and I should have had the job by to-night," said Mirabelle definitely.'
But Alma wasn't sure. London was full of pitfalls and villainy untold lurked in its alleys and dark passages. She herself never went to London except under protest.
"I was there years ago when those horrible Four Just Men were about, my dear," she said, and Mirabelle, who loved her, listened to the oft-told story. "They terrorized London. One couldn't go out at night with the certainty that one would come back again alive... and to think that they have had a free pardon! It is simply encouraging crime."
"My dear," said Mirabelle (and this was her inevitable rejoinder), "they weren't criminals at all. They were very rich men who gave up their lives to punishing those whom the law let slip through its greasy old fingers. And they were pardoned for the intelligence work they did in the war—one worked for three months in the German War Office—and there aren't four at all: there are only three. I'd love to meet them—they must be dears!"
If I was going by this book, I could tell you if Leon was a dear, I'd have no idea whether Manfred or Poiccart were. But back to Mirabelle and her job in London. She now works for Dr. Eric Oberzohn, a tall grey man, with an enormously high forehead and a sallow face. He tells her she is perfect for the job and she must start that day, that very minute, then takes her to the room where she will be working. It is a laboratory, with shelves of white porcelain jars, the contents engraved in frosted letters. There was apparatus of every kind arranged in order, and a glass topped table with delicate instruments, ranging from scales to electric machines. He tells her that in every jar there is a certain quantity, but no one knows how much because the last secretary was careless and kept no book. Sometimes when he goes to get something it isn't there, it is gone and he never knew. She is to measure it all. She tells him she will have to send a telegram to her aunt telling her she will be staying there overnight and her aunt should join her the next day. He says he will take her telegram, she thanks him and he leaves. But then this happens:
Fortunately for her peace of mind, Mirabelle Leicester had no occasion to consult her employer or attempt to open the door. Had she done so, she would have discovered that it was locked. As for the telegram she had written, that was a curl of black ash in his fire.
Now it's up to you to find out why Dr. Oberzohn lured her to London with the perfect advertisement, why he demanded she start immediately, why he burnt her telegram, why he locked the door, what the snake has to do with any of it, and when do the Four, I mean Three Just Men show up. It's a short book, so go ahead and read it, there's always something happening, but be prepared to follow Leon all over the place. One thing I do like about Leon is that if you spell his name backwards you get Noel, but that's just me. Happy reading.
February 25, 2020
Bis zur Hälfte des Buches habe ich mich gequält, aber jetzt ist Schluss. Das ist wirklich der trashigste Schwachsinn, den ich seit langem gelesen habe.
October 18, 2024
My recollection of Edgar Wallace’s Four Just Men books was these were an anthology of stories of the exploits of Gonzales, Manfred and Poiccart; the fourth having died twenty years earlier in the very first book itself. So I was pleasantly surprised, when I picked up THE THREE JUST MEN to find that it was a full length novel, like his other works THE TERRIBLE PEOPLE, THE RINGER, etc.
As I have stated in earlier reviews of Edgar Wallace books, that in the 1970s I have read about 70 /75 books of Edgar Wallace. Fifty years is a long time and so I cannot recall whether I have read this book earlier, but it appears probably not.
THE THREE JUST MEN is the story of Miss Mirabelle Leicester. The protagonist in this tale is the daughter of a deceased scientist who was doing astronomical work in Angola-a Portuguese Colony. In the land granted to him was a mountain of gold, literally, since the mine was in a deep river valley. A gang of unscrupulous criminals headed by one Oberzohn gets to know that the lease in the name of the scientist would expire in a few weeks time. They also learn that the scientist has only one daughter and that she is not aware of the value of her father’s estate.
Plans are hatched to abduct the girl – not openly but by a ruse of employing her in the firm Oberzohn and Smitts. A fake wire is sent to the girl’s aunt in the girl’s name that she would be staying in their flat in London and she need not come to London immediately, till the girl settles down. Oberzohn’s accomplice is one Captain Montague Newton, who plans to keep the girl at his house in Chester Square for the time being.
A prospector, Mr.Barberton arrives from South Africa. He comes to meet George Manfred, one of the Three Just Men, who is running a detective agency. He asks Manfred to locate a Miss Mirabelle Leicester. He does not know her address and only knows that her father was a scientist who died a few years back -he says in England.
Fortunately, Leon Gonzales another of the Three Just Men is keeping the offices of M/S Oberzohn and Smitts under observation, meets Mirabelle, when she comes for interview dressed as a chauffer and finds out details of her aunt and residence -Heavytree Farm, Gloucester.
Keeping Mirabelle under observation Leon is able to foil the nefarious abduction plot laid by Oberzohn through his henchman and assassin Gurther, whisk an unconscious Mirabelle to safety and subsequently send her to Heavytree Farm under the protection of two of his detectives and a nurse.
The plan to abduct Mirabelle having been foiled, the gang reassembles and in a bold attempt abduct Mirabelle. This is done by Monty Newton with the help of his fiancée Joan, who poses as his sister. Mirabelle and Joan are brought to Oberzohn’s house in the outskirts of London, and imprisoned in a cellar under the gutted factory of Oberzohn and Smitts.
In the meantime Barberton is murdered apparently with snake venom. The snake has bit Barberton’s cheek. This is the fourth murder committed by the snake, but the constabulary and Scotland Yard are clueless, because no snake was seen by the policeman who was observing Barberton closely, nor was any person within two yards of Barberton at the time of his death.
Going through Barberton’s effect they come across a letter written by Johnny of Rath Hall. Barberton had also told Manfred that while he was being tortured by Portuguese half-breeds to get the location of his goldmine, an American Elijah Washington had come and saved him.
It turns out that Washington is a herpetologist, who is immune to snake poison as he has been bitten by almost all breeds of snake from his childhood. This characteristic, comes in useful to the Three Just Men later in the book.
To acquire the hill of gold Oberzohn plans to force Mirabelle to marry him and has even taken the necessary licence. Monty too has the same plan and so the two fallout. Oberzohn gives tickets to the theatreto Monty and allows him to take Joan with him. He has instructed Gurther to assassinate Monty. In he theatre, Monty is murdered apparently of snakebite and a hysterical Joan is escorted out by a lady. Unknown to the Three Just Men, she is also an accomplice of Oberzohn and she pushes Joan into a limousine in which Gurther is seated. As she keeps shouting and crying, Gurther has no alternative but to sedate her. She is once again imprisoned in the cellar with Mirabelle.
Shortly thereafter Gurther comes. He wants to have revenge on Leon for whipping him earlier with cat-o-nine tails whip. His idea is to violate, ravish and hurt Mirabelle. But hysterical Joan, picks up a hot poker and hurls it at Gurther. It misses him but breaks the green boxes stacked in the cellar. Out of the broken box emerges a deadly black mamba, which bites Gurther. Knowing that his death is imminent, Gurther kills the mamba. He puts his hand into the box, and pulls out another mamba, which also bites him and he crushes its head under his foot. Thereafter he collapses.
Meantime Oberzohn comes searching for Gurther and comes upon the dead snakes. He commands Mirabelle to accompany him and compels her, but she releases Joan and then joins him.
They board a concealed motorboat in the barge and proceed towards. Deptford, but were thwarted at a lock-gate, which could only be opened at high tide, which wa not due till six o’clock next morning. And so Oberzohn turns round and returns to his house.
In the meantime Leon is searching the house, Oberzohn creeps up behind and traps him. However, no harm befalls Leon and with Mirabelle, Oberzohn locks his main door of his citadel-his house.
The house is well protected, and well equipped with armaments. The police lay siege to the house. Oberzohn fires a machine gun and few rifles. In the exchange a policeman is killed. Five aeroplanes flying low in formation, strafe the roof and in the melee, one of Oberzohn’s soldiers Ciccunni is killed and as Oberzohn comes out on the roof, from the tail of one of the planes, a shot is fired that cuts of one of Oberzohn’s finger.
As the army surrounds the house, Obezohn threatens to place Mirabelle in the snake room and release his snakes. The Three Just Men procure a cylinder and mount an assault on the house in the dark of the night. At dawn, Oberzohn sees a tank coming towards his house and he immediately imprisons and ties Mirabelle to a chair in the snake room and breaks the glass of the cages. As the snakes slither out, he runs out pulling the door behind him, but at that moment a big burst of fire breaks open his main door and as he rushes up the stairs, Leon rushes into the house with cylinder and breaks open the door of the snake room. Washington follows behind leisurely.
Washington enters the snake room. The reptiles on the floor are killed with the gas from the cylinder. Any snake crawling out and touching the floor dies. He releases Mirabelle and talks to her of the domestic habits of snakes.
In the meantime Oberzohn reaches the roof to find his three soldiers in a mutinious mood. Before he can say anything, through the door opening a bayonet glints and the barrel appears and a Cockney voice says “put’em up.” As the four men put up their hands, a second soldier enters, followed by Manfred. As he watches Manfred tells “I want you Herr Doktor” Gonzales and Poiccarat race up to join them as the Three Just Men descend the stairs with Oberzohn they find Gurther’s room open, enter it and close the door.
Gonzales picks up an ebony cigarette holder, with a cigarette and points it at Oberzohn. Oberzohn screams in fright as Gonzales blows into the cigarette and with a cry of agony Oberzohn collapses in a heap dead.
This was the technique used by Oberzohn to liquidate his opponents, snake venom frozen into icicles. The icicles strike the skin and penetrate into the body where they melt and the poison spreads. Such poison as does not enter the body quickly evaporates and all that be seen are two puncture marks like a snake bite.
Thus the Three Just Men punish Oberzohn for his crimes, because, maybe, just maybe, he could go scot free as he has a confession signed by Cuccini that he and his henchmen alone were responsible for all the occurences. However in the court of Three Just Men there are no acquittals of the guilty.
The storyline is gripping and thrilling, though at places it drags. As a diehard Edgar Wallace fan, I would definitely recommend the book, well written and interesting.
As I have stated in earlier reviews of Edgar Wallace books, that in the 1970s I have read about 70 /75 books of Edgar Wallace. Fifty years is a long time and so I cannot recall whether I have read this book earlier, but it appears probably not.
THE THREE JUST MEN is the story of Miss Mirabelle Leicester. The protagonist in this tale is the daughter of a deceased scientist who was doing astronomical work in Angola-a Portuguese Colony. In the land granted to him was a mountain of gold, literally, since the mine was in a deep river valley. A gang of unscrupulous criminals headed by one Oberzohn gets to know that the lease in the name of the scientist would expire in a few weeks time. They also learn that the scientist has only one daughter and that she is not aware of the value of her father’s estate.
Plans are hatched to abduct the girl – not openly but by a ruse of employing her in the firm Oberzohn and Smitts. A fake wire is sent to the girl’s aunt in the girl’s name that she would be staying in their flat in London and she need not come to London immediately, till the girl settles down. Oberzohn’s accomplice is one Captain Montague Newton, who plans to keep the girl at his house in Chester Square for the time being.
A prospector, Mr.Barberton arrives from South Africa. He comes to meet George Manfred, one of the Three Just Men, who is running a detective agency. He asks Manfred to locate a Miss Mirabelle Leicester. He does not know her address and only knows that her father was a scientist who died a few years back -he says in England.
Fortunately, Leon Gonzales another of the Three Just Men is keeping the offices of M/S Oberzohn and Smitts under observation, meets Mirabelle, when she comes for interview dressed as a chauffer and finds out details of her aunt and residence -Heavytree Farm, Gloucester.
Keeping Mirabelle under observation Leon is able to foil the nefarious abduction plot laid by Oberzohn through his henchman and assassin Gurther, whisk an unconscious Mirabelle to safety and subsequently send her to Heavytree Farm under the protection of two of his detectives and a nurse.
The plan to abduct Mirabelle having been foiled, the gang reassembles and in a bold attempt abduct Mirabelle. This is done by Monty Newton with the help of his fiancée Joan, who poses as his sister. Mirabelle and Joan are brought to Oberzohn’s house in the outskirts of London, and imprisoned in a cellar under the gutted factory of Oberzohn and Smitts.
In the meantime Barberton is murdered apparently with snake venom. The snake has bit Barberton’s cheek. This is the fourth murder committed by the snake, but the constabulary and Scotland Yard are clueless, because no snake was seen by the policeman who was observing Barberton closely, nor was any person within two yards of Barberton at the time of his death.
Going through Barberton’s effect they come across a letter written by Johnny of Rath Hall. Barberton had also told Manfred that while he was being tortured by Portuguese half-breeds to get the location of his goldmine, an American Elijah Washington had come and saved him.
It turns out that Washington is a herpetologist, who is immune to snake poison as he has been bitten by almost all breeds of snake from his childhood. This characteristic, comes in useful to the Three Just Men later in the book.
To acquire the hill of gold Oberzohn plans to force Mirabelle to marry him and has even taken the necessary licence. Monty too has the same plan and so the two fallout. Oberzohn gives tickets to the theatreto Monty and allows him to take Joan with him. He has instructed Gurther to assassinate Monty. In he theatre, Monty is murdered apparently of snakebite and a hysterical Joan is escorted out by a lady. Unknown to the Three Just Men, she is also an accomplice of Oberzohn and she pushes Joan into a limousine in which Gurther is seated. As she keeps shouting and crying, Gurther has no alternative but to sedate her. She is once again imprisoned in the cellar with Mirabelle.
Shortly thereafter Gurther comes. He wants to have revenge on Leon for whipping him earlier with cat-o-nine tails whip. His idea is to violate, ravish and hurt Mirabelle. But hysterical Joan, picks up a hot poker and hurls it at Gurther. It misses him but breaks the green boxes stacked in the cellar. Out of the broken box emerges a deadly black mamba, which bites Gurther. Knowing that his death is imminent, Gurther kills the mamba. He puts his hand into the box, and pulls out another mamba, which also bites him and he crushes its head under his foot. Thereafter he collapses.
Meantime Oberzohn comes searching for Gurther and comes upon the dead snakes. He commands Mirabelle to accompany him and compels her, but she releases Joan and then joins him.
They board a concealed motorboat in the barge and proceed towards. Deptford, but were thwarted at a lock-gate, which could only be opened at high tide, which wa not due till six o’clock next morning. And so Oberzohn turns round and returns to his house.
In the meantime Leon is searching the house, Oberzohn creeps up behind and traps him. However, no harm befalls Leon and with Mirabelle, Oberzohn locks his main door of his citadel-his house.
The house is well protected, and well equipped with armaments. The police lay siege to the house. Oberzohn fires a machine gun and few rifles. In the exchange a policeman is killed. Five aeroplanes flying low in formation, strafe the roof and in the melee, one of Oberzohn’s soldiers Ciccunni is killed and as Oberzohn comes out on the roof, from the tail of one of the planes, a shot is fired that cuts of one of Oberzohn’s finger.
As the army surrounds the house, Obezohn threatens to place Mirabelle in the snake room and release his snakes. The Three Just Men procure a cylinder and mount an assault on the house in the dark of the night. At dawn, Oberzohn sees a tank coming towards his house and he immediately imprisons and ties Mirabelle to a chair in the snake room and breaks the glass of the cages. As the snakes slither out, he runs out pulling the door behind him, but at that moment a big burst of fire breaks open his main door and as he rushes up the stairs, Leon rushes into the house with cylinder and breaks open the door of the snake room. Washington follows behind leisurely.
Washington enters the snake room. The reptiles on the floor are killed with the gas from the cylinder. Any snake crawling out and touching the floor dies. He releases Mirabelle and talks to her of the domestic habits of snakes.
In the meantime Oberzohn reaches the roof to find his three soldiers in a mutinious mood. Before he can say anything, through the door opening a bayonet glints and the barrel appears and a Cockney voice says “put’em up.” As the four men put up their hands, a second soldier enters, followed by Manfred. As he watches Manfred tells “I want you Herr Doktor” Gonzales and Poiccarat race up to join them as the Three Just Men descend the stairs with Oberzohn they find Gurther’s room open, enter it and close the door.
Gonzales picks up an ebony cigarette holder, with a cigarette and points it at Oberzohn. Oberzohn screams in fright as Gonzales blows into the cigarette and with a cry of agony Oberzohn collapses in a heap dead.
This was the technique used by Oberzohn to liquidate his opponents, snake venom frozen into icicles. The icicles strike the skin and penetrate into the body where they melt and the poison spreads. Such poison as does not enter the body quickly evaporates and all that be seen are two puncture marks like a snake bite.
Thus the Three Just Men punish Oberzohn for his crimes, because, maybe, just maybe, he could go scot free as he has a confession signed by Cuccini that he and his henchmen alone were responsible for all the occurences. However in the court of Three Just Men there are no acquittals of the guilty.
The storyline is gripping and thrilling, though at places it drags. As a diehard Edgar Wallace fan, I would definitely recommend the book, well written and interesting.
March 23, 2013
2012 Review:
Oh yeah. This one definitely was what made me love them back then. Great book, no matter how unlikely and sensational the details are, or how re-used the characters. It’s just a cool read. :D Funny, too.
And this beauty.
LOL, WTF?
It is a bit of a pity that likely nothing will come of Leon’s romance here. I mean the girl does not seem to show up in the last volume. Oh well.
Oh yeah. This one definitely was what made me love them back then. Great book, no matter how unlikely and sensational the details are, or how re-used the characters. It’s just a cool read. :D Funny, too.
‘I would so much rather you shot him than I,’ said Leon earnestly. ‘The police are very suspicious of my shootings, and they never wholly believe that they are done in self-defence.’
And this beauty.
Leon agreed silently, and for the next few moments was avoiding a street car on one side, a baker’s cart on another, and a blah woman who was walking aimlessly in the road, apparently with no other intention than of courting an early death, this being the way of blah women.
LOL, WTF?
It is a bit of a pity that likely nothing will come of Leon’s romance here. I mean the girl does not seem to show up in the last volume. Oh well.
December 23, 2019
This one is more of a police/suspense story than a mystery. I enjoyed the development of the 3 men's characters from rather flat in previous books, to more human in this book. Here they are capable of committing errors, feeling fear, and even falling in love.
September 20, 2024
حبيت السلسلة والمؤلف الرئيسي الذي وثق شيء من الفوضى التي اجتاحت بريطانيا وأوروبا تلك الحقبة الزمنية
December 16, 2024
Sẵn sàng chào đón năm Ất Tỵ với
🐍 BỘ BA QUÁI HIỆP - Edgar Wallace 🐍
Cuốn sách với những vụ án kỳ bí về loài rắn và cuộc chiến giữa chính nghĩa và những kẻ “rắn độc”
📍 “Bộ ba quái hiệp” là phần thứ 5 trong series “The four just men”. Dù bạn chưa đọc các phần trước, bạn vẫn có thể thưởng thức cuốn sách này như một tác phẩm riêng lẻ.
📚 Đây là một trong những cuốn sách có thiết kế bìa đẹp đến từ Phúc Minh. Ban đầu mình còn tự hỏi sao có nhà nào học làm bìa movie tie-in lạ vậy 🤣
Về cơ bản, chiếc bìa bám rất sát và thể hiện được đúng nội dung:
1. Về tựa đề:
Bộ ba (trước là bộ tứ) những kẻ quái gở và hành hiệp trượng nghĩa này khiến mình liên tưởng đến hình tượng ba chàng lính ngự lâm. Họ là những huyền thoại sống dùng bạo lực chống bạo lực, với kế hoạch mang công lý đến những nơi pháp luật chưa thể chạm tới.
2. Hình ảnh con rắn đen:
Tác phẩm mở đầu vô cùng nhanh chóng với mẩu thông tin về một con rắn mamba đã thoát khỏi sở thú và liên tục tấn công người dân London. Tuy giới chức trách thông báo xác con rắn đã được tìm thấy nhưng số nạn nhân vẫn tiếp tục tăng lên. Đây rõ ràng là một âm mưu được dàn xếp từ trước bởi những con rắn đội lốt người trườn bò khắp thế giới ngầm ở Anh Quốc.
3. Bàn tay nữ giới:
Đó là cô gái trẻ Mirabelle Leicester, người bị những “xà nhân” nhắm đến và cũng là đối tượng cần được bảo vệ của bộ ba quái hiệp.
✒️ Điều mà tác phẩm này thành công đó chính là xây dựng được bầu không khí kì bí với những vụ tấn công ngay giữa thanh thiên bạch nhật, cùng với đó là những màn đấu trí kịch tính giữa các phe cánh với nhau. Nhịp độ chuyện nhanh cùng tình tiết cuốn hút khiến người đọc không thể rời mắt cho đến những trang cuối cùng.
Tuy nhiên cái kết lại bị đuối và có phần chóng vánh. Ngoài ra, những phân đoạn suy luận cũng không nhiều mà thường đi thẳng đến kết luận, nhường chỗ cho những màn đấu súng đấu trí, tính kế bày mưu.
👉 Tổng quan: Cuốn sách này sẽ phù hợp với những ai mê thể loại hành động đấu trí với âm mưu mang tầm khủng bố hơn là suy luận, phá án nhỏ lẻ, đơn thuần.
🐍 BỘ BA QUÁI HIỆP - Edgar Wallace 🐍
Cuốn sách với những vụ án kỳ bí về loài rắn và cuộc chiến giữa chính nghĩa và những kẻ “rắn độc”
📍 “Bộ ba quái hiệp” là phần thứ 5 trong series “The four just men”. Dù bạn chưa đọc các phần trước, bạn vẫn có thể thưởng thức cuốn sách này như một tác phẩm riêng lẻ.
📚 Đây là một trong những cuốn sách có thiết kế bìa đẹp đến từ Phúc Minh. Ban đầu mình còn tự hỏi sao có nhà nào học làm bìa movie tie-in lạ vậy 🤣
Về cơ bản, chiếc bìa bám rất sát và thể hiện được đúng nội dung:
1. Về tựa đề:
Bộ ba (trước là bộ tứ) những kẻ quái gở và hành hiệp trượng nghĩa này khiến mình liên tưởng đến hình tượng ba chàng lính ngự lâm. Họ là những huyền thoại sống dùng bạo lực chống bạo lực, với kế hoạch mang công lý đến những nơi pháp luật chưa thể chạm tới.
“Điều khó khăn là thực thi một bản án lẽ ra đã phải làm cách đây nhiều năm. Chúng tôi đã hi sinh tất cả mọi thứ mà hầu hết mọi người sẽ làm để cuộc sống trở nên đáng sống hơn, với mong muốn được nhìn thấy cán cân công lý không bị lệch.”
2. Hình ảnh con rắn đen:
Tác phẩm mở đầu vô cùng nhanh chóng với mẩu thông tin về một con rắn mamba đã thoát khỏi sở thú và liên tục tấn công người dân London. Tuy giới chức trách thông báo xác con rắn đã được tìm thấy nhưng số nạn nhân vẫn tiếp tục tăng lên. Đây rõ ràng là một âm mưu được dàn xếp từ trước bởi những con rắn đội lốt người trườn bò khắp thế giới ngầm ở Anh Quốc.
3. Bàn tay nữ giới:
Đó là cô gái trẻ Mirabelle Leicester, người bị những “xà nhân” nhắm đến và cũng là đối tượng cần được bảo vệ của bộ ba quái hiệp.
✒️ Điều mà tác phẩm này thành công đó chính là xây dựng được bầu không khí kì bí với những vụ tấn công ngay giữa thanh thiên bạch nhật, cùng với đó là những màn đấu trí kịch tính giữa các phe cánh với nhau. Nhịp độ chuyện nhanh cùng tình tiết cuốn hút khiến người đọc không thể rời mắt cho đến những trang cuối cùng.
Tuy nhiên cái kết lại bị đuối và có phần chóng vánh. Ngoài ra, những phân đoạn suy luận cũng không nhiều mà thường đi thẳng đến kết luận, nhường chỗ cho những màn đấu súng đấu trí, tính kế bày mưu.
👉 Tổng quan: Cuốn sách này sẽ phù hợp với những ai mê thể loại hành động đấu trí với âm mưu mang tầm khủng bố hơn là suy luận, phá án nhỏ lẻ, đơn thuần.
September 23, 2025
The principal Three Just Men are back in action in a single story in this volume. Raymond Poiccart is back from Spain. They've now set themselves up as a respectable detective agency. Manfred still seems to mostly sit around. Poiccart always answers the door, so he's happy to assume the position of butler. Gonsalez does the driving, so he's known as the chauffeur! He's still rushing round more than the others. We don't really get any indication of their ages. But perhaps Gonsalez is younger than the others.
This time they're up against a mad scientist who's trying to cheat a young woman out of a vast fortune in gold that her father found and staked a claim for. But the claim is up for renewal. She has no idea about it. But he has. So he contrives to keep her prisoner until the crucial date has passed.
The Three have to rescue her while dealing with the scientist's murderous henchmen, who by some mysterious means kill people with snakebites.
All good fun. Does Gonsalez fall in love with Mirabelle muses Poiccart? "Such things happen, even to just men" says Manfred amused.
This time they're up against a mad scientist who's trying to cheat a young woman out of a vast fortune in gold that her father found and staked a claim for. But the claim is up for renewal. She has no idea about it. But he has. So he contrives to keep her prisoner until the crucial date has passed.
The Three have to rescue her while dealing with the scientist's murderous henchmen, who by some mysterious means kill people with snakebites.
All good fun. Does Gonsalez fall in love with Mirabelle muses Poiccart? "Such things happen, even to just men" says Manfred amused.
February 1, 2021
Truyện ngày trước viết ngây thơ nhỉ! Dịch giả dùng Google nhưng chưa soát hết những chỗ rất Google.
April 30, 2025
Lontanissimo dal Wallace whodunit de Il cerchio rosso, questo quinto capitolo della saga dei quattro (o tre) giusti ne conserva solamente il ritmo indiavolato, unico vero lato positivo di questo romanzo, insieme a una scrittura corretta per quanto non memorabile. Per il resto, un susseguirsi di rapimenti, sparatorie e agguati senza la minima suggestione (neppure giustizialista, nonostante l'assunto iniziale) o il minimo mistero, con personaggi monodimensionali e totalmente nulli a livello psicologico. L'idea dei serpenti killer in giro per Londra non sarebbe stata male, ma Wallace commette l'errore di svelarci praticamente subito l'ideatore del diabolico piano, eliminando così l'unica fonte di interesse rimasta. L'inizio, con la candida ma intraprendente ragazza di campagna trascinata in un mondo totalmente estraneo, poteva pure incuriosire, ma in seguito al primo tentativo di avvelenamento la narrazione entra in un vortice di ripetitività dalla quale non uscirà più.
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