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Die Tür mit den 7 Schlössern
Sieben Schlösser verschließen die Tür, hinter der das Geheimnis verborgen liegt. Dick Martin vom Scotland Yard braucht die sieben Schlüssel für das Tor, um zu verhindern, dass noch mehr Morde geschehen.
154 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1926
45 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Wallace
2,163 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 - 30 of 81 reviews
February 18, 2020
“‘[…] Are you a good driver?’
‘I have few equals,’ he admitted modestly.
‘But are you a good driver?’”
Reading Edgar Wallace is usually a pleasure even though you will have forgotten all about the particular book after a few days. At least, that is the case with me.
One of the things I like most about Wallace’s crime novels – apart from the usually fast pace at which the story propels and the sense of humour the author brings into his stories now and then – is, believe it or not, the flirting scenes. I cannot remember a Wallace novel in which there is not a young man and a young woman who fall in love with each other while a crime, or a whole bunch of them, is being solved, and although more often than not, love talk and the tender tendrils of the heart bore the living hell out of me, Wallace handles this topic with a lot of light and refreshing humour in his flirting scenes. The Door with Seven Locks is a very good example of this in that Sybil Lansdown is a self-confident and plucky young lady – she has her swooning moments, though – and it is great fun reading how she reacts to Dick Martin, the brilliant policeman, who tries put some peacocking on her. By the way, Wallace often has quite courageous and no-nonsense female characters in his novels, who are able to look after themselves even though the male characters usually act protectively.
The plot of this novel could have justified a longer novel and his making more of the seven keys, and Wallace’s way of condensing things made it sometimes difficult for me to follow – for example, to keep track of who is holding which key – and not to suspect that there are logic holes all over the place. Add to this, that in The Door with Seven Locks he relies very heavily on coincidence, and you know what you are in for. In this novel, Wallace also uses a certain dose of H.G. Wells by featuring a shady scientist who holds bizarre theories on human nature and does put them into practice, and you may find that a bit over-the-top for a crime novel.
Still, the book is an extremely entertaining read and it won’t cost you a lot of time.
‘I have few equals,’ he admitted modestly.
‘But are you a good driver?’”
Reading Edgar Wallace is usually a pleasure even though you will have forgotten all about the particular book after a few days. At least, that is the case with me.
One of the things I like most about Wallace’s crime novels – apart from the usually fast pace at which the story propels and the sense of humour the author brings into his stories now and then – is, believe it or not, the flirting scenes. I cannot remember a Wallace novel in which there is not a young man and a young woman who fall in love with each other while a crime, or a whole bunch of them, is being solved, and although more often than not, love talk and the tender tendrils of the heart bore the living hell out of me, Wallace handles this topic with a lot of light and refreshing humour in his flirting scenes. The Door with Seven Locks is a very good example of this in that Sybil Lansdown is a self-confident and plucky young lady – she has her swooning moments, though – and it is great fun reading how she reacts to Dick Martin, the brilliant policeman, who tries put some peacocking on her. By the way, Wallace often has quite courageous and no-nonsense female characters in his novels, who are able to look after themselves even though the male characters usually act protectively.
The plot of this novel could have justified a longer novel and his making more of the seven keys, and Wallace’s way of condensing things made it sometimes difficult for me to follow – for example, to keep track of who is holding which key – and not to suspect that there are logic holes all over the place. Add to this, that in The Door with Seven Locks he relies very heavily on coincidence, and you know what you are in for. In this novel, Wallace also uses a certain dose of H.G. Wells by featuring a shady scientist who holds bizarre theories on human nature and does put them into practice, and you may find that a bit over-the-top for a crime novel.
Still, the book is an extremely entertaining read and it won’t cost you a lot of time.
December 24, 2021
I have been aware of Edgar Wallace’s novels for some decades now, but have never sampled one before. Well, I have now, and I really doubt there shall be more. (OK, just one more to see if they are really as dreadful as this one was)
Part way through I had to do some delving into Wallace’s life, and this proved fruitful. The Wiki article is very honest regarding his writing habits, and this helped me understand the problems I was experiencing. A large super-liner could be driven through the plot holes. There were things the characters did that may no sense – some of the behaviours and actions of our hero were not consistent with someone with street smarts in dealing with criminals.
This is not great literature, but even so one does expect to be entertained and not frustrated. The plot errors and holes, the two-dimensional characters, and the terrible dialogue – it’s all here. The mad scientist was ridiculous; the swooning girl was annoying; the white knight of a protagonist was also annoying; the missing heir – well, I guessed where he was for some pages, and found the denouement rather silly.
What most frustrated me was the squandered inventiveness by the author. There’s a nice bit of eugenics here (which was popular at the time of publication), and there is the concept of nature and nurture and its manipulation. All ideas that could have been used by a better writer.
Finally, there is the Door with Seven Locks! Why bother! That device just went nowhere, and I was truly annoyed (pissed off) by that. Yeah, it was the complete waste of this fun device that frustrated me the most.
Part way through I had to do some delving into Wallace’s life, and this proved fruitful. The Wiki article is very honest regarding his writing habits, and this helped me understand the problems I was experiencing. A large super-liner could be driven through the plot holes. There were things the characters did that may no sense – some of the behaviours and actions of our hero were not consistent with someone with street smarts in dealing with criminals.
This is not great literature, but even so one does expect to be entertained and not frustrated. The plot errors and holes, the two-dimensional characters, and the terrible dialogue – it’s all here. The mad scientist was ridiculous; the swooning girl was annoying; the white knight of a protagonist was also annoying; the missing heir – well, I guessed where he was for some pages, and found the denouement rather silly.
What most frustrated me was the squandered inventiveness by the author. There’s a nice bit of eugenics here (which was popular at the time of publication), and there is the concept of nature and nurture and its manipulation. All ideas that could have been used by a better writer.
Finally, there is the Door with Seven Locks! Why bother! That device just went nowhere, and I was truly annoyed (pissed off) by that. Yeah, it was the complete waste of this fun device that frustrated me the most.
March 1, 2013
A bit more Gothic than the other Wallace books I've read. Perky but swooning heroine. Reserved but smitten hero. Pathetic monsters in the dark. Creepy tomb. Creepy house. Still, a fun read.
May 26, 2010
Combines a mystery thriller plot with considerable dashes of gothic horror, and just the faintest hint of science fiction. It’s a bizarre mix, but through sheer bravado Wallace somehow makes it work.
April 17, 2022
'The Door with Seven Locks' just about limps into the two-star class; it could well have been one-star but now and again there are entertaining passages, including some nice London ambience scenes, among the dross that is put across more often than not. I must confess I find Wallace's novels difficult to get into because they look most favourable but then always disappoint - rather like the re-run of 'The Edgar Wallace Mystery Hour' currently re-showing on TV.
Dick Martin is the hero of this dull offering and he begins by finishing off a job as a member of the police force before standing down and being cajoled by his former boss into undertaking one final investigation as a pseudo private investigator. The investigation is so convoluted I am not really sure what he was supposed to be doing but it involved a series of characters, none of whom made much impression.
There is some by-play romance between Martin and the main female character but for the rest, who are they and what exactly are they doing other than looking for a sensible storyline to latch onto? One of them a Doctor Stalletti dabbles in eugenics and the outcome of his dabbling is rather bizarre but it fits in with the low quality of the rest of the novel. As for the seven locks on the door, they were virtually meaningless -there might as well hae been 77 - and the resolution for the eventual opening was very ordinary, to say the least.
Prolific he may have been - close on 170 novels - but Edgar Wallace's quality suffers from the effort he must have put in to produce such a number. I feel sure that I will be struggling to read further Wallace novels because there is so much other much better material out there to be read.
Dick Martin is the hero of this dull offering and he begins by finishing off a job as a member of the police force before standing down and being cajoled by his former boss into undertaking one final investigation as a pseudo private investigator. The investigation is so convoluted I am not really sure what he was supposed to be doing but it involved a series of characters, none of whom made much impression.
There is some by-play romance between Martin and the main female character but for the rest, who are they and what exactly are they doing other than looking for a sensible storyline to latch onto? One of them a Doctor Stalletti dabbles in eugenics and the outcome of his dabbling is rather bizarre but it fits in with the low quality of the rest of the novel. As for the seven locks on the door, they were virtually meaningless -there might as well hae been 77 - and the resolution for the eventual opening was very ordinary, to say the least.
Prolific he may have been - close on 170 novels - but Edgar Wallace's quality suffers from the effort he must have put in to produce such a number. I feel sure that I will be struggling to read further Wallace novels because there is so much other much better material out there to be read.
September 2, 2020
This was a really fun read. Our detective, Dick Martin, is just retiring from Scotland Yard — or so he thinks — when he gets swept up in the mystery of The Door with Seven Locks. The fact that an attractive, intelligent, humorous young lady is attached to the mystery is just one reason he is very interested in solving the case. I really loved this hero whose father was the warden of a men's prison so that he grew up schooled in all sorts of low-level skills like pickpocketing, card palming, and lock picking. That plus his sense of humor gives this book an edge which makes for a great story, especially when added to the mad scientist, elusive young heir, grotesque monsters, and those darned seven locks.
June 30, 2025
widać, że napisane przez chłopa
September 18, 2023
La única razón por la cual este libro tiene tan baja calificación estriba en su mala traducción. Y eso, evidentemente, no es culpa del autor, pero es como lo he leído, y es como lo voy a criticar. No sé qué pasaba por la mente del traductor, si se estaba sobreponiendo a tamaña borrachera, o si estaba sobreviviendo a los dolores agudos de sus pensamientos; no sé qué estaba haciendo. Prefiero creer que se entregó de lleno a un idilio tortuoso y embriagador, candente y ponderante, y que le nubló la razón. Solo el amor puede justificar semejante barbaridad.
Se repiten con demasiada frecuencia los adverbios de modo. Podría ser un movimiento literario, si no causa una pésima impresión. El texto está bombardeado de ellos, y son tan insistentes sus apariciones, que no puedes ignoralas. Además, hay frases que recaen en la redundancia, tales como: "en su casa de usted", y otros adefesios lingüísticos, que no se pueden esquivar debido a su ahínco. Hay locaciones que no están bien descritas, y me parece que eso también se le puede atribuir a la falta de juicio que aplicó el traductor a la obra.
Por otra parte, en lo que a mí respecta, Dick Martin es uno de los más bellos y geniales detectives que he leído. Debe ser el mejor, sin duda. Tal vez no como detective, aunque es grandioso, pero sí como ser humano, como hombre afectivo. Y es que estoy hasta la coronilla de que los ejemplos más sonados, como Sherlock Holmes o Hércules Poirot, fortalezcan este estigma de que para lograr eficacia rotunda en tu labor detectivesca, debes descuidar los sobresaltos del corazón, debes pasar sin pena ni gloria frente al sexo femenino, obviando su presencia y enfocándote en lo tuyo. Me gustó leer algo diferente en ese aspecto. Me gustó, porque se siente más orgánico. Y siempre es agradable contemplar a un hombre sofisticado y talentoso reaccionar a los desaires y los goces que implican las pasiones. Me gustó mucho.
Y en cuanto a la trama y la resolución del conflicto, pues, ¿qué puedo decir? Fue interesante y tuvo un giro argumental plausible. No es totalmente sorprendente, porque a medida que digieres la información que te suministran, vas atando cabos, pero sí hay cosas que no hubiera descifrado y que tenían mucho sentido, en restrospectiva. El final es satisfactorio, es enternecedor y ameno, como cualquier final digno de ser devorado.
¿Vale la pena leerlo? Si está bien traducido, yo creo que sí. Es decir, es una de las tantas novelas de misterio que te sacuden la cabeza y te dejan complacido. Una de esas miles historias que se imprimen a diario sobre hombres fabulosos que desentrañan incógnitas irresolubles. Una más del montón a simple vista, pero que destaca en cuanto la empiezas a leer. Me gustó muchísimo, no me cabe otra palabra. Me hubiera encantado...si el traductor no se hubiera encomendado a los empalagos del romance intermitente. Pero incluso aquello le sumó personalidad a mi experiencia de leer el relato.
Si alguien me pregunta qué libro de misterio leer, no hay duda de que este será uno de los recomendados.
Se repiten con demasiada frecuencia los adverbios de modo. Podría ser un movimiento literario, si no causa una pésima impresión. El texto está bombardeado de ellos, y son tan insistentes sus apariciones, que no puedes ignoralas. Además, hay frases que recaen en la redundancia, tales como: "en su casa de usted", y otros adefesios lingüísticos, que no se pueden esquivar debido a su ahínco. Hay locaciones que no están bien descritas, y me parece que eso también se le puede atribuir a la falta de juicio que aplicó el traductor a la obra.
Por otra parte, en lo que a mí respecta, Dick Martin es uno de los más bellos y geniales detectives que he leído. Debe ser el mejor, sin duda. Tal vez no como detective, aunque es grandioso, pero sí como ser humano, como hombre afectivo. Y es que estoy hasta la coronilla de que los ejemplos más sonados, como Sherlock Holmes o Hércules Poirot, fortalezcan este estigma de que para lograr eficacia rotunda en tu labor detectivesca, debes descuidar los sobresaltos del corazón, debes pasar sin pena ni gloria frente al sexo femenino, obviando su presencia y enfocándote en lo tuyo. Me gustó leer algo diferente en ese aspecto. Me gustó, porque se siente más orgánico. Y siempre es agradable contemplar a un hombre sofisticado y talentoso reaccionar a los desaires y los goces que implican las pasiones. Me gustó mucho.
Y en cuanto a la trama y la resolución del conflicto, pues, ¿qué puedo decir? Fue interesante y tuvo un giro argumental plausible. No es totalmente sorprendente, porque a medida que digieres la información que te suministran, vas atando cabos, pero sí hay cosas que no hubiera descifrado y que tenían mucho sentido, en restrospectiva. El final es satisfactorio, es enternecedor y ameno, como cualquier final digno de ser devorado.
¿Vale la pena leerlo? Si está bien traducido, yo creo que sí. Es decir, es una de las tantas novelas de misterio que te sacuden la cabeza y te dejan complacido. Una de esas miles historias que se imprimen a diario sobre hombres fabulosos que desentrañan incógnitas irresolubles. Una más del montón a simple vista, pero que destaca en cuanto la empiezas a leer. Me gustó muchísimo, no me cabe otra palabra. Me hubiera encantado...si el traductor no se hubiera encomendado a los empalagos del romance intermitente. Pero incluso aquello le sumó personalidad a mi experiencia de leer el relato.
Si alguien me pregunta qué libro de misterio leer, no hay duda de que este será uno de los recomendados.
January 28, 2022
I'm really happy right now. I loved this book. Such fast and exciting read. I felt i couldn't read fast enough because i wanted to know how story ends. There were things i figured out. And obviously for me practically ALL are suspects when i read crime books.
Ofc lawyer was a suspect too for me but i didn't thought about it too much. I kept wondering how letters moved so fast. Totally makes sense now.
Didin't take long to realize that Tom's brother is alive and who he was and when i knew there were 2 giants, i knew who other one was because what so called doctor said to Sybil (that sadly she is too old) (for the experiment). So glad that Tom survived!
At 1 point i was like wow so many characters, felt hard to keep up but it all start to connect. Such a great read.
Ofc lawyer was a suspect too for me but i didn't thought about it too much. I kept wondering how letters moved so fast. Totally makes sense now.
Didin't take long to realize that Tom's brother is alive and who he was and when i knew there were 2 giants, i knew who other one was because what so called doctor said to Sybil (that sadly she is too old) (for the experiment). So glad that Tom survived!
At 1 point i was like wow so many characters, felt hard to keep up but it all start to connect. Such a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2017
Was just about to say how nice it was to find a vintage mystery that wasn't racist when I remembered that one of the most reprehensible and sinister characters was Italian/Greek. Apart from that, was a pretty good read. The actual plot behind the mystery was needlessly convoluted, but I enjoyed the fact that the detective in this UK set mystery was Canadian, and the writer seemed to be taking something of a noir approach rather than the classic mystery line.
October 20, 2024
Das war mein erster richtiger Kriminalroman. An einigen Stellen war es so gruselig, dass ich das Weiterlesen auf den nächsten Tag verschieben musste, aber es hat mir trotzdem ganz gut gefallen. Vor allem bin ich stolz und beruhigt, dass ich doch noch so viel am Stück lesen kann und hoffe, dass das vielleicht sogar genau die Vorbereitung war, die ich auf die Uni gebraucht hab🥰
April 22, 2025
this book gave me a headache. literally. actually i had a headache every time i picked it up. i forgot every single page as soon as i had read it. i don’t know why i finished. probably because it was only 157 pages long and i didn’t want it to win against my endurance. 2 stars because i finished it, so their honesty for me, not the book itself.
January 22, 2018
Persino troppo avvincente. L'ho trovato un giallo "troppo", ecco. Troppi elementi strani, troppe scene-madri, troppi intrecci.
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July 28, 2020Pulp tosh. In this case slightly Gothic tosh, with a surprisingly weird and disturbing 'evil science' backstory.
January 1, 2025
Kocham tę książkę! Na pewno jeszcze do niej wrócę ❤️ 4,5/5 ⭐
June 13, 2025
Damn! What a rollicking good tale. Mad science, creepy doings, crypts and conspiracies. Fun stuff.
October 15, 2018
The Door With Seven Locks is an enjoyable read, but hard to pin down. It is in parts, but by no means equal parts, a Gothic mystery, a horror story, a lighthearted romance, an H.G. Wells-style sci-fi story, and police procedural, with dashes of whimsy and terror. And it all begins with a police detective on the verge of retirement investigating the most mundane of all crimes, a book stolen from the library.
It’s a generally fast-paced book, though some of that pace can be attributed to the lack of details the author finds unimportant. Early in the book, the hero, Dick Martin, goes on a whirlwind trip around the world in search of a globe-trotting millionaire. That weeks-long search is covered in a page and a half.
The plot is suitably mysterious but easy to follow. Dick Martin is the infallible hero, who falls in love with the requisite lovely heroine, with various criminals and evil-doers all around. Much of the plot is predictable, with the identity of at least one child-like brute telegraphed long before. However, there are some interesting twists and turns, with a suitably dark and moody atmosphere.
The ending is a bit unsatisfying, with a deux ex Machina unraveling the whole mystery. Brilliant Dick Martin, of course, already knew the solution long before.
Overall, The Door With Seven Locks is an odd book but a good read. It is by no means perfect, but it is enjoyable and moves too fast to become boring.
It’s a generally fast-paced book, though some of that pace can be attributed to the lack of details the author finds unimportant. Early in the book, the hero, Dick Martin, goes on a whirlwind trip around the world in search of a globe-trotting millionaire. That weeks-long search is covered in a page and a half.
The plot is suitably mysterious but easy to follow. Dick Martin is the infallible hero, who falls in love with the requisite lovely heroine, with various criminals and evil-doers all around. Much of the plot is predictable, with the identity of at least one child-like brute telegraphed long before. However, there are some interesting twists and turns, with a suitably dark and moody atmosphere.
The ending is a bit unsatisfying, with a deux ex Machina unraveling the whole mystery. Brilliant Dick Martin, of course, already knew the solution long before.
Overall, The Door With Seven Locks is an odd book but a good read. It is by no means perfect, but it is enjoyable and moves too fast to become boring.
November 5, 2023
Antologia I Mammut - Dieci sfumature di giallo
Giallo classico e intrigante, a tratti macabro. Non sono riuscita a mettere più di tre stelle perché la narrazione è lenta e un po' contorta. Un titolo accattivante ma un finale decisamente poco affascinante.
Giallo classico e intrigante, a tratti macabro. Non sono riuscita a mettere più di tre stelle perché la narrazione è lenta e un po' contorta. Un titolo accattivante ma un finale decisamente poco affascinante.
December 15, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I had solved the mystery 2/3 of the way through the story. The book reads like a Saturday matinee serial with quick chapters, lots of action and cliff hangers. The romance at the end feels tacked on. There is no reason for the detective and the librarian to fall for each other!
October 8, 2014
An enjoyable enough read but not one of the best books by Wallace. I just found out that a film adaptation was made in 1940, I will definitely try to see it if I get a chance.
November 13, 2016
Have only just discovered Edgar Wallace (Have also read The Joker). He deserves more current day recognition as a highly skilled crime writer. This is typical of his pacy detective stories with a gothic horror theme and eugenics and a hint of romance thrown in for good measure. Good stuff!
November 22, 2023
What? I was not expecting the plot to take the direction it did but like other Wallace novels I have read it is fast paced, outlandish and had a plot like Swiss cheese. This one wasn’t as fun as some of the other ones.
April 18, 2011
The first Edgar Wallace I've read; it was quite decent.
September 12, 2013
Could not put it down!
November 30, 2021
Ultimul succes al lui Dick Martin, cunoscutul detectiv oficial din Scotland Yard, fusese arestarea lui Lew Pheeney, bănuit de părtaş la spargerea băncii din Helborough. Îl găsise într-o mică şi neînsemnată cafenea din Soho.
― Ce e colonele? Care-i nemulţumirea înaltei autorităţi? întrebase el aproape vesel scoţându-şi pălăria.
― Să mă slăbeşti cu Helborough. M-am lăsat de mult de-alde astea.
― Nu mai spune! Dar ce-ai făcut, de pildă, marţi noaptea?
Pe chipul spărgătorului apăru un zâmbet de voie bună.
― Te-ai prăpădi de râs dacă ţi-aş spune adevărul.
― Hai, s-auzim, făcu detectivul şi ochii îi sclipiră de bucurie.
Lew nu răspunse numaidecât, dându-şi seama că prea multă sinceritate i-ar putea fi primejdioasă.
― Am avut o însărcinare de îndeplinit, despre care nu-mi prea place să vorbesc, zise el în sfârşit. O însărcinare grozavă… dar nu ceva pentru care aş putea fi tras la răspundere, adăugă el repede.
― Şi te-au plătit bine? întrebă Dick politicos, deşi neîncrezător.
― Împărăteşte! Am primit un avans de o sută cincizeci de pfunzi. Da, da, cască ochii mari, domnule detectiv, şi miră-te cât pofteşti, dar crede-mă că nu mint şi nici nu exagerez. A trebuit să sparg nişte broaşte. Ştii ― asta e specialitatea mea, dar broaştele astea mi se împotriveau al dracului şi locul unde m-au dus era sinistru. Dacă mi s-ar da un car cu aur n-aş mai face aşa ceva. Am însă un admirabil alibi. Pot dovedi că în noaptea de marţi am fost pe la ora opt de am luat masa la cârciuma Poştei din Chichester şi că la unsprezece m-am dus la culcare. Ţi-aş face plăcerea din toată inima, domnule Martin ― dar spre părerea mea de rău, trebuie să cauţi aiurea pe spărgătorii din Helborough.
Îl ţinură peste noapte pe Lew închis, pe când telefonul şi telegraful era în plină activitate. Spusele lui fură confirmate şi a doua zi dimineaţă trebuiră să-i dea drumul. Dick îl invită la masă căci între un spărgător şi un detectiv nu există pică, iar inspectorul Dick Martin era tot atât de iubit de către pungaşi ca şi de colegii lui din Scotland Yard.
― Îmi pare rău, domnule Martin, dar nu-ţi pot satisface curiozitatea, zise Lew bine dispus. Zi-mi cum oi vrea că nu mă supăr. Mi s-a plătit peşin o sută cincizeci de pfunzi şi mi s-ar fi dat o mie dacă izbuteam. Nu-ţi mai sparge degeaba capul că tot n-ai să ghiceşti despre ce e vorba.
― Ce e colonele? Care-i nemulţumirea înaltei autorităţi? întrebase el aproape vesel scoţându-şi pălăria.
― Să mă slăbeşti cu Helborough. M-am lăsat de mult de-alde astea.
― Nu mai spune! Dar ce-ai făcut, de pildă, marţi noaptea?
Pe chipul spărgătorului apăru un zâmbet de voie bună.
― Te-ai prăpădi de râs dacă ţi-aş spune adevărul.
― Hai, s-auzim, făcu detectivul şi ochii îi sclipiră de bucurie.
Lew nu răspunse numaidecât, dându-şi seama că prea multă sinceritate i-ar putea fi primejdioasă.
― Am avut o însărcinare de îndeplinit, despre care nu-mi prea place să vorbesc, zise el în sfârşit. O însărcinare grozavă… dar nu ceva pentru care aş putea fi tras la răspundere, adăugă el repede.
― Şi te-au plătit bine? întrebă Dick politicos, deşi neîncrezător.
― Împărăteşte! Am primit un avans de o sută cincizeci de pfunzi. Da, da, cască ochii mari, domnule detectiv, şi miră-te cât pofteşti, dar crede-mă că nu mint şi nici nu exagerez. A trebuit să sparg nişte broaşte. Ştii ― asta e specialitatea mea, dar broaştele astea mi se împotriveau al dracului şi locul unde m-au dus era sinistru. Dacă mi s-ar da un car cu aur n-aş mai face aşa ceva. Am însă un admirabil alibi. Pot dovedi că în noaptea de marţi am fost pe la ora opt de am luat masa la cârciuma Poştei din Chichester şi că la unsprezece m-am dus la culcare. Ţi-aş face plăcerea din toată inima, domnule Martin ― dar spre părerea mea de rău, trebuie să cauţi aiurea pe spărgătorii din Helborough.
Îl ţinură peste noapte pe Lew închis, pe când telefonul şi telegraful era în plină activitate. Spusele lui fură confirmate şi a doua zi dimineaţă trebuiră să-i dea drumul. Dick îl invită la masă căci între un spărgător şi un detectiv nu există pică, iar inspectorul Dick Martin era tot atât de iubit de către pungaşi ca şi de colegii lui din Scotland Yard.
― Îmi pare rău, domnule Martin, dar nu-ţi pot satisface curiozitatea, zise Lew bine dispus. Zi-mi cum oi vrea că nu mă supăr. Mi s-a plătit peşin o sută cincizeci de pfunzi şi mi s-ar fi dat o mie dacă izbuteam. Nu-ţi mai sparge degeaba capul că tot n-ai să ghiceşti despre ce e vorba.
September 4, 2022
“A Porta das Sete Chaves” - Edgar Wallace (1926) 🇬🇧
O título conquistou-me, depois li a sinopse e a minha vontade para o ler disparou no mesmo dia que o comprei!
☁️ SINOPSE
Dick Martin, o subinspetor, vê-se envolvido numa trama complexa ao descobrir o que o seu conhecido ladrão, Lew Pheeney, esteve a tentar abrir um túmulo do qual, depois de diversas ameaças acabou morto! O que afinal havia no túmulo? Quem tem as sete chaves para solucionar todo o mistério?
☁️ OPINIÃO
O livro possui capítulos curtos e envolventes, com uma boa dose de humor e amor à mistura. O mistério reside, efetivamente, nos autores das chaves e da personagem misteriosa que assombra Helborough. Muito sinceramente é esta mesma personagem que me deixa com o pé atrás, visto que para mim, não funcionou como um mistério e horror, mas sim como algo fantástico que não resulta neste género de livros. O desenrolar da investigação do Dick Martin é muito insípida, não senti que houvesse muita dedução. Para além disso, o mesmo ficou perdido a meio do caminho pela deslumbrante bibliotecária. Isto é um não para um bom desvendar! A própria Sybil, a bibliotecária, é um elo revelador e interessante na narrativa, porém fico pasma com algumas atitudes nada inteligentes da mesma quando conhece o Dr. Cody.
Finalmente, quero referir o quão pobre senti que o desfecho se realizou, acertei nas personagens envolvidas neste segredo do túmulo porém nada disso me fez sentir vitoriosa, muito pelo contrário.
É um livro de fácil relação entre pistas e dedução rápida, ainda assim não se tornou um mistério infelizmente.
☁️PONTOS FORTES
- humor;
-capítulos curtos e dinâmicos;
-história de amor entre a bibliotecária e o subinspetor;
☁️ PONTOS FRACOS
- desfecho sem muito sumo, faltou o desafio ao leitor;
-concretização de uma personagem misteriosa que envolve o fantástico, mais do que o real;
☁️ TEMÁTICAS
- heranças;
-mutações;
-ponto de vista de uma investigação feita por inspetores profissionais;
☁️CLASSIFICAÇÃO
3,0 ⭐️
O título conquistou-me, depois li a sinopse e a minha vontade para o ler disparou no mesmo dia que o comprei!
☁️ SINOPSE
Dick Martin, o subinspetor, vê-se envolvido numa trama complexa ao descobrir o que o seu conhecido ladrão, Lew Pheeney, esteve a tentar abrir um túmulo do qual, depois de diversas ameaças acabou morto! O que afinal havia no túmulo? Quem tem as sete chaves para solucionar todo o mistério?
☁️ OPINIÃO
O livro possui capítulos curtos e envolventes, com uma boa dose de humor e amor à mistura. O mistério reside, efetivamente, nos autores das chaves e da personagem misteriosa que assombra Helborough. Muito sinceramente é esta mesma personagem que me deixa com o pé atrás, visto que para mim, não funcionou como um mistério e horror, mas sim como algo fantástico que não resulta neste género de livros. O desenrolar da investigação do Dick Martin é muito insípida, não senti que houvesse muita dedução. Para além disso, o mesmo ficou perdido a meio do caminho pela deslumbrante bibliotecária. Isto é um não para um bom desvendar! A própria Sybil, a bibliotecária, é um elo revelador e interessante na narrativa, porém fico pasma com algumas atitudes nada inteligentes da mesma quando conhece o Dr. Cody.
Finalmente, quero referir o quão pobre senti que o desfecho se realizou, acertei nas personagens envolvidas neste segredo do túmulo porém nada disso me fez sentir vitoriosa, muito pelo contrário.
É um livro de fácil relação entre pistas e dedução rápida, ainda assim não se tornou um mistério infelizmente.
☁️PONTOS FORTES
- humor;
-capítulos curtos e dinâmicos;
-história de amor entre a bibliotecária e o subinspetor;
☁️ PONTOS FRACOS
- desfecho sem muito sumo, faltou o desafio ao leitor;
-concretização de uma personagem misteriosa que envolve o fantástico, mais do que o real;
☁️ TEMÁTICAS
- heranças;
-mutações;
-ponto de vista de uma investigação feita por inspetores profissionais;
☁️CLASSIFICAÇÃO
3,0 ⭐️
December 30, 2018
Добрите криминалета си личат от първите страници, особено ако в тях се представи изключително интелигентен и по възможност симпатичен полицай или минимум детектив, с��ранна история или зловеща мистерия, и труповете почват да валят малко след началото, и поддържат темпото на кръво-валежите с по една душа на петдесетина страници. И в тази идеална рецепта е винаги добре да се включи и някоя шармантна дама с висок дух и просто очарователно личице, която да я заплаши смъртна опасност и да се подложи някак основата за голяма и много почтена любов. Та в този ред на мисли Уолъс е повече от майстор в изграждането на интригуващата кримка, предназначена за бързо четене на крак в някой автобус или на бюрократична опашка. Да, предвид сезона и на плажа става, стига да внимавате пороят да не направи малката книжка на баница-бюрек с мастилен пълнеж.
Какво можете да очаквате освен класическото заплитане на престъпления, ексцентрични бо��аташи, луди учени, забранени биологични експерименти, стари книги, тайни проходи, добре заключени гробници, смъртоносни обрати и британска любезност? Ами просто едно активно повествование, топли главни герои, оцеляващи напук на опитите на твърде много сенчести личности, сума ти пътешествия, комични сблъсъци и хероизъм от висша класа, защото това е от стария вид литература, където читателите се идентифицираха със силни и хитроумни протагонисти, а не както е напоследък модерно – с отхвърлените от обществото и ощетените от живота такива. Човек е голям, колкото са му големи мечтите, а тук хората се осмеляват и за добро, и за лошо да залагат на внушителните мащаби, и то на всяка цена. Добре е когато намериш в себе си читателско уважение и за злите губещи, и за милозливите победители – явно авторът си е свършил добре работата си да забавлява. Не е шедьовър, но дава всичко, което търсите в добрата, стара кримка, абсолютно всичко.
Какво можете да очаквате освен класическото заплитане на престъпления, ексцентрични бо��аташи, луди учени, забранени биологични експерименти, стари книги, тайни проходи, добре заключени гробници, смъртоносни обрати и британска любезност? Ами просто едно активно повествование, топли главни герои, оцеляващи напук на опитите на твърде много сенчести личности, сума ти пътешествия, комични сблъсъци и хероизъм от висша класа, защото това е от стария вид литература, където читателите се идентифицираха със силни и хитроумни протагонисти, а не както е напоследък модерно – с отхвърлените от обществото и ощетените от живота такива. Човек е голям, колкото са му големи мечтите, а тук хората се осмеляват и за добро, и за лошо да залагат на внушителните мащаби, и то на всяка цена. Добре е когато намериш в себе си читателско уважение и за злите губещи, и за милозливите победители – явно авторът си е свършил добре работата си да забавлява. Не е шедьовър, но дава всичко, което търсите в добрата, стара кримка, абсолютно всичко.
November 6, 2017
Θα συμφωνήσω με το mini –επίμετρο του εκδότη, πως το είδος του διηγήματος στο οποίο συνήθως χωλαίνουν οι συγγραφείς, είναι το είδος στο οποίο θριαμβεύει ο Ουάλας. Ωστόσο στο μυθιστόρημα, όπως είναι αυτό, αλλάζει το στιλ του. Ναι μεν η γραφή ξεφεύγει απ’ το αγγλικό αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα που όπως και να το κάνουμε είναι ‘’δυσκίνητο’’, αλλά ενώ στο διήγημα η γραφή του είναι σχεδόν ιλιγγιώδης, ατμοσφαιρική και τρομερά ανατρεπτική με το σαρκασμό των χαρακτήρων και την ειρωνεία που υποβόσκει, διαξιφίζοντας στην ίδια πρόταση το θετικό με το αντίστροφο του και απλώνει τους χαρακτήρες με γρήγορες βαθιές χαρακιές, στο μυθιστόρημα δε βιάζεται να αναλύσει τους ήρωες του, τους προσδίδει μεγαλύτερη αληθοφάνεια, αλλά και κάποιο ρομαντισμό. Ενώ πείθει όταν θέλει να παρουσιάσει κάποιον πχ σα συντηρητικό, ή να τον δείξει ως μοντέρνο ( για την εποχή του ), ή με ρεαλιστικά γλαφυρό τρόπο περιγράφει συνήθειες και παραξενιές, απ’ την άλλη πλατειάζει και κάνει κάποιες επαναλήψεις. Βέβαια δε χάνει το χιούμορ του, παρότι είναι εξασθενημένο μέσα στο μυθιστόρημα σε σχέση με το διήγημα. Όσο για το μυστήριο αν και εύκολα μαντεύουμε απ’ την αρχή που πέφτει η ενοχή και ποια η κατάληξη, ωστόσο η σύνθεση παραμένει αφανής για μεγάλο μέρος της υπόθεσης κι αποκαλύπτεται σιγά σιγά. Εν ολίγοις, είναι διασκεδαστικό, αλλά λίγο κουραστικό.
Μαζί του, μας παραχωρεί ο εκδότης και το διήγημα Ο δήμιος με το τριαντάφυλλο, στο οποίο συναντάμε όλα τα στοιχεία που τον κάνουν δυνατό στο διήγημα. Αν και δεν υπάρχει κανένα μυστήριο και όλα είναι αναμενόμενα, πρόκειται για γοητευτικό διήγημα… μα υπάρχει άραγε τίποτα πιο συγκινητικό από ένα μεγάλο καράβι που κορνάρει μόνο του τη νύχτα στην ομίχλη;
2.5
Μαζί του, μας παραχωρεί ο εκδότης και το διήγημα Ο δήμιος με το τριαντάφυλλο, στο οποίο συναντάμε όλα τα στοιχεία που τον κάνουν δυνατό στο διήγημα. Αν και δεν υπάρχει κανένα μυστήριο και όλα είναι αναμενόμενα, πρόκειται για γοητευτικό διήγημα… μα υπάρχει άραγε τίποτα πιο συγκινητικό από ένα μεγάλο καράβι που κορνάρει μόνο του τη νύχτα στην ομίχλη;
2.5
September 26, 2023
This story has everything: damned descendants of an excommunicated medieval knight, a mansion with secret chambers, tombs with secrets, an heir with unknown whereabouts, immense hidden treasure, romantic interests, murders, dreadful experiments on humans, a detective with thief skills, police procedural suspense and a door with seven locks. What do we need more?
A very fun mystery/horror story to read. I cut out one star because of the slightly supernatural elements regarding the experiments of Dr. Stalletti, which were somewhat exaggerated.
This book was narrated by John Rayburn, an ex-anchorman known to be one of the industry's veterans. However, it was hard for me to understand him because he was talking as if he had a dental problem and the voice quality was very poor :(
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Bu öyküde her şey var: afaroz edilmiş bir orta çağ şövalyesinin lanetlenmiş sülalesi, gizli geçitleri olan bir malikane, sırlarla dolu bir mezar odası, nerede olduğu belirsiz bir varis, çılgın bir gizli hazine, flörtleşmeler, cinayetler, insanlar üzerinde yapılan korkunç deneyler, hırsız yetkinliklerini haiz bir detektif, 'police-procedural' tarzı gizem ve yedi kilitli bir kapı. Daha başka ne isteriz?
Okuması son derece eğlenceli bir gizem/korku öyküsü. Bir yıldızı kestim çünkü Dr. Stalletti'nin deneyleriyle ilgili kısımların doğaüstüne kaçan taraflarını abartılı buldum.
Bu kitabı sesli kitap olarak dinledim. John Rayburn seslendirmiş. Kendisi eski bir 'anchorman' ve seslendirme sektörünün duayeni. Ancak anlamakta aşırı zorlandım çünkü sanki diş probleminden dolayı ağzının içinde şişlik varmış gibi konuşuyordu ve kayıt kalitesi çok kötüydü :(
A very fun mystery/horror story to read. I cut out one star because of the slightly supernatural elements regarding the experiments of Dr. Stalletti, which were somewhat exaggerated.
This book was narrated by John Rayburn, an ex-anchorman known to be one of the industry's veterans. However, it was hard for me to understand him because he was talking as if he had a dental problem and the voice quality was very poor :(
----------------------------------
Bu öyküde her şey var: afaroz edilmiş bir orta çağ şövalyesinin lanetlenmiş sülalesi, gizli geçitleri olan bir malikane, sırlarla dolu bir mezar odası, nerede olduğu belirsiz bir varis, çılgın bir gizli hazine, flörtleşmeler, cinayetler, insanlar üzerinde yapılan korkunç deneyler, hırsız yetkinliklerini haiz bir detektif, 'police-procedural' tarzı gizem ve yedi kilitli bir kapı. Daha başka ne isteriz?
Okuması son derece eğlenceli bir gizem/korku öyküsü. Bir yıldızı kestim çünkü Dr. Stalletti'nin deneyleriyle ilgili kısımların doğaüstüne kaçan taraflarını abartılı buldum.
Bu kitabı sesli kitap olarak dinledim. John Rayburn seslendirmiş. Kendisi eski bir 'anchorman' ve seslendirme sektörünün duayeni. Ancak anlamakta aşırı zorlandım çünkü sanki diş probleminden dolayı ağzının içinde şişlik varmış gibi konuşuyordu ve kayıt kalitesi çok kötüydü :(
November 13, 2024
więcej znajdziesz na www.jakeczyta.blogspot.com
Młody inspektor Scotland Yardu, Dick Martin dziedziczy pokaźny spadek i postanawia odejść ze służby. Będąc specjalistą od łapania złodziei sam posiada bardzo dużą wprawę w technikach stosowanych przez przestępców. Kiedy zgłasza się do niego prawnik reprezentujący bogatego dziedzica Havlock, Martin przyjmuje od niego ostatnie zlecenie. Ma wytropić młodego arystokratę, który podróżuje po świecie i co jakiś czas prosi adwokata o pieniądze. W tym samym czasie Dick Martin poznaje piękną bibliotekarkę, która zgłasza kradzież książki, a trop prowadzi do greckiego lekarza. Jak szybko się okazuje wszyscy na drodze bohatera są ze sobą powiązani, a rozwiązanie zagadki znajduje się w grobowcu, za drzwiami o siedmiu zamkach.
Książka Edgara Wallece'a ma juz swoje lata i można to odczuć podczas lektury. Sposób opowiadania wielowątkowej zagadki kryminalnej jest momentami dość urywany, co na pierwszych stronach może denerwować. Z biegiem czasu jednak czytelnik zapomina o tym i może zagłębić się w klasycznym kryminale. Bardzo wyraźne postaci, które są charakterystyczne, ale nie jednowymiarowe. Wallace sięga po tradycyjną zagadkę kryminalną z serii tych u Conan - Doyle'a czy Agathy Christie. Wielowątkowość, która prowadzi do punktu kulminacyjnego w jednym domu jest dobrze stopniowana i dawkowana czytelnikowi. Klasyczny jest również motyw policjanta/ detektywa spotykającego piękną kobietę i ratujący ją z opałów.
Nie miałem okazji czytać żadnej książki autora, ale 'Drzwi z siedmioma zamkami' pokazały się z bardzo pozytywnej dla miłośników kryminałów strony. Krótka i przyjemna lektura.
Młody inspektor Scotland Yardu, Dick Martin dziedziczy pokaźny spadek i postanawia odejść ze służby. Będąc specjalistą od łapania złodziei sam posiada bardzo dużą wprawę w technikach stosowanych przez przestępców. Kiedy zgłasza się do niego prawnik reprezentujący bogatego dziedzica Havlock, Martin przyjmuje od niego ostatnie zlecenie. Ma wytropić młodego arystokratę, który podróżuje po świecie i co jakiś czas prosi adwokata o pieniądze. W tym samym czasie Dick Martin poznaje piękną bibliotekarkę, która zgłasza kradzież książki, a trop prowadzi do greckiego lekarza. Jak szybko się okazuje wszyscy na drodze bohatera są ze sobą powiązani, a rozwiązanie zagadki znajduje się w grobowcu, za drzwiami o siedmiu zamkach.
Książka Edgara Wallece'a ma juz swoje lata i można to odczuć podczas lektury. Sposób opowiadania wielowątkowej zagadki kryminalnej jest momentami dość urywany, co na pierwszych stronach może denerwować. Z biegiem czasu jednak czytelnik zapomina o tym i może zagłębić się w klasycznym kryminale. Bardzo wyraźne postaci, które są charakterystyczne, ale nie jednowymiarowe. Wallace sięga po tradycyjną zagadkę kryminalną z serii tych u Conan - Doyle'a czy Agathy Christie. Wielowątkowość, która prowadzi do punktu kulminacyjnego w jednym domu jest dobrze stopniowana i dawkowana czytelnikowi. Klasyczny jest również motyw policjanta/ detektywa spotykającego piękną kobietę i ratujący ją z opałów.
Nie miałem okazji czytać żadnej książki autora, ale 'Drzwi z siedmioma zamkami' pokazały się z bardzo pozytywnej dla miłośników kryminałów strony. Krótka i przyjemna lektura.
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