Terror Keep

Mr. J.G. Reeder #3

by Edgar Wallace

Detective JG Reeder and his attractive secretary, Margaret Belman, almost suffered the wrath of John Flack, an unusual villain who pairs maniacal insanity with genius.
Detective and criminal are well matched and the reader is kept in the dark about the outcome of this deadly duel for a long time.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Novels, Classics, German Literature, Detective

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1926

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

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed seeing mild mannered J.G. Reeder match wits with the insane criminal genius of John Flack. There were ingenious attempts to kill Reeder, a masterful criminal plot, an isolated country house with odd boarders, a ghost, and a sweet May-December romance. By the end the story was a real page turner that I stayed up late to finish.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book in the usual non stop occasionally over the top action style of the author with the usual cast. The famous detective (a bit older and not as dashing but possibly cleverer), the love interest/damsel in distress (though this times is more by design than by having secrets of her own), the villainous villains, some of whom turn that way only later, the assorted characters, the weird location, the high stakes etc. Still fun and fresh almost a century later

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terror Keep is a 1927 thriller novel by the British writer Edgar Wallace. It is part of a series featuring Wallace's detective J.G. Reeder. I already read the first one, Room 13 and liked it, I think, and skipped the next one, The Mind of Mr. J. G. Reeder, because it was a book of short stories, and I don't often read short stories, I have enough trouble remembering long stories. This is one of those long stories I'm going to have trouble remembering, but I still liked it, it's just never going to stay in my memory for long. As to why it is called Terror Keep that has already made it's way out of my memory if it was ever there to begin with.

OK, in this story we have a good guy, he's J. G. Reeder, who's name to me for two books now has been M. G. Reeder, I don't know why, and was rather surprise to find it's J. G. and not M. G. after I finished the book. And the bad guy, we can't have a good guy without a bad guy, is John Flack, Crazy John Flack. He's called Crazy John because he's spent the last six years of his life in Broadmoor Criminal Asylum, and is often pointed out as he shuffles about the grounds, a tall, lean old man in an ill-fitting suit of drab clothing, who spoke to nobody and was spoken to by few. They are proud of having Crazy John with them, the cleverest crook in the world..nine murders....

He gives no trouble, and spends most of his time writing and reading, filling hundreds of little exercise books with his great treatise on crime. He claimed on one of the few occasions he talked at all to have written sixty three volumes, which no one seems to believe, although it seems to me it would be easy to prove, go to his cell and look. Anyway, one day during a talkative period he tells an inspector that he has three daydreams, one is a new method of getting away with a million, the second is meeting Reeder alone one nice, dark, foggy night, when the police can't tell which way the screams are coming from, and third is George Ravini, who's only chance according to the crazy guy, is to die before he gets out. He was only friends with one man, that was the officer in charge of his ward, and as the book says:

and one early morning this man was discovered with his throat cut. The ward door was open, and John Flack had gone out into the world to realise his daydreams.

And so it begins, that was all before the first chapter. The first chapter begins with Margaret Belman. Miss Belman is terribly fond of J. G. Reeder and he is terribly fond of her, but you wouldn't know it from the way he acts. Mr. Reeder is a very meek and mild man. Unless he's chasing murderers that is. Miss Belman tells him she is taking a job in the country, hoping he will object, instead to her annoyance, he seems thrilled, so off to the country she goes. Meanwhile we have George Ravini, remember him, number two on the crazy guy's list? He's been doing everything but actually forcing himself on Margaret, and it seems he is about to do that, no woman would turn him down after all. At least she is getting away from him. Maybe. Why does the crazy guy hate him anyway? well Mr. Reeder tells us that:

"That is why I am thinking of our friend Georgio; for it was Mr. Ravini who betrayed him to us for two thousand pounds. I negotiated the deal, Mr. Ravini being a criminal..."

"Mr. Ravini had dealings with the Flack gang, and by chance learnt of Old John's whereabouts. We took old John Flack in his sleep."

Reeder is so worried about Margaret he even tells her why it is he wants her out of London:

"Mr. Flack was a very vindictive man," he said. "A very brilliant man - I hate confessing this. And he has - um - a particular grudge against me, and being what he is, it would not be long before he discovered that I - er - I - as rather attached to you, Miss - Margaret."

A light dawned on her, and her whole attitude towards him changed as she gripped his arm. "You mean, you want me out of London in case something happens? But what could happen? He's in Broadmoor, isn't he?"

Mr. Reeder scratched his chin and looked up at the roof of the cab.

"He escaped a week ago - hum! He is, I think, in London at this moment."

So off goes Margaret to the country to take the job of secretary to Mr Davers at his hotel, which isn't really a hotel, but more of a bed and breakfast, and it isn't really that because there are hardly ever any guests there unless they are guests Mr. Davers is really interested in, and he usually likes to be alone. So now she is secretary at the hotel with Mr. Davers, his housekeeper Mrs. Burton, and three guests; Olga Crewe, who has always lived there, which is strange, Reverend Dean from South Africa, and Colonel Hothling. Another one of those military people who are always showing up in books but never seem to actually be in the military at all. And that's everyone in the building, until George Ravini shows up. Yes, he found out where she went and followed her there. Mr Davers somehow approved of him so now he is one of the guests, he thinks he can force himself on Margaret even better this way, but don't worry he is soon to disappear, where and why we won't know for a long time. But don't worry, Reeder has found out that Ravini went after Margaret, so he goes after Ravini, he's a little late though, Mr. Ravini is already gone by the time he gets there. Now Reeder is not only in the same city as Margaret, he's in the same "hotel", so it may have been better to just let her in London in the first place, but it's too late now. The only other thing we need at this hotel is the million, then the crazy guy can show up and make all his daydreams come true. That's all you're getting from me, you have enough to figure most of it out already, for the rest you'll have to read the book. And now it's time to find out how many virus cases there are in Pennsylvania today. After that, it's time for the next book, we don't need a mask to read, yet. Happy reading.

[José Van Rosmalen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Speurder mr Reeder heeft een rare voorliefde om gevaarlijke types aan te trekken die hij onderdak biedt in zijn landhuis. Zo ook de schurk John Flack die hem om het leven wil brengen. De secretaresse van Reeder, Margaret Belman komt bijna onder in een diepe grot, die vanuit het landhuis bereikt kan worden. Er zijn spannende achtervolgingsscenes. Uiteindelijk is er na alle angst een happy ending. Mr Reeder vraagt Margaret op een stuntelige manier ten huwelijk. Zij kussen elkaar. Eén happy end dus.

[Anna Plishak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Моє знайомство з творчістю Едгара Воллеса виявилося дуже вдалим. "Король страху" - невеличкий за обсягом роман без зайвих описів та зауважень, насичений подіями. Автор доносить до читача історію чітко, виважено, лаконічно.
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Нам з перших сторінок, окрім імені слідчого, відомо також ім'я головного злочинця. Втім це не робить книгу менш захоплюючою та цікавою. Адже попереду багато неочікуваних поворотів, а атмосфера загадковості та інтриги зберігається до останнього.
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Отже, із божевільні тікає злочинець, який прагне помститися чоловіку, що колись його зрадив, і слідчому, завдяки якому він опинився на примусовому лікуванні. Здавалося б, нічого складного: всі знають, кого треба шукати, і навіть здогадуються де. Але далі починаються карколомні пригоди, несподіванки, відкриття.
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Не буду описувати усі події. Лише зазначу, що цей роман - знахідка для любителів класичних детективів.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Reeder, distinguished middle aged detective with old fashioned side whiskers, is in mortal combat with a supervillain who has just broken out of the asylum. While the villain is quite mad, he’s also quite the best criminal ever, and he has a mad plan to loot the Bank of England and revenge himself on a long list of enemies. It’s all in his minute handwriting in his many notebooks about the proper way to go about crime.

Naturally Reeder will win out. But can he keep his secretary safe? And will the secretary stay out of peril long enough to snag Reeder for better or for worse?

Wallace wrote even more books than Steven King (many more) and quality is variable. The better ones can be quite fun, with plenty of action as well matched antagonists do battle. This is one of the good ones. 3.5 stars.

[Enoir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho di nuovo provato a dare una chance a questo genere di letture... ma ahimè i gialli non fanno proprio per me.
156 pagine di mio totale disinteresse e noia. È un genere troppo semplice e fine a sé stesso.
La vicenda è carina e ben narrata, ma non fa per me.
L'unica cosa che ho gradito è stata l'ambientazione tenebrosa.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ca să fim cinstiţi, găsim că e ceva nemaipomenit, ba chiar contra legilor, ca puţinelor persoane care au posibilitatea de a putea intra şi ieşi cum vor, din ospiciul de nebuni al închisorii din Broadmoor, să li se atragă îndeosebi atenţia asupra unuia sau altuia din internaţii mai renumiţi ai acestui ospiciu. În cele mai multe cazuri nu putea fi vorba decât de un criminal celebru sau de unul ale cărei crime ţinuseră încordată opinia publică, până ce medicii psihiatrii şi tribunalul i-au exilat în acest lăcaş fără speranţe.

În special se atrăgea atenţia asupra lui John Flack, când se plimba prin curtea închisorii, cu mâinile la spate, cu bărbia aplecată pe piept; asupra individului acela bătrân, lung şi uscăţiv, îmbrăcat prost în nişte haine de culoare cenuşie, care nu vorbea cu nimeni şi căruia nimeni nu i se adresa vreodată.

― Acesta e John Flack… Flack pur şi simplu… criminalul cel mai şiret din lume… care are pe conştiinţa sa nouă omoruri…

Asasinii ordinari închişi la Broadmoor, erau mândri de tovarăşul lor John. Paznicii, care îl închideau noaptea în celulă şi-i supravegheau somnul, n-aveau ce să se plângă de el. Nu dădea niciodată ocazie la neplăceri şi n-avusese în tot timpul celor şase ani, cât stătuse închis, niciun acces de furie, atât de obişnuit la puşcăriaşii nebuni şi a cărui urmare este în general transportarea la spital a unui nenorocit spectator şi punerea în cămaşă de forţă a răufăcătorului.

John Flack îşi petrecea cea mai mare parte din timp scriind şi citind. Era un fel de geniu al scrisului. Scria cu o iuţeală extraordinară. Umpluse sute de caiete cu capitole din lucrarea sa „Criminologie”. Directorul închisorii îl lăsa în pace. Îi permitea să-şi păstreze caietele, în aşteptarea justificată, că într-o bună zi va putea îngloba aceste elucubraţiuni, muzeului său, care începuse să devină interesant.

Bătrânul John îi dăduse odată să citească unul din acele caiete ― un semn de extraordinară deferenţă. Directorul citi, reciti şi rămase cu respiraţia tăiată! Titlul lucrării era: „Cum se poate fura tezaurul unei bănci, când sunt numai doi paznici prezenţi.” Directorul închisorii, un fost militar, citea şi recitea, se oprea din citit ca să-şi revină şi, citea din nou. Lucrarea aceea, scrisă citeţ, îi aducea aminte de dispoziţiile ordinului de atac al unei divizii. John Flack nu uitase nimic, prevăzuse totul. Nu numai că indicase compoziţia medicamentului soporific, cu care să adoarmă pe paznicul, care făcea de serviciu afară, dar mai adăugase şi o notă în josul paginii, notă care avea conţinutul următor: „Dacă nu se poate obţine medicamentul soporific sfătuiesc să se viziteze un medic din cartier, căruia să i se indice următoarele simptome… medicul va prescrie atunci somniferul dorit în soluţie diluată. Se vor procura şase sticle cu preparatul prescris, din care se va putea extrage somniferul necesar după metoda următoare…”

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This J.G. Reeder novel shows us a couple of different sides of the usually intellectual detective. For one thing, he's in love, with his secretary. She's a good deal younger than him - a generation younger - but apart from that, she is a Plucky Gel who manages to get herself out of some bad situations, which makes her a fitting partner for him. And he abandons some of the mannerisms that make him seem older than his years in the course of the adventure.

And an adventure it certainly is. We have a mad criminal who doesn't hesitate to kill, escaped from Broadmoor and targeting Reeder; an old house and its grounds, the Keep of the title, crammed to capacity with secret passages and underground caves leading down to the sea; a gold heist, which is treated as almost a distraction by Reeder; and plenty of thrilling action, everything from a knife thrown in the dark to gunplay to desperate escapes and crashing scenery. Reeder's concern for Margaret raises the stakes, and both of them have some suspenseful moments.

It doesn't seem to have been filmed, unlike a lot of Wallace's work (he was the most filmed author of the 20th century and probably still holds the record), perhaps because the bigger set-pieces would take more budget than was usually allocated to those films. It's a pity, because it's even more cinematic than most Wallace books. Perhaps in a few years someone will do a generative AI film version of it, since it's in the public domain.

It's a good old rip-roaring pulp novel in the best sense of the term.

[Othniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A supercilious master detective battles an insane master criminal.

One of many books by an author who once sold by the bucketload but is now largely forgotten, this is a tale featuring former policeman J.G. Reeder, now operating as a private consultant. With the assistance of his awe-stricken young secretary, he takes on old enemy John Slack, who has vowed to kill him.

This is traditional "Boys' Own" adventure storytelling - fast moving and action-packed, but without the refinement of a Sherlock Holmes. British pulp at its most stiff-upper-lip, but entertaining enough.

[Giovanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un e-book confezionato coi piedi. Frutto di una scansione OCR malriuscita e per nulla controllata. È vero che costa 49 centesimi ma è davvero orribile trovare 11 al posto di il e tremila altri errori come paragrafi spezzati.
La storia non è nulla di particolare. Si legge ma non è né arguta né interessante più di tanto. Personaggi non caratterizzati più di tanto.
All'inizio forse prende un po' di più, ma poi man mano scema fino ad arrivare a un finale abbastanza chiaro prima ancora di vedere scritta la parola fine.

[grosbeak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally fine exemplar of the crime/detective thriller in the era before the mystery novel had really been taken to the form we know today.

[Matthew Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling mystery tale of a genius detective and genius madman trying to outmaneuver each other. There's not a whole lot going on thematically or with the characters, but it's a fun, exciting ride!

[Tim Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our heroes are walking into a trap, from which there can be no realistic escape.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book certainly is a gripping read and a fun one at that, but it isn’t a book that makes a good point about life or anything. It’s not meant to be. It’s just a fun story meant to entertain a reader, sitting in bed on a stormy night, or watching the waves on a sunny beach.

There are, without a doubt, problematic parts in this book, that suggest ideas about our world that might not be worth repeating because they’re demonstrably untrue. And these parts make me question if this book is worth reading in 2020. I’m not saying you’re not allowed to enjoy it. Far from it, I enjoyed it myself, but I don’t want to recommend this book. It’s a well-crafted thriller from almost 100 years ago. It’s showing its age. That doesn’t make it a bad book per se, but there are also better books to search out. It’s probably a guilty pleasure for me.

Full review on https://chwiggys-world.de/2020/06/20/...

[Rog Pile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some possible spoilers here, but nothing major - no telling who did it or what.

Criminally insane Jack Flack has committed nine murders and served six years in Broadmoor where he spends his time filling hundreds of exercise books writing about his criminal life. The books amount to an encyclopaedia of crime, which the governor tolerates because at least Flack isn’t causing problems whilst he’s writing. Then one morning a guard is found with his throat cut and Flack is loose again.

J G Reeder’s young friend Margaret Belman has succeeded in getting a position at Larmes Keep. She feels quite unsuited for it as she has no experience of hotel work, but what upsets her more is Mr Reeder’s apparent lack of interest in the fact that she’ll be living far out of London and out of touch. The least the man could do would be look disappointed at her impending absence!

At least her absence will take her far from the pestiferous George Ravini, who plagues her by his presence and simply won’t take no for an answer.

What she doesn’t know is that Jack Flack has threatened revenge on Reeder, who had been responsible for his incarceration in the first place, and Reeder fears that London might not be a safe place for any friend of his.

Larmes Keep is a beautiful house with a grim history which has gained it another name locally, the ‘House of Tears’. It’s owned by the elvish Mr Davers, who likes to spend most of his time writing; and any conversation with him is rather superfluous as he has a tendency to answer all his own questions.

“He only turned it into a boarding house because he likes to see people come and go without having to speak to ‘em. It’s a nobby,” explains Mrs Burton, who helps Margaret on the staff. Mrs Burton doesn’t like old houses and “used to live in Brixton.”

Most of the guests fall into fairly stereotypical types: the Reverend Dean from South Africa, the retired Colonel Hothling, the attractive but stand-offish Miss Olga Crewe. Ravini, too, shows up in due course. Reeder describes Flack’s wife as much like Mad Jack himself, vicious and murderous, lacking only his insanity.

A surprise is that Reeder himself grows as a character in the course of the novel. A man apparently without romantic interests who’s main characteristic seems to be his insignificance, the events see him descending or climbing into tunnels (there are a lot of tunnels) and even swimming through one, in his quest to bring Flack to justice and rescue Margaret – who it becomes increasingly clear he has come to think of as much more than a friend.

There is some genuinely good, dramatic writing here; an escape Margaret makes across some moors near treacherous cliffs is atmospheric and exciting, and I have to agree with the writer at Vintage Crime who describes the climax of this splendid thriller as a tour-de-force.

This is, incidentally, the final J G Reeder novel.

Seriously, if you haven’t read Edgar Wallace yet, this book could make you a fan. If you like Wallace but have somehow missed this one, you need to find a copy.

There is another knowledgeable account of this book at Shots Crime and Thriller eZine

[Trounin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Некогда популярный автор, зачинатель триллера и просто плодовитый писатель. Ныне… Стоит ли говорить, кем он является ныне? Его имя не стоит в одном ряду с классиками, его произведения воспринимаются излишне лёгкими, не способными серьёзно увлечь и хоть как-то активизировать читательский мозг. Да, Уолллес старался держать читателя в напряжении. Только получается так, что напряжением пропитана каждая строчка, тогда как кроме этого ничего в сюжете больше нет. Следователь может пытаться найти гениального злодея. Но надо ли ему его действительно искать? Надо ли читателю знакомиться с подобной историей? Может и надо. Но от подобной литературы быстро устаёшь. Напрягает автор читателя до напряжения.

(c) Trounin

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third novel in the J.G.Reeder series, first long novel where J.G.reeder is the main character. Typical Wallace frenetic story line, with an atypical love theme (J.G.Reeder is near fifty while Margaret Belman is not 25).

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down for very long- hence the four stars. I was tempted to give it three, though, because I have problems with the romance thread. I just don't ship them. I've tried, I really have... But I guess not every detective story can be as perfectly to my taste as Sherlock Holmes.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting mystery.

[octacore · Rating 2 out of 5]

O carte slabuta, care are farmecul unei povestiri clasice, din vremuri cand lucrurile erau mai normale in lumea asta.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wallace always delivers. Characters, pacing, plot, and just the right number of twists.