The Three Oak Mystery 1924 detective book
The Three Oak Mystery (1924, United Kingdom)
Former police inspector, John Mandle, invites detectives, Socrates Smith and his brother Lexington, to spend some time in his residence outside of London. They accept the invitation, although they are surprised to learn that Bob Smith, former police sergeant and Mandle’s associate, leaves nearby. The atmosphere in the household is a bit tense - Mandle seems to be very strict and even hostile towards his step-daughter, Molly Templeton, but Socrates notices something even more disturbing. He noticed a lot of security measures around the building, which points at the conclusion that Mandle is afraid of something. Lexington instantly enchanted by Molly, they spend quite some time together the first evening, while Socrates talked to Mandle, who has problems with walking due to rheumatism. When the night comes, the things get a bit more mysterious - the two brothers see someone signalling something through the window, using a lamp, and later they see some shadowy figure leaving the house, but are unable to identify that person. In the morning, John Mandle is found hanged on a tree in a spot known locally as Three Oak, but closer examination reveals that he was shot. Socrates Smith takes the charge of the investigation, that will soon discover even more mysteries.
A novel by Edgar Wallace, one of the most prolific crime writers of the golden era of detective fiction, with over 170 novels to his name. The Three Oak Mystery is a typical crime story for the 1920s - a secluded residence, shadowy figures, secret signals, long shadows of the past. Even the main character Socrates Smith is a bit of a cliché - a genius detective, who is constantly a few steps ahead of the reader when it comes to the unfolding plot. It works to some point, when the small mysteries start to pile up, but the structure in which not much is known to the reader until the very end is not for everyone’s taste.
Can you solve a mystery like this one?
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