The Corpse in the Waxworks: A Paris Mystery

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Corpse in the Waxworks: A Paris Mystery
Authors and Contributors      By (author) John Dickson Carr
Introduction by Martin Edwards
SeriesBritish Library Crime Classics
Series part Volume No. 87
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:256
Dimensions(mm): Height 190,Width 130
Category/GenreCrime and mystery
Classic crime
Thriller/suspense
ISBN/Barcode 9780712353731
ClassificationsDewey:813.54
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher British Library Publishing
Imprint British Library Publishing
Publication Date 10 January 2021
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

'"The purpose, the illusion, the spirit of a waxworks. It is an atmosphere of death. It is soundless and motionless... Do you see?"' Last night Mademoiselle Duchene was seen heading into the Gallery of Horrors at the Musee Augustin waxworks, alive. Today she was found in the Seine, murdered. The museum's proprietor, long perturbed by the unnatural vitality of his figures, claims that he saw one of them following the victim into the dark - a lead that Henri Bencolin, head of the Paris police and expert of 'impossible' crimes, cannot possibly resist. Surrounded by the eerie noises of the night, Bencolin prepares to enter the ill-fated waxworks, his associate Jeff Marle and the victim's fiance in tow. Waiting within, beneath the glass-eyed gaze of a leering waxen satyr, is a gruesome discovery and the first clues of a twisted and ingenious mystery. First published in 1932 at the height of crime fiction's Golden Age, this macabre and atmospheric dive into the murky underground of Parisian society presents an intelligent puzzle delivered at a stunning pace. This new edition also includes 'The Murder in Number Four', a rare Inspector Bencolin short story.

Author Biography

John Dickson Carr (1906-1977) was a hugely popular and prolific author of crime fiction, regarded as one of the finest writers of 'Golden Age' mysteries. Though born in Pennsylvania, USA, Carr developed a distinctly 'British' style to his mystery writing from his time living in England and became one of only two Americans ever admitted to the Detection Club.