The Square Emerald

Leslie Maughan, an astute mind already making waves at Scotland Yard, stumbles upon a seemingly innocuous book of poetry that once belonged to Peter Dawlish, a convicted forger. Her sharp intellect, however, quickly unearths inconsistencies in his case, igniting a fervent belief in his innocence. Upon his release, Leslie befriends Peter, only to find herself entangled in a labyrinthine plot involving high society, a princess, and a brutal murder—all centered around a stolen emerald and the butler found dead with it in his possession. The mystery deepens with the revelation of a child Peter never knew he had and the unsettling discovery of his landlady's illicit activities, pulling Leslie further into a web of deceit and danger. Wallace, the prolific master of the early 20th-century thriller, delivers a quintessential Golden Age mystery, brimming with red herrings, secret identities, and a relentless pace that keeps the reader guessing until the final page. This isn't just a whodunit; it's a fascinating glimpse into the nascent stages of female detective fiction, with Leslie Maughan carving out her own space in a male-dominated world. Readers will revel in the intricate plotting and the sheer escapism of a classic Edgar Wallace tale, where every clue is a potential misdirection and every character a suspect.