Edgar Wallace is remembered today - when he is remembered at all - primarily as the author of the original screenplay for the movie "King Kong." But at one time, he was one of the most popular writers of thrillers and mysteries in the world.
His book "The Four Just Men" has been in print pretty much continuously since it was first published in 1904. The "just men," outlaws in this book, appear in several later Wallace stories and move to the side of law and order. In this one, however, they take on the British government, threatening the death of the country's foreign minister because of his backing of what they consider an unjust law.
That raises a lot of questions, but Wallace keeps the story moving along so quickly that there isn't much time to ruminate on the morality. It remans, after more than a century, a thoroughly good read. You can hear the full review on this week's podcast. Amazon.com has a lot of different editions, including one for the Kindle.
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