A classic whodunit crime story, "The Man Who Knew" is about the death of a rich South Africa magnate, dealing with diamonds. The actual man who knows so much is Saul Arthur Mann, a walking encyclopedia and the constant envy of Scotland Yard. Wallace’s narrative pace is slow at times, hectic at others, but the overall effect is one of a decent detective novel with a lot of irony and parallel mysteries all around the place. Resembling the style of Agatha Christie, the complicated situations and style of Wallace is a perfect read for any diehard fan of detective fiction.
Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was an English writer so prolific, that one of his publishers claimed that he was behind a quarter of all books sold in England. An author, journalist and poet, he wrote countless novels, short stories, screen plays, stage plays, historical non-fiction, etc. Today, more than 160 films have been made from his work. He died suddenly in Hollywood in 1932, during the initial drafting of his most famous work, "King Kong".