'The perfect crime is the one that seems impossible.'

First published in 1892, The Big Bow Mystery is gripping crime novel, and one of the earliest examples of a locked-room mystery – now a well-loved trope in the genre.

Set in Bow, East London, a widow named Mrs Drabdump is left panicking after she fails to wake one of her lodgers. In distress and unable to open the lodger's locked door, she seeks the help of her neighbour, ex-detective George Grodman, who eventually forces his way inside the room. What lay before them, however, was a shockingly gruesome sight: the lodger, with his throat slashed. But how could this be, with the door and windows locked? The strange circumstances of the murder lead to a thrilling and complex case, as Grodman and his acquaintance, Inspector Whip, attempt to get to the bottom of this ghastly series of events. As pacey as it is entertaining, The Big Bow Mystery remains one of Zangwill's most beloved works. This audiobook edition is brilliantly brought to life by John Hastings.

Israel Zangwill (1864 – 1926) was a British author, playwright and political thinker. Born in London to Eastern European Jewish immigrants, he is best known for his work on Jewish identity and Zionism.