‘Those Folk of Bulboro’ is a fascinating entry in Wallace’s long list of fictional works as it is neither a thriller nor a mystery novel as you may expect from Wallace. This novel is instead, a drama which takes place in a small town in Northern England following the life of a young doctor who has returned from the Congo to take over his uncle's practice. Likely informed by Wallace’s own time in the Congo reporting on the brutality and violence of Belgian colonialism, this novel follows the young doctor as he fights the intolerance and ignorance of his local townsfolk. It is a passionate and sympathetic read, with a brilliantly drafted cast of characters and truly compelling dialogue. It is a book that remains relevant to this day and is an excellent read for anyone who enjoys detective novels.
Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was an English writer, poet and journalist. He was such a prolific writer that his publisher claimed his work could account for a quarter of all books sold in England. He wrote countless books, screenplays, poems and historical non-fiction, spawning over one hundred and sixty films based on his work. He unfortunately passed away suddenly before he could see his most famous creation ‘King Kong’ come to life. It has been adapted several times over the years, notably by Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame, and more recently in ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ starring Millie Bobby Brown.
