6 h 3 minAudiobook3 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the most dangerous thing a man holds is something he knows?
In Edgar Wallace's The Man Who Knew, people hide secrets, names invite doubt, and one man holds knowledge that others fear. This mystery turns on the gap between what people claim to be and what they may really be. As you read, every claim becomes something to test rather than simply trust.
The Edwardian world gives those doubts weight. Strict manners and class lines make a person's name, family and standing matter. Behind polite company lies the possibility of deception. Wallace's fast, plain crime writing invites you to look past appearances and follow a clear question: what does this man know, and why do others fear it?
What you’ll discover
- Knowledge with a cost Follow a mystery where one person's knowledge becomes a source of fear for others.
- Names that invite doubt Look closely at identities that may conceal more than they reveal.
- Secrets behind good manners Enter a world where polite company leaves room for carefully hidden truths.
- A reader's double vision Test what people say about themselves against what they may really be.
- A quickening pace Enjoy quick chapters and plain storytelling that keep the central mystery in view.
Is it for you?
This is for readers who enjoy old-fashioned mysteries, quick chapters and secrets kept in polite company. If you want deep psychological study or a modern, realistic police procedure, you may find it less suited.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Wallace wrote for a busy reading public
- The Edwardian setting shapes the secrets
- Knowledge is the hinge of the mystery
- What to watch for as you read
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 3 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 3 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: USD 0.14 a day, then USD 0.27 a day, never raised. Or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear The Man Who Knew in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
The Man Who Knew
by Edgar Wallace· 1918
Hidden identities and dangerous knowledge lie behind a mystery.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4
Wallace wrote for a busy reading public
Edgar Wallace was one of the most productive writers of his day. He worked as a journalist and then turned to fiction, producing crime and adventure stories at great speed. His readers often met his work in serials, in papers and in cheap editions.
That habit shaped his style. Sentences are short and scenes are brief. Each chapter tends to end on a question that pulls the reader forward.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Edgar Wallace
1875–1932 · British crime writer
Edgar Wallace was a hugely prolific British writer of thrillers and crime fiction who later co-created the story for King Kong. The Adventures of Heine follows Heine, a German secret agent, through a series of comic misadventures in Britain during the First World War.
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More by Edgar Wallace
All 21 books
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about The Man Who Knew
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
Who wrote The Man Who Knew?
The book is by Edgar Wallace, the British journalist and novelist who died in 1932. He wrote a very large body of crime, mystery and adventure fiction for popular readers in the early twentieth century.
What kind of book is The Man Who Knew?
It is a mystery in the Edwardian popular tradition, built around secrets, concealed identities and the power of knowing something others want hidden. Expect short chapters and a quick pace.
Is The Man Who Knew hard to read?
No. Wallace wrote for a broad public, so his sentences are short and his plots are clear. Some period manners and words may feel dated, but the story is easy to follow.
Popular in mystery and crime
See all
Free
