Trent's Last Case

The classic detective tale Trent's Last Case, published when Conan Doyle and Chesterton were both at the pinnacle of their respective literary careers, was the first detective story to use finger-printing as a means of detecting the criminal. Sigsbee Manderson was an unpopular millionaire - so when his body was discovered in the grounds of his mansion, not many people were heart-broken by his death. His widow, butler, business assistant and personal assistant become immediate suspects. Trent, who wrote for The Record, was summoned by his editor, with an eye for a good story, to investigate. Through many twists and red-herrings, and one of the most amazing literary double twists in the final minutes, the listener is kept enthralled and guessing to the end. Dedicated to his friend G K Chesterton, E C Bentley, a journalist first with the Daily News and then with The Daily Telegraph, intended the book to be a gentle parody of the detective genre, only for it to be quickly hailed as a classic.