This early work by Edgar Wallace was originally published in 1932 and we
are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The
Scotland Yard Book of Edgar Wallace' is a collection of short stories
that include 'Red Aces', 'The Swiss Head Waiter', 'The Silver Key', and
many more. Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born in London, England in
1875. He received his early education at St. Peter's School and the
Board School, but after a frenetic teens involving a rash engagement and
frequently changing employment circumstances, Wallace went into the
military. He served in the Royal West Kent Regiment in England and then
as part of the Medical Staff Corps stationed in South Africa. Whilst in
the Balkans covering the Russo-Japanese War, Wallace found the
inspiration for The Four Just Men, published in 1905. Over the rest of
his life, Wallace produced some 173 books and wrote 17 plays. These were
largely adventure narratives with elements of crime or mystery, and
usually combined a bombastic sensationalism with hammy violence.