216:
may have plotted an act of revenge. Trent sends
Marlowe his original dispatch and arranges a meeting at which Cupples is also present. At the meeting, Marlowe explains that Manderson fabricated a web of incriminating evidence to implicate Marlowe in his apparent "murder" and then shot himself. Having realised what was happening, and having discovered Manderson's body, Marlowe had attempted to cover his tracks and give himself an alibi – this much of Trent's analysis had been correct.
817:
219:
Following this meeting, Trent and
Cupples have dinner together, and Cupples reveals that while the majority of Marlowe's story had been accurate, it was in fact he who had fired the fatal shot. He had chanced upon Manderson pointing a pistol at himself, probably meaning only to cause a self-inflicted
211:
to provide himself with an alibi. Trent believes that
Marlowe's motive was his own love for Mabel, but is unclear as to how far she may have reciprocated in these feelings. He writes down his ideas in the form of a dispatch for Molloy, but before sending it presents it to Mabel and asks whether there
215:
Six months later Trent re-establishes contact with Mabel in London and finally extracts her version of events. She tells him that there had never been any sort of intimacy between her and
Marlowe, but that her husband's suspicions had been the cause of their marital rift, and that in his jealousy he
27:
820:
255:
wrote that "It shook the little world of the mystery novel like a revolution ... Every detective writer of today owes something, consciously or unconsciously, to its liberating and inspiring influence." It was still admired in the second half of the century; literary critic
187:, is an old acquaintance – and is able to view the body, examine the house and grounds, and interview those involved. Other members of the household include Manderson's wife, Mabel; his two secretaries, Calvin Bunner, an American, and John Marlowe, an Englishman; Martin, a
242:
mysteries, felt that this novel was "The finest detective story of modern times". (Bentley and
Chesterton were close personal friends, and Bentley dedicated the book to Chesterton.) The book was influential in the postwar "Golden Age" of detective stories:
285:
said that it was frequently called "the perfect story" before ridiculing some plot points that he considered preposterous: "I have known relatively few international financiers, but I rather think the author of this novel has (if possible) known fewer."
569:(Harper and Row Perennial Library), introduction copyright 1978 by Anthony Fleming. Sayers' Introduction appears to have been written for a radio play, probably the 1934 BBC production, but was never used until this edition of the novel.
207:. Trent, however, concludes that Manderson was shot by Marlowe, who then returned to the house wearing some of Manderson's outer clothing in order to give the impression that Manderson was at that point still alive, before driving to
198:
Trent pursues his enquiries, and learns that the
Mandersons' marriage was in difficulties and that the couple had grown distant from each other. In the course of his investigation, he falls in love with Mabel Manderson. The
305:
originals. He deplored the great detective's lack of humor and he was irritated by the
Sherlockian eccentricities.... Bentley had the idea of doing a detective who would be a human being and who would know how to laugh."
157:
of that genre. Not only does Trent fall in love with one of the primary suspects – usually considered off-limits – he also, after painstakingly collecting all the evidence, draws all the wrong conclusions.
135:
and first published in 1913. Despite the title, it is in fact the first work in which its central character, the artist and amateur detective Philip Trent, appears: he subsequently reappeared in the novel
417:, Michigan. It starred McClure as Trent, Daniel Woitulewicz as Cupples, Elizabeth Rager as Bunner, Stella Rothe as Mabel Manderson, Patrick John Sharpe as Marlowe, and Jack Abella as Sigsbee Manderson.
179:, is found shot dead in the grounds of his English country house. Philip Trent, an artist, freelance journalist, and amateur detective, is commissioned by Sir James Molloy, a
367:(1984). The only part the audience hears is the opening line: "Chapter 1. Bad News. Between what matters and what seems to matter, how shall the world we know judge wisely?"
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press magnate, to investigate and report on the case. Trent receives the co-operation of the police – the investigating officer, Inspector Murch of
861:
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The novel was adapted into a stage production by John Arden McClure, which premiered in
January 2013 at the Broadway Onstage Live Theatre in
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The quotations from
Chesterton and Christie are blurbs from the back of the 1978 Harper and Row Perennial Library paperback edition.
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had been anything between her and
Marlowe. Her reaction persuades him that there had been, and he leaves the dispatch unsent.
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195:. Nathaniel Cupples, Mabel's uncle-by-marriage and another old friend of Trent, is staying at a hotel in the village.
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finds that Manderson was killed by a person or persons unknown: the suggestion is that he was the victim of a
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in January 1934. It was later serialised in 1950; and a further dramatisation was broadcast for the
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The book ends with Trent vowing that he will never again attempt to dabble in crime detection.
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in his introduction to the 1977 edition, published by University Extension of
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264:(1971), included it in his top ten mystery novels, as did mystery novelists
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with a place in detective fiction history because it is the first major
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331:(released in both a silent version and a sound version) was made by
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The novel was adapted as an episode of the BBC anthology TV series
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524:: The Monday Book Club. Archived from the original on 13 July 2007
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1917, UK, Nelson (ISBN NA), Pub date 1917, Hardcover (4th edition)
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1913, UK, Nelson (ISBN NA), Pub date 1913, Hardback (1st edition)
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it must be recorded that Bentley had reservations about even the
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297:: "At the risk of bringing down on his memory the wrath of the
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204:
251:"One of the three best detective stories ever written".
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was aired on 7 December 1953 on the American radio show
755:. 31 December 1986. p. 123 – via BBC Genome.
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as Mabel Manderson, Kenneth Fortescue as Marlowe, and
741:. 13 October 1968. p. 15 – via BBC Genome.
727:. 24 January 1934. p. 40 – via BBC Genome.
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ed. Kate Stine (New York: Otto Penzler Books, 1995).
676:. 13 April 1964. p. 25 – via BBC Genome.
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565:Dorothy L. Sayers, "Introduction" to Bentley,
512:"Mystery features detective who gets it wrong"
361:An excerpt of the book is recited in the film
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855:
437:. Another radio adaptation was broadcast on
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963:
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16:Detective novel by Edmund Clerihew Bentley
773:Murder Will Out: The Detective in Fiction
596:(1950) at The Faded Page, HTML version.
142:(1936), and the short-story collection
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461:
275:In his critique of the mystery genre,
175:Sigsbee Manderson, a wealthy American
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580:The Armchair Detective Book of Lists,
481:, Pub date 31 October 2005, Paperback
167:in the United States, later in 1913.
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779:, 1989. pp. 56–58, 63–66, 122.
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1072:British novels adapted into films
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397:as Cupples, Bill Nagy as Bunner,
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473:2005, US, Kessinger Publishing,
1020:The Scoop and Behind the Screen
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674:"Detective: Trent's Last Case"
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425:The novel was adapted for the
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381:in April 1964, introduced by
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319:The novel was adapted into a
448:A radio adaptation starring
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7:
825:public domain audiobook at
161:The novel was published as
100:375 (hardcover 1st edition)
10:
1098:
714:. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
688:"Trent's Last Case (1964)"
652:"Trent's Last Case (1952)"
630:"Trent's Last Case (1929)"
608:"Trent's Last Case (1920)"
354:as Sigsbee Manderson, and
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1005:
978:
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775:. Oxford & New York:
542:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
492:, October 2005, Paperback
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1077:British detective novels
594:The Simple Art of Murder
484:2005, US, Echo Library,
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278:The Simple Art of Murder
972:Edmund Clerihew Bentley
777:Oxford University Press
358:as Margaret Manderson.
314:
299:Baker Street Irregulars
41:Edmund Clerihew Bentley
1082:Novels by E.C. Bentley
753:"Murder for Christmas"
441:in December 1986 with
427:BBC National Programme
405:as Sigsbee Manderson.
791:Trent's Last Case
835:at Fantastic Fiction
698:on 17 February 2017.
346:in 1952. It starred
262:A Catalogue of Crime
220:wound. Suspecting a
1067:1913 British novels
1037:John Edmund Bentley
725:"Trent's Last Case"
517:Sunday-Gazette Mail
462:Publication details
445:in the title role.
364:Places in the Heart
191:; and Célestine, a
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712:, Broadway Onstage
592:Raymond Chandler,
433:in 1963, starring
164:The Woman in Black
20:Trent's Last Case
19:
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987:Trent's Last Case
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901:Trent's Last Case
893:Trent's Last Case
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833:Trent's Last Case
822:Trent's Last Case
810:Project Gutenberg
805:Trent's Last Case
739:"The Sunday Play"
710:Trent's Last Case
567:Trent's Last Case
510:Campbell, Carol.
490:978-1-84637-709-9
356:Margaret Lockwood
329:second adaptation
253:Dorothy L. Sayers
249:Trent's Last Case
205:business vendetta
201:coroner's inquest
124:Trent's Last Case
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89:Publication place
63:detective fiction
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694:. Archived from
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658:. Archived from
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640:on 17 June 2016.
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435:Richard Hurndall
342:was directed by
291:Aaron Marc Stein
283:Raymond Chandler
238:, author of the
236:G. K. Chesterton
144:Trent Intervenes
139:Trent's Own Case
110:Trent's Own Case
105:Followed by
80:Publication date
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340:film adaptation
325:Richard Garrick
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260:, co-author of
245:Agatha Christie
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222:suicide attempt
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149:The novel is a
129:detective novel
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352:Orson Welles
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333:Howard Hawks
323:directed by
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270:Peter Straub
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240:Father Brown
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171:Plot summary
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885:Adaptations
439:BBC Radio 4
327:in 1920. A
321:silent film
310:Adaptations
303:Conan Doyle
209:Southampton
193:lady's maid
131:written by
31:1st edition
1061:Categories
497:References
415:Eastpointe
393:as Trent,
371:Television
350:as Trent,
189:manservant
378:Detective
335:in 1929.
231:Reception
177:plutocrat
69:Publisher
1039:(father)
1013:Clerihew
827:LibriVox
538:cite web
528:28 April
455:Suspense
338:A third
151:whodunit
146:(1938).
47:Language
578:As per
387:Maigret
247:called
155:send-up
59:Mystery
50:English
1030:Family
998:(1936)
990:(1913)
979:Novels
931:(1936)
912:(1952)
904:(1929)
896:(1920)
879:(1913)
488:
477:
115:
113:(1936)
73:Nelson
37:Author
1045:(son)
421:Radio
409:Stage
127:is a
97:Pages
55:Genre
544:link
530:2015
486:ISBN
475:ISBN
315:Film
295:UCSD
268:and
84:1913
873:'s
808:at
794:at
692:BFI
656:BFI
634:BFI
612:BFI
385:as
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