By British Library Publishing

The Corpse in the Waxworks: A Paris Mystery

Regular price £8.99
Regular price Sale price £8.99
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
SKU: 9780712353731
Regular price £8.99
Regular price Sale price £8.99
An eerie and sinister evocation of Parisian backstreets and seedy establishments, traversed by the familiar yet enigmatic Inspector Bencolin. Another enthralling literary puzzle from John Dickson Carr, the beloved author of Castle Skull and It Walks By Night, both reissued as British Library Crime Classics. This book also features the bonus short story ‘The Murder in Number Four’, an ingenious ‘locked railway compartment’ mystery set on board a haunted train.

‘“The purpose, the illusion, the spirit of a waxworks. It is an atmosphere of death. It is soundless and motionless... Do you see?”’

Last night Mademoiselle Duchêne was seen heading into the Gallery of Horrors at the Musée Augustin waxworks, alive. Today she was found in the Seine, murdered. The museum’s proprietor, long perturbed by the unnatural vitality of his figures, claims that he saw one of them following the victim into the dark – a lead that Henri Bencolin, head of the Paris police and expert of ‘impossible’ crimes, cannot possibly resist.

Surrounded by the eerie noises of the night, Bencolin prepares to enter the ill-fated waxworks, his associate Jeff Marle and the victim’s fiancé in tow. Waiting within, beneath the glass-eyed gaze of a leering waxen satyr, is a gruesome discovery and the first clues of a twisted and ingenious mystery.

First published in 1932 at the height of crime fiction’s Golden Age, this macabre and atmospheric dive into the murky underground of Parisian society presents an intelligent puzzle delivered at a stunning pace. This new edition also includes ‘The Murder in Number Four’, a rare Inspector Bencolin short story.

Publication date: 10/01/21

Important Notice: Temporary Suspension of U.S. Shipping

We are currently updating our shipping processes to comply with new U.S. import regulations. As a result, we are temporarily pausing all orders to the United States.

Subscriptions: If you have taken out a subscription, we currently anticipate that you will receive your upcoming titles as usual. If this changes, we will contact you directly via email.

We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Please check back here for updates on when U.S. shipping will resume.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Our deliveries are now carbon neutral.  

Orders over £75* will qualify for FREE standard shipping within the UK. 

Order value Under £75 Over £75 Timescale
UK Standard £ 5.00 FREE up to 7 Business Days

Please allow 7 working days from the time you place your order to contact us about undelivered orders. 

*does not include custom prints or custom clothing. 

Local pick up 

Local pick up is free and allows you to buy online and collect your items from our shop in St. Pancras (London) or from Reception in Boston Spa. 

London

Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect from noon the following day (including weekends). Please ensure you check our opening times before coming to collect.

Boston Spa

Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect between 2 - 4 working days, though this is usually quicker. 

EU and Europe orders

Due to the new EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR), not all of our products will be available for you to order yet, we are working on rolling out a wider product range.

Order value Under £25 £25 - £50 £50 - £100* Over £100* Timescale
Airmail £ 15 £ 25  £ 36 £ 45 Usually 2 - 4 weeks

Rest of the World orders 

Order value Under £25 £25 - £50 £50 - £100* Over £100* Timescale
Airmail £ 20 £ 30  £ 40 £ 50 Usually 2 - 4 weeks

EU and Europe orders 

Due to the new EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR), we are temporarily pausing shipments to Europe, including the Republic of Ireland. We understand this may be disappointing, and we are working to resume our services as soon as possible. Please check this page for updates. 

For more detailed information click here

Author

John Dickson Carr

Publisher

British Library Publishing

Pages

256