Trent's Last Case (Version 2)
Edmund Clerihew Bentley
Read by Kirsten Wever
This is one of a series of EC Bentley novels featuring the highly erudite artist qua reporter / detective, Philip Trent.
In it, Trent is sent to a charming English seaside village to cover the murder of Sigsbee Manderson for a large London newspaper. The victim is an unpopular and extremely powerful financial tycoon, who is murdered virtually within sight of his own house, at a time when it seems impossible that anyone there – to say nothing of all of its more than half dozen inhabitants – could have failed to see or hear the crime being committed.
As Trent pokes around, attention is focused on Manderson’s extremely troubled marriage, not least because Trent himself falls in love with Margaret Manderson, the widow of the murdered man. At the same time, Trent himself considers her to be at least complicit in the crime for much of the novel. The plot cannot be described further without spoiling the punch-line, as it were. Indeed, to the really clever detective fiction-lover, this is already almost saying too much.
Trent’s Last Case was on the “ten best” list of Rex Stout, author of the famous Nero Wolfe mysteries. Like Stout, Bentley has a fondness for complex plot twists of the “boxes within boxes” variety.
(Introduction by Kirsten Wever) (7 hr 43 min)
Chapters
Prologue | 18:17 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Knocking The Town Endways | 15:57 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Breakfast | 34:14 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Handcuffs in the Air | 1:01:35 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Poking About | 29:04 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Mr. Bunner on the Case | 18:19 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
The Lady in Black | 24:55 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
The Inquest | 12:06 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
A Hot Scent | 13:08 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
The Wife of Dives | 21:05 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
"Hitherto Unpublished" | 39:19 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Evil Days | 19:59 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Eruption | 42:52 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Writing A Letter | 7:50 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Double Cunning Part 1 | 42:36 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Double Cunning Part 2 | 32:46 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
The Last Straw | 29:21 | Read by Kirsten Wever |
Reviews
Good Reader - Amazing Story
Frank Bowden
Very well read. A very interesting and unique set of events, but, to me the telling (the writing) was wanting - too many long soliloquies maybe. I generally enjoyed it but something didn't agree with me.
Very well read story
mikezane
The summary covers the plot, and I will say the ending although a bit predictable did have a nice twist. The reading was excellent, no tinny sounds or echoes. Enjoy!
A TWIST WITHIN A TWIST
AVID READER
A very interesting mystery, read with the always flawless presentation of Kirsten Wever. Despite an avowel, it is highly unlikely that anyone saw the end coming.
Ok mystery.
Judy
Couldn't get in to this one. Didn't care about characters. Towards the end it got s little more interesting. I thought ending was ok but a bit hard to believe. Sorry. Reader was good.
One of the best detective stories ever.
A LibriVox Listener
Ms Wever's reading is extremely clear and precise but unfortunately so stilted that it takes some getting used to. However, after that, the story is fascinating.
good story
giribil
It took me a while to get in to the story, and once into about the third chapter I was hooked. And the surprises kept on coming.
Trent's Last Case
eli g
A newly discovered British author of detective fiction for me to enjoy! Slow paced, but interesting. Excellent reading by Kirsten Wever. Thank you!
Melanie
This is a very fun tale. Well read. Although I guessed The Who early on, I did not guess the how. Very entertaining.