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From the Collins Crime Club archive, the seminal first novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed 'The King of Detective Story Writers' and recognised as one of the 'big four' Golden Age crime authors.

The unloading of a consignment of French wine from the steamship... Read Full Overview

"One of the classics of modern crime fiction." -- The New York Times
While London dockworkers are struggling to unload a shipment of French wine, one of the heavy casks falls, shatters and reveals its cargo -- sawdust, gold coins, and a female corpse. But by the time... Read Full Overview

In "The Cask," Freeman Wills Crofts crafts a masterful detective narrative that intricately weaves elements of suspense and intricate plotting. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Britain, the novel introduces readers to a compelling mystery centered around the disappearance... Read Full Overview

From the Collins Crime Club archive, the seminal first novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed 'The King of Detective Story Writers' and recognised as one of the 'big four' Golden Age crime authors.

The unloading of a consignment of French wine from the steamship... Read Full Overview

A masterful casket of clues and atmosphere, The Cask draws you into a crisp, fog-wreathed corner of 1920s England. A smart, bustling whodunnit that proves a classic detective novel can move with modern nerve and timeless elegance. Freeman Wills Crofts crafts a lucid crime investigation... Read Full Overview

"The Cask" is a detective novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, published in 1920. The story centers around a murder mystery involving a wine cask. A valuable cask of wine is delivered to a London wine merchant, but when opened, it contains the body of a murdered man. Inspector... Read Full Overview