The Man Called McGinnice

While this might be one of Wallace’s shorter tales, he packs it with plenty of character and an unusual amount of darkness. Tam is interrogated over his role in the crashing of an artillery bus. However, the questioning leads to a chain of events with a rather unhappy ending for one character. With more than a whiff of ‘Catch 22,’ by Joseph Heller, and ‘Trainspotting,’ by Irvine Welsh, 'The Man Called McGinnice' is a superb read for those who like their short stories, wry, dry, and unsentimental. Born in London, Edgar Wallace (1875 – 1932) was an English writer so prolific that his publisher claimed that he was responsible for a quarter of all books sold in England. Leaving school at the age of 12, Wallace made his first steps into the literary world by selling newspapers on the corner of Fleet Street. He worked as a war correspondent after joining the army at age 21, which honed his writing abilities. This led to the creation of his first book ‘The Four Just Men.’ Wallace is best remembered as the co-creator of ‘King Kong,’ which has been adapted for film 12 times (most notably directed by ‘Lord of the Rings’ director, Peter Jackson, and starring Jack Black and Naomi Watts). However, he leaves behind an extensive body of work, including stories such as ‘The Crimson Circle’ and ‘The Flying Squad’.