
The Perfect Crime: The Big Bow Mystery
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $20.32
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Colin Mace
-
By:
-
Israel Zangwill
About this listen
The first in a new series of classic detective stories from the vaults of HarperCollins is the world’s first locked-room mystery, a seemingly impossible crime story as powerful as any that have copied the scenario since.
“The Detective Story Club”, launched by Collins in 1929, was a clearing house for the best and most ingenious crime stories of the age, chosen by a select committee of experts. Now, almost 90 years later, these books are the classics of the Golden Age, republished at last with the same popular cover designs that appealed to their original readers.
Originally published as The Big Bow Mystery in 1891, and re-published by the Detective Club to coincide with a new film version called ‘The Perfect Crime’, Israel Zangwill’s novel invented the concept of the ‘locked room mystery’ and influenced almost every crime writer thereafter.
‘A man is murdered for no apparent reason. He has no enemies and there seemed to be no motive for anyone murdering him. No clues remained and the instrument with which the murder was committed could not be traced. The door of the room in which the body was discovered was locked and bolted on the inside, both windows were latched, and there was no trace of any intruder. The greatest detectives in the land were puzzled. Here indeed was the perfect crime, the work of a master mind. Can you solve the problem which baffled Scotland Yard for so long, until at last the missing link in the chain of evidence was revealed?’
This new edition includes a brand new introduction by the Golden Age crime expert, Dr John Curran, author of ‘Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks’.
©2015 Israel Zangwill (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
-
It Walks by Night
- By: John Dickson Carr
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the smoke-wreathed gloom of a Parisian salon, Detective Bencolin has summoned his allies to discuss a peculiar case. A would-be murderer, imprisoned for his attempt to kill his wife, has escaped and is known to have visited a plastic surgeon. His whereabouts remain a mystery, though with his former wife poised to marry another, Bencolin predicts his return. Sure enough, the detective's worst suspicions are realised when the beheaded body of the new suitor is discovered in a locked room of the salon, with no apparent exit.
-
-
Good store but dated
- By Phillip on 04-20-24
-
The Roman Hat Mystery
- By: Ellery Queen
- Narrated by: Deaver Brown
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A mystery set in a large occupied theater with an unexplained mystery.
By: Ellery Queen
-
These Names Make Clues
- By: E. C.R. Lorac
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chief Inspector Macdonald has been invited to a treasure hunt party at the house of the Graham Coombe, the celebrated publisher of Murder by Mesmerism. The clues of the hunt have been devised by Coombe's thriller-writer friends, disguised on the night under literary pseudonyms. The fun comes to an abrupt end, however, when 'Samuel Pepys' is found murdered in the telephone room in bizarre circumstances.
-
-
Fun story.
- By peter on 03-12-22
By: E. C.R. Lorac
-
David Copperfield
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 36 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between his work on the 2014 Audible Audiobook of the Year, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel, and his performance of Classic Love Poems, narrator Richard Armitage ( The Hobbit, Hannibal) has quickly become a listener favorite. Now, in this defining performance of Charles Dickens' classic David Copperfield, Armitage lends his unique voice and interpretation, truly inhabiting each character and bringing real energy to the life of one of Dickens' most famous characters.
-
-
A PERFECT narration of an English classic!
- By Wayne on 09-03-17
By: Charles Dickens
-
The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 70 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here in one recording is every Sherlock Holmes story ever written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Originally appearing in serial form, these famous stories are here presented in the order in which they were first published beginning in 1887. Included in this definitive, award-winning collection are four novels and 56 short stories, a total of 60 titles. The 56 short stories are aggregated into five named collections, just as they were originally published in book form.
-
-
More collections like this, please!
- By Myusollo on 07-22-14
-
The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First appearing in print in 1890, the character of Sherlock Holmes has now become synonymous worldwide with the concept of a super sleuth. His creator, Conan Doyle, imbued his detective hero with intellectual power, acute observational abilities, a penchant for deductive reasoning and a highly educated use of forensic skills. Indeed, Doyle created the first fictional private detective who used what we now recognize as modern scientific investigative techniques.
-
-
mouth watering
- By David on 03-30-10
-
It Walks by Night
- By: John Dickson Carr
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the smoke-wreathed gloom of a Parisian salon, Detective Bencolin has summoned his allies to discuss a peculiar case. A would-be murderer, imprisoned for his attempt to kill his wife, has escaped and is known to have visited a plastic surgeon. His whereabouts remain a mystery, though with his former wife poised to marry another, Bencolin predicts his return. Sure enough, the detective's worst suspicions are realised when the beheaded body of the new suitor is discovered in a locked room of the salon, with no apparent exit.
-
-
Good store but dated
- By Phillip on 04-20-24
-
The Roman Hat Mystery
- By: Ellery Queen
- Narrated by: Deaver Brown
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A mystery set in a large occupied theater with an unexplained mystery.
By: Ellery Queen
-
These Names Make Clues
- By: E. C.R. Lorac
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chief Inspector Macdonald has been invited to a treasure hunt party at the house of the Graham Coombe, the celebrated publisher of Murder by Mesmerism. The clues of the hunt have been devised by Coombe's thriller-writer friends, disguised on the night under literary pseudonyms. The fun comes to an abrupt end, however, when 'Samuel Pepys' is found murdered in the telephone room in bizarre circumstances.
-
-
Fun story.
- By peter on 03-12-22
By: E. C.R. Lorac
-
David Copperfield
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 36 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between his work on the 2014 Audible Audiobook of the Year, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel, and his performance of Classic Love Poems, narrator Richard Armitage ( The Hobbit, Hannibal) has quickly become a listener favorite. Now, in this defining performance of Charles Dickens' classic David Copperfield, Armitage lends his unique voice and interpretation, truly inhabiting each character and bringing real energy to the life of one of Dickens' most famous characters.
-
-
A PERFECT narration of an English classic!
- By Wayne on 09-03-17
By: Charles Dickens
-
The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 70 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here in one recording is every Sherlock Holmes story ever written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Originally appearing in serial form, these famous stories are here presented in the order in which they were first published beginning in 1887. Included in this definitive, award-winning collection are four novels and 56 short stories, a total of 60 titles. The 56 short stories are aggregated into five named collections, just as they were originally published in book form.
-
-
More collections like this, please!
- By Myusollo on 07-22-14
-
The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First appearing in print in 1890, the character of Sherlock Holmes has now become synonymous worldwide with the concept of a super sleuth. His creator, Conan Doyle, imbued his detective hero with intellectual power, acute observational abilities, a penchant for deductive reasoning and a highly educated use of forensic skills. Indeed, Doyle created the first fictional private detective who used what we now recognize as modern scientific investigative techniques.
-
-
mouth watering
- By David on 03-30-10
-
The Lost World (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Gary Furlong
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s only one way for Professor George Edward Challenger to prove that dinosaurs still roam the earth. He invites skeptical journalist Edward Malone to accompany him and a group of adventurers to see the creatures with his own eyes. But when they arrive at the fantastic volcanic plateau in the Amazon where time stands still, their expedition quickly becomes one of survival. With its cliff-hanging escapes, rousing humor, and nailbiting suspense, The Lost World is a pioneering work of fantasy-adventure that paved the way for every thrill ride to follow.
-
-
Wonderful -short listen, amazing adventure
- By January MH on 02-15-23
-
Love of Life, and Other Stories
- By: Jack London
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone. This collection includes "Love of Life", "A Day's Lodging", "The White Man's Way", "The Story of Keesh", "The Unexpected", "Brown Wolf", "The Sun-Dog Trail", and "Negore, the Coward".
-
-
Review of Love of Life and Other Stories
- By Pre Paid Gift Card on 05-25-16
By: Jack London
-
The Pickwick Papers, Volume 1
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet Mr. Samuel Pickwick, luminous presence, general chairman and member of the Pickwick Club, an organization devoted to meeting good friends, sharing good stories and spreading good cheer. Join Mr. Pickwick and his friends Mr. Snodgrass, Mr. Jingle and all the rest in Part One of their adventures, which include: the first day's journey, an old-fashioned card party, the action of Bardell against Pickwick, and Christmas.
-
-
Pickwick Papers
- By Amazon Customer on 06-29-03
By: Charles Dickens
-
The Complete Father Brown Collection
- By: G. K. Chesterton
- Narrated by: Stephen Scalon
- Length: 41 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shabby and lumbering, with a face like a Norfolk dumpling, Father Brown makes for an improbable super-sleuth. But his innocence is the secret of his success: refusing the scientific method of detection, he adopts instead an approach of simple sympathy, interpreting each crime as a work of art, and each criminal as a man no worse than himself… Here you will find the complete Father Brown stories in the chronological order of their original publication. The Innocence of Father Brown Starts at Chapter 1, The Wisdom of Father Brown Starts at Chapter 13.
-
-
Good collection, bad editing, bad American accent
- By Samantha on 04-01-20
By: G. K. Chesterton
-
Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming
- Length: 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two-time Emmy Award nominee ( The Good Wife) and Audie Award winner for best narrator Alan Cumming here narrates Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first-rate Yuletide whodunit "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle". Cumming adds his personal flair to the mystery classic and turns in an outstanding performance of the great detective Sherlock Holmes and his pal, Watson.
-
-
Awesome
- By S. Spencer on 02-12-16
-
The Sherlock Holmes Collection
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Stephen Scalon
- Length: 67 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scottish born author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess, and is renowned for his skillful use of deductive reasoning (somewhat mistakenly - see inductive reasoning) and astute observation to solve difficult cases.
-
-
Scalon's narration is superior to Fry's
- By Sau Cheung on 09-06-19
-
Arsène Lupin, o ladrão de casaca [Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief]
- Série Arsène Lupin
- By: Maurice Leblanc, Luciene Ribeiro dos Santos - tradução
- Narrated by: Mauro Ramos
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arsène Lupin, que conseguiu ser mais famoso que seu criador, nasceu por encomenda do editor Pierre Lafitte ao escritor Maurice Leblanc. Este audiolivro reúne as nove histórias A prisão de Arsène Lupin, Arsène Lupin na prisão, A fuga de Arsène Lupin, O viajante misterioso, O colar da rainha, O sete de copas, O cofre de Madame Imbert, A pérola negra e outros. Quando Lupin é preso ao descer do navio em Nova Iorque, seu biógrafo já o acompanha, pois Watson sempre acompanhará Sherlock Holmes.
By: Maurice Leblanc, and others
-
Desperate Remedies
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Melody Grove
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cytherea has taken a position as lady's maid to the eccentric Miss Aldclyffe. On discovering that the man she loves is already engaged to his cousin, Cytherea comes under the influence of Miss Aldclyffe's fascinating, manipulative steward Manston. Desperate Remedies contains sensational ingredients of blackmail, murder and romance, but with its insight into psychology and sexuality it already bears the unmistakable imprint of Hardy’s future genius.
-
-
Romance with substance
- By Joanna Sakievich on 12-28-24
By: Thomas Hardy
-
Tales of Terror
- By: Edgar Allan Poe
- Narrated by: Jack Foreman
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edgar Allan Poe, the master of terror, wrote some of literature's most entertaining and influential short stories, works that invented or anticipated modern detective novels, science fiction, and the horror genre. Tales of Terror collects nine of Poe's best-loved stories, all performed in chilling, highly dramatic readings by Jack Foreman. This collection includes such classics as "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Fall of the House of Usher", and what many consider his masterpiece, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."
-
-
Poe's Best Horror by an Outstanding Narrator
- By Gary on 08-29-04
By: Edgar Allan Poe
-
Midsummer Mysteries
- Tales from the Queen of Mystery
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Hugh Fraser, David Suchet, Joan Hickson
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Summertime—as the temperature rises, so does the potential for evil. From Cornwall to the French Riviera, whether against a background of Delphic temples or English country houses, Agatha Christie’s most famous characters solve complicated puzzles as the stakes heat up. Pull up a deckchair and enjoy plot twists and red herrings galore from the bestselling fiction writer of all time.
-
-
Mystery Maven
- By Mystery Maven on 05-23-23
By: Agatha Christie
-
The Complete Early Poirot Omnibus
- The Mysterious Affair at Styles; The Murder on the Links; The Man Who Was Number Four; and 25 Others
- By: Agatha Christie, Finn J.D. John
- Narrated by: Finn J.D. John
- Length: 27 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hercule Poirot made his first public appearance in 1920 at the age, one guesses, of about 60. He finally breathed his metaphorical last in 1975 at the age of maybe 75 or 80. And in that short span of time — either 55 years or about 20, depending on how you count it — Poirot became one of England’s most profitable and ubiquitous export commodities.
-
-
Unsatisfactory Narration
- By Taylor Turner on 03-08-21
By: Agatha Christie, and others
-
What Maisie Knew
- By: Henry James
- Narrated by: Maureen O' Brien
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maisie is an innocent six year-old, torn between her divorced parents, pathetically isolated yet tragically involved.
-
-
A great reader reads a great writer
- By Seth on 08-27-12
By: Henry James