Book Review: Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bently

Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bently (1913)
Reviewed by Stephen Terrell

No less an expert on mysteries than classic mystery author Dorothy L. Sayers calls Trent's Last Case the "first modern detective story." She views it as the first book to move away from the infallible deductive detective character (e.g. Sherlock Holmes), to a more human detective capable of making devastatingly erroneous conclusions even after uncovering the facts.

The storytelling is a little out of style. There is little action other than conversations with suspects -- and nearly half the book takes place in extended conversations with the purported participants after Trent has in his own mind solved the crime. But the plot is well crafted and still stands up to time.

Anyone with an interest in classical mysteries should read this book both for its entertainment value and for its place in the history of the genre.