The Man in the Corner

In The Man in the Corner, Baroness Orczy introduces one of the most unusual detectives in literary history — a shabby, mysterious old man who sits quietly in a London teashop, solving baffling crimes with nothing more than sharp reasoning and a piece of string he knots absentmindedly as he thinks. Without ever leaving his chair, he unravels cases of theft, murder, and deception that have baffled the police, revealing the secrets behind locked doors, false alibis, and cunning disguises. Each story blends suspense, intellectual challenge, and a touch of eccentric charm, making this collection a milestone in early detective fiction. For readers who enjoy puzzles as much as adventure, The Man in the Corner offers intrigue served with a cup of tea.

Baroness Emmuska Orczy (1865–1947) was a Hungarian-born British novelist, playwright, and artist, best remembered as the creator of the legendary hero The Scarlet Pimpernel. Born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, she moved to London in her youth and established herself in literary circles with her flair for romantic adventure and historical drama. Orczy's groundbreaking novel The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) introduced readers to Sir Percy Blakeney, the daring English aristocrat who, in disguise, rescued French nobles from the guillotine during the Revolution—an archetype that inspired countless masked and double-identity heroes in popular culture, from Zorro to Batman. Beyond the Pimpernel series, she penned detective stories such as The Old Man in the Corner, historical romances, and even works on Hungarian life and folklore. Her works combined suspense, wit, and a deep love for heroism, earning her international acclaim. Orczy continued writing until her final years, leaving behind a legacy as one of the pioneers of modern adventure and mystery fiction