Trent's Last Case, published when Conan Doyle and Chesterton were both at the pinnacle of their respective literary careers, was the first detective story to use fingerprinting as a means of detecting the criminal. Dedicated to his friend G. K. Chesterton, E. C. Bentley, a journalist first with the “Daily News” and then with “The Daily Telegraph”, intended the book to be a gentle parody of the detective genre, only for it to be quickly hailed as a classic.
Sigsbee Manderson was an unpopular millionaire, so when his body was discovered in the grounds of his mansion, not many people were heart-broken by his death. His widow, butler, business assistant and personal assistant become immediate suspects. Trent, who write for “The Record”, is summoned by his editor, with an eye for a good story, to investigate. Through many twists and red-herrings, and one of the most amazing literary double twists in the final minutes, the listener is kept enthralled and guessing to the end.
