Der englische Schriftsteller, Drehbuchautor, Regisseur, Journalist und Dramatiker Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) gehört zu den erfolgreichsten Krimiautoren aller Zeiten. Insgesamt stammen aus der Feder von Wallace über 120 Kriminalromane die in über 40 Sprachen übersetzt wurden. Viele seiner Werke wurden verfilmt und gab es in den 1960er- und 1970er Jahren in Deutschland einen regelrechten Wallace Boom. Wallace starb im Alter von 56 Jahren in Beverly Hills an einer Lungenentzündung. Die Gräfin von Ascot erschien erstmals 1930 unter dem Titel "The Lady of Ascot".
Author
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was a prolific British crime writer, journalist and playwright, who wrote 175 novels, 24 plays, and countless articles in newspapers and journals. Over 160 films have been made of his novels, more than any other author. In the 1920s, one of Wallace's publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him. He is most famous today as the co-creator of "King Kong", writing the early screenplay and story for the movie, as well as a short story "King Kong" (1933) credited to him and Draycott Dell. He was known for the J. G. Reeder detective stories, The Four Just Men, the Ringer, and for creating the Green Archer character during his lifetime.
