Mr. Justice Maxell

"Mr. Justice Maxell" by Edgar Wallace is an early 20th-century story where King’s Counsel John Maxell goes to Tangier, Morocco, stepping into a world filled with risky ventures and interesting people. The main idea is about whether you can really trust people, shown through Maxell’s relationship with his friend Cartwright, who is mixed up in shady plans about gold mining and an actress named Sadie O’Grady. The story starts in Tangier, painting a clear picture with descriptions of the setting and sounds. Maxell is shown as a man struggling with his money worries and the big dreams of Cartwright, who wants to find a gold reef. The conversations hint at old connections and show a mix of loyalty, greed, and tough moral choices. The start builds up a feeling of something big about to happen, especially with O’Grady, whose life changes when Cartwright’s reasons become more and more suspicious and sets the stage for looking at ethics, ambition, and what happens because of the choices people make.