The Man Who Knew vs The Square Emerald: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Adventure, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction
The Man Who Knew
“THE room was a small one, and had been chosen for its remoteness from the dwelling rooms.”
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John Minute, formerly an unscrupulous African mining magnate, has flown to England, but can’t escape his past. Constantly threatened by blackmailers, he fears death and financial ruin. At the suggestion of the…
The Square Emerald
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Leslie Maughan, recognized for her keen mind, has unofficially been promoted to Scotland Yard’s first female investigator. Chancing upon a book of poetry once owned by a Peter Dawlish, convicted forger, Leslie delves…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Man Who Knew has the widest readership — 241 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| The Man Who Knew | The Square Emerald | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.4 (241) | 3.5 (156) |
| Hardcover | 2.0 (1) | 1.5 (1) |
| Apple Books | 3.5 (19) | 5.0 (5) |
Reception
| The Man Who Knew | The Square Emerald | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 241 | 156 |
| Editions | 70 | 34 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 152 | — |
| Reading it now | 26 | — |
| Written reviews | 29 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 52 | — |
| Pages | 145 | 188 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Man Who Knew or The Square Emerald?
The Square Emerald has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Square Emerald 3.5/5, The Man Who Knew 3.4/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Man Who Knew or The Square Emerald?
The Man Who Knew is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Man Who Knew (145 pages, ≈ 2 h 41 m); The Square Emerald (188 pages, ≈ 3 h 29 m).
Which is harder to read: The Man Who Knew or The Square Emerald?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Man Who Knew: Challenging; The Square Emerald: Challenging.