The Strange Case of Mr Pelham

By Anthony Armstrong,

Book cover of The Strange Case of Mr Pelham

Book description

First published in 1957 The Strange Case of Mr Pelham is Anthony Armstrong’s masterclass in suspense, a slow-burning examination of one man’s descent into paranoia.
Filmed several times for television in both the UK for the BBC, and in the US as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Armstrong’s Pelham…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Strange Case of Mr Pelham as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book, for me, stands alongside The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a necessary stepping stone toward all modern 'dark double' fiction. I actually first encountered the book via one of its looser adaptations, The Man Who Haunted Himself, starring Roger Moore. I must have seen that some time in the 70s, and it stuck with me across five decades without losing its core power. The Armstrong original, written in 1940 then expanded later, is still a legitimately creepy tale, particularly in terms of the questions it refuses to answer. Watching Pelham's slow-motion collapse into…

Want books like The Strange Case of Mr Pelham?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Strange Case of Mr Pelham.

Browse books like The Strange Case of Mr Pelham

Book cover of Fight Club
Book cover of The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero
Book cover of The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the Marvelous Chinese Conjurer

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,188

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Alfred Hitchcock, suspense, and paranoia?

Alfred Hitchcock 30 books
Suspense 2,316 books
Paranoia 37 books