
The Fourth Door
Paul Halter(Author)
Bedford Square Publishers
Published on 6. November 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-1-83501-348-9 (ISBN)
Description
'Paul Halter is France's answer to John Dickson Carr' Martin Edwards
The ultimate locked-room mystery.
In Paul Halter's The Fourth Door, the impossible becomes reality. A haunted room. An unbroken seal. A murder victim whose very identity is an enigma. And then, a second death in a house surrounded by untrodden snow. Both crimes defy reason - but master detective Dr. Alan Twist reveals that even the most baffling mysteries have rational explanations.
This international bestseller is a masterpiece of intrigue and misdirection, hailed as the French answer to John Dickson Carr and a modern rival to Anthony Horowitz (The Twist of a Knife). Fans of Sophie Hannah's Poirot mysteries and the layered puzzles of Knives Out will relish this thrilling, twist-laden tale. Winner of the Prix du Roman Policier, Halter cements his place as a titan of the locked-room genre.
Discover The Fourth Door, alongside Halter's other captivating works like The Lord of Misrule and The Night of the Wolf.
The ultimate locked-room mystery.
In Paul Halter's The Fourth Door, the impossible becomes reality. A haunted room. An unbroken seal. A murder victim whose very identity is an enigma. And then, a second death in a house surrounded by untrodden snow. Both crimes defy reason - but master detective Dr. Alan Twist reveals that even the most baffling mysteries have rational explanations.
This international bestseller is a masterpiece of intrigue and misdirection, hailed as the French answer to John Dickson Carr and a modern rival to Anthony Horowitz (The Twist of a Knife). Fans of Sophie Hannah's Poirot mysteries and the layered puzzles of Knives Out will relish this thrilling, twist-laden tale. Winner of the Prix du Roman Policier, Halter cements his place as a titan of the locked-room genre.
Discover The Fourth Door, alongside Halter's other captivating works like The Lord of Misrule and The Night of the Wolf.
Reviews / Votes
'Paul Halter is France's answer to John Dickson Carr, and The Fourth Door is a plot-driven puzzle feast, packed with intriguing locked room mysteries and other apparent miracles' Martin Edwards, a CWA Diamond Dagger winner and President of the Detection ClubMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
140 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83501-348-9 (9781835013489)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Persons
Paul Halter is a French crime writer, known for his locked room mysteries.
His first published novel, La Quatrieme Porte (The Fourth Door) was published in 1988 and won the Prix de Cognac, given for detective literature. The following year, his novel Le Brouillard Rouge (The Red Fog) won the Prix du Roman d'Aventures.
His first published novel, La Quatrieme Porte (The Fourth Door) was published in 1988 and won the Prix de Cognac, given for detective literature. The following year, his novel Le Brouillard Rouge (The Red Fog) won the Prix du Roman d'Aventures.