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david_megginson's review against another edition
3.0
Locked-room mystery involving a mountain surrounded by a forest fire instead of the regular building in a blizzard or island in a stormy sea.
Spoiler
Ellery's beloved Duesenberg car is burnt to a crisp in this mystery, only to reappear intact in later books.franksreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Blood, Medical trauma, Death, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Murder, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Racial slurs and Violence
annieb123's review against another edition
3.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Siamese Twin Mystery is the 7th book in the Ellery Queen mysteries. Originally published in 1933, this reformat and re-release 4th Feb 2020 by Penzler is 293 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats (other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
I've been a fan of Ellery Queen mysteries for decades and by some odd twist of fate had never before read this early entry. It's neither the acme nor nadir of the series. The pacing is very odd, sometimes standing virtually still for pages on end then racing ahead. The dialogue is often forced and stilted (and dated with fair lashings of sexism and melodrama). The atmospheric setting and moody buildup are done perfectly but the payoff and denouement weren't worth the trip.
As always, the introduction by mystery maven Otto Penzler, is erudite, incisive, informative, and interesting.
Three stars. Worth a look for completist fans of the series, and for the insighful history lesson from Mr. Penzler. It's also very nice to see these classics (however dated) being re-released for a new generation of fans.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Siamese Twin Mystery is the 7th book in the Ellery Queen mysteries. Originally published in 1933, this reformat and re-release 4th Feb 2020 by Penzler is 293 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats (other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
I've been a fan of Ellery Queen mysteries for decades and by some odd twist of fate had never before read this early entry. It's neither the acme nor nadir of the series. The pacing is very odd, sometimes standing virtually still for pages on end then racing ahead. The dialogue is often forced and stilted (and dated with fair lashings of sexism and melodrama). The atmospheric setting and moody buildup are done perfectly but the payoff and denouement weren't worth the trip.
As always, the introduction by mystery maven Otto Penzler, is erudite, incisive, informative, and interesting.
Three stars. Worth a look for completist fans of the series, and for the insighful history lesson from Mr. Penzler. It's also very nice to see these classics (however dated) being re-released for a new generation of fans.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
donkeykong64's review against another edition
2.75
Weaker effort in the series for me, I just didn’t care much for the rising wildfire aspect of the plotting. Neat setting, very Hammer-esque. The sheer amount of space spent on how one rips a playing card in half is amusing.
school_librarian60's review against another edition
3.0
Solid Ellery Queen mystery. Ellery and his father have a race against time- not only trying to figure out whodunit but with a raging forest fire closing in on them as well.
jbleyle63's review against another edition
4.0
Though the Ellery Queen novels usually appeal most to the puzzle solver in me, the mystery solution for this title is a stretch in credibility even for the typically incredible standards of this series. However the setting and atmosphere for this story were memorable and enjoyable enough that I cheerfully reread this one some 25 years later.
luffy79's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I had solved the murder here. I thought this would be the easiest - read worst - mystery ever. The fact that it's not the cleverest either doesn't deter from the fact that the actual worth of the story is readable. The writers tried to add some filler to stretch this book to acceptable proportions. Nonetheless (SPOILERS) the old french adage "cherchez la femme" is well meant. I leave you with a recommendation and my taciturnity; I'll say no more.
msanderson2's review against another edition
3.0
This was a rollercoaster of a mystery, and I was constantly second-guessing who the murderer was. Other than the blatant misogyny displayed throughout the story, the main characters were interesting, and I enjoyed trying to solve the crime.
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