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art_cart_ron's review against another edition
4.0
My first Ellery Queen novel, and technically his as well (first case chronologically).
This is a mystery lover's mystery. If you want something other than a straight up labyrinth of a mystery, you probably should look elsewhere.
It's a novel from 1932. Anybody expecting 2020 sensibilities may want to talk to their doctor about that expectation. That said - it's considered among the best mystery novels ever written, and the people who broadcast such considerations are obsessively informed.
While characterization was less a priority at that time, especially with a pretty broad cast of characters (my copy had a reference page in the front to help you keep track of them all - and I used it a couple of times), I think there's enough. More elaboration could upset some of the careful conditions of the puzzle box. I like Ellery and his father quite a bit, and look forward to reading more about them.
I didn't find it to be a fast read. It was difficult to motivate myself to choose it over other entertainment at times (I'm not actually a mystery reader most of the time). But at the end of the day, it worked quite well - and was a fair mystery that plays by rules. It spools out great reveals throughout the last 20% or so.
The red herrings are enjoyable and plentiful. I latched onto one and felt anxious that it was too clear and I anticipated disappointment for a little while. That's a heck of a thing to manipulate a reader to feel.
I'll trust Ellery Queen in the future.
This is a mystery lover's mystery. If you want something other than a straight up labyrinth of a mystery, you probably should look elsewhere.
It's a novel from 1932. Anybody expecting 2020 sensibilities may want to talk to their doctor about that expectation. That said - it's considered among the best mystery novels ever written, and the people who broadcast such considerations are obsessively informed.
While characterization was less a priority at that time, especially with a pretty broad cast of characters (my copy had a reference page in the front to help you keep track of them all - and I used it a couple of times), I think there's enough. More elaboration could upset some of the careful conditions of the puzzle box. I like Ellery and his father quite a bit, and look forward to reading more about them.
I didn't find it to be a fast read. It was difficult to motivate myself to choose it over other entertainment at times (I'm not actually a mystery reader most of the time). But at the end of the day, it worked quite well - and was a fair mystery that plays by rules. It spools out great reveals throughout the last 20% or so.
The red herrings are enjoyable and plentiful. I latched onto one and felt anxious that it was too clear and I anticipated disappointment for a little while. That's a heck of a thing to manipulate a reader to feel.
I'll trust Ellery Queen in the future.
katieanne4's review against another edition
2.0
I probably won't read any more from this series. The idea is that it's a logic puzzle where you are given all the information you need to figure out the answer, and it felt a little like that-- too clinical, not enough of the human element. From the beginning, when all the characters were introduced at once and I couldn't keep anyone straight, I knew that this wasn't going to be as good as my favorites: Dorothy Sayers, P.D. James, Rex Stout-- they have recurring characters but each mystery features a different cast of suspects and discovering their various stories as we come closer to solving the case is a big part of the appeal for me.
marystevens's review against another edition
A wealthy art collector and gallery owner in a midtown Manhattan mansion in the 1930s (I think) is found dead, apparently of a heart attack. No mystery there. But the will, which is known to have been changed the day before is death, is missing. The presumptive heir is able to call in the US District Attorney! Well, so it happens in Ellery Queen's privileged world. The first mystery, then, is to find the will and this Ellery attempts to do by eliminating every possible place except the coffin itself. Exhumation follows, and lo and behold, our man has company in his casket! So it goes. One mystery is solved, that leads to another, which Ellery solves, leading to a further mystery. This is my first taste of Ellery Queen. The puzzle aspect of the mystery is very satisfying. The writing itself is OK. I lost my copy on the bus and I'm not motivated enough to take it out from the library. Does that give you a clue?
luffy79's review against another edition
5.0
The two authors who have taken the pen name of Ellery Queen are many things, but great writers they are not. By great I mean - maybe - humanizing. To see someone solve a rubik cube in record time inspires nothing but awe; I don't mean that in a good way by the way. They do not know how to make the journey to the final solution of the mystery memorable. But such is the force with which the authors have created this story that even an average minded person like me followed most of the ongoing developments without trouble.
I learned by pure chance today that in the past a series of Ellery Queen on television lasted only for one season in the US. It was replaced by Murder She Wrote. That one went on for many seasons, and garnered pretty much every award. The detective called Ellery Queen is not distinctive in appearance. He is not fleshed out. He is far from being despicable, or mundane, but he is not relatable. As time went by, and slowly as we are nearing the 100 year anniversary of the first Ellery Queen book, the appeal of Ellery becomes less and less fetching.
Despite all this the books remain on my imaginary book shelf. The Queens books are much better, despite the limitations I chalked up regarding the authors' abilities, than most of the modern fluff being sold currently. It's difficult to have unanimous reviews that sort the wheat from the chaff. There's so many contemporary books to choose from and most of them will be subpar. The burnt hand teaches best and I've been burnt several times by inferior literature. But I digress.
The tour de force which the authors accomplished and which earned a perfect score from me lay in the deconstruction of a complex plot so that I could follow most of it. The book never got boring. It has a big cast. One of them is the murderer. There's no lengthy questioning of any select group of them. But I feel that if the authors were in another category of writing, say text books, they would have been immensely successful. They know how to make a complex idea go within reach of the masses.
I am very impressed. I had one or two suspects in my mind, but I could never guess the solution here. The authors don't show their hand blatantly. Agatha Christie shows us a lot daringly, that's why I could guess some of her mysteries. But the Queen mysteries are very delicately logical, like a puzzle. What most impressed me here was -spoilers!- the apprehension of the false murderer and the amazing, step by step dismantling of what supposedly happened. To fool the reader and leave none the wiser with such an in depth analysis of a false trail is genius work. The Queen authors were very confident of their case. I hope, however, that they don't use this device more than twice or thrice, as it would lose its novelty. Once is enough.
I learned by pure chance today that in the past a series of Ellery Queen on television lasted only for one season in the US. It was replaced by Murder She Wrote. That one went on for many seasons, and garnered pretty much every award. The detective called Ellery Queen is not distinctive in appearance. He is not fleshed out. He is far from being despicable, or mundane, but he is not relatable. As time went by, and slowly as we are nearing the 100 year anniversary of the first Ellery Queen book, the appeal of Ellery becomes less and less fetching.
Despite all this the books remain on my imaginary book shelf. The Queens books are much better, despite the limitations I chalked up regarding the authors' abilities, than most of the modern fluff being sold currently. It's difficult to have unanimous reviews that sort the wheat from the chaff. There's so many contemporary books to choose from and most of them will be subpar. The burnt hand teaches best and I've been burnt several times by inferior literature. But I digress.
The tour de force which the authors accomplished and which earned a perfect score from me lay in the deconstruction of a complex plot so that I could follow most of it. The book never got boring. It has a big cast. One of them is the murderer. There's no lengthy questioning of any select group of them. But I feel that if the authors were in another category of writing, say text books, they would have been immensely successful. They know how to make a complex idea go within reach of the masses.
I am very impressed. I had one or two suspects in my mind, but I could never guess the solution here. The authors don't show their hand blatantly. Agatha Christie shows us a lot daringly, that's why I could guess some of her mysteries. But the Queen mysteries are very delicately logical, like a puzzle. What most impressed me here was -spoilers!- the apprehension of the false murderer and the amazing, step by step dismantling of what supposedly happened. To fool the reader and leave none the wiser with such an in depth analysis of a false trail is genius work. The Queen authors were very confident of their case. I hope, however, that they don't use this device more than twice or thrice, as it would lose its novelty. Once is enough.
persey's review against another edition
2.0
Too long, too verbose, it kept going over the same ground. That’s on top of the usual Golden Age aspects you live with: preposterousness plus problematic social views. I thought I was inured, but hearing a developmentally disabled person referred to as an imbecile and similar epithets still made me wince. Worth reading, but not all that enjoyable.
ssejig's review against another edition
2.0
Oh. My. God. It took SOOO long to finish this book. I just couldn't get into it. The characters were uninteresting, Ellery was just annoying, and the multiple solutions were mystifying.
Greorg Khalkis, blind art dealer, has been found dead By the time they figure out that there's hinky stuff going on, his body is already buried.
Yep. Long, boring story. Not worth it.
Greorg Khalkis, blind art dealer, has been found dead By the time they figure out that there's hinky stuff going on, his body is already buried.
Yep. Long, boring story. Not worth it.
ellisknox's review against another edition
2.0
I had to drag myself through this one. It was ok, to reiterate the two stars, but it was not to my taste. Queen himself was supercilious and downright annoying. The plot devices were entirely too contrived. There's even a dare from the author (the pretense is that it's from Queen himself) at 83% directly addressing the reader. You have all the facts now. Can you solve it?
I suppose, but by that time there's been so much layered onto the story, while the characters themselves were so disengaging, I couldn't be bothered.
It's worth reminding anyone that the Ellery Queen mysteries had multiple authors. I've read other Queen mysteries that were quite different in style. All belong to another generation, but just because you did or didn't like one doesn't mean you'll feel differently about another.
I suppose, but by that time there's been so much layered onto the story, while the characters themselves were so disengaging, I couldn't be bothered.
It's worth reminding anyone that the Ellery Queen mysteries had multiple authors. I've read other Queen mysteries that were quite different in style. All belong to another generation, but just because you did or didn't like one doesn't mean you'll feel differently about another.
finkheart's review against another edition
3.0
I did not figure out the mystery, which is always a plus! But being an older story, the characterization of Miss Brett, and the way other characters treated and talked to her, did tend to make me roll my eyes.
whimsyful's review
mysterious
slow-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
3.5