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The Rynox Murder
A classic Golden Age crime novel, and the first time Philip MacDonald wrote a crime novel without a detective.
‘Rynox’ is at that point where one injudicious move, one failure of judgement, one coincidental piece of bad luck will wreck it. So why would anyone send more than a million pounds in one-pound notes to Mr Salisbury of the Naval, Military and Cosmopolitan Assurance Corporation? Who would shoot F.X. Benedik, the senior partner of the firm, through the head in his study? And where is the choleric Mr Marsh, who had an appointment with F.X. on the night of his death? Rynox is on the edge of big things. But the edge of big things is a narrow edge. And narrow edges are slippery . . .
Philip MacDonald’s Rynox is an engrossing murder mystery set in the business world, a crime novel without a detective in which murder and big business are inextricably combined. Beginning with the Epilogue and ending with the Prologue, it is a subtle and exciting book by one of the greatest masters of the mystery story.
‘Rynox’ is at that point where one injudicious move, one failure of judgement, one coincidental piece of bad luck will wreck it. So why would anyone send more than a million pounds in one-pound notes to Mr Salisbury of the Naval, Military and Cosmopolitan Assurance Corporation? Who would shoot F.X. Benedik, the senior partner of the firm, through the head in his study? And where is the choleric Mr Marsh, who had an appointment with F.X. on the night of his death? Rynox is on the edge of big things. But the edge of big things is a narrow edge. And narrow edges are slippery . . .
Philip MacDonald’s Rynox is an engrossing murder mystery set in the business world, a crime novel without a detective in which murder and big business are inextricably combined. Beginning with the Epilogue and ending with the Prologue, it is a subtle and exciting book by one of the greatest masters of the mystery story.
143 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1930
3 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Philip MacDonald
148 books17 followersPhilip MacDonald (who some give as 1896 or 1899 as his date of birth) was the grandson of the writer George MacDonald and son of the author Ronald MacDonald and the actress Constance Robertson.
During World War I he served with the British cavalry in Mesopotamia, later trained horses for the army, and was a show jumper. He also raised Great Danes. After marrying the writer F. Ruth Howard, he moved to Hollywood in 1931. He was one of the most popular mystery writers of the 1930s, and between 1931 and 1963 wrote many screenplays along with a few radio and television scripts.
His detective novels, particularly those featuring his series detective Anthony Gethryn, are primarily "whodunnits" with the occasional locked room mystery. His first detective novel was 'The Rasp' (1924), in which he introduced his character Anthony Gethryn.
In later years MacDonald wrote television scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Malice Domestic', 1957) and Perry Mason ('The Case of the Terrified Typist', 1958).
He twice received an Edgar Award for Best Short Story: in 1953, for 'Something to Hide', and in 1956, for 'Dream No More'. Indeed many critics felt that his short story writing was superior to his novels and they did win five second prizes in the annual contests held by 'Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'.
He also wrote under the pseudonyms Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, W.J. Stuart and Warren Stuart.
During World War I he served with the British cavalry in Mesopotamia, later trained horses for the army, and was a show jumper. He also raised Great Danes. After marrying the writer F. Ruth Howard, he moved to Hollywood in 1931. He was one of the most popular mystery writers of the 1930s, and between 1931 and 1963 wrote many screenplays along with a few radio and television scripts.
His detective novels, particularly those featuring his series detective Anthony Gethryn, are primarily "whodunnits" with the occasional locked room mystery. His first detective novel was 'The Rasp' (1924), in which he introduced his character Anthony Gethryn.
In later years MacDonald wrote television scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Malice Domestic', 1957) and Perry Mason ('The Case of the Terrified Typist', 1958).
He twice received an Edgar Award for Best Short Story: in 1953, for 'Something to Hide', and in 1956, for 'Dream No More'. Indeed many critics felt that his short story writing was superior to his novels and they did win five second prizes in the annual contests held by 'Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'.
He also wrote under the pseudonyms Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, W.J. Stuart and Warren Stuart.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 15, 2024
Earlier this month I read one of this Golden Age of Mystery author's books and liked it well enough to try this one which was written in 1930.
It is a rather strange story which had me guessing but with a faint idea about what was going on. The murder doesn't occur until over half-way through the book but it provides the reader with information that might give some clues.
A wealthy and well liked London business man is the main character and he may have a rather mysterious past which is coming back to haunt him..............or is it? There are some blind alleys to test the reader's imagination and the book will hold your interest throughout. If you like this genre of mystery, give this author a try.
It is a rather strange story which had me guessing but with a faint idea about what was going on. The murder doesn't occur until over half-way through the book but it provides the reader with information that might give some clues.
A wealthy and well liked London business man is the main character and he may have a rather mysterious past which is coming back to haunt him..............or is it? There are some blind alleys to test the reader's imagination and the book will hold your interest throughout. If you like this genre of mystery, give this author a try.
August 20, 2015
A prominent investment banker is killed and it’s fairly obvious whom the culprit is, so where is the mystery in this mystery novel? Actually, all is not as it seems, but that is not surprising since the writer, Philip MacDonald, also authored the supremely puzzling “The List of Adrian Messenger,” a book where the reader fails to notice how misdirected he has been till gobsmacked at the end. The plot is intricate and convoluted, filled with distractions and misdirections, red herrings galore, and fully realized characters, so the book should be just as well written and enthralling as all his others. Unfortunately, it is not, and I think there are two contributing reasons. First, there is no dedicated detective, from beginning to end, except a Scotland Yard plod who eventually fades away as the murder case stumbles toward unsolvability. The second is the narrative and dialogue styles—they were crisp when the book came out in 1930, but have wilted quite a bit since. While you can enjoy the dialogue in the same way you might in a British film from the Thirties (MacDonald was also a screenwriter), the narrative comes across as supercilious and intrusive, weaknesses that might have been minimized had there been a strong central investigative character who could lend a guiding point of view. So, while still an enjoyable book from the Golden Age, it’s not as enjoyable as it could have been.
February 2, 2018
Philip MacDonald was a Golden Age British writer who moved to Hollywood and wrote screenplays; his best-known book was probably The List of Adrian Messenger, which became a successful movie. He wrote some good books, but his output was a bit erratic, and I'd say this is one of the minor ones. The head of a London financial firm is being stalked by a mysterious foreigner, apparently irate at a deal gone bad; when the financier arranges a late-night meeting with the malcontent to discuss a settlement, shots are fired. The financier lies dead in his study and the truculent alien has disappeared.
Good fun in the great tradition, but sadly the central plot device is all too transparent, maybe only because we've had a century or more of clever twists and we know them all now. Maybe it was more baffling when it came out in 1931. Read only for nostalgia's sake.
Good fun in the great tradition, but sadly the central plot device is all too transparent, maybe only because we've had a century or more of clever twists and we know them all now. Maybe it was more baffling when it came out in 1931. Read only for nostalgia's sake.
January 3, 2018
For my full review click on the link below:
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https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
July 21, 2021
This was quite fun in a way, arranged with an Epilogue at the start, a Prologue at the end, and three reels, divided into sequences. So the structure is most original. However, the structure also creates a major problem as it gives the game away to the alert reader of GAD fiction.
The novel also has bright characterisation and some spirited dialogue, which show just why Hollywood snapped Macdonald up as a scriptwriter.
There are, however two areas where stereotyping occurs, of black and of gay characters. These reflect attitudes of the time (1930) but I found them offensive.
I would say this is an interesting example of a different type of inverted mystery, but for many readers it will not provide much of a puzzle.
As the novel is fairly short, this issue has a bonus of the only short story to feature Anthony Gethryn. For keen GAD fans, the clue to the solution is that it is set in the same year in which an Agatha Christie novel was published using the same idea.
3.5 stars.
The novel also has bright characterisation and some spirited dialogue, which show just why Hollywood snapped Macdonald up as a scriptwriter.
There are, however two areas where stereotyping occurs, of black and of gay characters. These reflect attitudes of the time (1930) but I found them offensive.
I would say this is an interesting example of a different type of inverted mystery, but for many readers it will not provide much of a puzzle.
As the novel is fairly short, this issue has a bonus of the only short story to feature Anthony Gethryn. For keen GAD fans, the clue to the solution is that it is set in the same year in which an Agatha Christie novel was published using the same idea.
3.5 stars.
February 9, 2025
A classic Golden Age crime novel, and the first time Philip MacDonald wrote a crime novel without a detective.
‘Rynox’ is at that point where one injudicious move, one failure of judgement, one coincidental piece of bad luck will wreck it. So why would anyone send more than a million pounds in one-pound notes to Mr Salisbury of the Naval, Military and Cosmopolitan Assurance Corporation? Who would shoot F.X. Benedik, the senior partner of the firm, through the head in his study? And where is the choleric Mr Marsh, who had an appointment with F.X. on the night of his death? Rynox is on the edge of big things. But the edge of big things is a narrow edge. And narrow edges are slippery . . .
Philip MacDonald’s Rynox is an engrossing murder mystery set in the business world, a crime novel without a detective in which murder and big business are inextricably combined. Beginning with the Epilogue and ending with the Prologue, it is a subtle and exciting book by one of the greatest masters of the mystery story.
A bit odd but a lot of fun. You could poke holes in it but I just enjoyed the ride.
I also read the short story The Wood-for-the-trees which is the first time I've come across Colonel Anthony Ruthven Gethryn. Unfortunately, it served its purpose & I now want to read more Gethryn tales. Sigh!
‘Rynox’ is at that point where one injudicious move, one failure of judgement, one coincidental piece of bad luck will wreck it. So why would anyone send more than a million pounds in one-pound notes to Mr Salisbury of the Naval, Military and Cosmopolitan Assurance Corporation? Who would shoot F.X. Benedik, the senior partner of the firm, through the head in his study? And where is the choleric Mr Marsh, who had an appointment with F.X. on the night of his death? Rynox is on the edge of big things. But the edge of big things is a narrow edge. And narrow edges are slippery . . .
Philip MacDonald’s Rynox is an engrossing murder mystery set in the business world, a crime novel without a detective in which murder and big business are inextricably combined. Beginning with the Epilogue and ending with the Prologue, it is a subtle and exciting book by one of the greatest masters of the mystery story.
A bit odd but a lot of fun. You could poke holes in it but I just enjoyed the ride.
I also read the short story The Wood-for-the-trees which is the first time I've come across Colonel Anthony Ruthven Gethryn. Unfortunately, it served its purpose & I now want to read more Gethryn tales. Sigh!
August 11, 2019
Value for money !
The Rynox mystery is an unusual mystery because of its format .It's something like a script of a modern movie with chapters named as reels and scenes and starts with the Epilogue.Its an intriguing piece written in an amusing odd ball way and contains quite a few comic moments and eccentric character sketches.As a mystery it might not be exceptional but it certainly entertains .
The short story in this Collins hardcover edition is a masterpiece and is one of the most satisfying detective short stories I have come across.The creation of atmosphere and the solution of the mystery are both done in a masterful way.
I.must also mention that the vintage look and feel of the book added an extra layer of enjoyment for me.It confirmed my belief again that reading a hardback is in a different league than reading a e-book.
The Rynox mystery is an unusual mystery because of its format .It's something like a script of a modern movie with chapters named as reels and scenes and starts with the Epilogue.Its an intriguing piece written in an amusing odd ball way and contains quite a few comic moments and eccentric character sketches.As a mystery it might not be exceptional but it certainly entertains .
The short story in this Collins hardcover edition is a masterpiece and is one of the most satisfying detective short stories I have come across.The creation of atmosphere and the solution of the mystery are both done in a masterful way.
I.must also mention that the vintage look and feel of the book added an extra layer of enjoyment for me.It confirmed my belief again that reading a hardback is in a different league than reading a e-book.
April 2, 2018
Some call this book a postmodern mystery. It is certainly a queer book. It starts with an epilogue and ends with a prologue. The parts of the book are called Reel one, Reel two, etc. Chapters are called "sequences". Sentences are inverted. Instead of saying "He walked to the table" there stands "To the table he walked".
The Kindle edition that I bought also contains the short story "The Wood for the Trees". This is a masterpiece. The writing is very good. It also has a wonderful clue. Extremely satisfying even though it uses something that originated with Agatha Christie. I give this story 5 stars.
The Kindle edition that I bought also contains the short story "The Wood for the Trees". This is a masterpiece. The writing is very good. It also has a wonderful clue. Extremely satisfying even though it uses something that originated with Agatha Christie. I give this story 5 stars.
August 19, 2022
Actually, the plot was really good - but one only finds out the plot in the last few pages of the book, which is the "letter". The rest of the book was poorly-written mishmash, jumping from here to there with no continuity, new characters introduced who seem to never again appear, names changed from formal to informal, without identification or explanation or definition - frankly, I hated it! But seriously, just read the "letter" revealed at the end. Tells you everything that the author was unable to voice in the rest of the book; in fact, was probably his blueprint for the book - he should have left it at that.
November 21, 2020
Un libro piuttosto atipico questo "La strana fine di Mr. Benedik", il cui prologo è in realtà la fine e la scrittura è molto leggera e divertita. Peccato, che la storia di fondo sia un pochino povera ed il tutto non scende mai veramente in profondità. Inoltre, il finale, per quanto logico e sensato, mi sembra un pochino una presa in giro. Tuttavia, la sua breve durata ed una notevole scorrevolezza lo rendono una lettura quantomeno piacevole.
September 19, 2021
Read this in one sitting.
Surprisingly fast moving, interestingly structured Golden Age mystery. Lots of fun and more appealing than I expected it to be. The only thing lacking is an exciting ending. It's good, but could've been more thrilling.
4.4/5
Surprisingly fast moving, interestingly structured Golden Age mystery. Lots of fun and more appealing than I expected it to be. The only thing lacking is an exciting ending. It's good, but could've been more thrilling.
4.4/5
December 22, 2025
Saw it described as the best of MacDonald's book. It's more of a fairplay mystery than his others, even though there is no detective as such. I managed to guess the solution. It is an entertaining yarn, with a sligthly immoral main character.
March 25, 2019
Excellent book with an innovative structure and a genuine sense of fun about it all.
February 3, 2022
DNF - Stilted and predictable.
July 27, 2025
Easy to guess the solution. Giving this 2 stars for the free short story at the end of my edition which is deeply problematic.
February 22, 2016
Swashbuckling industrialist F. X. Benedix vows that he's had enough of his old enemy, Boswell Marsh, harassing his staff. He will arrange a meeting with Marsh and end this problem once and for all. But the irascible Marsh has other ideas, and it's Benedix who is found dead. I'm sure that when this short novel was first written, people gasped in astonishment at the solution to Marsh's disappearance, but we've read too much since 1930, and I did follow the plot out as it unfolded.
October 6, 2017
Ingegnosa la costruzione. Non un'inverted story, ma quasi. Soluzione molto soddisfacente perché gli indizi mi hanno abilmente tratto in inganno: io avevo immaginato uno scenario simile, ma non esattamente così. Bravo Macdonald.
Want to read
January 8, 2019Synopsis: the mystery man lived behind shut doors and windows. One day he bought a ticket to the city. Then a bizarre murder was committed.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews