The Nine Wrong Answers

by John Dickson Carr

Your name is Bill Dawson.You're British, stranded in New York. You're broke and desperate, and a stranger has just paid you $10,000 to impersonate him in a perilous situation. Then the stranger gets poisoned in full view of everyone in a Greenwich Village bar - and no one sees the poisoner. You fly to London on a faked passport and you find that you have to hide from Scotland Yard while you stalk a killer. In an incredible house of luxury, an old man whispers to you malevolently over his jade chessmen, "you are going to die..." A deadly tarantula comes in your mail. The beautiful girl in the adjoining hotel room says you spent the night with her - and you wish it was true.

Try your wits on the 9 wrong answers:

1. Was Bill Dawson walking into a trap?
2. Was the first murder a suicide?
3. Would dinner at Gaylord's end in death?
4. What happened to the lawyer's secretary?
5. Which beautiful girl was on Dawson's side?
6. Were there a dozen murders, or only one?
7. Would Dawson hang for another man's crime?
8. Was his best friend part of the conspiracy?
9. Could the dead do murder?

John Dickson Carr dazzles you with nine wrong solutions to his most exciting and extraordinary mystery - then reveals the explosive, the astonishing, hidden right answer!

Genres: Mystery, Crime, 20th Century, Detective, Fiction

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

AKA Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn.

John Dickson Carr was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1906. It Walks by Night, his first published detective novel, featuring the Frenchman Henri Bencolin, was published in 1930. Apart from Dr Fell, whose first appearance was in Hag's Nook in 1933, Carr's other series detectives (published under the nom de plume of Carter Dickson) were the barrister Sir Henry Merrivale, who debuted in The Plague Court Murders (1934).

Reviews

[Bob Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only read two of Carr's many mystery novels (I think), but what I like most about him is that he has no pretenses about having fun. More than anything, Carr wants to establish a friendly game with the reader, and this is seen in the titular nine wrong answers: in this case, nine footnotes written expressly to tell you to discard whatever solution a recent passage may have formed in your head.

Again, Carr's mysteries may not be as literary or well-constructed as others, but they certainly are fun. This one involves a man hired to play another man for the sake of visiting an old relative to earn his inheritance. Though the main plot takes a bit too long to get going, the cat-and-mouse action of Nine Wrong Answers moves quickly, and even though some of the twists are a little too coincidental, Carr has a way of making some of his bigger stretches feel plausible within the context of the story's logic. Bonus points go to this book's "parlor scene," which effectively lays out all of the extremely subtle clues Carr laid throughout that went mostly unnoticed by me.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to blame the heat. I'm feeling quite lethargic and am having to force myself to read what I know are quite fantastic books (after all, most of them have spent years on my TBR pile--I must have put them there for very good reasons at some point, right?). And right now I am feeling very grumpy and disgruntled and haven't much enjoyed my latest excursion into the very tricky world of John Dickson Carr.

Generally speaking, I adore Carr and his alter ego Carter Dickson and devour his books like they might disappear out of my hands before I finish. I like his impossible crimes and his effortless way of playing fair with the reader and still making you come up with the wrong answer. And I have a very clear memory of being astounded and delighted by The Nine Wrong Answers when I discovered it at the tiny little public library in Spencer, IN twenty-some years ago. [That place was a gold mine of vintage mysteries...but I digress.] I hunted high and low in used bookstores between then and 2009 before I found a copy of my own. I put it on the TBR pile for a reread at some suitable moment and, when I decided to do a Vintage Challenge Theme called Murder by the Numbers, decided that this year was the moment. Perhaps July in the middle of a heat wave wasn't quite the moment.

So, here's the scoop: Bill Dawson goes for a visit to a lawyer who has advertised for him. It seems his grandma has passed away and left him a hundred pounds. This is good news for Bill who had left England after a failed romance and managed to not do so very well in the States. While he waits to see the lawyer, he overhears part of Larry Hurst's story, another man due for an inheritance--if he can carry out the undesirable instructions that will make him eligible. Hurst, who is also in the States, is being given $10,000 and the requirement that he must return to England and visit his uncle every week for a period of six months in order to be named as his uncle's heir. Hurst does not want to go. He claims that his uncle terrorized him as a child and there is no way he can face the man now.

It is discovered that Dawson is in the outer room and has heard most of the conversation. He has a preliminary discussion with Amberley (the lawyer) and is told to return the next day. When he leaves, Hurst comes rushing after him and offers him the $10,000 if Dawson will impersonate him and take his place in visiting the dreaded uncle. After a bit of wavering and interference from Hurst's fiancee, Joy Tenant (who is definitely against the idea), the deal is struck and identification is exchanged. The three of them go out to a bar to discuss details, but before the night is over Hurst is struck down--apparently poisoned. Joy disappears and Dawson flees the scene as well. He is worried about the situation until a newspaper clipping shoved under the hotel door reveals that someone must have removed Dawson's passport, etc. from Hurst's pockets. The victim in the paper is referred to as an "unknown." So it appears safe for Dawson to go ahead with the impersonation--which he feels honor-bound to do, having promised Hurst in those final moments in the bar that he would "settle with him, Larry. So help me, I'll settle with him."

So, Dawson takes off for England to do just that. Along the way he encounters romance and adventure and, of course, the evil tricks of the so-called uncle (what uncle would treat a nephew like that) and his man-servant Hatto. And, of course there are the nine answers. These are represented in the footnotes which Carr provides at various points throughout the novel. Ostensibly to clear up any misconceptions the reader has and to "help" the reader to the correct solution. But readers should be very careful about how they interpret the "help" they're given.

I am quite sure that Carr really has played fair with us--and that is certainly the impression I came away with twenty years ago. However, I can only go by my reading of the novel this time--and this time I feel thoroughly bamboozled. I even had to go back and double-check a few of the footnotes just to make sure I hadn't been. I hadn't. But that's the way I feel and it has colored my reading of the novel. I am also thoroughly unimpressed with Dawson and his lady-love--she who was part of the broken romance of before and who has popped up again in his life (shall I go on about the coincidences that I noticed big as life this time? Okay, I won't--'cause like I said I think I'm mostly just too hot to read and concentrate properly....). I have no idea why these two people want to stay together....all they do is argue. And keep going on about how they won't be jealous this time.

Not my best reading of one of the classic mystery field's finest--Carr deserves better. That's why I'm giving him him a straight three stars for this outing and allowing the four star rating from my previous reading to stand on Goodreads. I do suggest you read this one--just wait for cool weather and a clear head to do so.

This review was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting any portion. Thanks,

[Nina Miteva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ревюто в Wanderbook

"Девет грешни отговора", въпреки че имаше предпоставки за много завладяващо и заплетено крими, ги пропиля за мен с ненужен екшън и диалози за сметка на малко развитие на героите, много случайни срещи и незадоволителни женски персонажи. Не можах да се насладя на книгата, дори при условие, че я взех с идеята за наистина леко, непретенциозно крими - не очаквах дълбока мистерия или психологически трилър, нещо като еквивалент на исторически любовен роман.

Все пак най-напред да си кажем хубавите неща. Не се сещам за книга, която съм чела, и която да няма поне няколко достойнства. Тук мисля, че едно от най-големите е видимото желание на автора да се забавлява и да комуникира с читателя. Романът неслучайно е кръстен "Девет грешни отговора" - сред страниците ви очакват девет бележки под линия, с които Кар оставя подсказки кои са тези грешни отговори на въпросите, евентулно изникнали в съзнанието на читателя и го подтиква да тръгне да мисли в съвсем друга посока. Същевременно успява да заиграе така думите, че понякога тези искрени предупреждения всъщност да се окажат дори по-объркващи.

Основата на мистерията беше страхотна. Много се зарибих по историята за злия манипулативен чичо, по някаква причина направил основна цел да направи живота на едно дете истински ад. Главният герой - Бил, беше симпатичен, чудесен протагонист за такава кримка, и Кар наистина бе успял да го поразвие в краткия обем на книгата. Очаквах с нетърпение сблъсъка между двамата и надиграването между тях. Дори не бих имала нищо против от финалното разкритие, стига да не беше базирано толкова на финансова изгода, а повече на отмъщение.

Плюсовете за мен обаче се изчерпват с гореизброеното. След симпатична и динамична завръзка, която запраща Бил на самолета за Англия, нещата свърнаха в посока, която не ми се понрави. Множество случайни срещи, излишни герои, които дори не си струва човек да заподозре, и абсурдни ръкопашни схватки, вместо дебненето в мрака, на което се надявах.

Проста случайна среща с отдавна загубената дама на сърцето? Категорично да! Но нещата нататък - не. Особено целият епизод с радиотеатъра. Не само изведнъж цялата дружинка се оказаха първи приятели на Бил Доусън, противно всякаква логика на това, което знаехме за миналото му на летец и прекараното време в Америка. Освен това, като цяло не виждах особен смисъл от тези сцени, герои и уморителни диалози, освен че Бил се сдругари и с потенциалното гадже на любимата си. Тя пък - Мардж - отначало ми хареса. И тя, и другото момиче в книгата - Джул, съпругата на Лари на пръв поглед ми се сториха интересни или симпатични героини. Но бързо се разочаровах от повърхностното им представяне. Изобщо - мех. Дори не ми се иска да почвам да говоря за чичото и прислужника му.

[Chad Schimke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nine Wrong Answers by John Dickson Carr (1952)
An imposter is framed for murder - where the reader matches wits with the author to dispel the ‘wrong answers’ – and conceals the murderer. The Nine Wrong Answers by John Dickson Carr uses an ingenious device, footnotes that proceed through the novel, to arrive at the final chapter titled ‘The Nine Right Answers’. Evidence builds along the way but the protagonist is outguessed at every turn. Carr is a classic mystery writer, if you are inclined to read a whodunit, don’t miss this opportunity!
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019...
The Nine Wrong Answers

[William Bibliomane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic piece of Carrian misdirection and fair-play suspense writing, The Nine Wrong Answers is a book that left me smiling with admiration at the end of the neatly constructed tale. Bill Dawson is an Englishman who, after surviving as an RAF pilot during the war is almost destroyed by the collapse of his planned marriage, has fallen on hard times in America. A stroke of good fortune lands him a chance to return to England and revive his family fortunes, if only he has the courage to impersonate another man and survive that man's abusive uncle's ministrations for six months. What follows is a story worthy of a Hitchcock film or a role featuring Vincent Price, full of menace and shadow. Can Bill survive Laurence Hurst's uncle, and his villainous servant, Hatto?

Sometimes it almost seems to me that, beloved as Carr's recurring series characters are, they sometimes seem to limit the scope of his stories (less-so, perhaps, with the Carter Dickson / H.M. tales); it's in his non-series work, particularly his historical suspense works, that he really shines. But The Nine Wrong Answers as a contemporary tale, set against the Festival of Britain and with a finale set in a Sherlock Holmes exhibition in Baker Street, is just as solid and entertaining as the best of the historical novels that I have read. If you need a break from the world of today, this book may afford you a few pleasant hours of escape.

[Swathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had huge expectations from this one. JDC always meant locked room mysteries for me. And this 'doesn't' fall in that category.
Right answer number 1 : I was led down there.
Right answer number 2 : It is more of a drama than a whodunnit mystery.
Right answer number 3 : The BBC portion was not much wanted or was it?
Right answer number 4: There are many many better books of JDC and those are obviously, my favorites.
Right answer number 5: The astute reader is led by red herrings, I managed to guess two things in the solution , so 'The nine wrong answers' didn't apply here, right ?
Right answer number 6: For the mystery part, I must say it was well kept and the climax was brilliantly executed.
Right answer number 7 : Bill Dawson will not be remembered much. Gideon Fell and HM always.
Right answer number 8 :JDC's love for Sherlock Holmes and his creator is very well shown. Good tribute right there!
Right answer number 9: This book gets a 3.5 star from me, because, though I felt it dragging and dry, it didn't bore me to the point of closing it. And yeah, the climax.

Have fun!

[Jazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since this often makes the "Best of" lists for works by John Dickson Carr, I approached it eagerly. For some reason, I didn't click with this book. It seemed very slow to get to the "crime," and I had to push my way forward. The Nine Wrong Answers are suppositions that an astute reader may make, but then refuted in nine footnotes over the course of the book. There is one massive bit of misdirection revealed at the end that makes it a clever puzzle mystery. Carr is careful not to lie to the reader, but he does like to lead the reader down the garden path. And in that sense he is very successful, so beware. But the whole time I was reading it, I kept wishing for Sir Henry Merrivale to show up and add a spot of humor or whimsey to the story. For the Golden Age mystery buff, it's worth reading, but I can't say I'd consider it one of my top ten reads written by Carr.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good puzzle, and I enjoyed the "wrong answers" footnotes, but wow, what a lot of overheated emotions!

[Evangéline L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai relu ce chef d oeuvre qui m avait bluffé pendant mon adolescence...

[Jan Sørensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good a Carr as any, even if dr Fell is not present. Only read once many years ago. Must re-read it soon!

[Umer Abbas · Rating 2 out of 5]

an experimental carr which fell short of the mark but what an experiment a rare thing in detective fiction indeed.

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is probably the weakest novel I’ve read by this author. I think the focus on a puzzle that tricks the reader completely overshadowed a crafting a story that entertains them.

[Kim Krenik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I need to read all of his books. This one was so intriguing. He is my favorite mystery author. HIGH KING of crime.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleverly written, and an engaging storyline

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μόλις το πρώτο βιβλίο του μάστορα του μυστηρίου Τζον Ντίκσον Καρ που διαβάζω, με άφησε αρκετά ευχαριστημένο, σίγουρα θα διαβάσω και άλλα δικά του στο μέλλον, μιας και φαίνεται (και είναι) πολύ ενδιαφέρων συγγραφέας.

Δεν υπάρχει ντετέκτιβ μέσα στο βιβλίο, αλλά ο αναγνώστης καλείται ο ίδιος να κάνει τον ντετέκτιβ, να λύσει ο ίδιος, αν γίνεται, το μυστήριο! Γι'αυτό υπάρχουν και οι εννιά ερωτήσεις στο οπισθόφυλλο και σε καίρια και σημαντικά σημεία της ιστορίας υπάρχουν οι απαντήσεις σε αυτές τις ερωτήσεις, που απορρίπτουν τις ερωτήσεις αυτές και δείχνουν στον αναγνώστη αν είναι σε σωστό δρόμο ή όχι. Χρειάζεται προσοχή γιατί και η παραμικρή λεπτομέρεια μπορεί να είναι ένα πολύ σημαντικό κομμάτι του παζλ.

Ποια είναι η ιστορία: Ο Μπιλ Ντόσον, ένας νεαρός Άγγλος που μένει και εργάζεται στις ΗΠΑ, καλείται από έναν επίσης Άγγλο που διαμένει στις ΗΠΑ, ονόματι Λάρι Χερστ, να πάει πίσω στην Αγγλία ως Λάρι Χερστ και να επισκέπτεται μια φορά την εβδομάδα και για έξι μήνες τον σαδιστικό θείο του Χερστ, ονόματι Γκέιλορντ Χερστ (φυσικά με το ανάλογο αντίτιμο, 10.000 δολάρια). Αυτές οι επισκέψεις φαίνεται ότι είναι ο μοναδικός όρος του θείου Χερστ ώστε ο ανιψιός να κληρονομήσει κάποια μέρα την τεράστια περιουσία του. Όμως ο ανιψιός δηλητηριάζεται κάποια στιγμή, οι υποψίες πέφτουν πάνω στον Ντόσον, ο Ντόσον γυρνάει στην Αγγλία και εμφανίζεται στον θείο Χερστ ως ο ανιψιός του, με σκοπό την εκδίκηση. (ο θείος Γκέιλορντ έκανε φοβερές φάρσες στον ανιψιό του και μπορεί να πει κανείς ότι τον μισούσε κάπως ή τέλος πάντων ότι του φερόταν σαν να ήταν ένα κακομαθημένο παιδί και ο Ντόσον είχε συμπαθήσει τον Λάρι οπότε έβλεπε με κακό μάτι τον Γκέιλορντ). Και φυσικά υπάρχει μια πολύ μεγάλη ανατροπή στο τέλος και πολλές, πολλές εκπλήξεις. Ο οξυδερκής όμως αναγνώστης (όπως λέει και ο Ντίκσον Καρ), αν πρόσεχε λίγο, θα μπορούσε να βρει ο ίδιος το τέλος. Εγώ έπεσα περίπου μέσα. Και ένα ωραίο σημείο του βιβλίου: Η λύση του μυστηρίου δίνεται στο δωμάτιο του Σέρλοκ Χολμς στο σπίτι του στην Μπέικερ Στριτ! Αυτό μου άρεσε.

Μην νομίζετε ότι είναι κάνα αριστούργημα, οι χαρακτήρες είναι δίχως βάθος, λίγο επίπεδοι, σε σημεία ίσως κουράζει λίγο, δείχνει και κάπως τα χρονάκια του, αλλά είναι καλογραμμένο και σίγουρα πολύ ενδιαφέρον. Και φυσικά έχει φόνους, μπόλικη δράση, μυστήριο, ανατροπές, πολύ ωραία ατμόσφαιρα και άλλα ωραία πραγματάκια. Αν βρείτε το βιπεράκι αυτό, πάρτε το, σίγουρα δεν θα κοστίζει και πολλά.

[Marsali Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's more like it. Now this is vintage Carr - the scrupulous fair play shown in meticulous clueing - but be careful, even that can trick you - the fast moving plot, the comedy, the atmosphere. Yes, his main characters are generally pretty alike from one book to another... but you could say that of a good few other authors (pretty certainly myself included. It's the puzzle you read him for - and this is a humdinger. He wrote himself (in an essay called 'The Grandest Game in the World') that the best detective novels were the ones that you closed with an admiring curse - and this is one of those.

[Carrieoconnor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was looking for classical mystery writers to read and came across Dickson Carr - an American mystery writer living in England and better yet, a Haverford grad from the 1920s. I enjoy reading these books because I feel they give a good flavor of the time and era, and this book delivers. I enjoyed the plot but wasn't crazy about the title and the author's related NINE footnotes that purportedly let the reader know they're on the wrong track. I'll try Carr again, but not sure I'll see Jim through his whole oeuvre.

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 2 out of 5]

The novel is a good mystery in that the reader will have to read carefully to capture all the clues before all is revealed at the end. I did finish the book, but there were so many "coincidences" that I grew tired of the story shortly after the first meeting in the uncle's home.

While the main focus of a mystery should be the mystery, I found the characters to be one-dimensional which resulted in a "who cares" attitude when the mystery was resolved.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heard about this author from Nancy Pearl and decided to pick up one of his books. This was a fun old-fashioned mystery novel with a slight twist. High on coincidence, low on character development but a good read for mystery fans.

[David Campton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never did such a short book seem so long. Tediously convoluted, with poorly drawn characters and unrealistic dialogue. I have been given two of these to read, but I suspect that I will probably not start the other one in a hurry.

[March · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even for late Carr this is a puerile, trashy, and unconvincing mystery/adventure novel, with ludicrous characters and situations; whether it even works for you a little bit will depend on whether you find the footnote gimmick clever or a cheap trick.

[Catherine Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really clever twister of a tale that keeps you thinking.

[Doug Howgate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it had the potential to be much better than it was.

[Jameson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm, I thought I would've liked this a lot more. Not one of Carr's best.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A "not bad" book, but certainly not his best. He says the reader is not swindled, but I disagree.