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Ellery Queen: Five Complete Novels
A mysterious religious commune, New York City during a choking heat wave, and a quiet New England town are among the settings for intrigue and murder. Includes five complete and unabridged novels: And on the Eighth Day; The Player on the Other Side; Inspector Queen's Own Case; Cat of Many Tails; Double, Double.
- GenresMystery
714 pages, Hardcover
First published December 12, 1988
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About the author
Ellery Queen
1,786 books486 followersaka Barnaby Ross.
(Pseudonym of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee)
"Ellery Queen" was a pen name created and shared by two cousins, Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905-1971), as well as the name of their most famous detective. Born in Brooklyn, they spent forty two years writing, editing, and anthologizing under the name, gaining a reputation as the foremost American authors of the Golden Age "fair play" mystery.
Although eventually famous on television and radio, Queen's first appearance came in 1928 when the cousins won a mystery-writing contest with the book that would eventually be published as The Roman Hat Mystery. Their character was an amateur detective who used his spare time to assist his police inspector father in solving baffling crimes. Besides writing the Queen novels, Dannay and Lee cofounded Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, one of the most influential crime publications of all time. Although Dannay outlived his cousin by nine years, he retired Queen upon Lee's death.
Several of the later "Ellery Queen" books were written by other authors, including Jack Vance, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon.
(Pseudonym of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee)
"Ellery Queen" was a pen name created and shared by two cousins, Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905-1971), as well as the name of their most famous detective. Born in Brooklyn, they spent forty two years writing, editing, and anthologizing under the name, gaining a reputation as the foremost American authors of the Golden Age "fair play" mystery.
Although eventually famous on television and radio, Queen's first appearance came in 1928 when the cousins won a mystery-writing contest with the book that would eventually be published as The Roman Hat Mystery. Their character was an amateur detective who used his spare time to assist his police inspector father in solving baffling crimes. Besides writing the Queen novels, Dannay and Lee cofounded Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, one of the most influential crime publications of all time. Although Dannay outlived his cousin by nine years, he retired Queen upon Lee's death.
Several of the later "Ellery Queen" books were written by other authors, including Jack Vance, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 8, 2019
If you're looking for an example of 5 strong American detective "who-done-it" novels, I highly recommend this collection. Queen, perhaps, has the most varied group of settings and characters and structures of perhaps any American detective author. I've reviewed/will review each of these novels separately. My favorite is "Player on the Other Side" (review to come and true, it was ghostwritten by another author, not the cousins who make up 'Ellery Queen') and my least favorite is "Inspector Queen's Own Case," (still I gave it a 3-star rating). Each is unique in its own way, and it's fascinating how the publisher came up with the order of these books, as it works, but I can't tell you why: that's for you to discover. Enjoy!
February 19, 2019
A collection of five Ellery Queen stories. I plucked this volume off my parents' shelf at Christmas on the promise of classic detective fiction and it delivered...somewhat.
Without any further or prior knowledge of Ellery Queen, I've gotta say: not only do these seem to be really weird story choices, their order is also weird. Like, maybe don't start with the story about how Ellery Queen is sleep-deprived and exhausted and how that feeling permeates the entire story so it always feels kinda surreal?
It is a decent introduction, I guess, based on the fact that 1) it was my introduction, and 2) I did enjoy myself, but I remain somewhat bemused at some of the choices.
Specific Stories In Order:
And on the Eighth Day ★★★
The Player on the Other Side ★★★★
Inspector Queen's Own Case ★★
Cat of Many Tails ★★★
Double, Double ★★★★
I know, based on the average of the individual story reviews, this should be 3 stars, but overall, I did really enjoy the collection. Ellery is, overall, an enjoyable character.
Without any further or prior knowledge of Ellery Queen, I've gotta say: not only do these seem to be really weird story choices, their order is also weird. Like, maybe don't start with the story about how Ellery Queen is sleep-deprived and exhausted and how that feeling permeates the entire story so it always feels kinda surreal?
It is a decent introduction, I guess, based on the fact that 1) it was my introduction, and 2) I did enjoy myself, but I remain somewhat bemused at some of the choices.
Specific Stories In Order:
And on the Eighth Day ★★★
The Player on the Other Side ★★★★
Inspector Queen's Own Case ★★
Cat of Many Tails ★★★
Double, Double ★★★★
I know, based on the average of the individual story reviews, this should be 3 stars, but overall, I did really enjoy the collection. Ellery is, overall, an enjoyable character.
April 7, 2019
Four novels by the writer who was one of my two favorites when I was a teen. An enjoyable revisiting of some classic mysteries.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews