By Charles J. Dutton Murder in a Library [Paperback]

by Charles J. Dutton

Public libraries are not often thought of as the scene of serious crimes. That is why when the body of a librarian is found strangled in her office with over fifty people just outside in the adjacent reading room, the case attracts so much attention. Yet the crime seems to have no reason, no motive. After all, why would anyone want to kill a sixty year old spinster, particularly in such a public place. With the newspapers clamoring for action, the police chief finds himself turning to his old friend, Harley Manners, professor of abnormal psychology, with the hopes that he can shed light on the mystery of the . . . Murder in a Library!

Genres: Mystery

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1931

About the author

American mystery writer (1888-1964) who was educated at Brown University, Albany Law School and Defiance Theological Seminary. Among his many professions he counted clergyman, newspaper columnist and novelist. He contributed fiction to numerous U.S. and British magazines. After living much of his life in New England (where many of his books are set) he later settled in Des Moines, Iowa around 1930 where he lived out his remaining years as a minister for the First Unitarian Church while frequently contributing articles to Reader's Digest.

Reviews

[Karelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

C'était consternant de médiocrité. Le mystère s'annonçait cool — une bibliothécaire se faisait étranglée dans son bureau alors que 50 personnes lisent dans la salle à côté — mais c'était vraiment terrible. Déjà, l'écriture était moyenne, il y avait énormément de répétitions, c'était lourd et ennuyant (je me suis endormie systématiquement à chaque séance de lecture, ou bien je perdais le fil parce que je n'arrivais pas à rester intéressée par ce que je lisais), mais en plus la solution est arrivée et j'étais comme: "mais qui est cette personne, je ne me souviens même pas d'elle?" J'avais ma petite idée de qui était le ou la vrai.e coupable, et je ne démordrai pas que j'avais raison, parce que comme c'est là, gosh que c'était juste pourri.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dutton has a way with words: many of his descriptive phrases were imaginative and evocative, even beautiful. The plot was no less probable than many of the period, and some of the characters were likable. However, none of this could make up for the sheer repetitiveness and inconsistency of this story.

Many phrases were repeated at least twice, within a paragraph of one another. For example, the police chief realizes he is getting old...we read his thoughts for a sentence or two...and then it is stated that he "realized he was getting old". This type of patter occurs several times. Worse, huge chunks of deduction are repeated almost-verbatim, within and between characters, often within a page or so of the last instance. Adding to the problem is the fact that the book, written from 3rd-person omniscient point of view, frequently doesn't take into account that the reader just read the events that are under discussion, and so there is needless explication between characters.

The novel starts with a newspaper journalist hot on the scent, until chapters later he is knocked unconscious and written out of the story. None of what he discovered ever appears to be told to the other characters, and the change in main character is rather abrupt.

The psychologist friend of the police is wishy-washy in the extreme about the psychology of the crime, not to mention certain laughable conclusions, such as that "intelligent people don't commit murder", or that a woman who works in a library would never be seen at a roadhouse. The killer is either crazed or cold-blooded, cool-headed or inflamed by passion.

It wasn't a bad read while working out on the elliptical, but it's not terribly engaging or interesting, either. I suggest it only if you (like me) are a huge fan of golden age mysteries and want to add it to your dossier.

[Soya · Rating 3 out of 5]

1931ൽ പബ്ലിഷ് ചെയ്ത നോവലാണ് Murder in a library.കെ കെ ഭാസ്കരൻ പയ്യന്നൂർ ആണ് ഇത് മലയാളത്തിലേക്ക് വിവർത്തനം ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്നത്.

അമേരിക്കയിലെ ഏറ്റവും പ്രശസ്തമായ ലൈബ്രറികളിൽ ഒന്നായ ക്യാബിനിൽ റൂബി എന്ന സ്ത്രീ കൊലപ്പെടുന്നു. റൂബി 35 വർഷമായി ആ ലൈബ്രറിയിൽ ജോലി നോക്കുന്നു. കൊലപാതകം നടന്ന സ്ഥലത്ത് 150 ഡോളർ കിടപ്പുണ്ടായിരുന്നു, അതിനാൽ തന്നെ കൊലപാതകിയുടെ ലക്ഷ്യം പണമല്ല എന്ന് വ്യക്തമാകുന്നു.റൂബിക്ക് സുഹൃത്തുക്കളോ ശത്രുക്കളോ എന്ന് പറയാൻ ആരുമില്ല. സംഭവം നടക്കുമ്പോൾ 111 പേർ ലൈബ്രറിയിൽ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

കൊലക്ക് പിന്നിലെ ഉദ്ദേശങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് ക്രൈം റിപ്പോർട്ടർ കാർത്തിയും പോലീസ് ചീഫ് റോഗനും വ്യത്യസ്ത നിഗമനങ്ങൾ വെച്ച് പുലർത്തുമ്പോൾ, പ്രധാന ലൈബ്രേറിയനായ സ്പൈസർ കൂടി കൊലപ്പെടുന്നു.

ലൈബ്രറിയിൽ നിന്ന് ആദ്യകാല അമേരിക്കാനയുടെ മൂന്ന് ലഘുലേഖകൾ നഷ്ടമായതായി അന്വേഷണത്തിൽ കണ്ടെത്തുന്നു. 11000 ഡോളറുകൾ വിലയുള്ള ആ ലഘുലേഖകൾ ആണോ കൊലപാതകങ്ങൾക്ക് പിന്നിൽ എന്ന്
കുറ്റാന്വേഷകർ സംശയിക്കുന്നു. വിഷയം സങ്കീർണ്ണം ആയതോടെ പ്രശസ്ത മനശാസ്ത്ര വിദഗ്ധൻ പ്രൊഫസർ ഹാർളി അന്വേഷണത്തിന് നേതൃത്വം ഏറ്റെടുക്കുന്നു. തുടർന്നും ദുരൂഹതയാർന്ന ആക്രമണങ്ങളും വിലയേറിയ പുസ്തകങ്ങൾ നഷ്ടപ്പെടുന്നതും തുടരുമ്പോൾ ഗ്രന്ഥാലയവും അതിനെ വലയം ചെയ്യുന്ന ഭീതിദയമായ അന്തരീക്ഷവും വളരുന്നു.

മോഷണം പിടിക്കപ്പെടുമോ എന്നുള്ള ഭയമാണ് രണ്ടു കൊലപാതകങ്ങളുടെയും കാരണമെന്ന് വൈകാതെ തിരിച്ചറിയുന്നു.


വായന - 58
Rating - 🌟🌟🌟
Murder in a library
Charles J Dutton
വിവർത്തനം - കെ കെ ഭാസ്കരൻ പയ്യന്നൂർ
Grass roots
207p,280 rs

 

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The body of a librarian is found strangled in her office right next to the reading room in the public library with over fifty people just outside. The crime seems to have no reason, no motive. Why would anyone want to kill a sixty year old spinster, particularly in such a public place. The city newspapers begin screaming for action, the police chief finds himself turning to his old friend, Harley Manners, professor of abnormal psychology, with the hope that he can help find the murderer and the reason for the crime. This was an OK book. It was a bit dated because it was written in the 1930's and the changes in technology would make the mystery mote very quickly. It was an interesting read though and I did enjoy it.

[Thedoctorscompanion · Rating 1 out of 5]

The repetitiveness of this book was too much to handle. I got so bored reading the same thing one every page. "This crime is so bizarre. There are no clues. Who would kill a librianian?" Also, the excessive descriptions of travel. Dutton could not just write: They drove across town. He took several pages describing they drove across town. Every time time they drove somewhere it took forever to get there. Who knew murder could be so boring? If the story had not been so short I would have abandoned the book.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder in a Library took place during the 1920s-1930s, the "Golden Age" of British mysteries. During this time the most unlikely for a murder to take place was the library. Yet, a librarian is murdered and there doesn't appear to be a motive. Dutton includes red herrings, turns, and twists, and leaves a reader wondering how did they miss the clues.

[Martha Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written well paced

Thoroughly enjoyable kept me guessing. Has a slight fell of a British Victorian mystery. Also another book by Charles Dutton Poison Unknown is very b good. Same characters.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 2 out of 5]

So very plodding and repetitive. I sort of got a kick out of it as a librarian, but as a mystery it's pretty unremarkable, slow, and dated.

[Bimal Kumar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap