Monkey Puzzle

Jack Stryker #1

by Paula Gosling

Lieutenant Jack Stryker confronts a most frustrating case when Grantham University's most unpopular professor is murdered and more than one person will benefit from his bizarre death

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Crime

342 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Paula Gosling is a US born crime writer. She has lived in the UK since the 1960s. Gosling started her writing career as a copy-writer and published her first novel, A Running Duck, in 1974. This won the John Creasey Award for the best first novel of the year and she has also received both the Gold Dagger for Monkey Puzzle in 1985. She is a past Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association.

Her novel A Running Duck, written in 1974 (also published as Fair Game), has been adapted twice into films, once as a Sylvester Stallone vehicle - Cobra and the second time as a film with Cindy Crawford entitled Fair Game.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A winner of the Gold Dagger Award for Crime Fiction in 1985. Lieutenant Jack Stryker investigates the gruesome murder of Aiken Adamson a horrible gossip and blackmailer who was hated and feared by his university colleagues.

Stryker is an old fashioned detective and this story uses many tried and true tropes. The stubborn woman who Stryker falls in love with but who refuses to acknowledge her feelings. Many suspects with good motives and a multitude of red herrings.

It’s a story set in winter with the ending set in a library with a blizzard happening outside.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The actual murderer is insane because of Aiken stealing her notes and writing a better manuscript on the crucifixion of Jesus. Jane Coulter then decides to murder anyone stopping her getting recognition of writing a masterpiece.

[Masayuki Arai · Rating 4 out of 5]

weird professors

[WR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this may sound silly given that the book was written in 1985, but it felt dated, unlike say Agatha Christie, which come across as more timeless to me.

[Don Rea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Run-of-the-mill murder mystery; fun if your tastes run that way (mine do).

The most interesting aspect of the book to me is that it is set in the US, written by an author who was born in the US but has spent most of her life in the UK. She's been there long enough that she occasionally forgets and puts British expressions into the Americans' mouths (such as referring to the parking lot as the "carpark").

[Jeni · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ok whodunit, but seemed rather a convoluted storytelling.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't shame Stryker's kink.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5✨

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monkey Puzzle is an academic mystery--one of my favorite kinds. Set at Grantham University, Ohio, we have killer who seems to be following the three monkeys "See no evil, hear no evil speak no evil." Starting with the murder of the university's most unpopular professor--a professor who had a way of speaking evil to his various victims and reminding them of all the little "secrets" they'd rather keep hidden, the killer goes on to attempt a murder of the chair of the department (who should have heard no evil) and a night-time security man who saw evil, didn't report it, and tried a spot of blackmail. What exactly did these three speak, hear and see that was worth killing for?

Gosling does a wonderful job portraying the in and outs of departmental feuds--everything from the petty rivalries and verbal skewerings to the witty byplay of departmental meetings. The obsessive nature of the murderer is very believable--trust me, I've worked in an English Department for 10 years now. I have no problem believing the rationale of the killer. This was a very quick read and I enjoyed it very much. It's a shame that Gosling didn't make a habit of writing about academia--but I believe most of her novels are stand-alone or carry the protagonists to different settings. I would enjoy reading more academic mysteries by her hand...if there are any to be had.

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

[Päivikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I red it in Finnish so here is some lines to describe it:
"Jopa etsiväkomisario Jack Strykerin täytyy myöntää, että murha oli erityisen julma. Ei niinkään kuhmun tai tikarinpistojen takia - professori Aiken Adamsonin tappaja oli leikannut myös hänen kielensä irti…"

[Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit like Agatha Christie, perhaps closer to 3.5 than 3.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Lieutenant Jack Stryker confronts a frustrating case when Grantham U's most unpopular professor is murdered. His death was bizarre.