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Dr. Gideon Fell #13
The Case of the Constant Suicides
Bookseller Inventory # 002184 (pre-ISBN edition)
Alan Campbell,
a serious young man of about thirty-five, with a sense of humor stemming from his Scotch ancestry and just the necessary amount of good looks; is not such a bookish young man (and certainly not so stuffy) that he fails to notice the strictly feminine charms of
Kathryn Campbell,
who has a hard time keeping a determined look of severity on her face (because she wants to be taken seriously in "scholarly" matters). She is brown-haired, about twenty-seven and very attractive, and she teaches at the Harpenden College for Women.
Dr. Colin Campbell,
an amiable, hearty man in his late sixties, lives in the old family castle in Scotland. He is very short in stature but has broad, burly shoulders and a ferocious grin which makes him seem both powerful and friendly.
Miss Elspat Campbell,
a middle-sized, angular woman with sharp, restless black eyes. At the well-preserved age of seventy, she is the autocrat of the family. Her Scotch brogue is terrific, her voice penetrating, and her passion for respectability verges on the morbid.
Charles E. Swan,
a tallish, leathery-faced young man in his late thirties, works on a newspaper in Canada. He has a mop of wiry mahogany-colored hair, a low, smiling voice and Scotch forebears - of which he is extremely proud. He is covering a special assignment in Scotland.
Alec Forbes,
a man of some education but with no wisdom at all about money. He is lean and dark-faced and is inclined to be moody, to drink too much and to collect enemies. He is an inventor of sorts and a famous cyclist.
Gideon Fell,
though a distinguished scholar, has a bandit mustache that goes well with the salty gusto of his talk and manner. A ponderous man, he seems to fill any room he enters. When he sits down it is like a man-o'-war easing into dock.
Alistair Duncan,
tall, stoop-shouldered and somewhat nearsighted, has a large Adam's apple and grizzled hair around a pale bald spot. He has a dry voice, a bleak smile, and a fair law practice in Scotland.
Walter Chapman,
the sort of young man who grows a beard at twenty-one and spends the rest of his life living up to it, is fresh-faced, fashionably dressed, and suave of tongue. He is a well-chosen representative of the Hercules Insurance Company.
THINGS THIS MYSTERY IS ABOUT -
Four insurance policies...
A leather and metal dog carrier...
Some very old scotch whisky...
A missing diary...
A quantity of dry ice...
The license plate MGM 1911
A dressing-gown cord...
A disjointed fishing rod...
Alan Campbell,
a serious young man of about thirty-five, with a sense of humor stemming from his Scotch ancestry and just the necessary amount of good looks; is not such a bookish young man (and certainly not so stuffy) that he fails to notice the strictly feminine charms of
Kathryn Campbell,
who has a hard time keeping a determined look of severity on her face (because she wants to be taken seriously in "scholarly" matters). She is brown-haired, about twenty-seven and very attractive, and she teaches at the Harpenden College for Women.
Dr. Colin Campbell,
an amiable, hearty man in his late sixties, lives in the old family castle in Scotland. He is very short in stature but has broad, burly shoulders and a ferocious grin which makes him seem both powerful and friendly.
Miss Elspat Campbell,
a middle-sized, angular woman with sharp, restless black eyes. At the well-preserved age of seventy, she is the autocrat of the family. Her Scotch brogue is terrific, her voice penetrating, and her passion for respectability verges on the morbid.
Charles E. Swan,
a tallish, leathery-faced young man in his late thirties, works on a newspaper in Canada. He has a mop of wiry mahogany-colored hair, a low, smiling voice and Scotch forebears - of which he is extremely proud. He is covering a special assignment in Scotland.
Alec Forbes,
a man of some education but with no wisdom at all about money. He is lean and dark-faced and is inclined to be moody, to drink too much and to collect enemies. He is an inventor of sorts and a famous cyclist.
Gideon Fell,
though a distinguished scholar, has a bandit mustache that goes well with the salty gusto of his talk and manner. A ponderous man, he seems to fill any room he enters. When he sits down it is like a man-o'-war easing into dock.
Alistair Duncan,
tall, stoop-shouldered and somewhat nearsighted, has a large Adam's apple and grizzled hair around a pale bald spot. He has a dry voice, a bleak smile, and a fair law practice in Scotland.
Walter Chapman,
the sort of young man who grows a beard at twenty-one and spends the rest of his life living up to it, is fresh-faced, fashionably dressed, and suave of tongue. He is a well-chosen representative of the Hercules Insurance Company.
THINGS THIS MYSTERY IS ABOUT -
Four insurance policies...
A leather and metal dog carrier...
Some very old scotch whisky...
A missing diary...
A quantity of dry ice...
The license plate MGM 1911
A dressing-gown cord...
A disjointed fishing rod...
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1941
28 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
About the author
John Dickson Carr
421 books468 followersAKA 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).
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).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
July 5, 2022
When I was in my early 20's, I read two or three John Dickson Carr novels. I have no memory of which ones they were. Recently, I decided to revisit my youth and read a Carr novel to see what my reaction would be. After reading this one, my only thoughts are that either my younger self had poor literary taste (I don't think that's totally true) or that the Carr novels that I read were superior to this one. Perhaps a combination of those conclusions is close to the truth
Anyway, I slogged through this novel until I reached a tacked on conclusion that was silly and unsatisfying. I'm not an Agatha Christie fan but, compared to this, her work almost seems to have merit.
Perhaps it's time to say goodbye to my youth, though there are parts that I want to remember. It's definitely goodbye to John Dickson Carr.
Anyway, I slogged through this novel until I reached a tacked on conclusion that was silly and unsatisfying. I'm not an Agatha Christie fan but, compared to this, her work almost seems to have merit.
Perhaps it's time to say goodbye to my youth, though there are parts that I want to remember. It's definitely goodbye to John Dickson Carr.
May 9, 2015
After developing a taste for the "golden age mysteries" following extensive sessions with Ellery Quinn and Anthony Boucher, I had tried to get hold of books penned by another Master: John Dickson Carr. Unfortunately, most of his books were out-of-print. Now, thanks to the Rue Morgue Press, I got to read one of his most famous stories. Alas, I am not leaving with that satisfactory afterglow that one is supposed to have after finishing a sumptuous meal. Rather, I am leaving with a bitter feeling that would make me rather wary of so-called "locked room" mysteries for quite some time. Trying to list my grievances would be full of spoilers, and hence I would refrain from them. Nevertheless, I am somewhat compelled to state the following: -
1. Any reader of "The Hound of Baskervilles" would be able to find the murderer rather easily, and it's surprising that in a Castle full of stuffed Britishers, that wasn't the case.
2. One of the prime reasons behind my love-affair with Agatha Christie's works is the unbelievable skill that she had shown in incorporating human drama into gothic & grotesque mysteries. THAT, despite all the slapstick, was plain absent here.
Now it's up to you.
1. Any reader of "The Hound of Baskervilles" would be able to find the murderer rather easily, and it's surprising that in a Castle full of stuffed Britishers, that wasn't the case.
2. One of the prime reasons behind my love-affair with Agatha Christie's works is the unbelievable skill that she had shown in incorporating human drama into gothic & grotesque mysteries. THAT, despite all the slapstick, was plain absent here.
Now it's up to you.
February 12, 2020
The Case of the Constant Suicides (Dr. Gideon Fell, #13) by John Dickson Carr.
Distant cousins of the Campbell clan have been invited to the Shira Castle in the Scottish Highlands to attend a family gathering of sorts. It appears Angus Campbell has committed suicide. Then again was it murder. A desperately needed inheritance is at stake for the remaining family-Colin Campbell and Angus's former mistress.
The rather humorous way those distant cousins meet brings a lightheartedness to the story. Dr. Gideon Fell isn't on the scene until well towards chapter 9. His presence brings with it another dimension to solving this mystery.
This was one of the most brilliantly written mysteries (and a locked room mystery at that) in the Dr. Fell books. I was glued to the pages. Dr. Fell was a master investigator.
Distant cousins of the Campbell clan have been invited to the Shira Castle in the Scottish Highlands to attend a family gathering of sorts. It appears Angus Campbell has committed suicide. Then again was it murder. A desperately needed inheritance is at stake for the remaining family-Colin Campbell and Angus's former mistress.
The rather humorous way those distant cousins meet brings a lightheartedness to the story. Dr. Gideon Fell isn't on the scene until well towards chapter 9. His presence brings with it another dimension to solving this mystery.
This was one of the most brilliantly written mysteries (and a locked room mystery at that) in the Dr. Fell books. I was glued to the pages. Dr. Fell was a master investigator.
July 11, 2018
Actually four and a half stars. A nice mix of comedy and mystery. The editor in the foreword of the Kindle says:"One of the most entertaining mysteries Carr has written". I can only agree. And who else can write something that wants you to laugh out loud only to make you a few paragraphs later tense with suspense. More humorous than most of Carr's books but also with three impossible crimes. What more can one want.
March 6, 2012
Peggy Arthurs Isn't this an interesting cover? I like it for some reason:) This little pet carrier is the key to the locked room puzzle in this novel. And if you can figure it out you are way smarter than I am! Never in a million years would I have come up with the solution.
I did enjoy this book. It was set in Scotland, had characters that I really liked, was humorous and a great mystery! And for you romantics, there was a love story too!
Angus Campbell has fallen, jumped or been pushed out of a window in the tower room he sleeps in. The door was locked from inside, no one else was in the room. He had just taken out another life insurance policy that would be null and void if he committed suicide. So what happened and what does the pet carrier found under the bed have to do with it? Is the tower haunted?!
Family members are called to the Castle of Shira as they try to determine if it was accidental, suicide or murder. Colin Campbell, Angus' brother is sure it is murder and has called his friend Dr. Gideon Fell to join them and see if he can figure out the riddle of the 'locked room'. Colin decides to stay the night in the tower room himself and see what might happen. Oh-Oh will we have another 'accident'. Then there is Alec Forbes the neighbor with a history of angst against the Campbells. He did stop by the night Angus died. Where is he now?
And there is the missing diary that Angus wrote in every night...
You'll also met Alan Campbell and Kathryn Campbell two history professors who have been having a running feud via a newspaper article on a figure in history. Turns out they are distant cousins and called to Shira, where they meet face to face for the first time. and there's Elspat, the long time housekeeper and 'companion' to Angus. 'Aunt' Elspat is the 'family' matriarch and quite entertaining! We can't forget the silly sensational magazine writer, Swan, that is roaming around trying to get a good story.
So grab a copy and a dram of 'The Doom of the Campbells' (a special blend of Scotch whiskey) and settle in for a great read!
"She creaked out of the room, and returned bearing a decanter nearly full of a darkish brown liquid filled with gold where the light struck it. Colin placed it tenderly on the table. For Elspat and Kathryn he poured out an infinitesimal amount. For himself and Alan he poured out about a quarter of a tumblerful."
You want a taste don't you! I do!
I did enjoy this book. It was set in Scotland, had characters that I really liked, was humorous and a great mystery! And for you romantics, there was a love story too!
Angus Campbell has fallen, jumped or been pushed out of a window in the tower room he sleeps in. The door was locked from inside, no one else was in the room. He had just taken out another life insurance policy that would be null and void if he committed suicide. So what happened and what does the pet carrier found under the bed have to do with it? Is the tower haunted?!
Family members are called to the Castle of Shira as they try to determine if it was accidental, suicide or murder. Colin Campbell, Angus' brother is sure it is murder and has called his friend Dr. Gideon Fell to join them and see if he can figure out the riddle of the 'locked room'. Colin decides to stay the night in the tower room himself and see what might happen. Oh-Oh will we have another 'accident'. Then there is Alec Forbes the neighbor with a history of angst against the Campbells. He did stop by the night Angus died. Where is he now?
And there is the missing diary that Angus wrote in every night...
You'll also met Alan Campbell and Kathryn Campbell two history professors who have been having a running feud via a newspaper article on a figure in history. Turns out they are distant cousins and called to Shira, where they meet face to face for the first time. and there's Elspat, the long time housekeeper and 'companion' to Angus. 'Aunt' Elspat is the 'family' matriarch and quite entertaining! We can't forget the silly sensational magazine writer, Swan, that is roaming around trying to get a good story.
So grab a copy and a dram of 'The Doom of the Campbells' (a special blend of Scotch whiskey) and settle in for a great read!
"She creaked out of the room, and returned bearing a decanter nearly full of a darkish brown liquid filled with gold where the light struck it. Colin placed it tenderly on the table. For Elspat and Kathryn he poured out an infinitesimal amount. For himself and Alan he poured out about a quarter of a tumblerful."
You want a taste don't you! I do!
June 20, 2018
My first JDC and I was somewhat disappointed.
The solution as to what was in the mysterious suitcase/cage was too easy to spot although I was slower on the matter of the killer.
The Scottish setting was quite well-done and the main characters were nicely depicted. However, if an author is making a point about Scots Law then he should get it absolutely right-Elspat and Angus had an irregular marriage by cohabitation and repute and this was not "the status of a common law wife" but something more.
There is also a misprint in the quotation at location 1723 which should read "sat prata biberunt".
3.5 stars
The solution as to what was in the mysterious suitcase/cage was too easy to spot although I was slower on the matter of the killer.
The Scottish setting was quite well-done and the main characters were nicely depicted. However, if an author is making a point about Scots Law then he should get it absolutely right-Elspat and Angus had an irregular marriage by cohabitation and repute and this was not "the status of a common law wife" but something more.
There is also a misprint in the quotation at location 1723 which should read "sat prata biberunt".
3.5 stars
August 2, 2018
I simply love this mystery, which I have probably read 6-7 times over the last 40 years. And I will read it yet again. As all classic Carr it is extremely wel-written, extremely funny (crazy-comedy style!) and yet full of suspense. It is not really whodidit, but rather how could it be done? And I love the scene, where the professor is asked, if he would taste a drink (scotch!), who could make Your head explode (or something). And what happens next?
January 25, 2013
The case of the constant suicides by John Dickson Carr was originally published in 1941.
Three deaths all look like suicides. However, some questions remain.
Dr. Fell arrives to investigate. An insurance policy payout hangs in the balance as the deaths are ruled suicide or murder.
I love these old 1940's detective novels. This one is one of those infamous locked room murders.
Very ahead it's time , cleverly plotted, mystery with sharp dialogue and quick wit, plus a little romance.
A very good classic mystery. Overall an A
Three deaths all look like suicides. However, some questions remain.
Dr. Fell arrives to investigate. An insurance policy payout hangs in the balance as the deaths are ruled suicide or murder.
I love these old 1940's detective novels. This one is one of those infamous locked room murders.
Very ahead it's time , cleverly plotted, mystery with sharp dialogue and quick wit, plus a little romance.
A very good classic mystery. Overall an A
December 24, 2021
Aku: "Bibi Agatha (Christie, obviously^^) tidak terkalahkan!!"
Juga aku: "Hm, coba-coba novel detektif lain sejamannya, ah! Masa ngga ada satu pun yang bisa mengalahkan..."
Ini novel Carr pertamaku, dengan detektifnya: Dr. Gideon Fell. Jujurngga belum ada rasa apa-apa yang tertinggal dari detektif ini. Anyep aja gitu~
Tapi untuk analisisnya oke! (✧ω✧) Kasus dan pemecahannya sama-sama seru. Pokoknya kalau jalannya analisis udah teratur, jelas, dan fair ke pembaca, aku ga bakalan protes.
Mungkin agak protes soal , tapi lama-lama capek juga kalo kebanyakan protes. Manusia 'kan banyak yang menyebalkan (*sambil ngaca), jadi wajar kalau tokoh fiktif juga dibikin menyebalkan seperti manusia betulan.
Aku akan nyari-nyari lagi karyanya yang lain~
Juga aku: "Hm, coba-coba novel detektif lain sejamannya, ah! Masa ngga ada satu pun yang bisa mengalahkan..."
Ini novel Carr pertamaku, dengan detektifnya: Dr. Gideon Fell. Jujur
Tapi untuk analisisnya oke! (✧ω✧) Kasus dan pemecahannya sama-sama seru. Pokoknya kalau jalannya analisis udah teratur, jelas, dan fair ke pembaca, aku ga bakalan protes.
Mungkin agak protes soal , tapi lama-lama capek juga kalo kebanyakan protes. Manusia 'kan banyak yang menyebalkan (*sambil ngaca), jadi wajar kalau tokoh fiktif juga dibikin menyebalkan seperti manusia betulan.
Aku akan nyari-nyari lagi karyanya yang lain~
June 19, 2019
COUNTDOWN: Mid-20th Century North American Crime
BOOK 185 (of 250)
HOOK -2 stars: "The 9:15 train for Glasgow pulled out of Euston half an hour late that night, and forty minutes after the sirens had sounded...when the sirens went, even the dim blue lights along the platform were extinguished...A milling, jostling, swearing crowd, mainly in khaki, groped about the platform..." Carr drops us into Britain, circa WW2 and we know nothing of a crime.
PACE - 2: Carr is best at short stories, imo, and here he has a good novella but throws in a distracting romance that has nothing to do with the mystery.
PLOT - 3: Dr. Gideon Fell must decide if a man (Angus Campbell) jumped from the tower of a Scottish castle, or if he was pushed, or if some kind of supernatural element is involved in this 'canny' (as opposed to uncanny") haunt of a house. A 200-year-old suicide hangs over the castle: is history repeating itself? Angus' total worth is 4 insurance policies, all with a suicide clause, so if he did commit suicide, his sons and common-law wife get nothing and will be flat broke. A representative of Hercules Insurance Company has a keen interest in not paying...or does his interest stray in another direction?
PEOPLE -2: Dr. Fell is here and is in his usual investigative mode, but the author doesn't bother to add anything new to Fell's history. The only standout is an apparition that appears in a tower window. And a home brewed "Doom of the Campbells" results in many a hangover. And when the 2 most interesting 'characters' aren't real people, there is a problem: it's called stretching out a story for all its worth.
ATMOSPHERE - 4: The strong point of the novel is the location, the castle, the accents and the war whirling about. As a set of characters approach the castle: "To their left, Loch Eck lay like an old tarnished mirror among the hills. No splash or ripple stirred it. Nothing moved on the slopes of fir and pine, stretching up to a pate of outcropping rock, which closed it in. What deadened the mind was the quality of utter silence here, of barriers against the world, and yet of awareness behind it: as though these hills still hid the shaggy shields [of previous Scotland/England wars]." And the tradition "...that in 1692, following the massacre of Glencoe in February of that year, Ian Campbell, a soldier in the troop of Campbell of Glenlyon, was so embittered by remorse that he committed suicide by leaping from the topmost window of the tower, dashing out his brains on the pavingstones below." And the accents: "I'm no' sayin' it's ghaists, I'm no sayin' wha' it is. I'm sayin' it isna a canny place, and it isna." Carr is great at melding the atmosphere and the story.
SUMMARY: The atmosphere is reason enough to give this one a read. My rating is 2.6 If you're looking for a better example of this author's work, check out "The Crooked Hinge" (previously reviewed).
BOOK 185 (of 250)
HOOK -2 stars: "The 9:15 train for Glasgow pulled out of Euston half an hour late that night, and forty minutes after the sirens had sounded...when the sirens went, even the dim blue lights along the platform were extinguished...A milling, jostling, swearing crowd, mainly in khaki, groped about the platform..." Carr drops us into Britain, circa WW2 and we know nothing of a crime.
PACE - 2: Carr is best at short stories, imo, and here he has a good novella but throws in a distracting romance that has nothing to do with the mystery.
PLOT - 3: Dr. Gideon Fell must decide if a man (Angus Campbell) jumped from the tower of a Scottish castle, or if he was pushed, or if some kind of supernatural element is involved in this 'canny' (as opposed to uncanny") haunt of a house. A 200-year-old suicide hangs over the castle: is history repeating itself? Angus' total worth is 4 insurance policies, all with a suicide clause, so if he did commit suicide, his sons and common-law wife get nothing and will be flat broke. A representative of Hercules Insurance Company has a keen interest in not paying...or does his interest stray in another direction?
PEOPLE -2: Dr. Fell is here and is in his usual investigative mode, but the author doesn't bother to add anything new to Fell's history. The only standout is an apparition that appears in a tower window. And a home brewed "Doom of the Campbells" results in many a hangover. And when the 2 most interesting 'characters' aren't real people, there is a problem: it's called stretching out a story for all its worth.
ATMOSPHERE - 4: The strong point of the novel is the location, the castle, the accents and the war whirling about. As a set of characters approach the castle: "To their left, Loch Eck lay like an old tarnished mirror among the hills. No splash or ripple stirred it. Nothing moved on the slopes of fir and pine, stretching up to a pate of outcropping rock, which closed it in. What deadened the mind was the quality of utter silence here, of barriers against the world, and yet of awareness behind it: as though these hills still hid the shaggy shields [of previous Scotland/England wars]." And the tradition "...that in 1692, following the massacre of Glencoe in February of that year, Ian Campbell, a soldier in the troop of Campbell of Glenlyon, was so embittered by remorse that he committed suicide by leaping from the topmost window of the tower, dashing out his brains on the pavingstones below." And the accents: "I'm no' sayin' it's ghaists, I'm no sayin' wha' it is. I'm sayin' it isna a canny place, and it isna." Carr is great at melding the atmosphere and the story.
SUMMARY: The atmosphere is reason enough to give this one a read. My rating is 2.6 If you're looking for a better example of this author's work, check out "The Crooked Hinge" (previously reviewed).
March 6, 2012
The mystery is clever enough, the romance sweet and predictable, but the very very best part is the description of a wicked hangover in Chapter 9. I've read it aloud to several people and am thinking of having it framed.
"Alan Campbell opened one eye.
"From somewhere in remote distances, muffled beyond sight or sound, his soul crawled back painfully, through subterranean corridors, up into his body again. Toward the last it moved to a cacophony of hammers and lights."
"Alan Campbell opened one eye.
"From somewhere in remote distances, muffled beyond sight or sound, his soul crawled back painfully, through subterranean corridors, up into his body again. Toward the last it moved to a cacophony of hammers and lights."
March 13, 2024
Rémlik, hogy olvastam kamaszkoromban, legalábbis is skót vicc Angus öcsémről megvolt. A végére szerencsére nem emlékeztem, és arra sem, hogy mennyire szórakoztató. Már majdnem Agatha Christie paródia vagy egy álnéven írt Wodehouse. A skót táj lenyűgözően félelmetes, a szereplők kellően flúgosak, a sztori megfelelő mértékben csavaros: engem megvett kilóra.
September 8, 2024
I hate the narrator and his "relationship" with kathryn and it also barely serves any purpose in the story, but outside of that the book is pretty swell. Dr. Fell is cool. And the mystery is contrived in the most fun of ways.
March 4, 2021
Not the best mystery book I have ever read, but very enjoyable. I thought the mystery was clever and I really liked the characters and writing. The structure was kind of weird though. The detective didn't show up until halfway through the book and a huge portion of this was devoted to a romance between two of the characters instead of the mystery. I still liked this though!
Sidenote: I think this is physically the oldest book I've ever read. I have a first edition that was published in 1941!
Sidenote: I think this is physically the oldest book I've ever read. I have a first edition that was published in 1941!
July 12, 2022
Trevlig läsning, som det brukar vara när det är John Dickson Carr som är författaren. Lite rörig ibland, det var lite svårt att hålla isär en del av karaktärerna. Kanske berodde det på att jag inte läste boken i ett svep. Skulle vara en utmärkt film, eller skulle varit. Jag får nog kolla upp det... Tack för lånet av boken Yrsa.
June 10, 2018
I generally find that I like mystery stories, but my list of read authors is unfortunately short. Most of which is (surprise) Agatha Christie. I was recommended John Dickson Carr and decided to give this novel a try.
Unfortunately, I think the story lacks much suspense. Even as the mystery goes further along, I never once found myself excited or really curious as to what had happened.
It’s difficult to say why exactly, but I think the strongest factors lies in the lack of strong ‘twist’ evidence and the way plot points are presented.
First, I think there are few ‘twist’ evidence brought up, i.e. evidence that changes everything we knew and revitalizes passed by suspects. Instead, from beginning to end, the story strongly points towards either one of two solutions and one possible suspect. There’s very little to stir up the pot, so to say.
Secondly, I think the plot is presented in a too ‘by the book’ way. Evidence is found, it’s presented, and then it’s done. Finding evidence toward clever, subversive ways doesn’t seem to be a strong point of the book.
Don’t get me wrong. The mystery is still fun to read, but it’s not the strong point of the book. However, I will give Carr one thing, I love his characterization.
In most mystery books, even the ones I really love, it usually takes a while before I become engaged in it. Typically, I would be 20-30% (sometimes as much as 50%) in before it gets my complete attention. The Case of the Constant Suicides was not like this. Instead, I was hooked from the beginning.
The reason is that I love the characters and Carr’s style of humor. Alan and Kathryn were hilarious as a team, but the other characters were very funny too and I read a great deal of the book with a grin on my face.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and I think I will approach Carr’s other books to see if it’s not just a one time thing.
Unfortunately, I think the story lacks much suspense. Even as the mystery goes further along, I never once found myself excited or really curious as to what had happened.
It’s difficult to say why exactly, but I think the strongest factors lies in the lack of strong ‘twist’ evidence and the way plot points are presented.
First, I think there are few ‘twist’ evidence brought up, i.e. evidence that changes everything we knew and revitalizes passed by suspects. Instead, from beginning to end, the story strongly points towards either one of two solutions and one possible suspect. There’s very little to stir up the pot, so to say.
Secondly, I think the plot is presented in a too ‘by the book’ way. Evidence is found, it’s presented, and then it’s done. Finding evidence toward clever, subversive ways doesn’t seem to be a strong point of the book.
Don’t get me wrong. The mystery is still fun to read, but it’s not the strong point of the book. However, I will give Carr one thing, I love his characterization.
In most mystery books, even the ones I really love, it usually takes a while before I become engaged in it. Typically, I would be 20-30% (sometimes as much as 50%) in before it gets my complete attention. The Case of the Constant Suicides was not like this. Instead, I was hooked from the beginning.
The reason is that I love the characters and Carr’s style of humor. Alan and Kathryn were hilarious as a team, but the other characters were very funny too and I read a great deal of the book with a grin on my face.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and I think I will approach Carr’s other books to see if it’s not just a one time thing.
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April 29, 2018More than any other genre, the detective novel is concerned with Reality as a fundamental system accessible to humans through our powers of perception. What has happened can be discovered thru processes of inference and logic and this always give us a single answer, multiple truths are anathema to the detective novel as it has been written for 177 years. I cannot shake the feeling that this is a failing of the detective novel and its authors. There are few examples of the detective novel flirting with truth as plurality. Holmes always follows the truth. Poirot, once, or perhaps twice, has to decide between the truth of the matter and a sense of what is "just" in the specific case. A limping movement towards a more interesting detective. Dr Gideon Fell, in The Case of the Constant Suicides, makes a similar decision. Yet for him it is not a subversion of principles, as it is for the truth-obsessed Poirot. Fell frequently misleads others, delights in their missteps and often gives one solution to his stories to the police and another to the reader. For this huge man (based largely on G.K. Chesterton), Poirot is a thing to be surpassed, but never far enough, never into something truly interesting, never getting close enough to the asymptotic infinite truth, which is to say, the ultimate lie. The failing of the detective story lies precisely in its fundamental inability to allow all the truths necessary in the modern world. A detective story cannot be, to borrow a disgustingly political term, "post-truth". A book written with this phrase in mind would be abhorrent, unreadable, unrecognisable as a detective novel. Write it.
September 11, 2017
There is a sweet shop in Keswick, Cumbria called Friars. It is perhaps the best sweet shop in the world. Inside this palace of sugary delights you can get everything your sweet tooth could ever desire – chocolate footballs, aniseed mints, Pontefract cakes, raspberry bon bons, midget gems, liquorice allsorts, mint wafers, strawberry jellies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, prosecco jellies, walnut whips, truffle logs… Now, you’ll not satisfy your five-a-day, but if your’re looking for an all-out treat, Friar’s is the place to go.
John Dickson Carr’s novels are the equivalent of that shop.
Carr was an adherent to the locked room mystery, which is sometimes a blessing to his plotting, but occasionally a curse. I thought some elements of this plot were strained, but not to the overall detriment of the book.
There are some brilliant comedic moments, and the characters are up to Carr’s usual Dickensian-esque colour and peculiarity. It ends with a certain poignancy regarding World War 2 (it was published in 1941). I was sad to put it down.
Superb.
Most of Carr’s books are long out of print, but don’t let that put you off. Many (including this one) come in beautiful Romek Marber green Penguins from the 1960s, which are far prettier than anything most publishers are coming out with these days. Get yourself on Abebooks – go on, treat yourself. And just wait until you get onto his historical stuff… chocolate heaven.
NB. I’m not as keen on the Bencolin novels, as I find him quite dull as a lead character.
John Dickson Carr’s novels are the equivalent of that shop.
Carr was an adherent to the locked room mystery, which is sometimes a blessing to his plotting, but occasionally a curse. I thought some elements of this plot were strained, but not to the overall detriment of the book.
There are some brilliant comedic moments, and the characters are up to Carr’s usual Dickensian-esque colour and peculiarity. It ends with a certain poignancy regarding World War 2 (it was published in 1941). I was sad to put it down.
Superb.
Most of Carr’s books are long out of print, but don’t let that put you off. Many (including this one) come in beautiful Romek Marber green Penguins from the 1960s, which are far prettier than anything most publishers are coming out with these days. Get yourself on Abebooks – go on, treat yourself. And just wait until you get onto his historical stuff… chocolate heaven.
NB. I’m not as keen on the Bencolin novels, as I find him quite dull as a lead character.
August 7, 2011
This book certainly has a lot going for it. It's a locked-room mystery of the highest order: a suicide that for financial reasons is better ruled a murder, but there does not appear to be any way someone could have got into the room to commit the crime. It has diabolically clever twists that had me yelling "Whaaat?!" at the book as they were revealed. It has two very amusing, sharp-witted young leads, whose introductory scene nearly made me laugh out loud, and other funny scenes besides (usually involving very potent Scotch). And it's set in Scotland, which is always a bonus with me.
I did find it a bit slower to get through than I would have expected, but that may have had something to do with my edition, which was shiny and modern and the size of a hardcover (but paperback in format). It was rather annoying to read from. I also thought the phonetically rendered Scottish dialect was a bit over-the-top in places, and Mr. Swan the reporter seemed much more like a stereotypical American than the Canadian he claimed to be. But overall I quite enjoyed this story and would recommend it to fans of the Golden Age of detective fiction.
I did find it a bit slower to get through than I would have expected, but that may have had something to do with my edition, which was shiny and modern and the size of a hardcover (but paperback in format). It was rather annoying to read from. I also thought the phonetically rendered Scottish dialect was a bit over-the-top in places, and Mr. Swan the reporter seemed much more like a stereotypical American than the Canadian he claimed to be. But overall I quite enjoyed this story and would recommend it to fans of the Golden Age of detective fiction.
September 22, 2018
This has to be best of Carr's novels that maintains the balance between fun and suspense.
The Scottish setting,the funny and ever skirmishing professors,the hag of an aunt, the alcoholic uncle, and the doom of the Campbell's all contribute handsomely to this superbly crafted locked room mystery (2 of them) ,that could have been a very serious and gloomy affair but in fact is one of the funniest and entertaining book you will ever come across.
The mystery is baffling and intriguing enough and the solutions are very nice .
Carr has managed to balance everything absolutely perfectly .If you have a chance to read a Carr and not sure which to pick ,this would be good one.
I am not the type of reader who exerts himself too much to break the puzzle, the writer has set . I am here for the ride and I do not look into the undercarriage. So,for me this was a perfect book,I never lost the interest in the mystery and the story never dragged.The funny parts were laugh out loud funny and was not overdone at all.
Highly recommended .
The Scottish setting,the funny and ever skirmishing professors,the hag of an aunt, the alcoholic uncle, and the doom of the Campbell's all contribute handsomely to this superbly crafted locked room mystery (2 of them) ,that could have been a very serious and gloomy affair but in fact is one of the funniest and entertaining book you will ever come across.
The mystery is baffling and intriguing enough and the solutions are very nice .
Carr has managed to balance everything absolutely perfectly .If you have a chance to read a Carr and not sure which to pick ,this would be good one.
I am not the type of reader who exerts himself too much to break the puzzle, the writer has set . I am here for the ride and I do not look into the undercarriage. So,for me this was a perfect book,I never lost the interest in the mystery and the story never dragged.The funny parts were laugh out loud funny and was not overdone at all.
Highly recommended .
July 31, 2018
I was looking for some light reading and, well, I got just that. The plot itself is interesting enough, and it did keep me guessing as to what really happened for the longest time, but the storytelling is something else. John Dickson Carr manages to include every stereotype you could think of re: Scotland and the Scottish, and don't get me started on gender here. This book is a child of its time - at first I was pleased to see a female academic show up as a character, but then she turns out to be such a flat character, such a stereotype. As I was reading I had to remind myself that this book was written over sixty years ago and is genre fiction, so a giggly, scaredy-cat, passive female character as romantic interest was to be expected. I got quite fed up with this as the story unfolded.
In conclusion, it's escapist fiction, an amusing, quick read if you're up for that, but that's all you're getting. I much prefer, say, Agatha Christie's style of storytelling.
In conclusion, it's escapist fiction, an amusing, quick read if you're up for that, but that's all you're getting. I much prefer, say, Agatha Christie's style of storytelling.
September 2, 2020
I had long heard that Carr was one of the most popular mystery writers in the mid 20th century. I was expecting great things, and from this book written in 1941 I got “okay” things. The writing was okay, but I found that the writer often missed opportunities to enliven the story. It seemed a typical gathering-of-strangers-at-a-mysterious-mansion mystery, and not a particularly interesting one. Even the detective, the famous Dr. Gideon Fell, did not appear until well into the book and did not feature in the story until the very end, when he pieces together clues that are often not well-laid. Yet it did have a certain charm, enough to prompt me to read another of his books.
November 18, 2020
Loved this one
September 25, 2020
After the previous two books that I read by the author, this was a surprisingly more comfortable read. There was a thread of humour through most of the narration. The side story of the warring Campbells was quite an efficient distraction while not being unwelcome from the main storyline. Gideon Fell does not make an appearance until we are well and truly settled into the plot and I am guessing it might have helped. When I was looking at the book on Goodreads, I noticed an edition with a cover page which effectively reveals the entire plot! I will not mention which one it was, but it left me puzzled as to why any publisher would do that, however long ago it was!
Alan Campbell has been summoned to Scotland on a tenuous family connection that nevertheless deemed his presence essential in a house mourning a loss. On the way, he picks up a companion or two, the introduction of each is equally humorous. Then we meet the members of the family, also chaotic. The chaos was not off-putting but gave the actual mystery some time to simmer. The head Campbell was found outside, at the foot of his tower, dead. There is an extra clause on his life insurance, and this has everyone trying to figure out the solution. I was misled to focus too much on a red herring, and this might help me the next time I read one of Carr’s books. Once again, I saw the same type of conclusion as the previous two I have read. The criminal(s) are not precisely brought to justice in the truest sense, although this was more satisfying than the last two cases. I am going to wait a bit before I start another of his books just so that if this happens again, I will be a little less bothered.
I am really enjoying reading books written by authors in this period. I am hoping to discover more favourites for the rest of the year!
Alan Campbell has been summoned to Scotland on a tenuous family connection that nevertheless deemed his presence essential in a house mourning a loss. On the way, he picks up a companion or two, the introduction of each is equally humorous. Then we meet the members of the family, also chaotic. The chaos was not off-putting but gave the actual mystery some time to simmer. The head Campbell was found outside, at the foot of his tower, dead. There is an extra clause on his life insurance, and this has everyone trying to figure out the solution. I was misled to focus too much on a red herring, and this might help me the next time I read one of Carr’s books. Once again, I saw the same type of conclusion as the previous two I have read. The criminal(s) are not precisely brought to justice in the truest sense, although this was more satisfying than the last two cases. I am going to wait a bit before I start another of his books just so that if this happens again, I will be a little less bothered.
I am really enjoying reading books written by authors in this period. I am hoping to discover more favourites for the rest of the year!
August 20, 2023
Wow, an absolutely fantastic locked room mystery! I won't say that this is the first book that has a murder in a locked and bolted tower room, but the twist and turns to this one is a very good one.
Two Campbells, both academics, find themselves sharing a sleeper on a train to Scotland. They have been summoned by a distant relative in response to the apparent suicide of Angus Campbell. When Alan and Kathryn arrive they are faced with a bunch of real characters — gruff Dr. Colin Campbell, Angus' younger brother and co-heir; Elspat 'Campbell,' Angus' cantankerous long-time mistress and co-heir with Colin; lawyer Alistair Duncan, called a law agent in Scotland, and insurance agent Walter Chapman, who are arguing whether Angus died by suicide or murder. Depending on the answer, he died leaving several thousand pounds to his heirs, or nothing at all.
Just by being there, they find themselves drawn into the question of suicide or murder. The evening of his death, Angus has an argument with a neighbor Alec Forbes, who followed him up into Angus' bedroom five stories above the ground. After Forbes is evicted, Angus went to bed after bolting the only door into his bedroom and securing the blackout curtain. Sometime that night, Angus falls from the window to his death.
Enter Dr. Fell. John Dickson Carr's private detective takes charge and while he quickly figures out what he believes happened, he still finds some twists and turns that make this a fun and good read.
Two Campbells, both academics, find themselves sharing a sleeper on a train to Scotland. They have been summoned by a distant relative in response to the apparent suicide of Angus Campbell. When Alan and Kathryn arrive they are faced with a bunch of real characters — gruff Dr. Colin Campbell, Angus' younger brother and co-heir; Elspat 'Campbell,' Angus' cantankerous long-time mistress and co-heir with Colin; lawyer Alistair Duncan, called a law agent in Scotland, and insurance agent Walter Chapman, who are arguing whether Angus died by suicide or murder. Depending on the answer, he died leaving several thousand pounds to his heirs, or nothing at all.
Just by being there, they find themselves drawn into the question of suicide or murder. The evening of his death, Angus has an argument with a neighbor Alec Forbes, who followed him up into Angus' bedroom five stories above the ground. After Forbes is evicted, Angus went to bed after bolting the only door into his bedroom and securing the blackout curtain. Sometime that night, Angus falls from the window to his death.
Enter Dr. Fell. John Dickson Carr's private detective takes charge and while he quickly figures out what he believes happened, he still finds some twists and turns that make this a fun and good read.
June 21, 2023
A weird Dr Fell novel because it feels like he’s turned up at a Henry Merrivale book, with plenty of sprightly Wodehousian antics and comedy antics and local colour. I suspect the reason for this is because Fell is better at the morality of endings like the one here than HM, who would be breaking character too much to do Fell’s final bargain with the murderer. It’s a nicely neat couple of puzzles, refreshingly simple and straightforward which also allows Carr to relax - in fact there’s a sort of holiday atmosphere to the whole enterprise, as befits a novel set before the war really kicks off. Also a nice little pun in the title, the clever sod
Can I also just say that the cover Goodreads has for this book is the most egregious one I’ve seen for ages? My review doesn’t have any spoilers but this cover gives away the whole bloody trick
Can I also just say that the cover Goodreads has for this book is the most egregious one I’ve seen for ages? My review doesn’t have any spoilers but this cover gives away the whole bloody trick
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2024
52 Book Club: A Locked Room Mystery
3.5 stars
I liked the idea of this book, a locked room series of suicides with a family inheritance at stake. The way the locked room conundrum is worked out is vital in these books, and the solutions are clever and don't stretch the readers credulity. I also liked the characterisation of the two lead characters, the dialogue between them and their sparring reads so modern, whereas usually it doesn't in this sort of "cosy" crime. If I was to say why it didn't score higher with me it's maybe that once we get the set up, in the middle act I lost interest slightly, and there is not enough intrigue or tension to hold me in this part of the book. Also I didn't think it matched up to the Japanese locked room mysteries I have read in recent years.
3.5 stars
I liked the idea of this book, a locked room series of suicides with a family inheritance at stake. The way the locked room conundrum is worked out is vital in these books, and the solutions are clever and don't stretch the readers credulity. I also liked the characterisation of the two lead characters, the dialogue between them and their sparring reads so modern, whereas usually it doesn't in this sort of "cosy" crime. If I was to say why it didn't score higher with me it's maybe that once we get the set up, in the middle act I lost interest slightly, and there is not enough intrigue or tension to hold me in this part of the book. Also I didn't think it matched up to the Japanese locked room mysteries I have read in recent years.
September 10, 2022
My first John Dickson Carr. Not too bad. A very intriguing mystery. I could do without the romance but thankfully it wasn’t too much and wasn’t central to the story.
The cast of characters were interesting and I liked that Dr Gideon Fell shared his thoughts throughout but the conclusion was still unexpected.
I enjoyed the book. So it’s a 3.7 rounded up to 4.
The cast of characters were interesting and I liked that Dr Gideon Fell shared his thoughts throughout but the conclusion was still unexpected.
I enjoyed the book. So it’s a 3.7 rounded up to 4.
July 7, 2019
B: The screwball comedy opening to the book is by far its best quality. I was instantly hooked. The mystery is so-so, although I was pleasantly surprised at the reveal of the murderer. Fun read.
October 12, 2022
Dr. Fell in the Scottish countryside. This one has castles, 2 locked room mysteries, and elements of romantic comedy. It is an absolute delight to read. I cannot recommend this one enough!
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