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Philo Vance #6
The Kennel Murder Case
Book 6 of 12: Philo Vance
A classic mystery featuring dogged detective Philo Vance. “An intricate puzzle . . . [Vance] has an uncanny insight into the subtler aspects of crime.” —The New York Times
Given all the rich people getting bumped off in Philo Vance’s Manhattan, it’s amazing there are enough left to support the symphony. Latest up: Arthur Coe, found dead in his own locked bedroom. Suicide? The ever-perceptive Philo doesn’t buy that theory for a second. The presence in Coe’s house of a strange, prize-winning terrier only adds to the mystery, although Philo’s fabulously in-depth knowledge of dogs does not in fact solve the crime; his fabulously in-depth knowledge of the murder of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1898 proves much more useful.
Like most of the Philo Vance novels, The Kennel Murder Case was made into a movie, directed this time by Michael Curtiz, who a few years later would turn his hand to a little number known as Casablanca. At least one critic has called the film a “masterpiece,” and though we make no similar claim for the book, GoodMysteries . com, dedicated to the art of the classic whodunit, calls Kennel “one of the best locked-room setups ever written.”
Praise for the Philo Vance series
“With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine.” —The New York Times
“Well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society and style of writing.” —Mystery Scene
“Outrageous cleverness . . . among the finest fruits of the Golden Age.” —Bloody Murder
A classic mystery featuring dogged detective Philo Vance. “An intricate puzzle . . . [Vance] has an uncanny insight into the subtler aspects of crime.” —The New York Times
Given all the rich people getting bumped off in Philo Vance’s Manhattan, it’s amazing there are enough left to support the symphony. Latest up: Arthur Coe, found dead in his own locked bedroom. Suicide? The ever-perceptive Philo doesn’t buy that theory for a second. The presence in Coe’s house of a strange, prize-winning terrier only adds to the mystery, although Philo’s fabulously in-depth knowledge of dogs does not in fact solve the crime; his fabulously in-depth knowledge of the murder of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1898 proves much more useful.
Like most of the Philo Vance novels, The Kennel Murder Case was made into a movie, directed this time by Michael Curtiz, who a few years later would turn his hand to a little number known as Casablanca. At least one critic has called the film a “masterpiece,” and though we make no similar claim for the book, GoodMysteries . com, dedicated to the art of the classic whodunit, calls Kennel “one of the best locked-room setups ever written.”
Praise for the Philo Vance series
“With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine.” —The New York Times
“Well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society and style of writing.” —Mystery Scene
“Outrageous cleverness . . . among the finest fruits of the Golden Age.” —Bloody Murder
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
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March 1, 2022
“Almost any man may be a murderer, but only a certain type of man can injure a dog the way Scottie was injured here the other night.”
Literate, incredibly intelligent, insufferably smug and deeply flawed, one has to wonder, with all that we know about culturally influential art critic Willard Huntington Wright in our day, if Philo Vance is not the softened version of the writer himself, or perhaps what he saw when he passed by a mirror. Disgraced and abandoned by a few old friends for his Prussian sympathies during the first World War, and trying to recover from an addiction to cocaine, he began devouring mysteries as a lark. He finally approached the famous Maxwell Perkins about writing a detective series with a character very similar to himself. Because the highbrow Wright could not bear the thought of the friends he had left discovering he had sold out his highbrow intellectual ideals by dipping into the waters of detective fiction for the uneducated, and not as "enlightened" masses, however, he initially used the pseudonym S.S. Van Dine.
His meticulously plotted and literate detective fiction was firmly steeped in the Jazz Age, and immediately became so popular that Wright was unmasked as the author. He even wrote a self-deprecating article, “I Used to be a Highbrow and Look at Me Now” while he was at the zenith of his fame and wealth brought to him by his creation, Philo Vance. But then came the hardboiled stuff like Race Williams and Sam Spade, and suddenly the public wanted grit and guts and gats, not a sophisticated amateur detective who could drone on about art, dogs, languages, and arcane history while solving the most elaborate and intricately conceived murder cases.
Today, however, reading one of the better Philo Vance novels feels nostalgic. Van Dine’s Philo Vance novels had been viewed as outdated, difficult to read, and only of historical interest in the evolution of the mystery and detective novel form for a very long time. The person who changed that was actor William Powell. He had portrayed the dapper detective in some highly successful films during both the silent and sound eras, and when film buffs rediscovered him — and in some cases the actual films were found — the renaissance of S.S. Van Dine began. It didn’t hurt that the best of the films, The Kennel Murder Case, filmed shortly before Powell began playing Hammett’s Nick Charles in all those wonderful Thin Man films, had fallen into the public domain, making it easily accessible to — ironically for Wright — the masses. It also didn’t hurt that Michael Curtiz, the director of Casablanca, filmed it, turning it into a classic in the locked-room variety of mystery.
This is the book that film was based on, and the reason I picked it to read first. I must admit that I’ve read Van Dine many years ago, and found his detective nearly insufferable, and unrealistic — though his narratives were well-plotted and well-written. But now, with that image of Powell that I can’t get out of my head, the urbane and sophisticated Vance holds a certain charm that softens the snobbery, and makes this quite fun. In fact, solving the murder of Archer Coe, found dead in a room locked from the inside, with no other access but the door, is kind of a blast. It’s like stepping into a time machine when Manhattan was glamorous rather than gauche, solving mysteries was a hobby for gentleman as much as tennis, and the sleuth led the police around in circles as he picked up on one arcane or seemingly insignificant clue after another until he’d figured it out. Because it’s all a game, you see, even though it’s a murder, serious business.
Coe’s shoes and a fountain pen lead Vance to believe it was murder, and boy, was it. In more than one way! Hilda Lake is one of the suspects, but so is the entire house. Then another murder occurs. A vase of no value is conspicuously placed among finer pieces, and there’s blood on it. A dagger is found, and a dog was attacked on the night in question. And while Vance is helping New York’s Distict Attorney, Markham, with the case, we’re privy to Vance informing us about proper breeding in the Scottish terrier so snobbishly it’ll make your eyes roll. But it will also bring forth a chuckle, because this is William Powell talking, and that makes it all okay. You’ll hear some highfalutin jargon in both dialog and narrative on occasion, yet it’s softened just enough to give it a nostalgic kind of charm when read today.
The ending to this one is good, and it reads faster than you’d think with all the talk and the puzzling over this clue and that one. For a belligerent highbrow, Wright could write. Terrific stuff in its own way, if you’re in the mood for something of this nature in the mystery genre. A very late 1920s, early '30s feel of men-about-town in Manhattan, and a frighteningly smart, dapper and erudite amateur detective who enjoys the challenge. Great stuff when you’re in the mood.
Literate, incredibly intelligent, insufferably smug and deeply flawed, one has to wonder, with all that we know about culturally influential art critic Willard Huntington Wright in our day, if Philo Vance is not the softened version of the writer himself, or perhaps what he saw when he passed by a mirror. Disgraced and abandoned by a few old friends for his Prussian sympathies during the first World War, and trying to recover from an addiction to cocaine, he began devouring mysteries as a lark. He finally approached the famous Maxwell Perkins about writing a detective series with a character very similar to himself. Because the highbrow Wright could not bear the thought of the friends he had left discovering he had sold out his highbrow intellectual ideals by dipping into the waters of detective fiction for the uneducated, and not as "enlightened" masses, however, he initially used the pseudonym S.S. Van Dine.
His meticulously plotted and literate detective fiction was firmly steeped in the Jazz Age, and immediately became so popular that Wright was unmasked as the author. He even wrote a self-deprecating article, “I Used to be a Highbrow and Look at Me Now” while he was at the zenith of his fame and wealth brought to him by his creation, Philo Vance. But then came the hardboiled stuff like Race Williams and Sam Spade, and suddenly the public wanted grit and guts and gats, not a sophisticated amateur detective who could drone on about art, dogs, languages, and arcane history while solving the most elaborate and intricately conceived murder cases.
Today, however, reading one of the better Philo Vance novels feels nostalgic. Van Dine’s Philo Vance novels had been viewed as outdated, difficult to read, and only of historical interest in the evolution of the mystery and detective novel form for a very long time. The person who changed that was actor William Powell. He had portrayed the dapper detective in some highly successful films during both the silent and sound eras, and when film buffs rediscovered him — and in some cases the actual films were found — the renaissance of S.S. Van Dine began. It didn’t hurt that the best of the films, The Kennel Murder Case, filmed shortly before Powell began playing Hammett’s Nick Charles in all those wonderful Thin Man films, had fallen into the public domain, making it easily accessible to — ironically for Wright — the masses. It also didn’t hurt that Michael Curtiz, the director of Casablanca, filmed it, turning it into a classic in the locked-room variety of mystery.
This is the book that film was based on, and the reason I picked it to read first. I must admit that I’ve read Van Dine many years ago, and found his detective nearly insufferable, and unrealistic — though his narratives were well-plotted and well-written. But now, with that image of Powell that I can’t get out of my head, the urbane and sophisticated Vance holds a certain charm that softens the snobbery, and makes this quite fun. In fact, solving the murder of Archer Coe, found dead in a room locked from the inside, with no other access but the door, is kind of a blast. It’s like stepping into a time machine when Manhattan was glamorous rather than gauche, solving mysteries was a hobby for gentleman as much as tennis, and the sleuth led the police around in circles as he picked up on one arcane or seemingly insignificant clue after another until he’d figured it out. Because it’s all a game, you see, even though it’s a murder, serious business.
Coe’s shoes and a fountain pen lead Vance to believe it was murder, and boy, was it. In more than one way! Hilda Lake is one of the suspects, but so is the entire house. Then another murder occurs. A vase of no value is conspicuously placed among finer pieces, and there’s blood on it. A dagger is found, and a dog was attacked on the night in question. And while Vance is helping New York’s Distict Attorney, Markham, with the case, we’re privy to Vance informing us about proper breeding in the Scottish terrier so snobbishly it’ll make your eyes roll. But it will also bring forth a chuckle, because this is William Powell talking, and that makes it all okay. You’ll hear some highfalutin jargon in both dialog and narrative on occasion, yet it’s softened just enough to give it a nostalgic kind of charm when read today.
The ending to this one is good, and it reads faster than you’d think with all the talk and the puzzling over this clue and that one. For a belligerent highbrow, Wright could write. Terrific stuff in its own way, if you’re in the mood for something of this nature in the mystery genre. A very late 1920s, early '30s feel of men-about-town in Manhattan, and a frighteningly smart, dapper and erudite amateur detective who enjoys the challenge. Great stuff when you’re in the mood.
March 12, 2024
Who Let the Dog Out?
Review of the Avarang Kindle eBook edition (May 30, 2023) of the Scribner’s hardcover original (1933).
This would have been a great locked room mystery, but the final explanation is ridiculously complicated and the appropriate fate of the culprit is diminished by a deus ex machina finale. I'm finding increasing diminishing returns in these Philo Vance mysteries even if the banter between the amateur sleuth and the authorities is still entertaining.
This case opens with the body of Arthur Coe apparently dead by suicide inside a locked room of his own house. Then a wounded dog is also located whimpering behind a curtain. Then yet another body is found. The complications pile on one by one. The solution to the mystery of the dog (which did not belong to the household) leads to the final revelation of the identity of the culprit.
An enormous amount of detail about Scottish Terrier dog breeding is provided by Vance in what is now an evident trademark of the novels. The amateur detective is also an expert is whatever subject matter is related to the case, e.g. chess & mathematics, Egyptology and archeology, tropical fish and dragon myths etc.
Front cover of the original Scribner’s first edition (1933). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
Trivia and Links
The Kennel Murder Case was adapted as the same-titled film The Kennel Murder Case (1933) directed by Michael Curtiz and starring William Powell as Philo Vance. You can watch the entire film on YouTube here.
Willard Huntington Wright aka S.S. Van Dine is also the author of the Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories.
Review of the Avarang Kindle eBook edition (May 30, 2023) of the Scribner’s hardcover original (1933).
Philo Vance
Needs a kick in the pance. - Ogden Nash
"And the facts here seem pretty clean-cut. That door was bolted on the inside; there's no other means of entrance or exit to this room; Coe is sitting here with the lethal weapon -."
"Oh, call it a revolver," interrupted Vance. "Silly phrase, 'lethal weapon.'"
Markham snorted.
"Very well... With a revolver in his hand, and a hole in his right temple. There are no signs of a struggle; the windows and shades are down, and the lights burning... How, in Heaven's name, could it have been anything but suicide?"
This would have been a great locked room mystery, but the final explanation is ridiculously complicated and the appropriate fate of the culprit is diminished by a deus ex machina finale. I'm finding increasing diminishing returns in these Philo Vance mysteries even if the banter between the amateur sleuth and the authorities is still entertaining.
This case opens with the body of Arthur Coe apparently dead by suicide inside a locked room of his own house. Then a wounded dog is also located whimpering behind a curtain. Then yet another body is found. The complications pile on one by one. The solution to the mystery of the dog (which did not belong to the household) leads to the final revelation of the identity of the culprit.
An enormous amount of detail about Scottish Terrier dog breeding is provided by Vance in what is now an evident trademark of the novels. The amateur detective is also an expert is whatever subject matter is related to the case, e.g. chess & mathematics, Egyptology and archeology, tropical fish and dragon myths etc.
Front cover of the original Scribner’s first edition (1933). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
Trivia and Links
The Kennel Murder Case was adapted as the same-titled film The Kennel Murder Case (1933) directed by Michael Curtiz and starring William Powell as Philo Vance. You can watch the entire film on YouTube here.
Willard Huntington Wright aka S.S. Van Dine is also the author of the Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories.
December 4, 2022
Bella storia, intricata, con Vance più che perplesso :)
Finale un po' così così, ma va bene lo stesso.
Finale un po' così così, ma va bene lo stesso.
July 6, 2015
Another masterpiece written during the mystery genre Golden Age.
November 9, 2022
Good locked room mystery. Some elements were introduced too late in the story for my taste, and conversation was often stilted. Nice window into the writing, especially mystery writing, of that era.
July 20, 2021
There are a number of odd things going on in this sixth entry in the Philo Vance mystery series. There is Arthur Coe, found dead behind a bolted door in a room with locked windows and no other entry. He has a peaceful, restful look on his face and a bullet wound in his temple. There's a revolver held tightly in his hand (rigor mortis is well established), but the position of his arm relative to the chair in which he is seated and the table under his arm is rather odd. And, yes, the man has been shot--but he didn't die from the bullet wound. He was hit on the head before he was shot--but that didn't kill him either. He was stabbed with a rare Chinese dagger! Not only that, but the man was stabbed through clothes that he had since removed (or had removed for him) and was clothed in his dressing but still had his street shoes on.
Of course, the big question is: If this isn't suicide (and how could it be with three different types of wound?), then how did the murderer get in and out of the locked room? Then there are other trifling things, like the show-quality Scottie dog found wounded behind a curtain. The dog doesn't belong to the household and, in fact, no one in the house likes dogs. And there's the missing priceless Chinese vase which has been replaced by a much inferior piece and is later found broken with bloodstains. Oh, and don't forget the victim's brother, Brisbane, who has also been stabbed and bundled into the coat closet.
For suspects, we have the victim's niece, Hilda Lake, who disagreed most emphatically with her uncle's views on her money and who she should marry. Raymond Wrede is her chosen intended and he had an argument with Arthur shortly before the murder. Gamble, the butler, seems to be on the spot every time something happens--even though others were closer and should have heard various noises first. Liang Tsung Wei, the Chinese cook, who appears to be less of a cook and more an agent investigating his employer's plundering of rare Chinese artifacts. And Signor Eduardo Grassi from the Milan Museum of Oriental Antiquities who had an interest in both the deceased's collection and his niece. Grassi also had an argument with Coe over a deal on some of the collection--Coe had changed his mind and Grassi was not pleased at all.
Van Dine is not shy about his clues in this installment. He strews them about liberally--in fact, at one point Markham, the District Attorney, complains that there are too many clues. Van Dine frequently points out something in his narrative (such as the chair the victim was seated in and those heavy street shoes he wore with his dressing gown) and adds that this item "constituted one of the vital links in the evidential chain of this strange and perplexing case" or that "the answer to this question was also was to prove a vital point in the solution of the tragedy." The reader certainly can't complain that the clues are too obscure or too well-hidden. We can, however, complain that the kennel of the title isn't nearly as central to the murder as it should be. The kennel helps trace the Scottie dog to her owner and that does help Vance solve the case, but if we're going to hang the story title on that bit of the plot, then The Scottie Murder Case makes more sense.
This is an interesting mystery with several side-stories to make things just a bit complicated. We have the dog angle and the Chinese artifacts angle (both of which give Vance ample opportunity to educate Markham and company, as well as the reader). I found the plot to be enjoyable and the characters to be well-drawn. If I hadn't spotted the murderer and had a good idea of how it all worked out (not down to the last detail--but close), then I'd definitely rate this as a four-star effort or higher. Perhaps Van Dine should have shined the light a little less brightly on some of those clues... ★★★ and 1/2. (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
Of course, the big question is: If this isn't suicide (and how could it be with three different types of wound?), then how did the murderer get in and out of the locked room? Then there are other trifling things, like the show-quality Scottie dog found wounded behind a curtain. The dog doesn't belong to the household and, in fact, no one in the house likes dogs. And there's the missing priceless Chinese vase which has been replaced by a much inferior piece and is later found broken with bloodstains. Oh, and don't forget the victim's brother, Brisbane, who has also been stabbed and bundled into the coat closet.
For suspects, we have the victim's niece, Hilda Lake, who disagreed most emphatically with her uncle's views on her money and who she should marry. Raymond Wrede is her chosen intended and he had an argument with Arthur shortly before the murder. Gamble, the butler, seems to be on the spot every time something happens--even though others were closer and should have heard various noises first. Liang Tsung Wei, the Chinese cook, who appears to be less of a cook and more an agent investigating his employer's plundering of rare Chinese artifacts. And Signor Eduardo Grassi from the Milan Museum of Oriental Antiquities who had an interest in both the deceased's collection and his niece. Grassi also had an argument with Coe over a deal on some of the collection--Coe had changed his mind and Grassi was not pleased at all.
Van Dine is not shy about his clues in this installment. He strews them about liberally--in fact, at one point Markham, the District Attorney, complains that there are too many clues. Van Dine frequently points out something in his narrative (such as the chair the victim was seated in and those heavy street shoes he wore with his dressing gown) and adds that this item "constituted one of the vital links in the evidential chain of this strange and perplexing case" or that "the answer to this question was also was to prove a vital point in the solution of the tragedy." The reader certainly can't complain that the clues are too obscure or too well-hidden. We can, however, complain that the kennel of the title isn't nearly as central to the murder as it should be. The kennel helps trace the Scottie dog to her owner and that does help Vance solve the case, but if we're going to hang the story title on that bit of the plot, then The Scottie Murder Case makes more sense.
This is an interesting mystery with several side-stories to make things just a bit complicated. We have the dog angle and the Chinese artifacts angle (both of which give Vance ample opportunity to educate Markham and company, as well as the reader). I found the plot to be enjoyable and the characters to be well-drawn. If I hadn't spotted the murderer and had a good idea of how it all worked out (not down to the last detail--but close), then I'd definitely rate this as a four-star effort or higher. Perhaps Van Dine should have shined the light a little less brightly on some of those clues... ★★★ and 1/2. (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
March 28, 2023
Affascinante. Machiavellico. Ingegnoso. Geniale.
Oltre a fornire informazioni sulle preziosissime porcellane cinesi e su alcune caratteristiche razze canine (in questo caso terrier scozzese, ma anche dobermann), basilari per la soluzione del caso, offre l’intrigante mistero della camera chiusa.
Il colpevole può intuirsi, sembra facile quindi; il difficile è trovare tutte le tessere del puzzle e farle combaciare alla perfezione, affinché si possano dimostrare, senza alcun dubbio, il metodo usato, le dinamiche e il susseguirsi degli eventi e quindi la piena responsabilità del sospettato.
Personaggi non simpaticissimi, ma ben caratterizzati nei loro migliori difetti.
Soluzione al limite del verosimile, anticipata da un colpo di scena tragico, secco e brutale, ma sicuramente il genio della coppia Van Dine/Vance ha colpito ancora.
Grazie per il rispetto e l’affetto dimostrato nei confronti degli animali.
🌎 LdM - Sfida 2023: USA
✍️ SSVD
Oltre a fornire informazioni sulle preziosissime porcellane cinesi e su alcune caratteristiche razze canine (in questo caso terrier scozzese, ma anche dobermann), basilari per la soluzione del caso, offre l’intrigante mistero della camera chiusa.
Il colpevole può intuirsi, sembra facile quindi; il difficile è trovare tutte le tessere del puzzle e farle combaciare alla perfezione, affinché si possano dimostrare, senza alcun dubbio, il metodo usato, le dinamiche e il susseguirsi degli eventi e quindi la piena responsabilità del sospettato.
Personaggi non simpaticissimi, ma ben caratterizzati nei loro migliori difetti.
Soluzione al limite del verosimile, anticipata da un colpo di scena tragico, secco e brutale, ma sicuramente il genio della coppia Van Dine/Vance ha colpito ancora.
Grazie per il rispetto e l’affetto dimostrato nei confronti degli animali.
🌎 LdM - Sfida 2023: USA
✍️ SSVD
January 4, 2016
Another good Philo Vance story. I like this one better than The "Canary" Murder Case. The resolution isn't as easy to figure out, and there are some good twists. The methods in this book and in the Canary have some similarities, but this one is more complex and therefore more intriguing.
I love these old murder mysteries, and this is one I'll definitely hold onto. Vance is no Poirot or Ms. Marple, no Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Monk, but he's a great amateur detective. He's smart, funny, and unique in his random and immense knowledge of seemingly unimportant trivia.
I recommend this book to mystery lovers. If I ever come across another Vance mystery, I will definitely buy it!!
I love these old murder mysteries, and this is one I'll definitely hold onto. Vance is no Poirot or Ms. Marple, no Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Monk, but he's a great amateur detective. He's smart, funny, and unique in his random and immense knowledge of seemingly unimportant trivia.
I recommend this book to mystery lovers. If I ever come across another Vance mystery, I will definitely buy it!!
January 4, 2016
6th in the Philo Vance mystery series set during October 11-13, 1933, 3 months after Vance’s last case. Vance, an independently wealthy college educated, amateur detective, uses his deductive skills and psychological knowledge to help his New York City District Attorney friend to unravel the murder of Archer Coe. First thought a suicide when Coe’s body is found in a room bolted on the inside with all the windows locked. As usual, the action is set in New York City. Vance’s methods are unconventional and go against the more rigid police investigative methods and lawyer legal requirements.
December 29, 2014
I enjoyed the book. In my head, I kept putting William Powell in the place of Philo Vance, so his pompous attitude, that seemed to bother many other reviewers, didn't bother me that much. I don't read mysteries all that often and this is the first S.S. Van Dine I have read, so it was a nice change. I'll read another Van Dine to see if I feel the same way.
December 14, 2016
The book was great, the movie was great....but they were almost two entirely different story lines....same victims, same murderer...but the details are totally different...but....a great read....love these books!
October 6, 2023
When a wealthy collector of pilfered foreign artifacts is found dead behind a locked door Philo Vance is soon on the scene in this classic puzzle mystery (sixth in the series) with too many clues and more murders than bodies. Vance gets to expound on his extensive expertise in Chinese ceramics and dog breeding and finally falls in love, with a Scottish lass. There's even a gimmick with door locks as in The "Canary" Murder Case, which was a trifle overkill but all part of the puzzle.
Despite writing primarily puzzle mysteries, Van Dine was clever enough to create an indelibly interesting (though occasionally insufferable) detective to solve them, even if that detective was primarily based on himself. Despite the sometimes grating personality of Philo Vance, his popularity rests more in the world Van Dine created around him, his lifestyle, friends (a person with friends can't be all bad), his hobbies, travels, etc. Just as Conan Doyle created a whole world around Sherlock Holmes with his violin, the Persian slipper, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, 221B, and of course Watson. Van Dine, Vance's Watson, however, barely exists. The story is ahead of its time regarding the colonial thieving of cultural artifacts and simultaneously respects and disrespects the sole character of color. The puzzle overwhelms the story at times and the characters are not fully drawn. They don't come to life even as the author valiantly tries to create sinister melodrama a la Conan Doyle. The mystery doesn't quite hang together despite the psychological elucidations and expositions, though the ending has its satisfying elements. [3½★]
Despite writing primarily puzzle mysteries, Van Dine was clever enough to create an indelibly interesting (though occasionally insufferable) detective to solve them, even if that detective was primarily based on himself. Despite the sometimes grating personality of Philo Vance, his popularity rests more in the world Van Dine created around him, his lifestyle, friends (a person with friends can't be all bad), his hobbies, travels, etc. Just as Conan Doyle created a whole world around Sherlock Holmes with his violin, the Persian slipper, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, 221B, and of course Watson. Van Dine, Vance's Watson, however, barely exists. The story is ahead of its time regarding the colonial thieving of cultural artifacts and simultaneously respects and disrespects the sole character of color. The puzzle overwhelms the story at times and the characters are not fully drawn. They don't come to life even as the author valiantly tries to create sinister melodrama a la Conan Doyle. The mystery doesn't quite hang together despite the psychological elucidations and expositions, though the ending has its satisfying elements. [3½★]
November 10, 2025
Arthur Coe, collector, is found dead in his bedroom, in a locked bedroom. Vance is convinced that it is murder. But what of the second death and the attack in the house on a stranger's dog.
An entertaining historical mystery
An entertaining historical mystery
March 31, 2025
Εκδόσεις Βιπερ. Υπόθεση Αυτοκτονίας.
Παρωχημένο μυστήριο κλειδωμένου δωματίου
Παρωχημένο μυστήριο κλειδωμένου δωματίου
November 17, 2021
Major characters:
Philo Vance, the dilettante detective
John F. X. Markham, District Attorney
Ernest Heath, sergent, Homicide squad
Archer Coe, collector of Chinese ceramics
Brisbane Coe, his brother
Raymond Wrede, friend of the Coes
Hilda Lake, niece of Archer Coe, engaged to Raymond Wrede
Signor Eduardo Grassi, officer in the Milan Museum of Oriental Antiquities
Liang Tsung Wei, the Coe cook
Gamble, the Coe butler
and
Miss MacTavish, a Scottie dog
Locale: New York City
Synopsis: District Attorney John F. X. Markham is summoned to the scene of a murder, and as usual, invites his more perceptive friend Philo Vance along. At the residence of Archer Coe, they find he is apparently dead in a locked room - they can see him sprawled through the keyhole. They break in to find he has been shot. The medical examiner arrives, and finds Coe was dead long before he was shot, adding another mystery.
During the investigation an injured Scottie dog is discovered in the house, and no one recognizes it, or knows how it got in. There is also evidence a valuable Chinese vase has been broken, and an inferior piece substituted in its place. A search is started for Coe's brother, Brisbane Coe, who was in the house when all this happened. Eventually he is found - dead - in a closet in the home.
The Scottie dog seems to be the key. If they can trace the dog and find its owner, some light can be shed on the murders.
Review: Despite the title, the book does not have any connection to a kennel, other than a brief visit to one late in the book. This is a locked-room mystery with a pile of loose ends: a victim who was dead before he was shot, a brother also murdered, a mystery dog injured, a broken vase, a missing weapon.
While delving into the worlds of ancient Chinese ceramics as well as dog breeding, the reader need not be knowledgable of either to enjoy the book. These side topics are minor. The big mystery is why and how is a dead man shot inside a locked room. The rundown of clues is standard police procedure and leads to the solution.
The book includes the usual S. S. Van Dine lectures and footnotes on obscure topics which may be skipped over. Was he being paid by the word?
Philo Vance, the dilettante detective
John F. X. Markham, District Attorney
Ernest Heath, sergent, Homicide squad
Archer Coe, collector of Chinese ceramics
Brisbane Coe, his brother
Raymond Wrede, friend of the Coes
Hilda Lake, niece of Archer Coe, engaged to Raymond Wrede
Signor Eduardo Grassi, officer in the Milan Museum of Oriental Antiquities
Liang Tsung Wei, the Coe cook
Gamble, the Coe butler
and
Miss MacTavish, a Scottie dog
Locale: New York City
Synopsis: District Attorney John F. X. Markham is summoned to the scene of a murder, and as usual, invites his more perceptive friend Philo Vance along. At the residence of Archer Coe, they find he is apparently dead in a locked room - they can see him sprawled through the keyhole. They break in to find he has been shot. The medical examiner arrives, and finds Coe was dead long before he was shot, adding another mystery.
During the investigation an injured Scottie dog is discovered in the house, and no one recognizes it, or knows how it got in. There is also evidence a valuable Chinese vase has been broken, and an inferior piece substituted in its place. A search is started for Coe's brother, Brisbane Coe, who was in the house when all this happened. Eventually he is found - dead - in a closet in the home.
The Scottie dog seems to be the key. If they can trace the dog and find its owner, some light can be shed on the murders.
Review: Despite the title, the book does not have any connection to a kennel, other than a brief visit to one late in the book. This is a locked-room mystery with a pile of loose ends: a victim who was dead before he was shot, a brother also murdered, a mystery dog injured, a broken vase, a missing weapon.
While delving into the worlds of ancient Chinese ceramics as well as dog breeding, the reader need not be knowledgable of either to enjoy the book. These side topics are minor. The big mystery is why and how is a dead man shot inside a locked room. The rundown of clues is standard police procedure and leads to the solution.
The book includes the usual S. S. Van Dine lectures and footnotes on obscure topics which may be skipped over. Was he being paid by the word?
November 17, 2011
One wonders if this is really how argumentative rich people settle their differences: complicated plots, weird weapons, and a total reliance on the ignorance of the people around them. Let it be said that Vance solves the mystery because he is an enthusiast over both Scottish Terriers and antique Chinese porcelain. This is opposed to a working class murder, solved by figuring out who is holding the gun.
Curiously, the story is written with Van Dine as narrator, as the personal secretary to Philo Vance. Van Dine is notable for his complete non-presence in the entire story, in that he follows Vance and carefully takes dictation, but contributes nothing and says nothing.
In all, better than the weird contortions that Ellery Queen foists on the reader, but still requires the suspension of disbelief.
Curiously, the story is written with Van Dine as narrator, as the personal secretary to Philo Vance. Van Dine is notable for his complete non-presence in the entire story, in that he follows Vance and carefully takes dictation, but contributes nothing and says nothing.
In all, better than the weird contortions that Ellery Queen foists on the reader, but still requires the suspension of disbelief.
September 24, 2016
4.5 stunning stars !
A gem of a mystery during the Golden age.
This book is perfect for my taste since all the clues necessary to unravel the mystery is visible to the reader and its upto us to put two and two together, though it isn't simple.
Two murders and the murderer lurking around!!
Can our detective Philo Vance catch the culprit?!
A gem of a mystery during the Golden age.
This book is perfect for my taste since all the clues necessary to unravel the mystery is visible to the reader and its upto us to put two and two together, though it isn't simple.
Two murders and the murderer lurking around!!
Can our detective Philo Vance catch the culprit?!
April 23, 2012
One of the better Van Dines, especially since I am prejudiced in favor of Scotties. The locked room mystery and the inclusion of a Scottie make it a wonderful read with a reasonable conclusion.
November 23, 2022
The opening chapter of The Kennel Murder Case includes the obligatory breathless praise for the skills of detective Philo Vance (all of the Vance books I've read start this way; so did the early books of Ellery Queen): this case, more difficult than all the rest, we are told, was solvable only because of Vance's superior knowledge of both Chinese ceramics and Scottish terriers.
Well I admit this information made me instantly skeptical about the book, but curious enough to soldier on through it. It is a painfully dull read! Vance's knowledge of the two arcane subjects indeed proves vital for him to solve the crime, but the lengthy dissertations about them within the story--which Vance himself admits are likely to be boring--stop the book in its tracks multiple times.
Worse, the final solution to this murder is disappointing. One of the problems is that there aren't enough characters, which makes the murderer's identity fairly obvious even if you can't understand how the murder was accomplished. The explanation of the locked room riddle is esoteric and dull in the extreme; the explication of the crime itself is pure anticlimax.
Well I admit this information made me instantly skeptical about the book, but curious enough to soldier on through it. It is a painfully dull read! Vance's knowledge of the two arcane subjects indeed proves vital for him to solve the crime, but the lengthy dissertations about them within the story--which Vance himself admits are likely to be boring--stop the book in its tracks multiple times.
Worse, the final solution to this murder is disappointing. One of the problems is that there aren't enough characters, which makes the murderer's identity fairly obvious even if you can't understand how the murder was accomplished. The explanation of the locked room riddle is esoteric and dull in the extreme; the explication of the crime itself is pure anticlimax.
August 14, 2020
Puoi trovare questa recensione anche sul mio blog, La siepe di more
La prima cosa da dire su Il caso del terrier scozzese è che ho trovato adorabili le attenzioni di Vance nei confronti della povera cagnolina che, suo malgrado, si è ritrovata implicata in questi delitti e in queste indagini – pressoché ignorata da chiunque a parte il buon Vance che tra lo sconcerto generale la ritiene subito un elemento fondamentale per risolvere il caso.
Poi anche questa volta, complice la stanchezza, non sono riuscita a stare dietro alle indagini ed è stato interessante scoprire come e perché sono avvenuti i delitti.
Infine – e questo vale anche per La dea della vendetta – sono contenta di non dovermi ricredere sull’intelligenza di Vance, che ai miei occhi avrebbe perso diversi punti se avesse seguito i vari pregiudizi razziali che sono disseminati nei romanzi – il che immagino sia il massimo ottenibile da romanzi scritti negli anni Trenta del Novecento.
La prima cosa da dire su Il caso del terrier scozzese è che ho trovato adorabili le attenzioni di Vance nei confronti della povera cagnolina che, suo malgrado, si è ritrovata implicata in questi delitti e in queste indagini – pressoché ignorata da chiunque a parte il buon Vance che tra lo sconcerto generale la ritiene subito un elemento fondamentale per risolvere il caso.
Poi anche questa volta, complice la stanchezza, non sono riuscita a stare dietro alle indagini ed è stato interessante scoprire come e perché sono avvenuti i delitti.
Infine – e questo vale anche per La dea della vendetta – sono contenta di non dovermi ricredere sull’intelligenza di Vance, che ai miei occhi avrebbe perso diversi punti se avesse seguito i vari pregiudizi razziali che sono disseminati nei romanzi – il che immagino sia il massimo ottenibile da romanzi scritti negli anni Trenta del Novecento.
December 15, 2024
Adoro policiais de época. S.S.Van Dine é um dos meus autores favoritos. O detetive por si criado, Philo Vance tem um sentido de humor muito próprio.
Archer Coe, colecionador de cerâmica chinesa, é encontrado morto no seu escritório de casa. Está trancado por dentro, Archer segura uma pistola e tem um buraco na t��mpora. Parece suicídio.
Quando Markham e Philo Vance chegam ao local, numa rápida inspecção verificam que Archer também está apunhalado ...
Encontram uma cadelinha Scotish Terrier ferida. Esta não pertence a ninguém da casa, o que sem dúvida, é estranho. Com a paixão que Philo tem por cães, leva-a de imediato ao veterinário.
No dia seguinte, O irmão de Archer, Brisbane também é assassinado, apunhalado.
Desta vez , mesmo com toda a sua astúcia, é Markham e não Philo que desvenda a última pista que leva às resoluções destes crimes.
Qual foi a motivação do assassino? E foi a mesma pessoa a cometer os dois crimes? E porque é que o assassino magoou a cadelinha?
Archer Coe, colecionador de cerâmica chinesa, é encontrado morto no seu escritório de casa. Está trancado por dentro, Archer segura uma pistola e tem um buraco na t��mpora. Parece suicídio.
Quando Markham e Philo Vance chegam ao local, numa rápida inspecção verificam que Archer também está apunhalado ...
Encontram uma cadelinha Scotish Terrier ferida. Esta não pertence a ninguém da casa, o que sem dúvida, é estranho. Com a paixão que Philo tem por cães, leva-a de imediato ao veterinário.
No dia seguinte, O irmão de Archer, Brisbane também é assassinado, apunhalado.
Desta vez , mesmo com toda a sua astúcia, é Markham e não Philo que desvenda a última pista que leva às resoluções destes crimes.
Qual foi a motivação do assassino? E foi a mesma pessoa a cometer os dois crimes? E porque é que o assassino magoou a cadelinha?
July 5, 2021
Questa volta Van Dine non mi ha del tutto convinto. La saccenza di Vance nel discutere degli argomenti più vari (allevamento di cani e ceramiche cinesi, entrambi decisivi a risolvere l'enigma), la camera chiusa cervellotica ancorchè realistica e ancor più l'eccesso di carne al fuoco, non risolto in modo brillante, mi hanno disturbato. Peccato perchè un paio di spunti sono molto brillanti. In particolare uno di loro viene poi spesso usato, con migliore successo, da Carr. L'altro secondo me molto promettente è stato usato poco ed è un peccato perchè è molto intrigante.
November 2, 2023
Poco más que decir que no haya dicho ya de esta serie.
El detective es un pedante rematado, pero los misterios son entretenidos. Para pasar el rato, sin tener grandes expectativas.
Aunque, para mí, no está a la altura de otros grandes autores de "murder misteries" como Agatha Christie, Josephine Tey o Conan Doyle (entre muchos otros).
Eso sí: estas ediciones de Reino de Cordelia son una auténtica maravilla.
El detective es un pedante rematado, pero los misterios son entretenidos. Para pasar el rato, sin tener grandes expectativas.
Aunque, para mí, no está a la altura de otros grandes autores de "murder misteries" como Agatha Christie, Josephine Tey o Conan Doyle (entre muchos otros).
Eso sí: estas ediciones de Reino de Cordelia son una auténtica maravilla.
April 24, 2025
After getting used to the vocabulary and rhythm of the language, reading went smoother. Dialogue was a bit difficult to follow. As I got farther into the story, the storyline carried things forward. I picked up this book at a library book sale. Mostly, for the title involving dogs and I assumed it would be an older who-done-it style that would distract from a long flight. It wasn’t so much a surprise at who-done-it as it was figuring out how.
February 6, 2021
First rate as a puzzle
But somewhat less satisfying as a story. I'd be interested to know how much Philo Vance's enthusiasms are S S Van Dyne's... There is quite a bit of information on dog shows, scotties, Chinese ceramics, and criminology that's either a bunch of research for color or the author's own hobbies providing grist for the mill.
But somewhat less satisfying as a story. I'd be interested to know how much Philo Vance's enthusiasms are S S Van Dyne's... There is quite a bit of information on dog shows, scotties, Chinese ceramics, and criminology that's either a bunch of research for color or the author's own hobbies providing grist for the mill.
October 6, 2023
Intriguing puzzle
This is some convoluted case! So many clues; too many clues. Philosophy Vance has vast knowledge of so many different subjects, knows German, French and Latin, how could he not solve this puzzle. Very entertaining.
This is some convoluted case! So many clues; too many clues. Philosophy Vance has vast knowledge of so many different subjects, knows German, French and Latin, how could he not solve this puzzle. Very entertaining.
July 25, 2024
Μυστήριο κλειδωμένου δωματίου με μπόλικο σασπένς και plot twist.Κλασσικο μυθιστόρημα του Χρυσού αιώνα με τον εξαιρετικό ερευνητή, τετραπερατο Φίλο Βανς.
Δυστυχώς ο S.S. Van Dine(ψευδώνυμο) δεν μεταφραστηκε στα ελληνικά παρά το σπουδαίο έργο του.
Δυστυχώς ο S.S. Van Dine(ψευδώνυμο) δεν μεταφραστηκε στα ελληνικά παρά το σπουδαίο έργο του.
March 6, 2025
The Kennel Murder Case
A well crafted whodunit that captures the essence of high society New York in the early 1900's. Plotting seems stretched but the main detective is well developed and the era feels authentic.
A well crafted whodunit that captures the essence of high society New York in the early 1900's. Plotting seems stretched but the main detective is well developed and the era feels authentic.
June 22, 2017
full of boring long-winded descriptions and explanations only to show off writer's snobbery.
so much filler, yet no real questions were answered until the last 2 pages.
so much filler, yet no real questions were answered until the last 2 pages.
January 14, 2020
No es uno de los mejores libros de van Dine. Algo previsible y un final no muy original.
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