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İmparatorun Enfiye Kutusu
Tarihî gizem romanlarının usta yazarı John Dickson Carr, ilk 1942 yılında yayınladığı gizem romanı, İmparator'un Enfiye Kutusu ile polisiye roman türünü hak ettiği mertebeye çıkarır nitelikte duru, akıcı bir üslup ve usta işi betimlemelerle bezenmiş bir üslupla okur karşısına çıkar. Roman bir polisiyenin olmazsa olmazını, yani gizemli olayı, bu olayın önündeki sis perdesini, ardında yatan gerçeği, türün pek çok ucuz örneğindeki sıradanlığa, basitliğe düşmeden, adeta gerek okura gerekse diğer polisiye roman yazarlarına ders verircesine ortaya çıkardığı bir edebiyat şölenine dönüşür.
Bu kez dedektif, psikolog Dr. Kinross'tur. Hikâye, Fransa'nın yaz aylarında kıtanın her bölgesinden zengin tatilcileri, yazlıkçıları birkaç haftalığına kendine çeken, bunun dışındaki zamanlardaysa yöre ahalisinin dünyadan yalıtılmış, gözlerden ırak, sessiz, sakin hayatlar sürdüğü bir tatil yöresinde geçer.
Her şey, bu güzel tatil yöresinin daimi sakinlerinden olan ve huzurlu ve dingin yaşamında belki de en keyifli oyunu/oyuncağı, tarihi eser koleksiyonculuğu olan Sir Maurice Lawes'ın Napolyon'a ait olduğu söylenen cep saati şeklinde, üzeri değerli taşlarla süslü enfiye kutusu ekseninde gelişir.
Sir, söz konusu enfiye kutusunu henüz aldığı gece, sadece oyuncağını değil, hayatını da elinden alan bir cinayete kurban gider. Aynı sokakta, hemen karşı villada yaşayan, Lawes ailesinin müstakbel gelini, genç ve güzel İngiliz kadın, Eve Neill da cinayet zanlılarından biridir. Çalınan değerli kolye ve müthiş enfiye kutusunun kendisi de çözülmeyi bekleyen diğer gizemlerdir.
Senaryosunu Compton Bennett'in yazdığı 1957 yılı yapımı That Woman Opposite adlı film ile beyazperdeye de taşınmış olan romanın, eleştirmenlerden fanatik okurlarına pek çoklarınca Carr'ın kapalı oda cinayetler ve imkânsız suçlar içermeyen en iyi romanı kabul edilmesinin yanında, yazarın 'polisiye roman nasıl yazılır' dersi verircesine yaptığı göndermeleri, suç tarihindeki bilgisini konuşturduğu açıklamaları, mekân, karakter ve duygu tasvirlerindeki eşsiz detaycılığıyla bir anlamda klasik ve hatasız bir polisiye roman şablonu sunduğunun da altını çizmek gerekir.
Bu kez dedektif, psikolog Dr. Kinross'tur. Hikâye, Fransa'nın yaz aylarında kıtanın her bölgesinden zengin tatilcileri, yazlıkçıları birkaç haftalığına kendine çeken, bunun dışındaki zamanlardaysa yöre ahalisinin dünyadan yalıtılmış, gözlerden ırak, sessiz, sakin hayatlar sürdüğü bir tatil yöresinde geçer.
Her şey, bu güzel tatil yöresinin daimi sakinlerinden olan ve huzurlu ve dingin yaşamında belki de en keyifli oyunu/oyuncağı, tarihi eser koleksiyonculuğu olan Sir Maurice Lawes'ın Napolyon'a ait olduğu söylenen cep saati şeklinde, üzeri değerli taşlarla süslü enfiye kutusu ekseninde gelişir.
Sir, söz konusu enfiye kutusunu henüz aldığı gece, sadece oyuncağını değil, hayatını da elinden alan bir cinayete kurban gider. Aynı sokakta, hemen karşı villada yaşayan, Lawes ailesinin müstakbel gelini, genç ve güzel İngiliz kadın, Eve Neill da cinayet zanlılarından biridir. Çalınan değerli kolye ve müthiş enfiye kutusunun kendisi de çözülmeyi bekleyen diğer gizemlerdir.
Senaryosunu Compton Bennett'in yazdığı 1957 yılı yapımı That Woman Opposite adlı film ile beyazperdeye de taşınmış olan romanın, eleştirmenlerden fanatik okurlarına pek çoklarınca Carr'ın kapalı oda cinayetler ve imkânsız suçlar içermeyen en iyi romanı kabul edilmesinin yanında, yazarın 'polisiye roman nasıl yazılır' dersi verircesine yaptığı göndermeleri, suç tarihindeki bilgisini konuşturduğu açıklamaları, mekân, karakter ve duygu tasvirlerindeki eşsiz detaycılığıyla bir anlamda klasik ve hatasız bir polisiye roman şablonu sunduğunun da altını çizmek gerekir.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
118 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
John Dickson Carr
422 books470 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 85 reviews
September 13, 2024
Много приятна ретро кримка, която ми достави удоволствие.
Джон Диксън Кар е майстор на криминалната интрига и го доказва на страниците на този кратък роман.
Ив Нийл е красива, заможна и нещастна англичанка, живееща във вила на френското атлантическо крайбрежие. Току-що се е развела и се чуди как да продължи живота си. Дали обаче неумението да избере свестен мъж за себе си няма да се окаже фатално?
Струва си да се прочете.
Цитат:
"Няма човек на тая земя, за когото да не идва ден, когато всичко му тръгва наопаки - и то без видима причина."
P.S. Харесват ми много кориците на тази серия джобни книги.
Джон Диксън Кар е майстор на криминалната интрига и го доказва на страниците на този кратък роман.
Ив Нийл е красива, заможна и нещастна англичанка, живееща във вила на френското атлантическо крайбрежие. Току-що се е развела и се чуди как да продължи живота си. Дали обаче неумението да избере свестен мъж за себе си няма да се окаже фатално?
Струва си да се прочете.
Цитат:
"Няма човек на тая земя, за когото да не идва ден, когато всичко му тръгва наопаки - и то без видима причина."
P.S. Харесват ми много кориците на тази серия джобни книги.
January 29, 2015
Finally, I have read a John Dickson Carr book. This has been one of those authors I've been wanting to read for a very long time, and now that I've finally done it, I can see myself reading a lot more. This was a mystery that was carefully crafted and full of tension, which is amazing given how short of a period of time the story takes place in. Normally, or at least in my experience, when a mystery takes place in a short period of time, the book seems to be frantic in it's pacing, almost schizophrenic, not sure where it's supposed to be going. With The Emperor's Snuff-Box, Carr kept the pace at a steady clip, giving me just enough energy to keep it interesting, without losing the tension that needs to be built up.
I think a large part of that had to do with the character of Eve Neil. She may not behave in exactly the same manner I would, given the same set of circumstances, but the force of her personality is what the entire books revolves around. It is impossible for this book to have been written, with a different type of character as the lead, it just wouldn't have worked. For that matter, there wasn't a weak character in the group, though there were one or two that I could have done without. I get why they were there, to divert attention away from the truth, but they still annoyed the hell out of me.
There were really three male "leads" in this one: Ned Atwood, Eve's ex-husband, who definitely is more that he appears to be, Toby Lawes, Eve's fiance, quiet and old fashioned, but it's always that kind of man who is hiding something, and then there is Dr. Dermot Kinross, a specialist in the criminal mind. Ned is a rake, a scoundrel, and just a tad bit dangerous, but you can't help but like him. Even at the end, when everything is out in the open, part of me wanted the two of them back together. Toby on the other hand is, on the surface, the kind of man you are supposed to like. Solid, dependable, and just a tad bit stuffy, he is the stereotypical Englishman. Too bad he is an immoral snake who can't keep it in his pants. It's a good thing the story takes place in France, otherwise he may have been as stodgy as he appeared. I never liked him, and I'm glad the book ended the way it did, at least as far as he's concerned. Then we have the hero, Dermot. I really enjoyed his character, and I really wish Carr would have continued with him in further books. Not sure why he didn't, though some of what I read online suggest a bias of Carr's part, but then why did Carr write him to begin with. Either way, he is the detective of the piece and has no problem getting to the heart of the case, discovering the truth in a most logical way, but still using a bit of instinct to guide him.
If you couldn't tell by now, I loved the book. The mystery itself was ingenious, and not one I really had a clue about until the big reveal. But it wasn't an ending that comes out of the blue, yeah, I didn't pick up on the clues, but they were there. I guess it's just a good thing I'll never be relied upon to solve a murder or two.
I think a large part of that had to do with the character of Eve Neil. She may not behave in exactly the same manner I would, given the same set of circumstances, but the force of her personality is what the entire books revolves around. It is impossible for this book to have been written, with a different type of character as the lead, it just wouldn't have worked. For that matter, there wasn't a weak character in the group, though there were one or two that I could have done without. I get why they were there, to divert attention away from the truth, but they still annoyed the hell out of me.
There were really three male "leads" in this one: Ned Atwood, Eve's ex-husband, who definitely is more that he appears to be, Toby Lawes, Eve's fiance, quiet and old fashioned, but it's always that kind of man who is hiding something, and then there is Dr. Dermot Kinross, a specialist in the criminal mind. Ned is a rake, a scoundrel, and just a tad bit dangerous, but you can't help but like him. Even at the end, when everything is out in the open, part of me wanted the two of them back together. Toby on the other hand is, on the surface, the kind of man you are supposed to like. Solid, dependable, and just a tad bit stuffy, he is the stereotypical Englishman. Too bad he is an immoral snake who can't keep it in his pants. It's a good thing the story takes place in France, otherwise he may have been as stodgy as he appeared. I never liked him, and I'm glad the book ended the way it did, at least as far as he's concerned. Then we have the hero, Dermot. I really enjoyed his character, and I really wish Carr would have continued with him in further books. Not sure why he didn't, though some of what I read online suggest a bias of Carr's part, but then why did Carr write him to begin with. Either way, he is the detective of the piece and has no problem getting to the heart of the case, discovering the truth in a most logical way, but still using a bit of instinct to guide him.
If you couldn't tell by now, I loved the book. The mystery itself was ingenious, and not one I really had a clue about until the big reveal. But it wasn't an ending that comes out of the blue, yeah, I didn't pick up on the clues, but they were there. I guess it's just a good thing I'll never be relied upon to solve a murder or two.
January 8, 2021
Ci troviamo a La Bandelette, località fittizia (come Vigata, in provincia di Montelusa) sulle coste della Manica, con un casinò e piena di inglesi, turisti e no. Qui facciamo conoscenza con la giovane Eve, che ha da poco divorziato da Ned e si è appena fidanzata con Toby, un ricco vicino di casa, anche lui inglese, che oltre ad appartenere a una famiglia facoltosa (il padre è un magistrato in pensione e collezionista di antichità, fra cui una tabacchiera che era appartenuta a Napoleone Bonaparte) svolge la professione di direttore della filiale di La Bandelette di una banca inglese.
Quando Ned viene a sapere del fidanzamento, si introduce a casa di Eve e cerca di convincerla a rimettersi con lui. Nel corso della animata discussione, i due assistono accidentalmente all’omicidio del padre di Toby, del quale Eve verrà poi ingiustamente sospettata. Uno psichiatra inglese in vacanza, Dermot Kinross, sbroglierà la matassa e scoprirà come sono andate le cose.
Un Carr diverso dal solito, niente delitto impossibile, niente soprannaturale, tutti gli indizi sono davanti agli occhi e il lettore si trova nella posizione di poter scoprire tutto, ma Carr è talmente bravo, come un prestigiatore, a distogliere l’attenzione del lettore da rendere difficile scoprire quello che invece è ovvio. Un Carr quindi che ricorda i migliori Christie, e che da molti appassionati è considerato il suo migliore romanzo.
Quando Ned viene a sapere del fidanzamento, si introduce a casa di Eve e cerca di convincerla a rimettersi con lui. Nel corso della animata discussione, i due assistono accidentalmente all’omicidio del padre di Toby, del quale Eve verrà poi ingiustamente sospettata. Uno psichiatra inglese in vacanza, Dermot Kinross, sbroglierà la matassa e scoprirà come sono andate le cose.
Un Carr diverso dal solito, niente delitto impossibile, niente soprannaturale, tutti gli indizi sono davanti agli occhi e il lettore si trova nella posizione di poter scoprire tutto, ma Carr è talmente bravo, come un prestigiatore, a distogliere l’attenzione del lettore da rendere difficile scoprire quello che invece è ovvio. Un Carr quindi che ricorda i migliori Christie, e che da molti appassionati è considerato il suo migliore romanzo.
May 17, 2023
kitapta bir yer vardı: Aklı kıtları son bölümde şaşırtmaya çalışan büyük dedektif pozlarında değilim. bayağı bir hoşuma gitmişti ve şunu düşünmüştüm. sanırım... polisiye okumaktan asla sıkılmayacağım. evet, özellikle son bölümde herkesi şaşırtan tuhaf dedektiflerin olduğu vıcık vıcık aile entrikalarına girilen türünden... günümüz polisiyesi de ilgimi çekiyor ama eski yöntemler daha ilgi çekici sankii
May 23, 2017
A neat murder mystery with the main clues hidden in plain sight and a snarky author's voice. Dated, especially in respect to the main female characters, but I had an enjoyable time with it.
March 17, 2024
Neįmantrus, bet geras, klasikinis (parašytas 1942 m.), britiško stiliaus detektyvas.
Čia yra "užrakinto" kambario paslaptis ir lavonas jame, patraukli moteris, vėliau tampanti pagrindine įtariamąja, yra jos buvęs avantiūristas vyras ir naujas mylimasis - abu potencialūs žudikai. Ir dar yra užsienietis detektyvas, knygos pabaigoje surenkantis visus įtariamuosius drauge, kad paskelbtų žudiką Puaro stiliumi:)
Čia nėra kažkokių įspūdingų ar aštrių siužeto posūkių, bet yra geri ir gyvi personažai bei daug klaustukų (kas kaip ir kodėl), vedančių siužetą į priekį ir verčiančių įtarinėti visus iš eilės iki pat pabaigos. Geras pasirinkimas vienam, maloniam vakarui su knyga (ji vos 156 psl.).
Čia yra "užrakinto" kambario paslaptis ir lavonas jame, patraukli moteris, vėliau tampanti pagrindine įtariamąja, yra jos buvęs avantiūristas vyras ir naujas mylimasis - abu potencialūs žudikai. Ir dar yra užsienietis detektyvas, knygos pabaigoje surenkantis visus įtariamuosius drauge, kad paskelbtų žudiką Puaro stiliumi:)
Čia nėra kažkokių įspūdingų ar aštrių siužeto posūkių, bet yra geri ir gyvi personažai bei daug klaustukų (kas kaip ir kodėl), vedančių siužetą į priekį ir verčiančių įtarinėti visus iš eilės iki pat pabaigos. Geras pasirinkimas vienam, maloniam vakarui su knyga (ji vos 156 psl.).
February 7, 2019
Rieccolo.
Dopo l'infelice parentesi data da "La Casa" e da "La corte delle streghe", è ritornato il maestro della camera chiusa nella sua forma più brillante e ingegnosa che io amo tanto. E quando è questo Carr a regalarmi ore di lettura, non ce n'è proprio per nessuno. Ti volti e l'ombra di passaggio che intravedi nel salotto di casa ti pare quella dell'assassino, avanzante con passo furtivo e avvolto nel suo impermeabile nero; senti un improvviso fiato sul collo e ti sembra la lama fredda e affilata di un coltello o la canna puntata di una rivoltella; la luce offuscata e tremolante che l'abat-jour getta sul tuo tranquillo angolo lettura di colpo diventa la splendente luce di un salone corredato da mobili antichi e tappeti lussuosi, su uno dei quali viene rinvenuto un cadavere.
E' brivido, fascino, suggestione.
Ormai ho imparato che ogni giallo del maestro gioca su un'atmosfera particolare. Quella che troviamo in "La tabacchiera dell'imperatore" è proprio quella dei salotti e studi borghesi di una località climatica francese degli anni '40: in uno di questi studi Maurice Lawes, giudice inglese appassionato di antiquariato, viene ucciso mentre è intento a esaminare una misteriosa tabacchiera appartenuta nientemeno che all'imperatore Napoleone. Tutta la scena viene vista dalla finestra della casa di fronte dalla giovane Eva Neill, fidanzata del figlio del signor Lawes, la quale finirà, per le mosse successive, per diventare la principale indiziata. E ovviamente ci crederanno tutti, meno Dermont Kinross, psicologo e criminologo nuovo alle mie letture del maestro, il quale, con un pizzico di sesto senso e incredibile arguzia, riuscirà a risolvere il caso, smascherando la facciata di falsità e ipocrisia con la quale tutti i personaggi vicini ad Eva cercheranno di pararsi. Già, perchè tutti avrebbero potuto compiere il delitto, ma chi è stato?
In un mirabile gioco di specchi, dove tutto sembra il contrario di tutto, Carr lancia una sfida tesa e intelligente al lettore spezzando il mistero, in fondo più semplice di ciò che appaia, in più tasselli che solo nelle ultimissime pagine andranno al loro posto. Ma la sfida è difficilissima, il colpo di scena non mancherà e la soluzione sarà imprevedibile.
Un nuovo inchino al maestro che anche stavolta mi ha regalato una gemma di puro giallo classico architettata con sublime intelligenza.
Dopo l'infelice parentesi data da "La Casa" e da "La corte delle streghe", è ritornato il maestro della camera chiusa nella sua forma più brillante e ingegnosa che io amo tanto. E quando è questo Carr a regalarmi ore di lettura, non ce n'è proprio per nessuno. Ti volti e l'ombra di passaggio che intravedi nel salotto di casa ti pare quella dell'assassino, avanzante con passo furtivo e avvolto nel suo impermeabile nero; senti un improvviso fiato sul collo e ti sembra la lama fredda e affilata di un coltello o la canna puntata di una rivoltella; la luce offuscata e tremolante che l'abat-jour getta sul tuo tranquillo angolo lettura di colpo diventa la splendente luce di un salone corredato da mobili antichi e tappeti lussuosi, su uno dei quali viene rinvenuto un cadavere.
E' brivido, fascino, suggestione.
Ormai ho imparato che ogni giallo del maestro gioca su un'atmosfera particolare. Quella che troviamo in "La tabacchiera dell'imperatore" è proprio quella dei salotti e studi borghesi di una località climatica francese degli anni '40: in uno di questi studi Maurice Lawes, giudice inglese appassionato di antiquariato, viene ucciso mentre è intento a esaminare una misteriosa tabacchiera appartenuta nientemeno che all'imperatore Napoleone. Tutta la scena viene vista dalla finestra della casa di fronte dalla giovane Eva Neill, fidanzata del figlio del signor Lawes, la quale finirà, per le mosse successive, per diventare la principale indiziata. E ovviamente ci crederanno tutti, meno Dermont Kinross, psicologo e criminologo nuovo alle mie letture del maestro, il quale, con un pizzico di sesto senso e incredibile arguzia, riuscirà a risolvere il caso, smascherando la facciata di falsità e ipocrisia con la quale tutti i personaggi vicini ad Eva cercheranno di pararsi. Già, perchè tutti avrebbero potuto compiere il delitto, ma chi è stato?
In un mirabile gioco di specchi, dove tutto sembra il contrario di tutto, Carr lancia una sfida tesa e intelligente al lettore spezzando il mistero, in fondo più semplice di ciò che appaia, in più tasselli che solo nelle ultimissime pagine andranno al loro posto. Ma la sfida è difficilissima, il colpo di scena non mancherà e la soluzione sarà imprevedibile.
Un nuovo inchino al maestro che anche stavolta mi ha regalato una gemma di puro giallo classico architettata con sublime intelligenza.
January 1, 2013
I became hooked on John Dickson Carr when I read "The Devil in Velvet". His best books were written in the Golden Age of detective fiction, the 1920s, 1930s and early 40s.
The author always left a clue in his books as to who had committed the murder. Sometimes I could achieve this but other times, as in this book, I couldn't.
Based in France, the story begins when Helena, the wife of Sir Maurice Lawes, finds him murdered. Eve Neill lives over the road and can see, not everything of course, what is going on in their villa. At the side of Sir Maurice's body the remains of a snuff box are found, that had once belonged to Napolean.
What baffles M. Goron investigating the murder is that Eve had never seen the snuff box before the murder but she claims that she saw it at a distance of fifty feet.
I had my suspicisons about Ned Atwood, the divorced husband of Eve who reappears on the scene but I couldn't put my finger on it.
I'm not going into the story further. Just read it as it's brilliant.
The author always left a clue in his books as to who had committed the murder. Sometimes I could achieve this but other times, as in this book, I couldn't.
Based in France, the story begins when Helena, the wife of Sir Maurice Lawes, finds him murdered. Eve Neill lives over the road and can see, not everything of course, what is going on in their villa. At the side of Sir Maurice's body the remains of a snuff box are found, that had once belonged to Napolean.
What baffles M. Goron investigating the murder is that Eve had never seen the snuff box before the murder but she claims that she saw it at a distance of fifty feet.
I had my suspicisons about Ned Atwood, the divorced husband of Eve who reappears on the scene but I couldn't put my finger on it.
I'm not going into the story further. Just read it as it's brilliant.
July 21, 2023
Un'idea geniale! Uno dei gialli più belli mai letti! Senza nulla togliere a tanti grandi giallisti, John Dickson Carr è imbattibile.
January 6, 2024
When her husband Ned Atwood did not contest the divorce suit she brought against him and not much was published about the case in the papers, Eve Neill thought she had put scandal and anguish behind her. She settled down in their French apartments among the other English families living abroad. She met the very nice, not too handsome, reliable Toby Lawes who made her feel safe and cherished as Ned never had. Toby's highly respectable family overlooked her past and took her in. Soon her engagement to young Toby was announced and happiness lay before her. Or so she thought.
But even though Atwood didn't contest the divorce, he had told her that he'd be back and she'd be his again. So, after the announcement appeared in the paper, he used the key he swore he had lost and appeared in her bedroom at a most compromising hour. Across the way, old Maurice Lawes was sure to be up in his study fussing about with his collections. "I'll just call out to him and let him know I'm here," he taunts his ex-wife as he runs to the window and flings back the curtains. But Maurice Lawes isn't going to care about who his prospective daughter-in-law has in her bedroom. In fact, he's not going to care about anything ever again. Somebody has smashed his head in with a poker and in the process smashed a very valuable snuffbox that once belonged to Napoleon.
The snuffbox and what was seen from Eve's window play an important part in the mystery. At first it appears to the police that it means Eve must be guilty of the crime. Especially when a witness claims they saw her outside in a bloody nightgown around the right time. The sticking point? What was her motive? When fellow Englishman Dr. Kinross gets involved, he sees that the clues the police set great store by in their case against Eve could have an entirely different meaning...if only he could get Eve to tell her story exactly as things happened.
I'm not nearly as enamored with this one as a few of my friends (and other) on Goodreads. If Eve would tell all of what happened (even just the parts she consciously knows and not counting the bit that Kinross wants her tell that she can't seem to remember when the police question her), we wouldn't have to spend the book trying to convince the police to look for the culprit elsewhere. I'm not a big fan of witnesses keeping something back to "protect" someone else--especially when it will prove the witness's innocence and won't really hurt the someone else all that much. And even after she finds out that the someone else isn't quite the person she thought they were, it still takes a bit to get her to cough up what she knows. Pretty infuriating.
The solution was very good...definitely up to Carr's standard and the clues were there if I had just paid attention properly. All of the stars go for the plot.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
But even though Atwood didn't contest the divorce, he had told her that he'd be back and she'd be his again. So, after the announcement appeared in the paper, he used the key he swore he had lost and appeared in her bedroom at a most compromising hour. Across the way, old Maurice Lawes was sure to be up in his study fussing about with his collections. "I'll just call out to him and let him know I'm here," he taunts his ex-wife as he runs to the window and flings back the curtains. But Maurice Lawes isn't going to care about who his prospective daughter-in-law has in her bedroom. In fact, he's not going to care about anything ever again. Somebody has smashed his head in with a poker and in the process smashed a very valuable snuffbox that once belonged to Napoleon.
The snuffbox and what was seen from Eve's window play an important part in the mystery. At first it appears to the police that it means Eve must be guilty of the crime. Especially when a witness claims they saw her outside in a bloody nightgown around the right time. The sticking point? What was her motive? When fellow Englishman Dr. Kinross gets involved, he sees that the clues the police set great store by in their case against Eve could have an entirely different meaning...if only he could get Eve to tell her story exactly as things happened.
I'm not nearly as enamored with this one as a few of my friends (and other) on Goodreads. If Eve would tell all of what happened (even just the parts she consciously knows and not counting the bit that Kinross wants her tell that she can't seem to remember when the police question her), we wouldn't have to spend the book trying to convince the police to look for the culprit elsewhere. I'm not a big fan of witnesses keeping something back to "protect" someone else--especially when it will prove the witness's innocence and won't really hurt the someone else all that much. And even after she finds out that the someone else isn't quite the person she thought they were, it still takes a bit to get her to cough up what she knows. Pretty infuriating.
The solution was very good...definitely up to Carr's standard and the clues were there if I had just paid attention properly. All of the stars go for the plot.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
August 18, 2019
Actually seven stars, if that is possible! A masterpiece! This is the third time that I’ve read the book and even though I knew who the murderer was I still could not put it down. And when I was finished I looked at the ebook version and read the first chapter again. The story is so good, so well written and so brilliantly conceived! This is not an impossible crime like most of Carr’s other books or a historical mystery like some of Carr’s later books. But it shows that he has a command of many genres of the detective story. Carr also gives us all the clues to solve the mystery on our own. I am a great fan of Carr and this is among his best.
September 12, 2019
After a facebook posting about this book, exclaiming a twist that was quite good. I decided to pick up this Carr book. The detective is not one of the three common ones and while this take place in France, the people are English.
Since I was on the lookout I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out ‘who” done it. But there was a lot of odd bits of events. I figured out one aspect but wasn’t sure if I was right about another... and while I was pleased with the ending, (LOTS O’ TWISTS) it was well done.
What struck me as being more memorable were the characters, who while were very quirky at times, were well drawn- and in keeping with the location of France- the psyche of the people was also an aspect of the story- one’s strengths/being also a flaw.
Since I was on the lookout I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out ‘who” done it. But there was a lot of odd bits of events. I figured out one aspect but wasn’t sure if I was right about another... and while I was pleased with the ending, (LOTS O’ TWISTS) it was well done.
What struck me as being more memorable were the characters, who while were very quirky at times, were well drawn- and in keeping with the location of France- the psyche of the people was also an aspect of the story- one’s strengths/being also a flaw.
May 30, 2020
Cracking mid era tale from Dickson Carr.No Merrivale or Fell or even a locked room this time but a page turner of a mystery none the less.Its fairly clued throughout and comes highly recommended 👍
June 20, 2021
Molto carino ma ho indovinato tutto troppo presto.
August 1, 2019
A wickedly clever plot from John Dickson Carr. One star deducted as I think the final romantic scene was a bit too cheesy.
August 8, 2021
(Spoilers - I talk about how much of the solution I figured out in detail, and I will be naming the killer and their plot.)
Once again, I have returned to a true classic in detective literature by John Dickson Carr. This time, it is one of his rare non-historical stand-alones, "The Emperor's Snuff-Box", which features neither Dr. Fell or H.M., nor Henri Bencolin. Instead we get a completely new detective: British expat and criminological psychologist Dr. Dermot Kinross. Kinross is a very interesting detective because he does not share the kind of eccentricities that Fell or Merrivale have; although he is an amazing sleuth, Kinross is surprisingly normal. We know that he has had facial reconstruction surgery after a bomb injury in war, and that he is very hard working and empathetic. He has to work alongside M. Aristide Goron, the French prefect of police in the beach town of La Bandelette who wears white roses in his suits, says words like "zizipompom" and also maybe unfairly intimidates suspects, when a very vexing (but not impossible) murder happens.
Our protagonist is Eve Neill. Recently she has gotten divorced from her abusive husband Ned Atwood, and now that he has left she has become engaged to her across-the-street neighbor Toby Lawes. Toby lives with the rest of his family - his sister Janice, his parents Sir Maurice and Lady Helena, and his uncle Ben Phillips. Maurice happens to have a large collection of historical trinkets. Of course, this perfect match is challenged when Ned returns to La Bandelette to win Eve back from Toby. One night, after Eve and the Laweses (sans Sir Maurice) return from a Shaw play, Ned barges in on Eve in her bedroom - he still has a house key. They begin to argue, with Ned threatening to pull back the windows so that Sir Maurice can see the hubbub from his second-floor study where he houses his antiques. Ned sees Maurice there looking at his newest item, a snuff-box once belonging to Napoleon I, but Eve turns the lights off and then Toby calls. After an excruciating telephone conversation, Eve and Ned turn back to the window to see a gloved hand turn of the main light of Sir Maurice's study - and across the room illuminated by desk-lamp, Sir Maurice with his head bashed in and his precious snuff-box shattered into a million pieces. As if this wasn't bad enough, Ned then falls down the stairs with a concussion (he eventually slips into a coma causing his testimony to become obsolete), Eve is locked out of her own house (she suspects her nosy maid Yvette) and the police find a shard of the snuff-box on her clothing. While Goron and the French police all close in on poor Eve Neill, Dr. Kinross in her only hope as he tries to use his psychological insight to prove an alternate theory - that the killer may just be a Lawes...
The writing here is quite excellent. I read this whole thing in two days (it is rather short for a Carr) and was never bored. Even the parts where I thought I would be bored, like the Laweses conversing, or Eve talking with Yvette's sister Prue, were page-turning. His descriptions of the French seaside village and the daily life there is excellent. He also paints some of the characters brilliantly - we get a great insight into Eve's femme fatale identity, Ned's cunning charisma, Toby's boyishness, Goron's eccentricity, and Kinross' subtle personality which is perhaps described the best. Unfortunately, some of the other characters, like the other Lawes family members and the help, are more one-dimensional characters.
The puzzle here is really well plotted. There seem to be only a few clues, none of which really make much sense - the smashed snuff-box, a necklace worn by Marie Antoinette's favorite which is found discarded on the floor but intact, the brown gloves, the lights in Sir Maurice's study, the shard on Eve's nightgown, and most importantly the testimony of Eve and the incapacitated Ned. These things all seem to have no explanation, but Dr. Kinross perfectly puts them together into one surprising but logical solution.
Now for the spoilery stuff. I will admit I half-solved this, which is very rare for me with Carr (the only other time I got close was when I figured out who the killer was in He Who Whispers but discarded the theory for being a bit too far-fetched - it wasn't.) To put it simply, I knew that when Ned told Eve that he saw Sir Maurice looking at the snuff-box from across the street, that he was lying. It seemed obvious to me that he couldn't have known it was a snuff-box - it was too far away and it looked like a watch. While this made me suspect him seriously, I still didn't know how he did it. My fatal flaw was thinking that a.) Ned has still seen Sir Maurice alive at his "sighting" and b.) Brown-Gloves was the killer. My only explanation was that with the lights off, Ned somehow slipped away and stole into the Lawes house with his key...? It made absolutely no sense and eventually my theory fell apart, although Ned was still suspect in my mind. But when Dr. Kinross accused Toby of being Brown-Gloves, well, I won't say it utterly surprised me (I've seen too many fiances of the main female character be the murderer in different authors' books to not suspect Toby) but the evidence of saying he saw the study lights on when he couldn't have because of the rug caught me off-guard. And so, for one glorious chapter, I completely disregarded Ned and got sucked into the long and short of the Toby theory. Even when Toby told the truth, I was still dazed. And when Ned was finally reintroduced as the killer, it may not have been shocking, but still the kind of surprise that made me go "I should have known all along." My simply error in thinking that Maurice hadn't been killed before Ned "saw" him fiddling with the snuff-box cost me my mostly correct theory (I even caught onto the motive - the whole McConklin story seemed to important to disregard.) And the beginning of that second chapter - now if that isn't daring! Saying that his "mistake" was saying he'd win back Eve at the hotel... not because he was afraid of gossip but because it was the genesis of his having to kill Sir Maurice in the first place! He "wasn't afraid" of Sir Maurice hearing him on the street not because he knew he was deaf, but because he knew he was dead! It borders so closely on being unfair in retrospect but it really is well done.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this outing from John Dickson Carr. My only gripes were that some of the characters were too flat, there is still some misogyny in Eve's character although she is at least shown as a victim and not "asking for it" or anything, and if you've read too many murder mysteries like me, the killer's identity can be easy to glom onto - although even I was blindsided when I had half the solution laid out in my head!
Once again, I have returned to a true classic in detective literature by John Dickson Carr. This time, it is one of his rare non-historical stand-alones, "The Emperor's Snuff-Box", which features neither Dr. Fell or H.M., nor Henri Bencolin. Instead we get a completely new detective: British expat and criminological psychologist Dr. Dermot Kinross. Kinross is a very interesting detective because he does not share the kind of eccentricities that Fell or Merrivale have; although he is an amazing sleuth, Kinross is surprisingly normal. We know that he has had facial reconstruction surgery after a bomb injury in war, and that he is very hard working and empathetic. He has to work alongside M. Aristide Goron, the French prefect of police in the beach town of La Bandelette who wears white roses in his suits, says words like "zizipompom" and also maybe unfairly intimidates suspects, when a very vexing (but not impossible) murder happens.
Our protagonist is Eve Neill. Recently she has gotten divorced from her abusive husband Ned Atwood, and now that he has left she has become engaged to her across-the-street neighbor Toby Lawes. Toby lives with the rest of his family - his sister Janice, his parents Sir Maurice and Lady Helena, and his uncle Ben Phillips. Maurice happens to have a large collection of historical trinkets. Of course, this perfect match is challenged when Ned returns to La Bandelette to win Eve back from Toby. One night, after Eve and the Laweses (sans Sir Maurice) return from a Shaw play, Ned barges in on Eve in her bedroom - he still has a house key. They begin to argue, with Ned threatening to pull back the windows so that Sir Maurice can see the hubbub from his second-floor study where he houses his antiques. Ned sees Maurice there looking at his newest item, a snuff-box once belonging to Napoleon I, but Eve turns the lights off and then Toby calls. After an excruciating telephone conversation, Eve and Ned turn back to the window to see a gloved hand turn of the main light of Sir Maurice's study - and across the room illuminated by desk-lamp, Sir Maurice with his head bashed in and his precious snuff-box shattered into a million pieces. As if this wasn't bad enough, Ned then falls down the stairs with a concussion (he eventually slips into a coma causing his testimony to become obsolete), Eve is locked out of her own house (she suspects her nosy maid Yvette) and the police find a shard of the snuff-box on her clothing. While Goron and the French police all close in on poor Eve Neill, Dr. Kinross in her only hope as he tries to use his psychological insight to prove an alternate theory - that the killer may just be a Lawes...
The writing here is quite excellent. I read this whole thing in two days (it is rather short for a Carr) and was never bored. Even the parts where I thought I would be bored, like the Laweses conversing, or Eve talking with Yvette's sister Prue, were page-turning. His descriptions of the French seaside village and the daily life there is excellent. He also paints some of the characters brilliantly - we get a great insight into Eve's femme fatale identity, Ned's cunning charisma, Toby's boyishness, Goron's eccentricity, and Kinross' subtle personality which is perhaps described the best. Unfortunately, some of the other characters, like the other Lawes family members and the help, are more one-dimensional characters.
The puzzle here is really well plotted. There seem to be only a few clues, none of which really make much sense - the smashed snuff-box, a necklace worn by Marie Antoinette's favorite which is found discarded on the floor but intact, the brown gloves, the lights in Sir Maurice's study, the shard on Eve's nightgown, and most importantly the testimony of Eve and the incapacitated Ned. These things all seem to have no explanation, but Dr. Kinross perfectly puts them together into one surprising but logical solution.
Now for the spoilery stuff. I will admit I half-solved this, which is very rare for me with Carr (the only other time I got close was when I figured out who the killer was in He Who Whispers but discarded the theory for being a bit too far-fetched - it wasn't.) To put it simply, I knew that when Ned told Eve that he saw Sir Maurice looking at the snuff-box from across the street, that he was lying. It seemed obvious to me that he couldn't have known it was a snuff-box - it was too far away and it looked like a watch. While this made me suspect him seriously, I still didn't know how he did it. My fatal flaw was thinking that a.) Ned has still seen Sir Maurice alive at his "sighting" and b.) Brown-Gloves was the killer. My only explanation was that with the lights off, Ned somehow slipped away and stole into the Lawes house with his key...? It made absolutely no sense and eventually my theory fell apart, although Ned was still suspect in my mind. But when Dr. Kinross accused Toby of being Brown-Gloves, well, I won't say it utterly surprised me (I've seen too many fiances of the main female character be the murderer in different authors' books to not suspect Toby) but the evidence of saying he saw the study lights on when he couldn't have because of the rug caught me off-guard. And so, for one glorious chapter, I completely disregarded Ned and got sucked into the long and short of the Toby theory. Even when Toby told the truth, I was still dazed. And when Ned was finally reintroduced as the killer, it may not have been shocking, but still the kind of surprise that made me go "I should have known all along." My simply error in thinking that Maurice hadn't been killed before Ned "saw" him fiddling with the snuff-box cost me my mostly correct theory (I even caught onto the motive - the whole McConklin story seemed to important to disregard.) And the beginning of that second chapter - now if that isn't daring! Saying that his "mistake" was saying he'd win back Eve at the hotel... not because he was afraid of gossip but because it was the genesis of his having to kill Sir Maurice in the first place! He "wasn't afraid" of Sir Maurice hearing him on the street not because he knew he was deaf, but because he knew he was dead! It borders so closely on being unfair in retrospect but it really is well done.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this outing from John Dickson Carr. My only gripes were that some of the characters were too flat, there is still some misogyny in Eve's character although she is at least shown as a victim and not "asking for it" or anything, and if you've read too many murder mysteries like me, the killer's identity can be easy to glom onto - although even I was blindsided when I had half the solution laid out in my head!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2008
Good light reading. John Dickson Carr wrote many detective stories under several different pseudonyms. The Emperor's SnuffBox is representative of the fine stories he created. It's based on the classic conundrum of the man having an affair with a married woman. They are in a bedroom when they witness a murder being committed in a room across the street. They are the only witnesses and when an innocent man is charged with the crime, they must decide whether to reveal what they know, making their affair public, or to remain silent. Carr makes the scenario even more interesting. Eve Neill has her ex-husband in her bedroom. He wants to win her back before she can marry Tony Lambs. They witness the murder of Tony's father, who lives across the street. Through a series of bizarre circumstances, Eve gets locked out of her house, gets blood on her nightgown, and a piece of a shattered snuff box that was found next to the murdered man is discovered in her clothes. (That unexplainable piece is the key to the solution of this marvelous puzzle.) She is charged with the murder but hopes she will be able to count on her ex- to substantiate her alibi. But Ned is dying of a contused head wound. The solution is pure Carr who was famous for his locked room mysteries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2015
Interesting mystery. I liked the premise, the setting and the characters, though I found the writing style a bit much at times. Lines like: "Power of suggestion," screamed Helena strike me as a little overwrought, and the author's technique of fading out of scenes just as someone is about to reveal something important was a little cornball. But overall I enjoyed the book and expect I'll give Carr another try.
March 7, 2014
damn what a plot twist
October 31, 2015
Agatha Christie I missed you a lot till I found Carr....sorrow gives way to joy...surprises are still in store....amazing ending
May 1, 2023
Major characters:
At the scene of the crime - the Lawes home, Villa Bonheur:
Sir Maurice Lawes, deceased collector with the snuff box
Helena Lawes, his wife
Horatio "Toby" Lawes, their son
Janice Lawes, their daughter
"Uncle Ben" Phillips, Helena's brother
Across the street at Eve Neill's home, Villa Miramar:
Eve Neill, accused of murder
Ned Atwood, Eve's ex (but not supposed to be there)
Yvette Latour, Eve's maid
Célestine Bouchére, Eve's cook
and
Mme. Prue Latour, Yvette's sister
M. Aristide Goron, prefect of police
Dr. Dermot Kinross
Locale: Two houses straddling the rue des Anges, in La Bandelette, France
Synopsis: Eve Neill is freshly divorced from her flashy cheat of a husband, Ned Atwood. She has since taken up with her neighbor, practical Toby Lawes. One night Atwood, using a key improperly retained, enters her house (Villa Miramar), goes up to her bedroom, and begs for reconciliation. Nothing doing. While there, they look out the window across to the Lawes home (Villa Bonheur). They observe Toby's father, Sir Maurice Lawes, examining items in his collection; in particular a snuff box once owned by Emperor Napoleon. Then another person is seen in the room, and Sir Maurice is struck and killed; the snuff box being shattered in the process.
The tension between Eve and Ned escalates. Eve takes her key back, pushes him, he falls downstairs; suffering a bang on his head and a nosebleed. Some of the blood gets on Eve's nightgown. Exit Atwood to his hotel. Eve wants to go to the Lawes' home, steps out the back door, and the door locks behind her. The police are now arriving, so she decides to stay put. She has the key she took from Atwood, so she just runs around to her front door and uses the key to get back in.
The prefect of police M. Aristide Goron, suspects Eve of the murder. She was seen outside her house in her nightgown - which has blood on it - and was in possession of a key which was found to (also) fit the Lawes' door. She also has a piece of the broken snuff box stuck in her nightgown. Goron is convinced of her guilt, but his friend Dr. Dermot Kinross is convinced of her innocence.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The writing is clear and straight-forward, unlike some of Carr's which I have trouble following. All the action takes place in the two houses, with a brief episode elsewhere.
I enjoyed the catch-22 that Eve and Atwood got themselves into: He being her alibi, but claiming it also means revealing he was in her bedroom at 1 AM. What to do?
There are many statements that Eve's account of the murder contains some small fact which proves her innocence. When that fact is revealed at the end, I (figuratively) slapped myself and wondered why I did not see it before.
I thought I had the killer ID'd all along - but of course, I was wrong.
For additional reviews indexed by author, please visit The Mystillery Blog and try The Mystillery Reading Challenges!
At the scene of the crime - the Lawes home, Villa Bonheur:
Sir Maurice Lawes, deceased collector with the snuff box
Helena Lawes, his wife
Horatio "Toby" Lawes, their son
Janice Lawes, their daughter
"Uncle Ben" Phillips, Helena's brother
Across the street at Eve Neill's home, Villa Miramar:
Eve Neill, accused of murder
Ned Atwood, Eve's ex (but not supposed to be there)
Yvette Latour, Eve's maid
Célestine Bouchére, Eve's cook
and
Mme. Prue Latour, Yvette's sister
M. Aristide Goron, prefect of police
Dr. Dermot Kinross
Locale: Two houses straddling the rue des Anges, in La Bandelette, France
Synopsis: Eve Neill is freshly divorced from her flashy cheat of a husband, Ned Atwood. She has since taken up with her neighbor, practical Toby Lawes. One night Atwood, using a key improperly retained, enters her house (Villa Miramar), goes up to her bedroom, and begs for reconciliation. Nothing doing. While there, they look out the window across to the Lawes home (Villa Bonheur). They observe Toby's father, Sir Maurice Lawes, examining items in his collection; in particular a snuff box once owned by Emperor Napoleon. Then another person is seen in the room, and Sir Maurice is struck and killed; the snuff box being shattered in the process.
The tension between Eve and Ned escalates. Eve takes her key back, pushes him, he falls downstairs; suffering a bang on his head and a nosebleed. Some of the blood gets on Eve's nightgown. Exit Atwood to his hotel. Eve wants to go to the Lawes' home, steps out the back door, and the door locks behind her. The police are now arriving, so she decides to stay put. She has the key she took from Atwood, so she just runs around to her front door and uses the key to get back in.
The prefect of police M. Aristide Goron, suspects Eve of the murder. She was seen outside her house in her nightgown - which has blood on it - and was in possession of a key which was found to (also) fit the Lawes' door. She also has a piece of the broken snuff box stuck in her nightgown. Goron is convinced of her guilt, but his friend Dr. Dermot Kinross is convinced of her innocence.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The writing is clear and straight-forward, unlike some of Carr's which I have trouble following. All the action takes place in the two houses, with a brief episode elsewhere.
I enjoyed the catch-22 that Eve and Atwood got themselves into: He being her alibi, but claiming it also means revealing he was in her bedroom at 1 AM. What to do?
There are many statements that Eve's account of the murder contains some small fact which proves her innocence. When that fact is revealed at the end, I (figuratively) slapped myself and wondered why I did not see it before.
I thought I had the killer ID'd all along - but of course, I was wrong.
For additional reviews indexed by author, please visit The Mystillery Blog and try The Mystillery Reading Challenges!
July 15, 2019
Ever have this feeling that a crime was committed in a certain way, even though this was seemingly impossible? I get that feeling a lot when reading the books of John Dickson Carr (regardless of which of his pen names he is using for a given novel). Carr is the master of the locked room genre of mystery, but he outdoes himself in The Emperor’s Snuff Box. The Emperor’s Snuff Box features an official suspect that the reader knows couldn’t possibly have committed the crime, a small array of suspects with motive and opportunity that seem incredibly unlikely to have committed it, and a character one wants to have committed the crime who is precluded from arrest by his ironclad alibi.
On the night the victim adds to his collection a snuff box purportedly once belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte, he is brutally murdered and the near-priceless artifact shattered. On the basis of circumstantial evidence, including blood which isn’t typed by forensics and the presence of a sliver from the shattered artifact clinging to a suspect’s bloody nightgown, the French detectives and magistrates are ready to consign a guilty verdict to an attractive female who seems innocent. Yet, a British sleuth doesn’t sense that this is correct and begins to confound the arguments from the French investigator. Yet, as the “case” progresses, one senses that the British investigator may have an ulterior motive, a romantic one.
Speaking of circumstantial evidence, I kicked myself toward the end of the volume when I followed a different line of circumstantial evidence into the murky waters which were home to a delightful “red herring” or two. Carr always sets a wonderful challenge or two to a reader’s presuppositions and The Emperor’s Snuff Box intrigued me both for the mystery and for the Anglo-Franco cat and mouse game dealing with the solution of the case. Except for the fact that no such unusual snuff box is likely to have existed (not that “Nappy” wouldn’t have had a snuff box, but that it would
On the night the victim adds to his collection a snuff box purportedly once belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte, he is brutally murdered and the near-priceless artifact shattered. On the basis of circumstantial evidence, including blood which isn’t typed by forensics and the presence of a sliver from the shattered artifact clinging to a suspect’s bloody nightgown, the French detectives and magistrates are ready to consign a guilty verdict to an attractive female who seems innocent. Yet, a British sleuth doesn’t sense that this is correct and begins to confound the arguments from the French investigator. Yet, as the “case” progresses, one senses that the British investigator may have an ulterior motive, a romantic one.
Speaking of circumstantial evidence, I kicked myself toward the end of the volume when I followed a different line of circumstantial evidence into the murky waters which were home to a delightful “red herring” or two. Carr always sets a wonderful challenge or two to a reader’s presuppositions and The Emperor’s Snuff Box intrigued me both for the mystery and for the Anglo-Franco cat and mouse game dealing with the solution of the case. Except for the fact that no such unusual snuff box is likely to have existed (not that “Nappy” wouldn’t have had a snuff box, but that it would
May 10, 2020
(Bacha, text se týká dvou knih.)
John Dickson Carr je klasický autor záhad zamčeného pokoje. Navíc autor, který se nebral zase tak moc vážně a jehož hrdinové klidně přiznávali, že jsou jen románové postavy. Dost často se mu dařilo přijít s řešeními překvapivými a elegantními. Ono u detektivek máte dva tipy vysvětlení. Jedno zabírá deset stránek, kdy už na páté přestanete sledovat detektivovi vývody a radši mu to odkývete, že tedy jako jo, když to tvrdí. A druhé jsou ty, které se dají vměstnat do jednoho odstavce, celé vaše vnímání situace otočí o 180 a více stupňů a vy se musíte praštit do čela, jak to, že vás to nenapadlo, když je to přece tak jasné. Je to jako když vám někdo prozradí kouzelnický trik, a vy místo abyste byli zklamání, jste užaslí nad tím, jak jednoduše vás dokázali přemočit.
Císařova tabatěrka je příběh právě z téhle kategorie. A i když se odehrává bez autorova slavného detektiva Gideona Fella. Do toho jsou ještě zamotané nějaké vztahy, situace ženy ve společnosti a křivě obviněná hrdinka v ohrožení – dost to na mně dýchlo Hitchcockem. A nutno říct, že se tady autorovi daří docela pěkný kouzelnický trik. Jo, je to trochu podfuk na čtenáře, ale pořád v rámci pravidel čestného boje, takže v pohodě. A když si to člověk zpětně probere, tak ocení maskování stop.
Případ ustavičných sebevražd u nás kdysi vyšel jako Prokletí rodu Campbellů – což jsem si i celkem rychle vzpomněl, takže je vidět, že to ve mně zanechalo docela silnou stopu. Tady je detektivní případ spíš v druhém plánu a i to řešení zamčeného pokoje je dost jednoduché - autor sází mnohem víc na humor. Máte tu dva rozhádané akademiky opačného pohlaví (což je vysloveně v rámci starých komedií, kdy si tvůrci ani nedovedli představit, že by se dva mohli dát dohromady bez toho, aniž by se hodinu filmu prohádali), do toho je týraný novinář, skotské zvyklosti, panovačné tetičky, dudy a opilecké řádění. Dokonce ani totožnost zločince není tak důležitá.
Člověk si uvědomí, že pohodovost starých knih je i v tom, že se s tím moc nemažou. Mají nějakých sto osmdesát stránek, jednu, dvě vraždy, rychlé dialogy, pár základních postav – a než vás to přestane bavit, přijde řešení problému. Vlastně jediné, z čeho na vás dýchá stáří, jsou milostné motivy, kdy se dvojice bere hned poté, co spolu prohodí jedno komplikovanější souvětí. V případě Campbellů po jedné cestě vlakem a několika panácích.
John Dickson Carr je klasický autor záhad zamčeného pokoje. Navíc autor, který se nebral zase tak moc vážně a jehož hrdinové klidně přiznávali, že jsou jen románové postavy. Dost často se mu dařilo přijít s řešeními překvapivými a elegantními. Ono u detektivek máte dva tipy vysvětlení. Jedno zabírá deset stránek, kdy už na páté přestanete sledovat detektivovi vývody a radši mu to odkývete, že tedy jako jo, když to tvrdí. A druhé jsou ty, které se dají vměstnat do jednoho odstavce, celé vaše vnímání situace otočí o 180 a více stupňů a vy se musíte praštit do čela, jak to, že vás to nenapadlo, když je to přece tak jasné. Je to jako když vám někdo prozradí kouzelnický trik, a vy místo abyste byli zklamání, jste užaslí nad tím, jak jednoduše vás dokázali přemočit.
Císařova tabatěrka je příběh právě z téhle kategorie. A i když se odehrává bez autorova slavného detektiva Gideona Fella. Do toho jsou ještě zamotané nějaké vztahy, situace ženy ve společnosti a křivě obviněná hrdinka v ohrožení – dost to na mně dýchlo Hitchcockem. A nutno říct, že se tady autorovi daří docela pěkný kouzelnický trik. Jo, je to trochu podfuk na čtenáře, ale pořád v rámci pravidel čestného boje, takže v pohodě. A když si to člověk zpětně probere, tak ocení maskování stop.
Případ ustavičných sebevražd u nás kdysi vyšel jako Prokletí rodu Campbellů – což jsem si i celkem rychle vzpomněl, takže je vidět, že to ve mně zanechalo docela silnou stopu. Tady je detektivní případ spíš v druhém plánu a i to řešení zamčeného pokoje je dost jednoduché - autor sází mnohem víc na humor. Máte tu dva rozhádané akademiky opačného pohlaví (což je vysloveně v rámci starých komedií, kdy si tvůrci ani nedovedli představit, že by se dva mohli dát dohromady bez toho, aniž by se hodinu filmu prohádali), do toho je týraný novinář, skotské zvyklosti, panovačné tetičky, dudy a opilecké řádění. Dokonce ani totožnost zločince není tak důležitá.
Člověk si uvědomí, že pohodovost starých knih je i v tom, že se s tím moc nemažou. Mají nějakých sto osmdesát stránek, jednu, dvě vraždy, rychlé dialogy, pár základních postav – a než vás to přestane bavit, přijde řešení problému. Vlastně jediné, z čeho na vás dýchá stáří, jsou milostné motivy, kdy se dvojice bere hned poté, co spolu prohodí jedno komplikovanější souvětí. V případě Campbellů po jedné cestě vlakem a několika panácích.
July 1, 2022
This book takes place somewhat before World War II, although it was copyrighted in 1942. It is a story of British citizens who live in France in neighboring homes. (No mention of the 2nd War, but one of the characters had face scarring apparently from the WWI ). The language is very old fashioned.
It is a zany, farcical, madcap story about a newly divorced pretty young woman named Eve who lives in a home across the street from an English family, including a young man who Eve met on a golf course and is engaged to marry.
One night her ex-husband arrives at Eve’s home and they apparently witness the murder of their next-door neighbor from her bedroom window. As he leaves the young woman’s home, he falls down the stairs and gets a concussion.
Later that evening, the young woman is discovered to have blood on her négligée and is accused of the murder. Meanwhile her ex-husband has gone into a coma because of his concussion and he cannot come to her defense.
To make it more complicated, the keys to each of the two homes are identical.
There is a French detective along with a British Doctor, Dermot Kinross, who is reminiscent of Hercule Poirot. Dermott is not convinced Eve is guilty.
The language in this novel seems a bit stilted for the time, and is more reminiscent of a much earlier time. But the novel is zany and moves quickly.
At the end there are hints of a burgeoning romance between Eve and the detective/doctor.
It is a zany, farcical, madcap story about a newly divorced pretty young woman named Eve who lives in a home across the street from an English family, including a young man who Eve met on a golf course and is engaged to marry.
One night her ex-husband arrives at Eve’s home and they apparently witness the murder of their next-door neighbor from her bedroom window. As he leaves the young woman’s home, he falls down the stairs and gets a concussion.
Later that evening, the young woman is discovered to have blood on her négligée and is accused of the murder. Meanwhile her ex-husband has gone into a coma because of his concussion and he cannot come to her defense.
To make it more complicated, the keys to each of the two homes are identical.
There is a French detective along with a British Doctor, Dermot Kinross, who is reminiscent of Hercule Poirot. Dermott is not convinced Eve is guilty.
The language in this novel seems a bit stilted for the time, and is more reminiscent of a much earlier time. But the novel is zany and moves quickly.
At the end there are hints of a burgeoning romance between Eve and the detective/doctor.
May 24, 2018
This is as good as Agatha Christie on top form - and I don't say that lightly. It's a must-read for all murder-mystery fans.
The plot is fast-paced and crystal clear, with very few characters. There is never any difficulty following what is going on. Carr balances the comic and tragic aspects of the story very well - at times, there are genuinely chuckle-worthy lines and at other times you feel real pangs of sympathy for some of the characters. Indeed, although this book is short and to-the-point, some of the characters are sufficiently well-developed that you really feel for them.
There are novel-worthy twists throughout the book, and your sympathies shift accordingly, so you are never quite certain who to root for. Most importantly of all, the final solution to the mystery is immensely satisfying.
The claims that this book is misogynistic are nonsense: having one (1) woman who is, in some senses, weak, is hardly cause for complaint, is it? - especially when her trusting nature is the fundamental basis of the story. Indeed, this book shows quite clearly that the author was sharply aware of how men, intentionally or unintentionally, are often a source of suffering for the women in their lives.
In short, I am amazed that the ratings on this book are so low. It is witty, clever and extremely engaging.
The plot is fast-paced and crystal clear, with very few characters. There is never any difficulty following what is going on. Carr balances the comic and tragic aspects of the story very well - at times, there are genuinely chuckle-worthy lines and at other times you feel real pangs of sympathy for some of the characters. Indeed, although this book is short and to-the-point, some of the characters are sufficiently well-developed that you really feel for them.
There are novel-worthy twists throughout the book, and your sympathies shift accordingly, so you are never quite certain who to root for. Most importantly of all, the final solution to the mystery is immensely satisfying.
The claims that this book is misogynistic are nonsense: having one (1) woman who is, in some senses, weak, is hardly cause for complaint, is it? - especially when her trusting nature is the fundamental basis of the story. Indeed, this book shows quite clearly that the author was sharply aware of how men, intentionally or unintentionally, are often a source of suffering for the women in their lives.
In short, I am amazed that the ratings on this book are so low. It is witty, clever and extremely engaging.
February 8, 2021
Dr Dermot Kinross is “perhaps the foremost mental specialist in England on the subject of criminal psychology”. Holidaying at somewhere resembling Deauville in northern France he sets out to untangle the murder of Sir Maurice Laws who has been battered at his desk while examining the titular trinket that he has just acquired and is also smashed in the attack.
Chief suspect according to the local law enforcement seems to be beautiful Eve Neill who lives in the villa opposite and not only has blood on her but a fragment of the snuffbox adhering to her clothing. She is engaged to be married to Sir Maurice’s son while simultaneously resisting the overtures of her devilishly handsome former husband, Ned, who has witnessed the crime scene with Eve from their bedroom window but is unable to give evidence on her behalf.
Naturally Eve is arrested and only Dermot can prevent a ridiculous miscarriage of justice. As usual this reader was led up the garden path before the satisfactory conclusion which caused me to smite my brow at having missed the obvious explanation.
Chief suspect according to the local law enforcement seems to be beautiful Eve Neill who lives in the villa opposite and not only has blood on her but a fragment of the snuffbox adhering to her clothing. She is engaged to be married to Sir Maurice’s son while simultaneously resisting the overtures of her devilishly handsome former husband, Ned, who has witnessed the crime scene with Eve from their bedroom window but is unable to give evidence on her behalf.
Naturally Eve is arrested and only Dermot can prevent a ridiculous miscarriage of justice. As usual this reader was led up the garden path before the satisfactory conclusion which caused me to smite my brow at having missed the obvious explanation.
December 7, 2022
I only recently heard of John Dickson Carr via the podcast, 'In GAD (Golden Age Detection) we Trust'. Browsing in a second hand bookshop recently, I saw a first edition 1953 Penguin of the book at a reasonable price. I was pleasantly surprised, expecting a rather stodgy, slow moving complex story as many 1940s mysteries seem to be. It is fast paced and highly visual, rather like a good black and white mystery film of the 30s/40s.
The plot was straightforward but not simple, with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns but without the endless literary deviations and back-alleys that some mystery writers seem to go down. I had an inkling of who the killer was, but could not quite work out how he/she did it, so there were plenty of surprises along the way.
I also particularly liked the pre-war setting of a British expat/tax-exile community in France. We tend to think of such communities as being a fairly recent product of the EU but of course they have been around a lot longer than that.
The plot was straightforward but not simple, with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns but without the endless literary deviations and back-alleys that some mystery writers seem to go down. I had an inkling of who the killer was, but could not quite work out how he/she did it, so there were plenty of surprises along the way.
I also particularly liked the pre-war setting of a British expat/tax-exile community in France. We tend to think of such communities as being a fairly recent product of the EU but of course they have been around a lot longer than that.
August 26, 2017
You know how you keep hearing a name and thinking, "I should read one of her/his books"? That is how it has been for John Dickson Carr. Finally, someone wrote a review and I couldn't resist searching for the book, this book, to read.
It is a short, fast-paced, character-driven, mature, psychological-suspense novel full of tension, and I've discovered another author to add to my collection. I never lost interest, never. Even when I suffered days of tooth agony, I tried to focus my blurry vision enough to keep reading. But, I was forced to wait. The wait was worth it.
I think this story added a bit of harmony to one of Agatha Christie's themes, the eternal triangle, with a clever, simple plot and Carr's talented and clever misdirection flung the solution smack in my face and then laughed at me as I rejected it to settle on a different suspect. I love it when an author has such audacity!
It is a short, fast-paced, character-driven, mature, psychological-suspense novel full of tension, and I've discovered another author to add to my collection. I never lost interest, never. Even when I suffered days of tooth agony, I tried to focus my blurry vision enough to keep reading. But, I was forced to wait. The wait was worth it.
I think this story added a bit of harmony to one of Agatha Christie's themes, the eternal triangle, with a clever, simple plot and Carr's talented and clever misdirection flung the solution smack in my face and then laughed at me as I rejected it to settle on a different suspect. I love it when an author has such audacity!
February 19, 2020
The book was nearly redeemed when the murderer’s identity is revealed at the end; it was on the path toward redemption two-thirds of the way through when it was revealed that one of the characters wasn’t as moral or as pure and ‘holy’ as appeared.
But it was too late. The first half is almost a comedy of errors - the main character refuses to tell all she knows because she is afraid of the consequences for the way things look and the way they would be perceived. I’m not a good audience for this sort of thing, I need my witnesses to be more confident.
In a different mood, I’d rate this a 4, maybe. Still, there is very little drama when the murderer is finally revealed, and the main character’s love life is wrapped up too neatly.
I like John Dickson Carr, and would recommend this book, but It’s not his best.
But it was too late. The first half is almost a comedy of errors - the main character refuses to tell all she knows because she is afraid of the consequences for the way things look and the way they would be perceived. I’m not a good audience for this sort of thing, I need my witnesses to be more confident.
In a different mood, I’d rate this a 4, maybe. Still, there is very little drama when the murderer is finally revealed, and the main character’s love life is wrapped up too neatly.
I like John Dickson Carr, and would recommend this book, but It’s not his best.
February 16, 2025
Pretty good
My first John Dickson Carr mystery, but not my last. Well written, good characters, interesting plot. My problem with some mystery stories is that the author repeats the 'facts' of the case constantly to the point of boredom. I don't read to be bored, I read to be entertained, and to learn something new. I now understand the rules of these mystery writers, they must give you the clues you need to figure out who the murderer is yourself, but I'm reasonably intelligent and don't need to be reminded in every chapter of something I've already read. This book is not repetitive :) A damsel in distress, but she holds up well. It's not a spoiler to say that she's innocent, we are allowed to know that early on. And you will want to continue reading to find out what really happened and how it all ends.
My first John Dickson Carr mystery, but not my last. Well written, good characters, interesting plot. My problem with some mystery stories is that the author repeats the 'facts' of the case constantly to the point of boredom. I don't read to be bored, I read to be entertained, and to learn something new. I now understand the rules of these mystery writers, they must give you the clues you need to figure out who the murderer is yourself, but I'm reasonably intelligent and don't need to be reminded in every chapter of something I've already read. This book is not repetitive :) A damsel in distress, but she holds up well. It's not a spoiler to say that she's innocent, we are allowed to know that early on. And you will want to continue reading to find out what really happened and how it all ends.
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