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The Eighth Circle
Investigating a crooked cop, a private detective gets too close to the case
The investigators of the Conmy-Kirk detective agency don’t work in trench coats, drink on the job, or carry pistols. They are researchers who comb newspapers and government records in search of the tiny details that could make or break their clients’ fortunes. It is painstaking and unromantic, but as co-owner Murray Kirk is about to learn, those details can mean the difference between life and death.
The district attorney is cracking down on corruption in the NYPD, and the search is spreading like wildfire, forcing hundreds of policemen to resign in disgrace. When Conmy-Kirk is hired to clear the name of one of the accused, Kirk finds himself falling for his client’s daughter, a moral infraction that draws him deeper into the city’s underworld than he ever wanted to slip. This work isn’t like it is in the movies—if Murray Kirk catches a bullet, he’ll stay dead.
The investigators of the Conmy-Kirk detective agency don’t work in trench coats, drink on the job, or carry pistols. They are researchers who comb newspapers and government records in search of the tiny details that could make or break their clients’ fortunes. It is painstaking and unromantic, but as co-owner Murray Kirk is about to learn, those details can mean the difference between life and death.
The district attorney is cracking down on corruption in the NYPD, and the search is spreading like wildfire, forcing hundreds of policemen to resign in disgrace. When Conmy-Kirk is hired to clear the name of one of the accused, Kirk finds himself falling for his client’s daughter, a moral infraction that draws him deeper into the city’s underworld than he ever wanted to slip. This work isn’t like it is in the movies—if Murray Kirk catches a bullet, he’ll stay dead.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1958
137 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Stanley Ellin
162 books40 followersStanley Bernard Ellin was a mystery writer of short stories and novels. He won the Edgar Allan Poe Award three times and the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere once, and in 1981 he was awarded with the Mystery Writers of America's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 9, 2015
This guy Ellin--a too-little known name to the general reader of detective fiction--deserves every bit of praise that his fellow-authors showered on him during the course of his career, (a three-time Edgar award winner? Ore-ida!) His writing is engaging, brisk, observant, juicy with human interactions. He doesn't write mere cardboard cut-outs. Real polish, but at the same time an earthy and streetwise style. He's an author to remind you how fun a good hard-boiled yarn can be. In every chapter of this read, you find him 'delivering the goods'. Pages glide right along; but each character lives-and-breathes. They hit at each other hard, with everything they've got. And it's all timed correctly. You've got plenty of action but the best chapters are those in which the personalities lash out at each other in rock-'em, sock-'em blasts of old-school dialog. Ellin has a fine, steady hand at dialog. Each element is poised, suspended, and held right where it needs to be, in order to build up the anticipation and the release. In terms of the detective story-craft, there are numerous clever plays on old-traditions but also a couple of flourishes of his own thrown in --whenever he has a chance. This guy can hit.
September 22, 2018
I had high hopes for this Edgar Award winner, but I found it rather run-of-the-mill and reminiscent of Raymond Chandler, but less skillfully done. The protagonist, Murphy Kirk, is a New York City private detective, but not the usual broke PI. He owns a large agency and has a large staff and obviously lots of money at his disposal. Unfortunately, I thought he exhibited little personality while chasing down clues and women.
Sometimes I attempt to make myself step outside my usual fare and try a genre that I know will only appeal to me if the book is exceptionally written. By picking an Edgar winner, I thought it was increasing my chances, but the truth is detective fiction just isn’t my forte and I wished I had spent the afternoon with the kind of fiction I cannot get enough of.
Sometimes I attempt to make myself step outside my usual fare and try a genre that I know will only appeal to me if the book is exceptionally written. By picking an Edgar winner, I thought it was increasing my chances, but the truth is detective fiction just isn’t my forte and I wished I had spent the afternoon with the kind of fiction I cannot get enough of.
Want to read
July 29, 2019With a new introduction by Otto Penzler.
Jacket cover art by Carolyn Hartmann.
The investigators of the Conmy-Kirk detective agency don’t work in trench coats, drink on the job, or carry pistols. They are researchers who comb newspapers and government records in search of the tiny details that could make or break their clients’ fortunes. It is painstaking and unromantic, but as co-owner Murray Kirk is about to learn, those details can mean the difference between life and death.
Jacket cover art by Carolyn Hartmann.
The investigators of the Conmy-Kirk detective agency don’t work in trench coats, drink on the job, or carry pistols. They are researchers who comb newspapers and government records in search of the tiny details that could make or break their clients’ fortunes. It is painstaking and unromantic, but as co-owner Murray Kirk is about to learn, those details can mean the difference between life and death.
March 29, 2008
Another private eye story, but with a refreshing twist -- this one is quite successful. No sleazy office with a bottle of drugstore rye in the drawer for him! Engaged to clear the name of a policeman suspected of corruption, the protagonist (just as in Room to Swing, but with a difference) learns as much about himself as he does about the mystery. Ellin was a master crime writer and this is an excellent book. It's also enjoyable for its portrait of NYC in the fifties.The private eye subgenre is not my favorite, but I enjoyed this one -- Stanley Ellin really was a master craftsman. I enjoyed having a private eye who wasn't operating out of a seedy third-floor back office, but instead had a prospering agency with
many employees. The plot was twisty enough for any reasonable person (I was surprised, anyway) and the flavor of the setting, New York in the
1950s, was well-conveyed, even to the point of having Dylan Thomas make a cameo appearance under a thinly-disguised alias. Even the minor
characters were exceptionally well-drawn. This book certainly was deserving of the honor.
many employees. The plot was twisty enough for any reasonable person (I was surprised, anyway) and the flavor of the setting, New York in the
1950s, was well-conveyed, even to the point of having Dylan Thomas make a cameo appearance under a thinly-disguised alias. Even the minor
characters were exceptionally well-drawn. This book certainly was deserving of the honor.
April 26, 2018
THE EIGHTH CIRCLE (1958) by Stanley Ellin (1916-1986) is a semi-successful Amalgam of three forms of fiction: (1) a Fair-Play Puzzle, (2) a Male Heroic-Erotic Fantasy, and (3) a Character Reformation Tale. It's as though Ellin decided to dice up puzzle parts from Rex Stout's or Agatha Christie's mysteries, then dice up male fantasy parts from Ian Fleming's James Bond Thrillers ... and then sprinkle these parts on to a plot that's a close facsimile of the one Charles Dickens used in GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
The protagonist of THE EIGHTH CIRCLE is Murray Kirk, the head of a successful New York City detective agency. He is hired to help clear a policeman who has been accused of taking a bribe, but instead he wishes to find evidence proving that the policeman is guilty. Cynicism is part of the reason, but Kirk, who has been a womanizer into his mid-thirties, is smitten by the policeman's beautiful fiancée and wants her for himself ... and to accomplish that, he needs to break the couple up, an activity that is both unethical and unprofessional.
During his investigation, like James Bond, Murray Kirk is beaten up and taken to the secluded mansion of a type of super-villain ... and then (bruised and battered) he sets out on a daring and dangerous night raid to get revenge ... and evidence. And when the super-villain comes to deal with Kirk ... well, read for yourself to see who gets the better of whom.
Along the way, as evidence slowly accumulates, Kirk and we learn that some of his assumptions have been mistaken, and we readers are given a fair chance to piece things together for ourselves before Ellin or Kirk reveals the "solution." We're even given a chance to guess what Kirk will decide to do about his new material.
Minor SPOILER #1: Near the ending a plot hole appears: to help Kirk resolve some major problems he's having with people in high places, a convenient case of murder suddenly comes to light. The murder, sad to say, is "solved" by some sleight of hand: instead of Kirk or his colleagues producing any solid evidence of anyone's guilt, the guilty person happens to come into a room and confesses.
Minor SPOILERS #2 AND #3: Kirk, as readers will be genuinely delighted to see, ultimately "does the right thing" ethically and professionally. And shortly thereafter, like Pip in Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS, Kirk is almost magically rewarded for being good.
A few other reviewers have criticized THE EIGHTH CIRCLE for being, among other things, often "pretentiously" written and often highly "implausible." I believe they are correct, with the latter fault being by far the more serious one. In my view, the two final scenes where Murray Kirk receives his "rewards" are the most preposterous in this novel, and the entire book would have been very greatly improved if they'd both been omitted.
Yes, most of us know that THE EIGHTH CIRCLE won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best mystery of 1958. Perhaps that says something about the quality of other mysteries published that year. Or perhaps it says something about the tastes of the judges of that year. Considering its faults and its strengths, if I were giving this book a letter grade, in my judgment it deserves only a "C+".
The protagonist of THE EIGHTH CIRCLE is Murray Kirk, the head of a successful New York City detective agency. He is hired to help clear a policeman who has been accused of taking a bribe, but instead he wishes to find evidence proving that the policeman is guilty. Cynicism is part of the reason, but Kirk, who has been a womanizer into his mid-thirties, is smitten by the policeman's beautiful fiancée and wants her for himself ... and to accomplish that, he needs to break the couple up, an activity that is both unethical and unprofessional.
During his investigation, like James Bond, Murray Kirk is beaten up and taken to the secluded mansion of a type of super-villain ... and then (bruised and battered) he sets out on a daring and dangerous night raid to get revenge ... and evidence. And when the super-villain comes to deal with Kirk ... well, read for yourself to see who gets the better of whom.
Along the way, as evidence slowly accumulates, Kirk and we learn that some of his assumptions have been mistaken, and we readers are given a fair chance to piece things together for ourselves before Ellin or Kirk reveals the "solution." We're even given a chance to guess what Kirk will decide to do about his new material.
Minor SPOILER #1: Near the ending a plot hole appears: to help Kirk resolve some major problems he's having with people in high places, a convenient case of murder suddenly comes to light. The murder, sad to say, is "solved" by some sleight of hand: instead of Kirk or his colleagues producing any solid evidence of anyone's guilt, the guilty person happens to come into a room and confesses.
Minor SPOILERS #2 AND #3: Kirk, as readers will be genuinely delighted to see, ultimately "does the right thing" ethically and professionally. And shortly thereafter, like Pip in Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS, Kirk is almost magically rewarded for being good.
A few other reviewers have criticized THE EIGHTH CIRCLE for being, among other things, often "pretentiously" written and often highly "implausible." I believe they are correct, with the latter fault being by far the more serious one. In my view, the two final scenes where Murray Kirk receives his "rewards" are the most preposterous in this novel, and the entire book would have been very greatly improved if they'd both been omitted.
Yes, most of us know that THE EIGHTH CIRCLE won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best mystery of 1958. Perhaps that says something about the quality of other mysteries published that year. Or perhaps it says something about the tastes of the judges of that year. Considering its faults and its strengths, if I were giving this book a letter grade, in my judgment it deserves only a "C+".
September 23, 2013
I would read Ellin again. He writes with a sure feel for the law, the characters that find themselves in the system, and the perspectives of the players like investigators, cops, judges and crims. Ellin has his own voice, devoid of melodrama even when the events suggest it but, in tone and setting, I found this book reminiscent of books by Dashiel Hammet, James Cain, hard boiled New York writers of crime fiction.
November 14, 2010
Classic PI story set in New York City which won the Edgar Award for best mystery in 1959. For such a short book there were lots of characters and a pretty elaborate plot but the author did a good job of tying everything together and providing a satisfying conclusion.
September 15, 2018
Not your run-of-the-mill detective story about the head of a large investigation firm who takes a case for all the wrong reasons. He's tired and jaded and, after a lifetime in the business, but this just might be a career ending case.
February 14, 2019
This is a rather unique story in which a PI takes on a case for a client he believes is guilty but falls for the man’s girlfriend. It’s got great characters and is fairly unpredictable. Given when it was written it can be forgiven for some stereotypes where the female characters are concerned because they remain pretty solid individuals.
December 8, 2012
The 1959 winner of the Edgar Award for best novel.
October 4, 2018
Well-written, and ultimately I'm glad I read it, but had I not known of its reputation I'm not sure I would have finished it. It's not exactly a page-turner, and not especially deep to compensate.
July 17, 2025
Stanley Ellin was advertised as an Edgar Award winner in the promo for this novel and I mistakenly thought that referred to this book. It evidently didn't; if it did, I can't see why The Eighth Circle would have won the award. It is about a wealthy "CEO" of a private detective agency in New York in the 1950s. In addition, it focuses on bookies and bent cops, which form the heart of its mystery case. I guess bookies were big deal public enemies in the 1950s, although when I consider the nature of today's crimes and criminals, such bad guys seem pretty tame to me now. (I probably watch too many cop shows on TV.) As Goodreads' description of the book says, the head of the agency, Murray Kirk , is kind of an amoral character, more interested in money and beautiful women than in justice in criminal cases. And there is, of course, a beautiful woman, one who is very hard to get, in the story. I won't bother to go into the plot in any more detail.
I found this book very slow moving. I kept waiting for something significant to happen and almost gave up on it. But I am always reluctant not to finish a book, even one I don't particularly like. So, I kept going to the end and something finally does happen about 95% of the way through. A lot of people would probably run out of patience and give up by then, but I kept slogging through.
As you may already have figured out, I don't recommend this book unless you really have nothing else to read. Maybe Ellin's other novels are much better, and he legitimately worked his way up to the Edgar. But I won't be reading any of his other books, especially if they are set in the 1950s, which is not my favorite decade (having been a child at the time).
PS: I think awarding this 3 stars was very generous on my part!
I found this book very slow moving. I kept waiting for something significant to happen and almost gave up on it. But I am always reluctant not to finish a book, even one I don't particularly like. So, I kept going to the end and something finally does happen about 95% of the way through. A lot of people would probably run out of patience and give up by then, but I kept slogging through.
As you may already have figured out, I don't recommend this book unless you really have nothing else to read. Maybe Ellin's other novels are much better, and he legitimately worked his way up to the Edgar. But I won't be reading any of his other books, especially if they are set in the 1950s, which is not my favorite decade (having been a child at the time).
PS: I think awarding this 3 stars was very generous on my part!
March 2, 2023
A challenge from the Reading With Style group:
“Pick your favorite genre and spend some time seeing how it has grown over the years.
“Read 10 books by 10 different authors. All 10 books should be from the same genre. Books must be published no fewer than 5 years apart and must cover an overall spread of at least 50 years.”
I selected mystery as the genre to explore. I put together my list from the Edgar Allan Poe Award winners for best novel. I started with this as the oldest novel on my list and have picked some topics that I expect might evolve as I move forward in time.
Originally published: 1958
Subgenre: private investigator
Setting: NYC
Crimes: police corruption, illegal betting
Status of women: the women depicted in the novel are wives and mothers, teacher, secretaries and clerks, an actress and an interior decorator. No PI’s, attorneys or cops. And almost all the bad guys are guys.
Diversity: one very minor character is Puerto Rican. Everyone else seems to be non-Hispanic white.
Technology: paper files, microfiche, phone booths, tape recorders
Review: This is a hard-boiled private detective novel. It even starts with the MC taking the job because a beautiful woman comes to his office to ask him. I don’t remember another PI story in which the investigator’s license is threatened. A police officer has been charged with taking a bribe from a bookie and the officer maintains his innocence.
Evidently Ellin is better known for his short stories and there are some rough passages and disconnects in this novel but it is entertaining and the author does not go for a standard ending.
“Pick your favorite genre and spend some time seeing how it has grown over the years.
“Read 10 books by 10 different authors. All 10 books should be from the same genre. Books must be published no fewer than 5 years apart and must cover an overall spread of at least 50 years.”
I selected mystery as the genre to explore. I put together my list from the Edgar Allan Poe Award winners for best novel. I started with this as the oldest novel on my list and have picked some topics that I expect might evolve as I move forward in time.
Originally published: 1958
Subgenre: private investigator
Setting: NYC
Crimes: police corruption, illegal betting
Status of women: the women depicted in the novel are wives and mothers, teacher, secretaries and clerks, an actress and an interior decorator. No PI’s, attorneys or cops. And almost all the bad guys are guys.
Diversity: one very minor character is Puerto Rican. Everyone else seems to be non-Hispanic white.
Technology: paper files, microfiche, phone booths, tape recorders
Review: This is a hard-boiled private detective novel. It even starts with the MC taking the job because a beautiful woman comes to his office to ask him. I don’t remember another PI story in which the investigator’s license is threatened. A police officer has been charged with taking a bribe from a bookie and the officer maintains his innocence.
Evidently Ellin is better known for his short stories and there are some rough passages and disconnects in this novel but it is entertaining and the author does not go for a standard ending.
December 5, 2025
De Stanley Ellin he llegit dues novel·les, “Cal saber encaixar”, que em va agradar molt, i la que, en la meva opinió, és excepcional, “Joc de testimonis””, i també havia llegit el magnífic recull de contes “Muerte en Nochebuena”.
En aquesta novel·la Ellin ens explica la història d’un policia acusat de corrupció i els esforços del detectiu privat ―protagonista de la novel·la― que contracta l’advocat defensor del policia per que l’ajudi a recavar informacions del cas. L’advocat està convençut de la innocència del policia, però el detectiu privat no. Tanmateix, ell es compromet amb l’advocat a cercar la veritat i defensar-la, sigui quina sigui.
Què bé que escriu Stanley Ellin!
Quin dinamisme. Personatges ben retratats. Constantment passen coses. Diàlegs boníssim.
Aquesta novel·la va guanyar el prestigiós Premi Edgar.
No la he trobada tan excepcional com “Joc de testimonis”, on l’autor em va deixar bocabadat per la seva capacitat de relligar tots els fets, personatges, tot com un mecanisme de precisió i on, endemés i de forma magistral, res és el que sembla.
És un bona novel·la, escrita per un escriptor que m’agrada molt.
En aquesta novel·la Ellin ens explica la història d’un policia acusat de corrupció i els esforços del detectiu privat ―protagonista de la novel·la― que contracta l’advocat defensor del policia per que l’ajudi a recavar informacions del cas. L’advocat està convençut de la innocència del policia, però el detectiu privat no. Tanmateix, ell es compromet amb l’advocat a cercar la veritat i defensar-la, sigui quina sigui.
“... ser tan precavido como para contar sus dedos después de haber estrechado la mano de alguien, aunque este alguien sea su propia madre.”
Què bé que escriu Stanley Ellin!
Quin dinamisme. Personatges ben retratats. Constantment passen coses. Diàlegs boníssim.
Aquesta novel·la va guanyar el prestigiós Premi Edgar.
“Aquella idea le dominaba como un hambre física.”
No la he trobada tan excepcional com “Joc de testimonis”, on l’autor em va deixar bocabadat per la seva capacitat de relligar tots els fets, personatges, tot com un mecanisme de precisió i on, endemés i de forma magistral, res és el que sembla.
És un bona novel·la, escrita per un escriptor que m’agrada molt.
May 12, 2022
Early (1958) Edgar-winning novel that holds up well. Two marks of distinction: 1) there is no murder investigation, and in fact no murders, throughout nearly the entirety of the book. The detective is investigating a perjury charge. But because the story is so well-written, our interest is held even without anyone dying; 2) the detective is overtly working AGAINST the interests of his client for most of the story, by trying to prove him guilty rather than innocent. (Read the book if you want to find out why.)
I take it that the book title refers to Dante's eighth circle of hell, where "counselors of fraud" are burned in brilliant flames for using fraud to bring about the downfall of others. The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, which adapted the novel into a 60-minute television episode in March of 1960, evidently thought the reference too obscure, so they changed the title to the anodyne, "Circle of Evil."
I haven't been able to find that TV episode online yet. It's probably just as well--if they ruined the title they probably ruined the story as well.
I take it that the book title refers to Dante's eighth circle of hell, where "counselors of fraud" are burned in brilliant flames for using fraud to bring about the downfall of others. The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, which adapted the novel into a 60-minute television episode in March of 1960, evidently thought the reference too obscure, so they changed the title to the anodyne, "Circle of Evil."
I haven't been able to find that TV episode online yet. It's probably just as well--if they ruined the title they probably ruined the story as well.
October 28, 2023
A Slightly better than Pedestrian Mystery
The premise !that a NY private investigation firm could be swayed to basically invest its assets in a law enforcement payoff scandal is interesting although not very plausible. Murray Kirk dropped.out of law school and joined Frank Conry's PI firm. Frank mentored Kirk in his own cynical way and passed on to Kirk hid business and living quarters. His faith in Kirk was not misplaced - Kirk built the business into an agency that was significantly larger than Frank's shop. But one case leads Kirk to obsession with proving a.cop a bad apple, especially after Kirk falls for Helene, the cop's fiance. It echoes the plot and characters of golden age books. But nonetheless I had to force myself to finish the novel. The author never grabbed my reader's fascination.. Instead I didn't really care about anyone in the book. And, thus, I was underwhelmed with most everything about the book.
The premise !that a NY private investigation firm could be swayed to basically invest its assets in a law enforcement payoff scandal is interesting although not very plausible. Murray Kirk dropped.out of law school and joined Frank Conry's PI firm. Frank mentored Kirk in his own cynical way and passed on to Kirk hid business and living quarters. His faith in Kirk was not misplaced - Kirk built the business into an agency that was significantly larger than Frank's shop. But one case leads Kirk to obsession with proving a.cop a bad apple, especially after Kirk falls for Helene, the cop's fiance. It echoes the plot and characters of golden age books. But nonetheless I had to force myself to finish the novel. The author never grabbed my reader's fascination.. Instead I didn't really care about anyone in the book. And, thus, I was underwhelmed with most everything about the book.
July 6, 2021
I don't read a lot of books in this genre, but I found this book to be quite readable and enjoyable. Maybe part of that is because I just forced my way through Hawking's Brief History of Time and this was much more easy to follow! I liked the storyline, the characters, the action, the mystery, all of it. It was a book that made me sympathize with multiple characters and drew me along through the development of the story and had a satisfying resolution. Not bad for another free book picked up completely at random based only on the title at the library's used book sale!
December 26, 2019
Loved everything about this. Books in the '50's scratch me right where I itch. The hard boiled characters, the rough dialect, they way they talk about women...it's a gold here and it turns out there is also a plot to boot! The Eighth Circle...FIVE STARS.
May 19, 2017
Walpurgis Night
August 31, 2017
Holds up.
This book won the Edgar award in 1958. It shows its age but I enjoyed it. I would recommend it.
This book won the Edgar award in 1958. It shows its age but I enjoyed it. I would recommend it.
September 6, 2019
Three-and-a-half. Pretty good detective story told with an abundance of flair.
October 15, 2019
Written in a different century for a different century.
May 28, 2020
Reads like a film noir, a dashing mystery weighed down a bit by its treatment of females as the weaker gender giving story a dated feel; nonetheless a pleasurable read
Read
September 10, 2022Cogent.
April 25, 2023
It was nice to sense there was no time reference within the book. I did not know the book was written in the 1950's until the end of the book.
April 29, 2023
Interesting older Edgar Award winner. I can’t said it traveled well to today’s world.
July 13, 2025
A really great novel
Nobody remembers Elkin anymore, but they should. This is not only a fascinating mystery, but a masterful novel. Top notch.
Nobody remembers Elkin anymore, but they should. This is not only a fascinating mystery, but a masterful novel. Top notch.
April 27, 2021
This book won the 1959 Edgar award for best novel. It is essentially a PI story set in New York. Conmy-Kirk is a big and successful private detective agency in New York which is now run and owned by Murray Kirk. The story involves a vice cop Arnold Lundeen who was accused of perjury in front of a grand jury as part of a graft taking and anti-corruption case against the NY police department. It turns out Arnold Lundeen was set-up by Ira Miller, the right-hand man to George Wykoff, the big gangster. It took a few twists and turns but ultimately Kirk was able to prove Lundeen innocent.
I find the book quite boring, especially in the middle. The story does have some unusual spins, such as Murray Kirk being in love with the fiancé of his client Arnold Lundeen but took on the case to try to prove Lundeen guilty so he can use that to try to get his girlfriend. It also has an idealistic lawyer who is sick of spending his life in his father’s famous corporate law firm and decided to branch out himself and take on his first criminal case for Lundeen. However, I think Ellin spends too much time on those side issues and drags the story on, which ultimately makes the book much less interesting than it could be.
I find the book quite boring, especially in the middle. The story does have some unusual spins, such as Murray Kirk being in love with the fiancé of his client Arnold Lundeen but took on the case to try to prove Lundeen guilty so he can use that to try to get his girlfriend. It also has an idealistic lawyer who is sick of spending his life in his father’s famous corporate law firm and decided to branch out himself and take on his first criminal case for Lundeen. However, I think Ellin spends too much time on those side issues and drags the story on, which ultimately makes the book much less interesting than it could be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2023
Liked it, didn't love it. Stanley Ellin (never heard of him!) was mentioned in a Peter Lovesey novel where the main suspects attended a mystery book club, so I thought I'd better check him out since these imaginary characters thought so highly of his work. I liked that it was a bit different ... the detective ran an actual business with employees, photocopier, etc., and there wasn't a murder (or was there?), so the mystery was about other things entirely, and why not?
But with a bit too much (sorry, a lot too much) focus on interpersonal relationships not directly bearing on the case, which I pretty much loathe unless it's Lord Peter and Harriet, that dragged down my interest a fair amount. I feel it could have easily been half the length if not even shorter ... but that's not the book he set out to write, I guess.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
But with a bit too much (sorry, a lot too much) focus on interpersonal relationships not directly bearing on the case, which I pretty much loathe unless it's Lord Peter and Harriet, that dragged down my interest a fair amount. I feel it could have easily been half the length if not even shorter ... but that's not the book he set out to write, I guess.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
September 6, 2011
This mystery won the Edgar Award in 1959. Murray Kirk is head of a private detective agency in New York City. He gets involved in a case centered around a cop named Lundeen who has been accused of taking a bribe from bookmakers.
Murray Kirk doesn't need the money or the headaches of this case. He has every material thing he has ever wanted and a mistress who is also his good friend. But he is in love with the beautiful and proper Ruth Vincent, Lundeen's fiancee. Murray Kirk takes this case with the intention of proving the cop guilty so he can have the girl.
The story takes a good while to get going, though all the characters and the workings of a detective agency are intriguing. Stanley Ellin contrived a complex story that weaves together a lawyer, a detective, cops, gangsters, women, and New York City society in the 1950s. He does not let the reader find out who is guilty until Murray Kirk does, right at the end of the book.
It wasn't the best mystery I have read but had some unique aspects and kept my interest all the way.
Murray Kirk doesn't need the money or the headaches of this case. He has every material thing he has ever wanted and a mistress who is also his good friend. But he is in love with the beautiful and proper Ruth Vincent, Lundeen's fiancee. Murray Kirk takes this case with the intention of proving the cop guilty so he can have the girl.
The story takes a good while to get going, though all the characters and the workings of a detective agency are intriguing. Stanley Ellin contrived a complex story that weaves together a lawyer, a detective, cops, gangsters, women, and New York City society in the 1950s. He does not let the reader find out who is guilty until Murray Kirk does, right at the end of the book.
It wasn't the best mystery I have read but had some unique aspects and kept my interest all the way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews