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Ellery Queen Detective #21
Double, Double
A hermit’s mysterious death draws Ellery Queen back to the town he thought he’d left forever
Ellery Queen was raised in New York City, but his heart belongs to the village of Wrightsville. An idyllic New England hamlet, it was the site of some of the world-famous detective’s most remarkable investigations. After years of solving murder cases in Wrightsville’s coziest parlors, Queen was sure the community did not have any further mysteries to offer. But an anonymous letter draws him back to the most dangerous small town in America.
Luke MacCaby’s sagging old Victorian mansion sits on the edge of a respectable Wrightsville district as a fading reminder of the area’s long-vanished heyday. When the owner—a seemingly impoverished hermit—passes away, the town is shocked to learn that he was a partner in the local dye works and left behind a fortune worth millions. To find MacCaby’s killer, Queen must peel away the surface of the place he so dearly loves.
Ellery Queen was raised in New York City, but his heart belongs to the village of Wrightsville. An idyllic New England hamlet, it was the site of some of the world-famous detective’s most remarkable investigations. After years of solving murder cases in Wrightsville’s coziest parlors, Queen was sure the community did not have any further mysteries to offer. But an anonymous letter draws him back to the most dangerous small town in America.
Luke MacCaby’s sagging old Victorian mansion sits on the edge of a respectable Wrightsville district as a fading reminder of the area’s long-vanished heyday. When the owner—a seemingly impoverished hermit—passes away, the town is shocked to learn that he was a partner in the local dye works and left behind a fortune worth millions. To find MacCaby’s killer, Queen must peel away the surface of the place he so dearly loves.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1950
82 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Ellery Queen
1,758 books482 followersaka Barnaby Ross.
(Pseudonym of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee)
"Ellery Queen" was a pen name created and shared by two cousins, Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905-1971), as well as the name of their most famous detective. Born in Brooklyn, they spent forty two years writing, editing, and anthologizing under the name, gaining a reputation as the foremost American authors of the Golden Age "fair play" mystery.
Although eventually famous on television and radio, Queen's first appearance came in 1928 when the cousins won a mystery-writing contest with the book that would eventually be published as The Roman Hat Mystery. Their character was an amateur detective who used his spare time to assist his police inspector father in solving baffling crimes. Besides writing the Queen novels, Dannay and Lee cofounded Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, one of the most influential crime publications of all time. Although Dannay outlived his cousin by nine years, he retired Queen upon Lee's death.
Several of the later "Ellery Queen" books were written by other authors, including Jack Vance, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon.
(Pseudonym of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee)
"Ellery Queen" was a pen name created and shared by two cousins, Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905-1971), as well as the name of their most famous detective. Born in Brooklyn, they spent forty two years writing, editing, and anthologizing under the name, gaining a reputation as the foremost American authors of the Golden Age "fair play" mystery.
Although eventually famous on television and radio, Queen's first appearance came in 1928 when the cousins won a mystery-writing contest with the book that would eventually be published as The Roman Hat Mystery. Their character was an amateur detective who used his spare time to assist his police inspector father in solving baffling crimes. Besides writing the Queen novels, Dannay and Lee cofounded Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, one of the most influential crime publications of all time. Although Dannay outlived his cousin by nine years, he retired Queen upon Lee's death.
Several of the later "Ellery Queen" books were written by other authors, including Jack Vance, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 2, 2019
COUNTDOWN: Mid-20th Century North American Crime
BOOK 129 (of 250)
The guys composing Queen pay tribute to Dame Agatha.
Hook – 3 stars: Ellery Queen visits his childhood home after receiving anonymous newspaper clippings about possible crimes, even death.
PACE – 4: Very hard to put down mainly because you think you've encountered this very...
PLOT– 3: Queen uses a nursery rhyme as an Ode to Agatha Christie’s brilliant “And Then There Were None” published in 1939, 11 years before Queen’s novel. A young girl, Rima, raised in a shack in the forest goes to NY to find Ellery Queen, as she says she knows her father has been murdered. Ellery performs a “My Fair Lady” for Rima and they both head to a backwater town. During the story, Queen even uses Christie’s Big Red Herring from “And Then There were None”, and if you’ve read that book, you’ll see it used nicely, but not originally.
CAST -3: Here, there might be three crimes: Luke MacCaby died of a heart attack; John Spencer Hart may have committed suicide; and Tom Anderson may have been pushed off a cliff. Hart’s widow is involved. MacCaby is the “town hermit” but has millions of bucks and leaves much of it to Dr. Sebastion Dodd, leaving his life-long friend, Harry Toyfell, his gardener, with nothing. Tom Anderson is the town drunk and is the father to Rima Anderson. Willis Stone is the mortician and has a daughter named Angel Asperly Stone. And what would a small town be without a gossip: here it’s Emmeline Dupre. This cast has over 25 people: a bit overloaded in this case.
ATMOSPHERE – 3: “Wrightsville was her spiritual birthplace – a town of complacent elms, wandering cobbles, and crooked sidestreets”.
SUMMARY -3.2. Queen even has the good sense here to mention Christie’s Hercule Poirot, as he is indeed borrowing a number of elements from Dame Agatha. But Queen’s writing style is certainly different than Christie’s as he is a bit more eloquent at times: “The ineffable Malvina, it seemed, had a tarnish spot on her armor: she could let pique make her tilt at windmills.” But Christie never allowed style over plot.
BOOK 129 (of 250)
The guys composing Queen pay tribute to Dame Agatha.
Hook – 3 stars: Ellery Queen visits his childhood home after receiving anonymous newspaper clippings about possible crimes, even death.
PACE – 4: Very hard to put down mainly because you think you've encountered this very...
PLOT– 3: Queen uses a nursery rhyme as an Ode to Agatha Christie’s brilliant “And Then There Were None” published in 1939, 11 years before Queen’s novel. A young girl, Rima, raised in a shack in the forest goes to NY to find Ellery Queen, as she says she knows her father has been murdered. Ellery performs a “My Fair Lady” for Rima and they both head to a backwater town. During the story, Queen even uses Christie’s Big Red Herring from “And Then There were None”, and if you’ve read that book, you’ll see it used nicely, but not originally.
CAST -3: Here, there might be three crimes: Luke MacCaby died of a heart attack; John Spencer Hart may have committed suicide; and Tom Anderson may have been pushed off a cliff. Hart’s widow is involved. MacCaby is the “town hermit” but has millions of bucks and leaves much of it to Dr. Sebastion Dodd, leaving his life-long friend, Harry Toyfell, his gardener, with nothing. Tom Anderson is the town drunk and is the father to Rima Anderson. Willis Stone is the mortician and has a daughter named Angel Asperly Stone. And what would a small town be without a gossip: here it’s Emmeline Dupre. This cast has over 25 people: a bit overloaded in this case.
ATMOSPHERE – 3: “Wrightsville was her spiritual birthplace – a town of complacent elms, wandering cobbles, and crooked sidestreets”.
SUMMARY -3.2. Queen even has the good sense here to mention Christie’s Hercule Poirot, as he is indeed borrowing a number of elements from Dame Agatha. But Queen’s writing style is certainly different than Christie’s as he is a bit more eloquent at times: “The ineffable Malvina, it seemed, had a tarnish spot on her armor: she could let pique make her tilt at windmills.” But Christie never allowed style over plot.
November 10, 2022
Releitura.
Versão "clube do crime" #56 214 páginas.
Ellery Queen, um dos meus heróis da juventude. Um história com contornos de lógica interessantes, como habitualmente.
Versão "clube do crime" #56 214 páginas.
Ellery Queen, um dos meus heróis da juventude. Um história com contornos de lógica interessantes, como habitualmente.
February 19, 2019
Ah yes, a nice murder mystery! For those not following along, my introduction to Ellery Queen has been a collection of 5 stories that, overall, have been greatly enjoyable, but also a little weird.
This, however, promised murder, and murder we get in abundance! Look, I'm a simple woman: I like classic detective stories, with humor, and racing against the clock, and conclusive endings. And I got it all. Are some elements far-fetched? Absolutely. Does that add to the fun? Yes.
Or mostly. I'm not a fan of the whole super-innocent woman trope that Rima, the woman who engages Ellery to solve the crime(s), fills. A life spent in the woods, hardly able to bear wearing shoes, wise yet innocent to many ways of the world...yeah, okay. I don't hate her, but wow have I rarely come across a character that screams I'm a book character!!! in the way that Rima does.
What this story does well is the progression of the mystery itself. Mysterious newspaper articles mailed to Ellery about deaths in a small town* lead him to investigate, and he has suspicions that these deaths may not be as innocent as they seem. Making friends with the locals, visiting others to question them, finding patterns, uncovering new information, going back for second visits based on new clues...it's all there.
It's just a good, pretty satisfying story.
I've been pretty open about how odd I've found some of the choices of stories (and/or story order) in this collection. It's my introduction to Ellery Queen, so I can only compare these--I don't know if these are the best Queen stories, if this mystery is more common than some of the other story choices.
But I can say that I think this was a great story to end the collection on. It's a solid detective story that "scratched the itch" of, well, detective stories in a way that some of the other stories didn't. It leaves me satisfied, and while good as a standalone story, it's also a nice conclusion to the collection overall.
*I also completely missed, or have forgotten, the reveal of who actually sent these newspaper clipping to Ellery in the first place. If you know, please comment to relieve my curiosity.
This, however, promised murder, and murder we get in abundance! Look, I'm a simple woman: I like classic detective stories, with humor, and racing against the clock, and conclusive endings. And I got it all. Are some elements far-fetched? Absolutely. Does that add to the fun? Yes.
Or mostly. I'm not a fan of the whole super-innocent woman trope that Rima, the woman who engages Ellery to solve the crime(s), fills. A life spent in the woods, hardly able to bear wearing shoes, wise yet innocent to many ways of the world...yeah, okay. I don't hate her, but wow have I rarely come across a character that screams I'm a book character!!! in the way that Rima does.
What this story does well is the progression of the mystery itself. Mysterious newspaper articles mailed to Ellery about deaths in a small town* lead him to investigate, and he has suspicions that these deaths may not be as innocent as they seem. Making friends with the locals, visiting others to question them, finding patterns, uncovering new information, going back for second visits based on new clues...it's all there.
It's just a good, pretty satisfying story.
I've been pretty open about how odd I've found some of the choices of stories (and/or story order) in this collection. It's my introduction to Ellery Queen, so I can only compare these--I don't know if these are the best Queen stories, if this mystery is more common than some of the other story choices.
But I can say that I think this was a great story to end the collection on. It's a solid detective story that "scratched the itch" of, well, detective stories in a way that some of the other stories didn't. It leaves me satisfied, and while good as a standalone story, it's also a nice conclusion to the collection overall.
*I also completely missed, or have forgotten, the reveal of who actually sent these newspaper clipping to Ellery in the first place. If you know, please comment to relieve my curiosity.
February 4, 2019
Fun 1940s detective novel. I forgot how much I like the character of Ellery Queen. Of course it’s a bit convoluted and at times corny, but that comes with the territory.
April 23, 2019
I must admit that I enjoy a mystery that is not reliant on forensics only a scientist can understand. OK, so this is not great literature but sometimes you just want to read a story that engages the mind, takes you to a different place and time, and leaves you content. This book does that for me. The authors have a lovely way with words. (“...he stood in an almost visible field of eau de cologne.” “...a damned dirty piece of xanthous journalism...”) My favorite line comes after Ellery is back alone at his place having met an intriguing woman. “She was a nuisance all night.” I also learned about such once-commonplace objects as a Boston bag and a sadiron.
April 12, 2021
Serial killer at large in Wrightville, and EQ is on the list of those marked for murder. I somehow missed this one in all my EQ reading, so it was a treat to read a new EQ for me. However, it wasn't one of the major works. Certainly not in the mold of Cat of Many Tails, which deals with some of the same subject matter.
February 18, 2025
Moodier than your average Ellery Queen, which is saying a lot, and a high body count without much suspense. It felt flat and unfulfilling by the too-obvious ending.
April 21, 2019
"Io ho la tendenza congenita a risolvere i problemi che la mia mente mi pone. E questo è uno di quei problemi che mi fanno impazzire". La storia è veramente intricata, con pochi indizi per noi lettori sebbene i personaggi principali siano ben descritti e facilmente memorizzabili.
"ci sono momenti in cui, signor Holderfield, che si possono dire di crisi, in cui tutto, o quasi, va male, nulla ha più senso, e tutto ciò che rimane sono vuote parole". Può sembrare una beffa, una frase retorica messa li, ma si congegna bene con più di un personaggio della nostra storia, anche chi meno ce lo aspettiamo.
Il filosofo Toyfell: "era sereno. Che cosa può un uomo desiderare di meglio? Che cosa non ho che abbia il più ricco dei miei concittadini? Le preoccupazioni. E che cosa ho io che lui non ha? La libertà? Sì, signore, non potrei stare meglio di così....
Il personaggio Toyfell, giardiniere che ci diletta con certe perle, è uno dei protagonisti di solo passaggio? oppure conta qualcosa?
Toyfell: se volete la vostra libertà, preservate il vostro nemico dalla schiavitù. Conosci te stesso l'anima dell'uomo è immortale e imperitura, è stato un pagano a dirlo: Platone, quanto alla religione io adoro Dio in ogni seme, che cosa trovate in una chiesa se non fiori recisi.
"Dovrete trovarvi un lavoro! Perché? Perché mi sarete debitrice! (E via alle danze!!)
Jacquard: stordito dalla fortuna"
"Nella nostra società, dove l'accumulazione di ricchezza è la preoccupazione della maggior parte degli individui, la perdita di essa è la cosa più tragica che possa capitare. Tom Anderson era un povero, più che povero, o piuttosto, meno. Povertà è un termine relativo, come quello di vuoto.
Ecco qui il romanzi di Ellery Queen, con queste frasi, con un racconto avvincente, dei dialoghi impeccabili, delle descrizioni di personaggi e luoghi accurati ma non prolissi e noiosi, con scene concitate impeccabili.
Questo giallo secondo me può rientrare nella categoria dei classici e anche tra i migliori.
"ci sono momenti in cui, signor Holderfield, che si possono dire di crisi, in cui tutto, o quasi, va male, nulla ha più senso, e tutto ciò che rimane sono vuote parole". Può sembrare una beffa, una frase retorica messa li, ma si congegna bene con più di un personaggio della nostra storia, anche chi meno ce lo aspettiamo.
Il filosofo Toyfell: "era sereno. Che cosa può un uomo desiderare di meglio? Che cosa non ho che abbia il più ricco dei miei concittadini? Le preoccupazioni. E che cosa ho io che lui non ha? La libertà? Sì, signore, non potrei stare meglio di così....
Il personaggio Toyfell, giardiniere che ci diletta con certe perle, è uno dei protagonisti di solo passaggio? oppure conta qualcosa?
Toyfell: se volete la vostra libertà, preservate il vostro nemico dalla schiavitù. Conosci te stesso l'anima dell'uomo è immortale e imperitura, è stato un pagano a dirlo: Platone, quanto alla religione io adoro Dio in ogni seme, che cosa trovate in una chiesa se non fiori recisi.
"Dovrete trovarvi un lavoro! Perché? Perché mi sarete debitrice! (E via alle danze!!)
Jacquard: stordito dalla fortuna"
"Nella nostra società, dove l'accumulazione di ricchezza è la preoccupazione della maggior parte degli individui, la perdita di essa è la cosa più tragica che possa capitare. Tom Anderson era un povero, più che povero, o piuttosto, meno. Povertà è un termine relativo, come quello di vuoto.
Ecco qui il romanzi di Ellery Queen, con queste frasi, con un racconto avvincente, dei dialoghi impeccabili, delle descrizioni di personaggi e luoghi accurati ma non prolissi e noiosi, con scene concitate impeccabili.
Questo giallo secondo me può rientrare nella categoria dei classici e anche tra i migliori.
November 17, 2022
Of course I like it—it’s an Ellery Queen novel from their best period. But it doesn’t work as smoothly as the two previous ones, because the puzzle element is so silly it defies normalization. On the plus side, we have Rima and Wrightsville, drawn so clearly you wish the frontispiece map was even bigger. On the negative side, you have underwritten characters—Dodd and Winship in particular—and that nonsense of a puzzle. I would say the whole book is 5 stars through page 118; from then on, the Queen authors fight the book to a draw.
October 7, 2019
Met dit boek schaart Ellery Queen zich in het rijtje van de grote detective(schrijver)s die een kinderversje als thema gebruiken. Zoals Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie) en Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle). Jammer genoeg komen er zoveel moorden in voor dat het aantal verdachten drastisch beperkt wordt en het, bij het zeer vernuftige einde, niet echt meer een verrassing is. Ook al probeert Queen ons ook daar, op het allerlaatste moment, nog op het verkeerde been te zetten.
De sfeer, de beschrijvingen van omgeving en achtergrond, de typische personages is meesterlijk en iets waar de huidige generatie detective-, pardon thrillerschrijvers, meestal de tijd niet voor nemen, het wordt vervangen door goedkope sensatie.
Misschien niet zijn beste, maar zeker lezenswaardig. Een beetje nostalgisch, met een vleugje romantiek, een dosis nogal harde humor en een hoop speurdersfrustratie.
En toch ook wel wat herhaling, net alsof de schrijver een bepaald aantal bladzijden moest vullen en niet echt genoeg materiaal had.
De sfeer, de beschrijvingen van omgeving en achtergrond, de typische personages is meesterlijk en iets waar de huidige generatie detective-, pardon thrillerschrijvers, meestal de tijd niet voor nemen, het wordt vervangen door goedkope sensatie.
Misschien niet zijn beste, maar zeker lezenswaardig. Een beetje nostalgisch, met een vleugje romantiek, een dosis nogal harde humor en een hoop speurdersfrustratie.
En toch ook wel wat herhaling, net alsof de schrijver een bepaald aantal bladzijden moest vullen en niet echt genoeg materiaal had.
August 30, 2007
as the french would say: bof...
not my type of mistery at all, too much like a puzzle, and I'm more of a chandler or hammett fan.
it was quite readable, though.
but I still think the solution was a bit far fetched.
not my type of mistery at all, too much like a puzzle, and I'm more of a chandler or hammett fan.
it was quite readable, though.
but I still think the solution was a bit far fetched.
September 9, 2025
Plot
Ellery Queen returned to Wrightsville to solve the mystery of a rich man-believed poor-who died of old age, a poor man-believed rich-who committed suicide, and a scholarly drunk who disappeared. Shortly it occurred to Queen that the puzzle had a pattern. A twisted mind was committing murder according to an old nursery rhyme! Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief … and to at least one person in town, the chief was Ellery Queen.
My Analysis
Also known as The Case Of The Seven Murders.
I’ve enjoyed every Queen story I’ve read. I envy the authors’ creativity in formulating an intricate plot, leaving clues scattered about, and having Ellery clean it up in the end.
This one had so many characters, and knowing there would be many deaths, you wondered who could have been involved. One of the big questions throughout was – were there any murders at all?
Queen is consummate detective, coming at the puzzle from all angles, considering all evidence, going on little adventures, and pushing his mind to come up with the answer.
We return to a familiar haunt of Queen’s. The authors have sent him to city with a small-town feel many times, meeting new characters, and solving mysteries in many stories.
This one, like the others, is free from severe vulgarity, free from sex, free from gore. There’s a bit of action and danger, but it’s Ellery Queen. You know he’s going to come out on top.
I enjoyed how the authors completed each character even if they weren’t seen very often. From the lawyer to the gardener to the tailors to the police chief. Each is distinct and there’s no confusion.
Mystery fans should enjoy this one as they should enjoy all that Ellery Queen wrote.
My rank:
Blue Belt
Ellery Queen returned to Wrightsville to solve the mystery of a rich man-believed poor-who died of old age, a poor man-believed rich-who committed suicide, and a scholarly drunk who disappeared. Shortly it occurred to Queen that the puzzle had a pattern. A twisted mind was committing murder according to an old nursery rhyme! Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief … and to at least one person in town, the chief was Ellery Queen.
My Analysis
Also known as The Case Of The Seven Murders.
I’ve enjoyed every Queen story I’ve read. I envy the authors’ creativity in formulating an intricate plot, leaving clues scattered about, and having Ellery clean it up in the end.
This one had so many characters, and knowing there would be many deaths, you wondered who could have been involved. One of the big questions throughout was – were there any murders at all?
Queen is consummate detective, coming at the puzzle from all angles, considering all evidence, going on little adventures, and pushing his mind to come up with the answer.
We return to a familiar haunt of Queen’s. The authors have sent him to city with a small-town feel many times, meeting new characters, and solving mysteries in many stories.
This one, like the others, is free from severe vulgarity, free from sex, free from gore. There’s a bit of action and danger, but it’s Ellery Queen. You know he’s going to come out on top.
I enjoyed how the authors completed each character even if they weren’t seen very often. From the lawyer to the gardener to the tailors to the police chief. Each is distinct and there’s no confusion.
Mystery fans should enjoy this one as they should enjoy all that Ellery Queen wrote.
My rank:
Blue Belt
July 8, 2019
Ellery Queen is the most enigmatic of the golden age detectives. How old is he? Does he have longings, needs, wants? Why, when he is present in every page of this book, does he feel, somehow, just absent?
In some of the classic Queens, all of these become problems almost equal to the string of deaths that Queen is intent on solving. And this is a pretty good, complicated murder where the ultimate murderer is not completely guessable. But, how old is Ellery? It feels like he ought to be 40, given the novel’s chronology, which is remarkably precise. But maybe not. He’s young enough to make goo goo eyes at the very young nature girl heroine. And why is he in Wrightsville again, after the three last cases there left him melancholy and depressed. Why is Wrightsville glad to see him — he’s as bad as Jessica Fletcher in bringing death in his wake?
Well, these questions never get answered. They only arise when the story lags a bit. And then there is a murder or an excellent bit of prose and they are forgotten. The style, this time, is more solemn than usual, but moments of comic vigor erupt. Queen (the detective) even takes a moment to rag on Chandler and Cain.
Readers of Queen know what to expect. This isn’t the best, but it sure is entertaining, mostly.
In some of the classic Queens, all of these become problems almost equal to the string of deaths that Queen is intent on solving. And this is a pretty good, complicated murder where the ultimate murderer is not completely guessable. But, how old is Ellery? It feels like he ought to be 40, given the novel’s chronology, which is remarkably precise. But maybe not. He’s young enough to make goo goo eyes at the very young nature girl heroine. And why is he in Wrightsville again, after the three last cases there left him melancholy and depressed. Why is Wrightsville glad to see him — he’s as bad as Jessica Fletcher in bringing death in his wake?
Well, these questions never get answered. They only arise when the story lags a bit. And then there is a murder or an excellent bit of prose and they are forgotten. The style, this time, is more solemn than usual, but moments of comic vigor erupt. Queen (the detective) even takes a moment to rag on Chandler and Cain.
Readers of Queen know what to expect. This isn’t the best, but it sure is entertaining, mostly.
June 1, 2023
A pretty fun read! Once again couldn't quite figure out what was happening, and the double twist at the end was unexpected but not ridiculous. I appreciate that. It would have helped a little if I'd grown up knowing the nursery rhyme mentioned in this story, as the part where Ellery is revealing that the murders reference the nursery rhyme felt a lot like wandering around in the dark, bumping into things and being completely confused. I'll place it here in case you need it for later:
Altogether a fun read. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the plot twists, and I only felt one part of the explanation was slightly ridiculous.
Altogether a fun read. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the plot twists, and I only felt one part of the explanation was slightly ridiculous.
December 4, 2022
I remember watching the TV series about Ellery and his Dad - but this is the first book I have read. I have had the Penguin edition for years and for some reason taken ages to get to it. Very glad I did. I liked the style, the sense of era, simpler times when solving crimes had very little support other than the style of Marple and Poirot. I was barking up the wrong tree for ages as I was convinced for quite a while that the crimes were the work of a pair - the denouement was quite complex with the perpetrator being unmasked in a manner I have seen many times before, but with a lengthy and complete explanation from Mr Queen that satisfied, even if it was rather fanciful.
A good read and I shall try another.
A good read and I shall try another.
November 2, 2018
Another very good edition of the Ellery Queen series. One of my favorite writers (actually a cousin team of two writers, collaborating), Ellery Queen has produced a multitude of novels and short stories that are well written, intelligent and full of the twists and turns representing the Golden Age of American mystery writing. In "Double, Double", our protagonist travels back to Wrightsville, the scene of previous Queen mysteries. Incorporating a nursery rhyme and multiple murders, this story is one of his best, in my opinion. Multiple suspects, false leads and an intrepid hero all make for an enjoyable book. Ellery Queen once again gives us an excellent read.
June 11, 2020
I love the Wrightsville mysteries, although they always seem a little sad for Ellery. He gets embedded with a family, stays close to the happenings — and is there for WEEKS! These things last forever — and ends up leaving sadder than when he came.
Ellery's new friend, Rima, comes to him to help solve her father's murder, and he helps her find a new outlook on life, only for her to end up having it jerked out from under her.
Ellery's new friend, Rima, comes to him to help solve her father's murder, and he helps her find a new outlook on life, only for her to end up having it jerked out from under her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2021
Probably Three And One-Half Stars
I have to admit I found it difficult to get into this book. It didn’t seem to be really going anywhere and it didn’t really seem to make a lot of sense. By the time I had read about half I was just about to give up on it. However I kept reading and all of a sudden the story really picked up. As to whether I should have guessed who the murderer was, who can say. Nevertheless some of it was a little . . .
I have to admit I found it difficult to get into this book. It didn’t seem to be really going anywhere and it didn’t really seem to make a lot of sense. By the time I had read about half I was just about to give up on it. However I kept reading and all of a sudden the story really picked up. As to whether I should have guessed who the murderer was, who can say. Nevertheless some of it was a little . . .
August 16, 2024
After two good (but lacking Ellery) Queen mysteries, it was nice getting our guy back. I have read at least one other Wrightsville book, and enjoyed revisiting the locale, although I missed Inspector Queen and Sergeant Velie.
This kept me guessing until the end.... almost every time I identified a suspect, they died. As it happened the actual murderer was someone I had suspected early on, but rejected.
All of these years later, Ellery keeps me guessing.
This kept me guessing until the end.... almost every time I identified a suspect, they died. As it happened the actual murderer was someone I had suspected early on, but rejected.
All of these years later, Ellery keeps me guessing.
October 13, 2022
Excellent Mystery! But had it been named - The Curious Case of Dr. Dodd, that'd have helped us readers immensely. It's all about Dr. Dodd. He's the only person whose name must have been take a million times in this book. Anyway. Brilliant but could have been shorter.
Mystery lovers should give this book a shot.
Mystery lovers should give this book a shot.
April 2, 2020
What a slog. Worst Ellery Queen I’ve read, so far. Might make a good TV movie if it played up the time and setting: small New England town in 1949. But the mystery seemed second to the Eliza Doolittle stuff and I stopped caring.
April 9, 2022
it’s excellent!
It’s excellent of course it’s Ellery Queen! Always interesting always absorbing and wonderfully realized. Go back in time to a simpler place and enjoy a wonderful mystery!
It’s excellent of course it’s Ellery Queen! Always interesting always absorbing and wonderfully realized. Go back in time to a simpler place and enjoy a wonderful mystery!
May 26, 2024
Not bad, but I don't like the title. The solution to the puzzle is there, but properly hidden in the high weeds. Karma makes an appearance, which is a nice touch. One or two loose ends could be tied up more effectively.
January 29, 2018
Slightly dated, charming mystery. Perfect when you’re in the mood for an Agatha Christie-Esque novel.
September 26, 2018
Livro policial clássico de Ellery Queen, com personagens esteanhas e o regresso a Wrigtville, mas sem o entusiasmo que transmite "Vivenda Calamidade". Lê-se bem, mas não é fantástico.
February 7, 2019
The old pros are always worth going back to.
August 25, 2021
Foi um gosto ter lido um policial, no sentido clássico do termo. Tentar descobrir quem era o assassino, até ao final e ter sido uma surpresa, porque só descobri quase no fim.
July 21, 2023
For it's time, it provided a good understanding of the times people were living. As a detective story, it showed howvtrue detecting need a little bit of luck.
December 26, 2014
One of your more standard Queens, after the events of Ten Days' Wonder and Cat of Many Tales. The Wrightsville tales have a nice atmosphere to them, although by now the population of the town must seriously be diminished by Queen's visits! And Double, Double has LOTS of corpses. In fact, by the end it isn't too difficult to guess whodunit, as there aren't many characters left. Still, a fun read.
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