The Third Bullet

by John Dickson Carr

Collects the title novella and six short stories originally published between 1942 and 1954. ". the cream of his detective short stories."

- The Third Bullet
- The Clue of the Red Wig
- The House in Goblin Wood
- The Wrong Problem
- The Proverbial Murder
- The Locked Room
- The Gentleman From Paris

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Locked Room, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller

213 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

AKA Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn.

John Dickson Carr was an American author best known for his mystery fiction, whose work also reached audiences through radio, film, and television. He wrote extensively for radio, particularly for the American anthology series Suspense and its British counterpart Appointment with Fear, introduced by Valentine Dyall. Carr also contributed numerous dramas to the BBC, writing both mystery stories and propaganda scripts during World War II. His radio career included Cabin B-13, a half-hour mystery play first broadcast in 1943. The story was later expanded into a CBS radio series that ran during 1948 and 1949, with Carr writing all 23 scripts. Some episodes drew on his earlier work, while others reworked devices associated with G. K. Chesterton. Cabin B-13 also became the basis for the screenplay of Dangerous Crossing, a 1953 film directed by Joseph M. Newman and starring Michael Rennie and Jeanne Crain. During the late 1940s, Carr hosted Murder by Experts, a Mutual radio series originating from WOR in New York City. The program featured guest mystery writers, whose work Carr introduced to listeners. Several of his stories and novels were adapted for the cinema. The Man with a Cloak appeared in 1951, followed by Dangerous Crossing in 1953. The Emperor's Snuffbox was adapted as That Woman Opposite in 1957, while The Burning Court was loosely adapted as the French film La Chambre Ardente in 1962. Carr's fiction also provided material for television, especially anthology programs that did not depend on recurring characters. His detective Colonel March was adapted for the television series Colonel March of Scotland Yard, which began in 1954 and starred Boris Karloff as Colonel March. The series ran for 26 episodes in the United States and premiered in Britain the following year. These adaptations brought Carr's distinctive mystery writing to audiences who may not have encountered his novels, while demonstrating the versatility of his plots in different media. His radio scripts, screen work, and television adaptations form an important part of his career as a mystery writer, extending his reputation beyond the printed page. They also show how his carefully constructed mysteries, often centered on unusual crimes and puzzling circumstances, could be reshaped for performance without losing their central appeal. His work for broadcasting was particularly substantial, linking his literary career with the popular entertainment industries of both Britain and the United States. His output in these media complemented rather than replaced his novels.

Reviews

[Katie Grainger · Rating 4 out of 5]

My cousin and I share a love for Jonathan Creek, so when he told me he had found an author who specialized in locked room mysteries I was intrigued. He thought I would enjoy the stories and I really did. The book comprises of one novella and then six short stories, all of the stories follow the same path- an impossible crime is committed and then we follow the detection to the brilliant conclusion.

The Third Bullet is a great story, fantastic suspense and build up- I was completely baffled. Similarly the other stories are equally good and all so different. This book is definitely a treat for all fans of mystery. John Dickson Carr is a locked room specialist but a somewhat forgotten mystery writer I can't wait to read some of his novels and delve deeper into his fascinating mind.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Novella and Six stories— this description really doesn't do justice to this book. They contain exquisite examples of 'locked room mysteries' or 'impossible crimes', while evoking a strong sense of suspense and danger. Best example of this mystery with a tinge of horror and macabre is to be found in 'The House in Goblin Wood", which I would remember for a long time.
The only story that seems to have been written as a serio-comic affair is the last one.
And yes, all the stories have that subtle touch of unreal, since in real life crime is a dirty and sordid affair whose grime doesn't get captured in the brilliance and ingenuity of these tales.
Recommended.

[Daniel Hiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice compilation of stories, three of the seven featuring Dr. Fell. Being that Carr is new to me, I was pleasantly surprised by the range. Though this collection focuses on "locked room" mysteries, no two of the stories were similar. As for tone, the stories range from lighthearted (The Clue of the Red Wig), to a bit grisly (The House in Goblin Wood), to downright strange and unsettling (The Wrong Problem), the latter of which I'm still trying to fully understand. Overall, though, entertaining reads one and all.

[Jameson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m pretty sure elements of these shorts were re-worked for other Dickson Carr material, but this is a good collection when you’re in the mood for quick whodunnits with atmosphere. The House in Goblin Wood is probably my second favorite Carr short story (the other being Blind Man’s Hood.)

[Anne Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read by master storyteller of locked room mysteries, John Dickson Carr, presents The Third Bullet. Who killed Justice Mortlake and what's more: Mortlake was killed in a locked room--well a window was open, but the police inspector had his sights on it and there was a door, but the police officer was guarding it. Gabriel White did threaten to kill the justice and was found with a fired gun in the room, but is he the killer?

[Keith Boynton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the (long) title story is a bit disappointing, but "The Wrong Problem" and "The House in Goblin Wood" are classics, "The Clue of the Red Wig" is delightful, and the remaining stories are all solid. All in all, a worthwhile read – and a telling reminder of Carr's range and skill.

[Rohit Nair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tightly woven, excellent short reads.

[Naphta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories are better than others, but a generally enjoyable collection of Carr's shorter locked room mysteries.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. The Third Bullet (2.5/5) - I actually didn't know this was a novella going in so I think it's only fair to say that the pace probably wasn't as slow or convoluted as I initiaaly thought it was. My main complaint is that the full explanation was highly unrealistic and could have been a lot more satisfying if some of the more outlandish details were pared down or changed. For example, panicked Carolyn shooting her father through the window from 10 feet away with a silent gun at JUST the right time and just the right conditions (thunder) without being seen by the police running towards her was too much of a stretch. The police got to the building within seconds but she was able to hide and then step back in (watching from behind a tree) completely unnoticed. For a writer as smart as Carr, I think he could have made it a lot more believable while still maintaining the central question of how there were simultaneously too few and too many guns (too few because there were 2 guns but a third bullet from a different gun; few many because there were bullets from 3 guns found but only 2 shots were heard). Also, I don't really think this story qualifies as a locked room mystery considering that the window was open. They explain it away because the open window was watched by police, but they didn't start watching it until after he was shot through it.

2. The Clue of the Red Wig (3/5) - I disliked the female character. She was a total oxymoron and caricature of female reporters and career women overall (she's innocent and timid while openly telling her superiors that she sleeps with men for information and blackmail). Her contributions to the case were mostly accidental, which was really annoying considering how highly recommended she was as a top female reporter. That's not all the misogyny in the story either as the victim, another successful woman, turns out to be a fraud. Instead of being a respectable, engaged woman who helps other women get fit, she has been married all along and knows her exercises don't actually work. 3 stars for the interesting premise.

3. The House in Goblin Wood (4.5/5) - I read this collection for this story, and it did not disappoint. I often find that short detective stories have really weak or abrupt endings following the big reveal so it was refreshing that this one had such an impactful ending after the big explanation. Talk about a great last line!

4. The Wrong Problem (3/5) - Maybe I'm just stupid, but I didn't really understand the punchline. I get that the "wrong problem" refers to the identity of the murderer since that's not why Joseph Lessing was telling Fell and Hadley the story. So what was the problem that he wanted to talk about? Was it just that the children of a madwoman were harmless and yet the son of a healthy woman was a murderer? Was he questioning why he had killed two people despite being sane? How he ended up being a murderer while the children of a madwoman became a dentist and the other a doctor? That said, I do think the murders described in this story (particularly the second one) were memorable, partly because of how gruesome they were and partly because of the ear-eyes-throat connection. This would have been a solid 4 star story for me if the ending was just a little less confusing.

5. The Proverbial Murder (2/5) - The most forgettable story in this collection, although it does have a good punchline at the end that ties in with the title. I don't know enough about guns to know if Fell's explanation actually makes sense, but either way, this story just didn't hold my interest at all.

6. The Locked Room (3/5) - A straightforward locked room mystery that was easy to follow. I do question the science:

"The whole trick," their host went on, "turns on the fact that the 'Mickey Finn' variety of knockout drops produces on the victim exactly the same sensation as being struck over the head: the sudden bursting explosion of pain, the roaring in the ears, and almost instant unconsciousness. "

I'm not sure what drug in particular would cause the sudden explosion of pain and instant unconsciousness as it's certainly not chloroform (which takes about 5 mins to cause unconsciousness and requires continuous administration) or chloral hydrate, which isn't associated with the pain.

It was nice, however, that the victim survived for once.

7. The Gentleman From Paris (4/5) - I'm not sure why I feel so melancholic after reading this one, but I really enjoyed it. The mystery (not a murder but a disappearing will) was gripping, the characters were all fascinating in their own right (although "Jezebel" was definitely another caricature of a female character), and I found that I deeply cared about the outcome. The ending was definitely unexpected and it was refreshing to read a mystery that didn't begin and end with the mystery but had other stakes as well. Tagged this book with famous-person-cameo for this story the man that helps the narrator is Edgar Allan Poe, and knowing this makes the ending more sad since he died 6 months after the date of this story (dated April 14, 1849 since it's in the form of a letter to the narrator's brother).

Average rating: 3.14/5

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A locked room with a murdered judge inside, with another man holding the smoking gun with no escape. Two shots fired. One from a Browning.32 automatic, and one from an Ivor-Johnson.38. Ballistic show neither weapon killed the judge, but that he was killed by a .22Erckmann Air Pistol. So, who fired the third bullet? That is what must be uncovered to solve this murder mystery.

[Bill Suits · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read The Third Bullet.

This was excellent. I was very surprised by it and it seemed very much in the spirit of Emil Gaboriau. It is about 70 pages long but it was quite good. Some may complain about the ending but I rather enjoyed it. Long live the short story!

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very typical Carr 1954 "impossible crime." Two gunshots but neither bullet hit the corpse, a third bullet from a mystery gun does the job. I had fun solving this before the cops do. Maybe too easy to figure out?

[Ranjanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mysteries but I find reading these a bit dry. It was very hard for me to stay engaged with the stories.

[Bryan Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery box purist is John Dickson Carr

[AC]

A decent collection. The title story is a novella. It is a good example of a locked room mystery, though it is a bit dry.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Hunter does it again. His books are just fun, entertaining, easy to read with good guys and bad guys. This one is one of his best. Usually these are summer beach reading books because they are fun. His writing is not simple, yet is easy to follow for anyone.

The premise of this book is, believe it or not, the Kennedy assassination and how it might have gone down. It is difficult to determine whether or not this a fiction or non-fiction novel. But it has a brilliant and very logic premise that could actually be what happened. Since it seems we don't really know (the Warren report it unsatisfying in that regard), Mr. Hunter puts all the players in their places and makes a supposition that seems to be the most obvious and possible scenario for what really took place.

Mr. Hunter does like guns and shooters, so that is the viewpoint he uses to 'solve' the actual mystery of what went down that day. Wow. I recommend this to anyone who was alive then and remembers it all. Younger readers might find it interesting but they haven't gone through or read about the process and have the feeling that we who were around then do.

Fantastic book in my opinion.

[Frank McGirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable set of mysteries.

My book belonged to ex-NMU professor Earl Hilton, who I never knew, and he labeled it "Essential to American Lit: Please Return," so I was surprised that most of the stories were set in England with all English characters.

While checking on Wikipedia to make sure the ol' prof had his facts straight, I learned something that came as no surprise. Carr was considered the master of the "locked room" mystery...situation where the crime appears to have been impossible.

I'll definitely read more of Carr if I come across it.

My copy disintigrated as I read it. Though I might hold onto the last story, The Gentleman from Paris, if for no other reason than because Mr. Hilton thought it so important.

[Pietro De Palma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the best works by Carr. Less known among other locked rooms, it presents really a very imaginative solution.

The analysis is on my blog :

http://deathcanread.blogspot.it/2014/...

[Neer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of stories.

More here:

http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2014/1...

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

read some time in 1992

[Jeff Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Third Bullet--3
The Clue of the Red Wig--3
The House in Goblin Wood--3
The Wrong Problem--2
The Proverbial Murder--3
The Locked Room--3
The Gentleman From Paris--3