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The Four Johns
Mervyn Gray, an English doctoral student, tries to discover which of four men named John, killed a coed, Mary Hazelwood. Written by Jack Vance under the "Ellery Queen" pseudonym.
164 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
About the author
Ellery Queen
1,804 books497 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 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 28, 2024
The Four Johns is also known by the title Four Men Called John. This is one of Jack Vance's mystery novels written under the publishing house name of Ellery Queen. This name was used by many ghost writer authors and usually featured the main character Ellery Queen who was a mystery writer and amateur detective who helped his father, a New York police inspector, solve crimes. This character does not feature in Vance's novel, however. The book was nitially published as a paperback in March, 1964 by Pocket Books. A hardcover edition was released in 1976 by Gollancz. Even though this novel appears to be currently out of print, used copies seem to be easily and affordably available. My Signet copy is 152 pages long.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Initially we are introduced to Mervyn Gray, a teaching assistant at UC Berkeley. We are informed that two days ago an attempt was made to poison him, that yesterday a bullet missed his head by inches and that an enemy has threatened to kill him tomorrow. This all relates to the disappearance of a neighbor woman and to the possible involvement of one of four men who are each named John.
The story then flashes back several days previously to a meeting in a coffee shop between Mervyn and one of his neighbors, Susie Woodward. Susie lives with her older sister, Mary Woodward, who is a university senior. Mary is very attractive and Mervyn has a crush on her. But Mary seems to have disappeared after she was overheard during a phone call making arrangements to meet a person she referred to as John. Mervyn seems more worried than Susie and decides to contact each of the four men named John who are listed in Mary's address book.
Soon after beginning his investigation, Mervyn, starts receiving threatening letters. Then attempts are made on his life and his car is stolen. Although Mervyn is a rather inept investigator, he does not want to involve the police because he is fearful that he might lose his assistant teaching position if there is negative publicity about him being connected to a disappearance or possibly a murder. The four Johns include a beatnik poet, a fashion photographer, a librarian who lives a double life and a playboy accountant. Each resents the intrusiveness by Mervyn as he questions and sometimes follows them.
I found the twist at the end to be unpredictable but also pretty far fetched. Some of the behavior of characters in the novel is not believable at times. There is also little of Vance's brilliant dialog or humor. Overall this is not one of Vance's better written mystery novels. As with all Vance novels, however, it is still not without interest, and I found it fairly entertaining and easy to read. Vance fans will probably want to read it, but I'm not sure if regular mystery readers will find it that appealing. I have read it twice now and continue to rate it a 3 "liked it."
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Initially we are introduced to Mervyn Gray, a teaching assistant at UC Berkeley. We are informed that two days ago an attempt was made to poison him, that yesterday a bullet missed his head by inches and that an enemy has threatened to kill him tomorrow. This all relates to the disappearance of a neighbor woman and to the possible involvement of one of four men who are each named John.
The story then flashes back several days previously to a meeting in a coffee shop between Mervyn and one of his neighbors, Susie Woodward. Susie lives with her older sister, Mary Woodward, who is a university senior. Mary is very attractive and Mervyn has a crush on her. But Mary seems to have disappeared after she was overheard during a phone call making arrangements to meet a person she referred to as John. Mervyn seems more worried than Susie and decides to contact each of the four men named John who are listed in Mary's address book.
Soon after beginning his investigation, Mervyn, starts receiving threatening letters. Then attempts are made on his life and his car is stolen. Although Mervyn is a rather inept investigator, he does not want to involve the police because he is fearful that he might lose his assistant teaching position if there is negative publicity about him being connected to a disappearance or possibly a murder. The four Johns include a beatnik poet, a fashion photographer, a librarian who lives a double life and a playboy accountant. Each resents the intrusiveness by Mervyn as he questions and sometimes follows them.
I found the twist at the end to be unpredictable but also pretty far fetched. Some of the behavior of characters in the novel is not believable at times. There is also little of Vance's brilliant dialog or humor. Overall this is not one of Vance's better written mystery novels. As with all Vance novels, however, it is still not without interest, and I found it fairly entertaining and easy to read. Vance fans will probably want to read it, but I'm not sure if regular mystery readers will find it that appealing. I have read it twice now and continue to rate it a 3 "liked it."
February 4, 2019
Een atypische Ellery Queen in de zin dat Ellery Queen - detective/schrijver - er geen rol in speelt. Wel typisch is de geborgen sfeer en rust in het verhaal waarbij de personages hun gangetje gaan tot een dramatisch einde. Geen stress of sensatie, in dit geval ook absoluut geen geniaal speurderswerk of het gebruik van een meer dan gemiddeld capabel brein, gewoon iemand die strompelt van het ene probleem naar het andere zonder ogenschijnlijk iets op te schieten.
Een dramatische ontknoping is er wel maar daar zet de schrijver de lezer toch nog enkele keren voor schut door onvoorziene plotwendingen.
Al bij al een excellent boek dat perfect tussen de boeken past van de neven die onder het pseudoniem Ellery Queen schrijven. Hou wel enkele uren vrij, het leest als een trein en als je het weglegt is het waarschijnlijk uit maar ook meer tijd verstreken dan verwacht.
Een dramatische ontknoping is er wel maar daar zet de schrijver de lezer toch nog enkele keren voor schut door onvoorziene plotwendingen.
Al bij al een excellent boek dat perfect tussen de boeken past van de neven die onder het pseudoniem Ellery Queen schrijven. Hou wel enkele uren vrij, het leest als een trein en als je het weglegt is het waarschijnlijk uit maar ook meer tijd verstreken dan verwacht.
May 28, 2025
I really enjoyed this mystery in which a young man named Mervyn tries to solve a murder that someone has framed him for. The four men that he suspects are all named John, thus the title. This book has wonderful atmosphere, really giving a great look at the lives of an eccentric group of young people in the early 1960s. The characters, while not well developed in this slim volume, are at least well sketched. The ending wasn't the best thing ever--it's not horrible but felt kind of rushed with a change in tone and perspective that didn't quite fit perfectly with the set-up and might feel like a bit of a cheat to some.
The prose was brisk, compelling and added to the wonderful atmosphere.
This is a 3.5 for me. A fun, quick read--just wish the ending was a bit more polished.
The prose was brisk, compelling and added to the wonderful atmosphere.
This is a 3.5 for me. A fun, quick read--just wish the ending was a bit more polished.
October 3, 2020
An ok mystery that kept my interest, thought the ending was kind of odd. I kind of like how the book was written and the misdirection in general was done well. Even the reveal of who was the murderer was done fine, but the general stuff done around the crime was just a little too off to seem believable. Though still kept my interest and was a fast read.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend but if you run across it, you could definitely do worse.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend but if you run across it, you could definitely do worse.
December 27, 2022
"The lamb was a great success: succulent, with a crisp crust redolent of garlic, herbs and pepper."
This is by Jack Vance, as you might guess from that sentence alone. It's a clever mystery, though it pulls a few dubious tricks such as hiding things from us that our main viewpoint character has seen and done. Also the explanation is not entirely convincing, as some of the younger sister's choices make no sense. But it's well-written and makes the personalities as important as the puzzle.
This is by Jack Vance, as you might guess from that sentence alone. It's a clever mystery, though it pulls a few dubious tricks such as hiding things from us that our main viewpoint character has seen and done. Also the explanation is not entirely convincing, as some of the younger sister's choices make no sense. But it's well-written and makes the personalities as important as the puzzle.
February 19, 2019
Not a good mystery. The detective of the book doesn't reveal to the reader a bunch of his earlier actions which should have been informing his internal thinking throughout.
It's my lease favorite Jack Vance book to date.
It's my lease favorite Jack Vance book to date.
May 26, 2020
A disappointing book which was not written by Dannay and Lee. Years later I discovered this had actually been written by Jack Vance (who is one of my favourite authors) but that Jack Vance disowned the book as his original story had been edited beyond recognition!
July 26, 2018
Will I never learn! :-(
September 20, 2022
Muy entretenida aunque llega un momento que se hace repetitiva pero no es muy larga y pronto llega el desenlace.
August 16, 2023
Rounding up to two
January 9, 2024
Met veel plezier gelezen, ook al was de ontknoping niet echt geloofwaardig. Het zat vol met jaren 60-clichés en kreeg daardoor iets vermakelijks.
May 30, 2024
Four Men Called John is also known as The Four Johns. This is one of Jack Vance's mystery novels written under the publishing house name of Ellery Queen. This name was used by many ghost writer authors and usually featured the main character Ellery Queen who was a mystery writer and amateur detective who helped his father, a New York police inspector, solve crimes. This character does not feature in Vance's novel, however. The book was nitially published as a paperback in March, 1964 by Pocket Books. A hardcover edition was released in 1976 by Gollancz. Even though this novel appears to be currently out of print, used copies seem to be easily and affordably available. My Signet copy is 152 pages long.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Initially we are introduced to Mervyn Gray, a teaching assistant at UC Berkeley. We are informed that two days ago an attempt was made to poison him, that yesterday a bullet missed his head by inches and that an enemy has threatened to kill him tomorrow. This all relates to the disappearance of a neighbor woman and to the possible involvement of one of four men who are each named John.
The story then flashes back several days previously to a meeting in a coffee shop between Mervyn and one of his neighbors, Susie Woodward. Susie lives with her older sister, Mary Woodward, who is a university senior. Mary is very attractive and Mervyn has a crush on her. But Mary seems to have disappeared after she was overheard during a phone call making arrangements to meet a person she referred to as John. Mervyn seems more worried than Susie and decides to contact each of the four men named John who are listed in Mary's address book.
Soon after beginning his investigation, Mervyn, starts receiving threatening letters. Then attempts are made on his life and his car is stolen. Although Mervyn is a rather inept investigator, he does not want to involve the police because he is fearful that he might lose his assistant teaching position if there is negative publicity about him being connected to a disappearance or possibly a murder. The four Johns include a beatnik poet, a fashion photographer, a librarian who lives a double life and a playboy accountant. Each resents the intrusiveness by Mervyn as he questions and sometimes follows them.
I found the twist at the end to be unpredictable but also pretty far fetched. Some of the behavior of characters in the novel is not believable at times. There is also little of Vance's brilliant dialog or humor. Overall this is not one of Vance's better written mystery novels. As with all Vance novels, however, it is still not without interest, and I found it fairly entertaining and easy to read. Vance fans will probably want to read it, but I'm not sure if regular mystery readers will find it that appealing. I have read it twice now and continue to rate it a 3 "liked it."
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Initially we are introduced to Mervyn Gray, a teaching assistant at UC Berkeley. We are informed that two days ago an attempt was made to poison him, that yesterday a bullet missed his head by inches and that an enemy has threatened to kill him tomorrow. This all relates to the disappearance of a neighbor woman and to the possible involvement of one of four men who are each named John.
The story then flashes back several days previously to a meeting in a coffee shop between Mervyn and one of his neighbors, Susie Woodward. Susie lives with her older sister, Mary Woodward, who is a university senior. Mary is very attractive and Mervyn has a crush on her. But Mary seems to have disappeared after she was overheard during a phone call making arrangements to meet a person she referred to as John. Mervyn seems more worried than Susie and decides to contact each of the four men named John who are listed in Mary's address book.
Soon after beginning his investigation, Mervyn, starts receiving threatening letters. Then attempts are made on his life and his car is stolen. Although Mervyn is a rather inept investigator, he does not want to involve the police because he is fearful that he might lose his assistant teaching position if there is negative publicity about him being connected to a disappearance or possibly a murder. The four Johns include a beatnik poet, a fashion photographer, a librarian who lives a double life and a playboy accountant. Each resents the intrusiveness by Mervyn as he questions and sometimes follows them.
I found the twist at the end to be unpredictable but also pretty far fetched. Some of the behavior of characters in the novel is not believable at times. There is also little of Vance's brilliant dialog or humor. Overall this is not one of Vance's better written mystery novels. As with all Vance novels, however, it is still not without interest, and I found it fairly entertaining and easy to read. Vance fans will probably want to read it, but I'm not sure if regular mystery readers will find it that appealing. I have read it twice now and continue to rate it a 3 "liked it."
December 27, 2012
I wanted to rate this one higher, because the story is intriguing and the characters are good. Ultimately, though, this mystery depends on not one, but two (and you could argue three) people behaving in completely abnormal ways. Eccentricity happens, but when people do abnormal things simply to make the mystery author's life easier, I find it annoying.
This is a short novel by someone writing under the name of author Ellery Queen, but not featuring the detective Ellery Queen, in case you were wondering.
This is a short novel by someone writing under the name of author Ellery Queen, but not featuring the detective Ellery Queen, in case you were wondering.
June 10, 2018
This is one of three books written by Jack Vance, under the franchised Ellery Queen pseudonym.
There are very few identifiable Vance idiosyncrasies in this book though the waif-like, fey Susie is an Archetypal Vance "heroine".
I have almost definitely added another star here just because the story is a Jack Vance one, which seems fine to me.
There are very few identifiable Vance idiosyncrasies in this book though the waif-like, fey Susie is an Archetypal Vance "heroine".
I have almost definitely added another star here just because the story is a Jack Vance one, which seems fine to me.
December 29, 2016
I read this book because I need a book written by an author with Q for the last name. It was a murder mystery written in 1964. It was really confusing with four suspects all names John. The plot was good but I just didn't enjoy it very much.
March 10, 2011
( Os Quatro Suspeitos )
February 28, 2013
The book was so boring, that it took me a week to finish.
April 16, 2016
An easy read and a page turner. A definite who-done-it that kept you guessing until the very end.
February 12, 2019
Several have correctly pointed out that this was one of Jack Vance's ghost-written Ellery Queen books. However, it should be noted that the publishers butchered Vance's original prose and what you are reading is not purely the work of that esteemed author. The original texts were restored for the limited edition print run of The Vance Integral Edition but, sadly due to copyright issues, are not available in ebook format from the Jack Vance official website at this time. Readers lucky enough to possess a V.I.E. set will enjoy this novel as it was originally written, an experience not provided by the paperback.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews