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Mansión de la muerte
It is 1927 and New Orleans-born novelist Jeff Caldwell is called back to that most colorful of American cities by a frantic letter from Dave Hobart, a boyhood friend. Dave owns a fabulous and foreboding 16th century English manor house moved from England to New Orleans at the whim of his eccentric grandfather. But Delys Hall has been nicknamed Deadly Hall. Some pretty awful things have happened there, including murder, and there are rumors of hidden treasure and a ghost.
247 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1971
42 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
John Dickson Carr
426 books496 followersAKA Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn.
John Dickson Carr was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1906. It Walks by Night, his first published detective novel, featuring the Frenchman Henri Bencolin, was published in 1930. Apart from Dr Fell, whose first appearance was in Hag's Nook in 1933, Carr's other series detectives (published under the nom de plume of Carter Dickson) were the barrister Sir Henry Merrivale, who debuted in The Plague Court Murders (1934).
John Dickson Carr was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1906. It Walks by Night, his first published detective novel, featuring the Frenchman Henri Bencolin, was published in 1930. Apart from Dr Fell, whose first appearance was in Hag's Nook in 1933, Carr's other series detectives (published under the nom de plume of Carter Dickson) were the barrister Sir Henry Merrivale, who debuted in The Plague Court Murders (1934).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 16, 2018
Dead good mystery.
A young American writer of historical fiction and lover of detective fiction is called back from decadent Europe to a creepy mansion near New Orleans. Murder is in the air. Our hero meets old friends, rekindled an old romance and tries to solve a mystery of gold treasure and two deaths. He doesn't. His withered old uncle does. The depiction, of the trip down South in a paddle steamer, the house itself is superbly atmospheric. The scene is laid and murder most foul occurs. All set in the Roaring Twenties. An enjoyable which h err of me gripped although the style of the time meant people kept asking questions, being promised answers which were not forthcoming until the very end. A device to drag out the plot because if anyone answered truthfully at the beginning there would be no story. Despite that this is a n intriguing, enjoyable example of the work of a great writer of mystery. Recommended, but make allowances for an older style of storytelling.
A young American writer of historical fiction and lover of detective fiction is called back from decadent Europe to a creepy mansion near New Orleans. Murder is in the air. Our hero meets old friends, rekindled an old romance and tries to solve a mystery of gold treasure and two deaths. He doesn't. His withered old uncle does. The depiction, of the trip down South in a paddle steamer, the house itself is superbly atmospheric. The scene is laid and murder most foul occurs. All set in the Roaring Twenties. An enjoyable which h err of me gripped although the style of the time meant people kept asking questions, being promised answers which were not forthcoming until the very end. A device to drag out the plot because if anyone answered truthfully at the beginning there would be no story. Despite that this is a n intriguing, enjoyable example of the work of a great writer of mystery. Recommended, but make allowances for an older style of storytelling.
May 2, 2024
I've only recently become familiar with John Dickson Carr, and having previously read one of his other standalone books outside of the Gideon Fell series, Fire, Burn, I was excited to see what other historical detective delights he might have up his sleeve.
Sadly, there wasn't much for me to enjoy here. Carr's verbosity gets the best of the material here, with there being very little action or real mystery into well past the first third of the novel. The characters weren't particularly compelling nor interesting and though it ostensibly had a lead, he just felt like he was window dressing, rather than being the center that the novel should have revolved around. It felt like the reader had no way into the story.
Given Carr's extensive catalog, the odds are that there will be a few clunkers throughout his bibliography, so I'm not going to give up on him completely, but this may be one to steer clear of in favor of the charming and fun Fire, Burn or the Gideon Fell series.
Sadly, there wasn't much for me to enjoy here. Carr's verbosity gets the best of the material here, with there being very little action or real mystery into well past the first third of the novel. The characters weren't particularly compelling nor interesting and though it ostensibly had a lead, he just felt like he was window dressing, rather than being the center that the novel should have revolved around. It felt like the reader had no way into the story.
Given Carr's extensive catalog, the odds are that there will be a few clunkers throughout his bibliography, so I'm not going to give up on him completely, but this may be one to steer clear of in favor of the charming and fun Fire, Burn or the Gideon Fell series.
July 16, 2020
Mansión de la muerte es una típica novela de misterio que nos presenta la colección El Séptimo Círculo.
Ambientada en 1927 en Nueva Orleans, la trama contiene elementos que son comunes a este tipo de relatos : una antigua mansión, un supuesto tesoro escondido, viejos y nuevos secretos y misterios, un testamento y una herencia en juego, y, como ya nos tiene acostumbrados el autor, muertes aparentemente inexplicables.
Todo ello amenizado con muchas referencias literarias, toques de humor, y una buena recreación de la vida ociosa de jóvenes de tradicionales familias sureñas, en un crucero por el Mississippi, o en los bares clandestinos de la ciudad.
Por momentos entretenida y muy llevadera, por momentos más lenta, constituye, para los amantes del género, una muy buena opción de lectura.
https://sobrevolandolecturas.blogspot...
Ambientada en 1927 en Nueva Orleans, la trama contiene elementos que son comunes a este tipo de relatos : una antigua mansión, un supuesto tesoro escondido, viejos y nuevos secretos y misterios, un testamento y una herencia en juego, y, como ya nos tiene acostumbrados el autor, muertes aparentemente inexplicables.
Todo ello amenizado con muchas referencias literarias, toques de humor, y una buena recreación de la vida ociosa de jóvenes de tradicionales familias sureñas, en un crucero por el Mississippi, o en los bares clandestinos de la ciudad.
Por momentos entretenida y muy llevadera, por momentos más lenta, constituye, para los amantes del género, una muy buena opción de lectura.
https://sobrevolandolecturas.blogspot...
January 19, 2021
I give up. As much as I enjoy John Dickson Carr's work, I got through chapter 9 of this one and couldn't force myself to go any further. The plot is unbearably slow and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. There has been no crime 45% of the way into the story, albeit that there are hints on a regular basis that there are mysterious things happening or happened or about to happen. (Who knows?). The only possible crime so far is a some-teen-year-old possible murder, possible accident, and a flower pot that may or may not have deliberately been caused to fall on one or the other of two of the characters.
In the words of the great philosopher, "It's all I can stands, and I can't stands n'more."
Please, please, please... if you haven't read any John Dickson Carr before, DO NOT READ this one first; it is NOT a good example of his work.
In the words of the great philosopher, "It's all I can stands, and I can't stands n'more."
Please, please, please... if you haven't read any John Dickson Carr before, DO NOT READ this one first; it is NOT a good example of his work.
June 26, 2020
This was honestly pretty dreadful. The story is extremely slow at the start, and only picks up the pace I normally associate with a murder mystery in the last quarter or so. The "mystery" mostly consists of the main character asking people for the most basic and simple answers and being ignored - not much in the way of clues. And while it's set in New Orleans of the 1920s, it was written in the 1970s, at which point, certain depictions of non-white servants... just ugh. I'm beginning to see why Mr. Carr is mostly out of print.
February 1, 2019
Interesting story frustrationly told
I lost track of the number of times that just as an important clue was about to be revealed something interrupted the story teller -- a telephone ring, a waiter there to take an order, and so on. And never brought to a conclusion. Very frustrating. I couldn't really enjoy the book.
I lost track of the number of times that just as an important clue was about to be revealed something interrupted the story teller -- a telephone ring, a waiter there to take an order, and so on. And never brought to a conclusion. Very frustrating. I couldn't really enjoy the book.
December 8, 2021
DNF, 39%. First third was mostly characters I didn't come to care about gossiping about other uninteresting characters with suggestions of mystery never realized. I kept falling asleep or losing my place. Boring.
May 26, 2023
Interesting story that takes place in old New Orleans. Plot a bit convoluted and not enough clues given to figure out people died. I did guess the culprit but not the entire reason for doing so. The writing style tends to get in the way of the story but I know that is Carr's way of writing.
August 22, 2025
worst Carr I’ve read
I’ve enjoyed many of Carr’s books but this one is is very poor. The conversations are endless and infuriating. It’s a short story at best and by the ‘reveal’ I couldn’t have cared less.
I’ve enjoyed many of Carr’s books but this one is is very poor. The conversations are endless and infuriating. It’s a short story at best and by the ‘reveal’ I couldn’t have cared less.
February 11, 2017
This book gets 5 stars for atmosphere. Very well done. The mystery was good but not as exciting as I might have hoped. Great character development.
August 3, 2018
One of the reasons I had to take the travel all the way from Copenhagen to New Orleans. To walk in the same streets which appears in this very wellwritten novel.
August 26, 2023
Mamma mia che merda
August 29, 2025
Mi ha un po' deluso, pur essendo un buon libro. Le mie aspettative erano troppo lusinghiere. Ad ogni modo un'opera ben riuscita, scorrevolissima e piacevole. voto 6,5
December 11, 2017
Novela aburrida, absurda, caótica y confusa.
La primera mitad, un viaje en barco, está llena de digresiones y personajes que entran y salen de escena de forma confusa. Resulta difícil distinguirlos.
En la segunda se comete el crimen y toma el mando un nuevo personaje, Gilbert Bethune, fiscal de distrito de Nueva Orleáns y tío de Jeff Caldwell, el que hasta entonces, debido a la cantidad de detalles que se cuentan de su vida y carrera, parecía que iba a el protagonista (lo es de la trama romántica), siendo relegado a admirador de su pariente.
Bethune y el autor evitan dar pistas que permitan adivinar quién ha cometido el asesinato, o cómo, recurriendo una y otra vez a interrumpir a los personajes (en especial Bethune) en cuanto da la impresión de que van a dar un dato importante, creando una repetida sensación de frustración.
La explicación de cómo se cometieron los asesinatos (el presente y el del pasado) es algo absurda y cogida por los pelos, la identidad del asesino pasable, el romance superficial y la conclusión es que sobra texto y falta concisión y claridad.
Si bien el punto de partida es interesante (y clásico) el desarrollo y final son decepcionantes.
La primera mitad, un viaje en barco, está llena de digresiones y personajes que entran y salen de escena de forma confusa. Resulta difícil distinguirlos.
En la segunda se comete el crimen y toma el mando un nuevo personaje, Gilbert Bethune, fiscal de distrito de Nueva Orleáns y tío de Jeff Caldwell, el que hasta entonces, debido a la cantidad de detalles que se cuentan de su vida y carrera, parecía que iba a el protagonista (lo es de la trama romántica), siendo relegado a admirador de su pariente.
Bethune y el autor evitan dar pistas que permitan adivinar quién ha cometido el asesinato, o cómo, recurriendo una y otra vez a interrumpir a los personajes (en especial Bethune) en cuanto da la impresión de que van a dar un dato importante, creando una repetida sensación de frustración.
La explicación de cómo se cometieron los asesinatos (el presente y el del pasado) es algo absurda y cogida por los pelos, la identidad del asesino pasable, el romance superficial y la conclusión es que sobra texto y falta concisión y claridad.
Si bien el punto de partida es interesante (y clásico) el desarrollo y final son decepcionantes.
May 27, 2011
I'm a huge John Dickson Carr fan, so it pains me to give this 2 star review. This book is the first mediocre book of his that I've read. A puzzle plot mystery, it does come together at the end -- but not especially convincingly. Set in New Orleans at a house with a hidden treasure, the book had great promise. You won't miss anything skipping this one, but I recommend other Carr books.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews