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Dr. Gideon Fell #14
The Seat of the Scornful
Judge Horace Ireton didn't care about the letter of the law. He was interested in administering absolute, impartial justice as he saw it. To some, his methods of meting out justice made him seem hardly human, for they were coldly calculated - the same type of "cat and mouse" technique that he used in his chess games with Dr. Gideon Fell, the elephantine detective. The system, as he explained it, consisted in "letting your opponent think he's perfectly safe, winning hands down: and then catch him in a corner." But the system was not infallible. One day Judge Ireton was found with a pistol in his hand, beside the body of his daughter's fiancé, a man he had every reason to dislike, as many people knew; and he found that when one was on the inside looking out, the game had to be played differently.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1941
72 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
John Dickson Carr
423 books486 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 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 2, 2022
Cat and mouse…
When his daughter announces she is engaged, Mr Justice Ireton insists on meeting the young man. The first meeting doesn’t go well since the judge recognises Tony Morell as someone he has come across before, in the course of his job. The second meeting goes even worse. A phonecall to the local telephone exchange begging for help brings Police Constable Weems rushing to the judge’s holiday bungalow, where he finds Morell dead and Mr Justice Ireton sitting calmly in his chair, gun in hand…
The couple of Gideon Fell novels I’ve read previously have been “impossible crimes” and the emphasis has been on the puzzle rather than the people. This one is entirely different in tone, much more of a standard mystery, and as a result I liked it far more. It still has strong aspects of the howdunit to please the puzzlers out there, but there is also a group of characters with various motives for wanting rid of Morell. Gideon Fell himself seems less rude than in our previous meetings, and in fact has an almost Poirot-esque twinkle over the two young people we all soon hope to see become a romance. He is also rather clearer in how he works his way to the solution of the mystery, again relying more this time on the personalities and motives of the people involved, rather than sticking entirely to the technical aspects of how the crime was done.
Morell is a man with a reputation. A few years earlier he had become the centre of a scandal involving a rich young girl whom he had tried to blackmail into marriage. Now he says he wants to marry Connie, the judge’s daughter, and it’s not surprising the judge is not thrilled by that idea. But nor is Fred Barlow, the judge’s protegé, who fancies himself in love with Connie too. Or perhaps someone is exacting revenge for that earlier scandal, or maybe there are other secrets in Morell’s life that have made him a target. In a sense, this is the opposite of a “locked room” mystery – Morell’s body is found in a room to which many people could have had access, and who could have then disappeared into the night without being seen by any witnesses. So Inspector Graham and Dr Fell have to try work out the culprit from the physical evidence – who could have got access to the gun? Why is there a little pile of sand on the carpet? Why is the telephone broken? - and from what they learn about Morell’s background, through interviewing the various people who knew him or knew of him.
The book is also much stronger on characterisation than the other Fells I’ve read. The judge is a man who seems to enjoy the power his position gives him too much. His daughter, Connie, is dependent on him financially but chafes against his rather cold expectations of how she should behave. Fred Barlow is loyal to the judge for his past support, but is clear-eyed enough to recognise the strain of sadism the judge employs on the criminals who appear before him, and perhaps also on those closer to home. Inspector Graham is a solid, painstaking officer, not at all cowed by having to investigate a judge and his family and friends. Even PC Weems is well developed, as a young man just starting out in his career and sometimes feeling out of his depth but showing promise of developing into a good detective in time.
First published in 1941 the book is set before the war, and among the group of younger characters there is still a mild feeling of the decadence that Carr employed so well in his earlier Bencolin novels. While it doesn’t have a strong element of horror in the way some of his other books have, there is a lot of tension in the latter stages and some scenes that have a definite air of eerie peril. I enjoyed it hugely and raced through it. Although the number of suspects is fairly limited I still changed my mind several times along the way, and found the ending satisfying, when Fell reveals the solution of both who and how, and tells us how he reached it. Good stuff, and I’m glad to have finally grown to admire Dr Fell after a fairly rocky start with this series. I’m now looking forward to reading more with my enthusiasm for Carr’s work fully restored!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When his daughter announces she is engaged, Mr Justice Ireton insists on meeting the young man. The first meeting doesn’t go well since the judge recognises Tony Morell as someone he has come across before, in the course of his job. The second meeting goes even worse. A phonecall to the local telephone exchange begging for help brings Police Constable Weems rushing to the judge’s holiday bungalow, where he finds Morell dead and Mr Justice Ireton sitting calmly in his chair, gun in hand…
The couple of Gideon Fell novels I’ve read previously have been “impossible crimes” and the emphasis has been on the puzzle rather than the people. This one is entirely different in tone, much more of a standard mystery, and as a result I liked it far more. It still has strong aspects of the howdunit to please the puzzlers out there, but there is also a group of characters with various motives for wanting rid of Morell. Gideon Fell himself seems less rude than in our previous meetings, and in fact has an almost Poirot-esque twinkle over the two young people we all soon hope to see become a romance. He is also rather clearer in how he works his way to the solution of the mystery, again relying more this time on the personalities and motives of the people involved, rather than sticking entirely to the technical aspects of how the crime was done.
Morell is a man with a reputation. A few years earlier he had become the centre of a scandal involving a rich young girl whom he had tried to blackmail into marriage. Now he says he wants to marry Connie, the judge’s daughter, and it’s not surprising the judge is not thrilled by that idea. But nor is Fred Barlow, the judge’s protegé, who fancies himself in love with Connie too. Or perhaps someone is exacting revenge for that earlier scandal, or maybe there are other secrets in Morell’s life that have made him a target. In a sense, this is the opposite of a “locked room” mystery – Morell’s body is found in a room to which many people could have had access, and who could have then disappeared into the night without being seen by any witnesses. So Inspector Graham and Dr Fell have to try work out the culprit from the physical evidence – who could have got access to the gun? Why is there a little pile of sand on the carpet? Why is the telephone broken? - and from what they learn about Morell’s background, through interviewing the various people who knew him or knew of him.
The book is also much stronger on characterisation than the other Fells I’ve read. The judge is a man who seems to enjoy the power his position gives him too much. His daughter, Connie, is dependent on him financially but chafes against his rather cold expectations of how she should behave. Fred Barlow is loyal to the judge for his past support, but is clear-eyed enough to recognise the strain of sadism the judge employs on the criminals who appear before him, and perhaps also on those closer to home. Inspector Graham is a solid, painstaking officer, not at all cowed by having to investigate a judge and his family and friends. Even PC Weems is well developed, as a young man just starting out in his career and sometimes feeling out of his depth but showing promise of developing into a good detective in time.
First published in 1941 the book is set before the war, and among the group of younger characters there is still a mild feeling of the decadence that Carr employed so well in his earlier Bencolin novels. While it doesn’t have a strong element of horror in the way some of his other books have, there is a lot of tension in the latter stages and some scenes that have a definite air of eerie peril. I enjoyed it hugely and raced through it. Although the number of suspects is fairly limited I still changed my mind several times along the way, and found the ending satisfying, when Fell reveals the solution of both who and how, and tells us how he reached it. Good stuff, and I’m glad to have finally grown to admire Dr Fell after a fairly rocky start with this series. I’m now looking forward to reading more with my enthusiasm for Carr’s work fully restored!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
February 3, 2024
A great mystery by Carr. All the elements an armchair detective yearns for. My only criticism was that it went a twist too far at the end, pushing the reader's suspension of belief. Ripping detective puzzle all the same with all the trappings; plenty of clues and details to ponder. Intriguing characters and setting.
September 22, 2019
As we all know truth can occasionally be weirder than fiction. We all know that feeling when something really extraordinary has happened to us and afterwards we are trying to tell our experiences to some friends or acquaintances. People will accuse you of having made it all up or at least having embellished the truth a little bit. Even though such things happen to everyone now and then.
But what if it comes to writing fiction? There have been cases of people surviving a fall from a tall building with only minor injuries. However if you wrote a fictional story and had your protagonist survive a fall from such a tall building, readers would accuse you of writing fantasy tales or superhero stories. This is especially true when we are dealing with puzzle oriented mystery novels. Readers of these type of novels appreciate the author playing fair with them. They like the solution to their mysteries to be imaginative but also somewhat believable.
Now if I told you the solution to The Seat Of The Scornful, you would most likely roll your eyes. Perhaps you would even chuckle and exclaim: Oh dear, this is the silliest thing I’ve heard in a long time! It is really a bit daft, it could almost pass as a parody of a golden age mystery. I’m not saying it couldn’t have happened this way, but it just felt unbelievable and therefore I didn’t buy it. It felt like a cheat.
Mr. Carr has been guilty of indulging in this sort of ludicrous plotting in other works, (The Crooked Hinge comes to mind.) and these are generally my least favourite of his books.
But what if it comes to writing fiction? There have been cases of people surviving a fall from a tall building with only minor injuries. However if you wrote a fictional story and had your protagonist survive a fall from such a tall building, readers would accuse you of writing fantasy tales or superhero stories. This is especially true when we are dealing with puzzle oriented mystery novels. Readers of these type of novels appreciate the author playing fair with them. They like the solution to their mysteries to be imaginative but also somewhat believable.
Now if I told you the solution to The Seat Of The Scornful, you would most likely roll your eyes. Perhaps you would even chuckle and exclaim: Oh dear, this is the silliest thing I’ve heard in a long time! It is really a bit daft, it could almost pass as a parody of a golden age mystery. I’m not saying it couldn’t have happened this way, but it just felt unbelievable and therefore I didn’t buy it. It felt like a cheat.
Mr. Carr has been guilty of indulging in this sort of ludicrous plotting in other works, (The Crooked Hinge comes to mind.) and these are generally my least favourite of his books.
May 10, 2023
Judge Horace Ireton likes to think that he's infallible. That he knows an innocent man when he sees one and that evidence can't lie, no matter how circumstantial. Many accused have stood before him and all have, he importantly thinks, received the justice due them. Not only that, he delights in using the law to play cat and mouse with those who come before him. He loves to let them think they're "perfectly safe, winning hands down: and then catching [them] in the the corner."
But when his daughter presents him with an undesirable fiance who later winds up dead in his study and the Judge is found sitting and staring at the body while holding the pistol which killed Anthony Morrell, all the evidence points to him. By his own standards, he must be guilty. Yet he says he didn't do it and expects to be believed. But it's obvious his daughter thinks he did--though she bravely stands by him and tells a story she thinks will help him.
Dr. Gideon Fell arrives on the scene at the behest of a young woman who is in love with Judge Ireton's protege, Frederick Barlow. He notes various oddities about the scene of the crime--from the red sand under the body to the broken, powder-burned phone receiver to subject of chewing gum. And then there are certain discrepancies in the witnesses' stories. But...it will be infernally difficult to prove definitely who did what on that fatal night. So Fell decides to play a little cat and mouse game of his own.
I am a bit torn over this one. On the one hand it is such a beautifully done, simple little mystery. There is no need of showy extras or weird atmosphere and Carr doesn't even employ his trademark impossible crime. It's perfectly obvious how the man was killed and it's simple a matter of bringing the crime home to the proper culprit. The investigation is carried out very nicely and the characters fit into the picture snugly. It's a delight to read.
But...you knew there was a but coming...I cannot go along with the ending. Were it not for my disappointment with the denouement, this would have been a five-star read. As it is--★★★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
But when his daughter presents him with an undesirable fiance who later winds up dead in his study and the Judge is found sitting and staring at the body while holding the pistol which killed Anthony Morrell, all the evidence points to him. By his own standards, he must be guilty. Yet he says he didn't do it and expects to be believed. But it's obvious his daughter thinks he did--though she bravely stands by him and tells a story she thinks will help him.
Dr. Gideon Fell arrives on the scene at the behest of a young woman who is in love with Judge Ireton's protege, Frederick Barlow. He notes various oddities about the scene of the crime--from the red sand under the body to the broken, powder-burned phone receiver to subject of chewing gum. And then there are certain discrepancies in the witnesses' stories. But...it will be infernally difficult to prove definitely who did what on that fatal night. So Fell decides to play a little cat and mouse game of his own.
I am a bit torn over this one. On the one hand it is such a beautifully done, simple little mystery. There is no need of showy extras or weird atmosphere and Carr doesn't even employ his trademark impossible crime. It's perfectly obvious how the man was killed and it's simple a matter of bringing the crime home to the proper culprit. The investigation is carried out very nicely and the characters fit into the picture snugly. It's a delight to read.
But...you knew there was a but coming...I cannot go along with the ending. Were it not for my disappointment with the denouement, this would have been a five-star read. As it is--★★★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
August 11, 2022
Again I found myself not liking a book by a classic crime writer. I find John Dickson Carr’s storytelling a bit heavy handed and a little bit cringe worthy. I also do not like the attitude towards foreigners (yes it was the attitude of the time it was written but I am sorry to say that is no excuse) I felt no sympathy for any of the characters and found them all incredibly unlikeable so could not entirely care what happened.
February 23, 2020
What a bizarre, clever little case. Taking a star off for vague dissatisfaction - it's not as good as the last Gideon Fell I read, but it's tough to put my finger on why. That said, it has this gem of a quote (slightly altered to provide context):
"You are going to tell me now what Napoleon said," the detective said upon being woken up before noon. "Six hours for the man. Seven for the women. Eight for the fool. Blast Napoleon. I must have SLEEP."
"You are going to tell me now what Napoleon said," the detective said upon being woken up before noon. "Six hours for the man. Seven for the women. Eight for the fool. Blast Napoleon. I must have SLEEP."
February 20, 2021
Fantastic. A judge's daughter is engaged to a rather dislikeable nightclub owner, with a dubious past. The nightclub owner is then found shot. Who did it? Twists, turns and swimming parties all feature in this Dr Gideon Fell installment from 1941.
June 9, 2021
C+:
This felt much too overworked. As the title suggests, it's very twisty (fine, to a point) but some of the characters are annoying and their actions lack plausibility at many stages. A promising opening, but the wheels began to fall off round about page 100.
This felt much too overworked. As the title suggests, it's very twisty (fine, to a point) but some of the characters are annoying and their actions lack plausibility at many stages. A promising opening, but the wheels began to fall off round about page 100.
December 8, 2022
(3.5 Stars)
I’ve had slightly mixed experiences with Carr’s mysteries in the past, but this is a good one!
First published in Britain in 1942, The Seat of the Scornful combines an intriguing mystery with some different interpretations of what constitutes justice. Central to the story is the formidable judge, Justice Horace Ireton, a man who enjoys playing ‘cat-and-mouse’ with the accused, sometimes allowing a convicted criminal to stew in their own juice before approving a stay of execution. As his colleague Fred Barlow observes:
“…He [Justice Ireton] doesn’t care twopence about the law. What he is interested in is administering absolute, impartial justice as he sees it.” (p. 23)
The judge would like his daughter, twenty-one-year-old Constance, to marry Barlow, an affable barrister with good career prospects. Constance, however, has other ideas. Much to her father’s displeasure, Constance has fallen for Tony Morell, a charismatic entrepreneur with a rather shady past.
He [Morell] was one of those self-consciously virile types which are associated with the Southern European; the sort of man who, as Jane Tennant once put it, always makes a woman feel that he is breathing down the back of her neck. (pp. 19-20)
When the couple announce their intention to marry, Judge Ireton offers Morrell a sizeable amount of money to disappear without a word to Constance about their agreement. At first, Morell appears to accept the offer. But after returning to the judge’s bungalow the following evening to collect his payment, Morrell is found dead in highly suspicious circumstances, a scenario that clearly implicates Justice Ireton as the murderer.
Before long, Dr Gideon Fell, who happens to play chess with Ireton, is called in to assist the police with their investigations – and what appears to be a relatively simple case soon throws up some very interesting complications. As it turns out, several people connected to the judge were in the area at the time of the murder. In fact, the room where Morell’s body was found was easily accessible through some open French windows – the very opposite of a ‘locked room’!
As the mystery unfolds and we learn more about the other potential suspects, the judge’s views on justice and the law become increasingly relevant. Can motivations or extenuating circumstances ever justify such a serious crime? And is circumstantial evidence ever sufficient to establish guilt? These questions and more are explored through Carr’s cleverly constructed mystery.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
I’ve had slightly mixed experiences with Carr’s mysteries in the past, but this is a good one!
First published in Britain in 1942, The Seat of the Scornful combines an intriguing mystery with some different interpretations of what constitutes justice. Central to the story is the formidable judge, Justice Horace Ireton, a man who enjoys playing ‘cat-and-mouse’ with the accused, sometimes allowing a convicted criminal to stew in their own juice before approving a stay of execution. As his colleague Fred Barlow observes:
“…He [Justice Ireton] doesn’t care twopence about the law. What he is interested in is administering absolute, impartial justice as he sees it.” (p. 23)
The judge would like his daughter, twenty-one-year-old Constance, to marry Barlow, an affable barrister with good career prospects. Constance, however, has other ideas. Much to her father’s displeasure, Constance has fallen for Tony Morell, a charismatic entrepreneur with a rather shady past.
He [Morell] was one of those self-consciously virile types which are associated with the Southern European; the sort of man who, as Jane Tennant once put it, always makes a woman feel that he is breathing down the back of her neck. (pp. 19-20)
When the couple announce their intention to marry, Judge Ireton offers Morrell a sizeable amount of money to disappear without a word to Constance about their agreement. At first, Morell appears to accept the offer. But after returning to the judge’s bungalow the following evening to collect his payment, Morrell is found dead in highly suspicious circumstances, a scenario that clearly implicates Justice Ireton as the murderer.
Before long, Dr Gideon Fell, who happens to play chess with Ireton, is called in to assist the police with their investigations – and what appears to be a relatively simple case soon throws up some very interesting complications. As it turns out, several people connected to the judge were in the area at the time of the murder. In fact, the room where Morell’s body was found was easily accessible through some open French windows – the very opposite of a ‘locked room’!
As the mystery unfolds and we learn more about the other potential suspects, the judge’s views on justice and the law become increasingly relevant. Can motivations or extenuating circumstances ever justify such a serious crime? And is circumstantial evidence ever sufficient to establish guilt? These questions and more are explored through Carr’s cleverly constructed mystery.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
July 20, 2024
The Seat of the Scornful is the title for the UK edition of this book and is rather apt as it provides a glimpse into the central character in this book, Justice Ireton and by the end of the book I felt even on the eponymous Dr Gideon Fell. However, strange as it may seem, as this is undoubtedly a Dr Fell featuring book, he appears only after half the book is over and then barely engages in any conversation with the characters in the rest of the book. This makes it so weird that one reviewer called it "might as well have been a random, one-off chap solving it".
And when I reached the end, hoping for a meaty conclusion, I was rather put off by the hypocritical stance of Dr Fell himself. For those who don't sit in the seat of the scornful don't mock/criticise the weak but sure do favour their friends who sit in high & mighty places, ignoring those very unfortunate.
A disappointing conclusion and weak characterisation plague this one, but Carr's locked room elements remain strong!
My Rating - 2/5
And when I reached the end, hoping for a meaty conclusion, I was rather put off by the hypocritical stance of Dr Fell himself. For those who don't sit in the seat of the scornful don't mock/criticise the weak but sure do favour their friends who sit in high & mighty places, ignoring those very unfortunate.
A disappointing conclusion and weak characterisation plague this one, but Carr's locked room elements remain strong!
My Rating - 2/5
August 6, 2023
Mr. Justice Ireton is found with a gun in his hand, and his daughter's fiance dead on the floor in front of him. Knowing of his reputation for probity, the police don't want to arrest him. And Dr. Gideon Fell doesn't want to accuse him of murder--it's such a stupid crime for such a clever man to commit. But if Ireton did not commit the crime, how did it happen? This is a tricky one from the always tricky Carr, and I can't say that the solution is very convincing, but when you find a Carr that you haven't read before, there have to be compromises. The American edition was called "Death Turns the Tables."
June 17, 2025
This one caught you right away in the first chapter and held you to the end! I was kept guessing as to whodunit all the way to the reveal. The very end scene was a bit disappointing, but not really enough for me to not recommend the book.
July 18, 2025
This was a good one! Easy and quick to read, and I loved the court aspect, especially having just done jury duty. It was fun to think about what the jury would think at any given point in the novel, and to see how carefully characters answered or didn’t answer questions because of their court room experience. I was disappointed in the very very end, though.
April 27, 2025
Sono tanti i reati citati con gioiosa leggerezza (tipo far sparire le prove di un tentato omicidio per vincere una causa) che l’omicidio al centro della trama mi ha fatto appena di contorno.
November 16, 2024
[ 3.95 ]
A complex yet simple mystery that reminds me of Hercule Poirot's first book. It was a very entertaining read and I'm looking forward to reading more of Carr's works!
A complex yet simple mystery that reminds me of Hercule Poirot's first book. It was a very entertaining read and I'm looking forward to reading more of Carr's works!
December 26, 2024
unbelievable and medically impossible 😞
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2025
Very interesting plotting. I'm not always sure I'm going to like Gideon Fell mysteries when I start them, but I am amazed at his abilities to uncover the most intricate puzzles.
October 25, 2021
Holy cow, this is unlike anything else I've read by Carr. The simple plot of a judge whose courtroom tendencies are morally questionable, found holding a gun in his living room with the dead (shot) body of his daughter's unlikable fiancé, evokes the kind of plots Anthony Berkeley was known for if anything, where the suspect list was very short (in this case, seemingly only one person and the possibility of... something else;) if also reminds one of Agatha Christie's The Hollow, published only a couple of years after this one. It seems like a Columbo-esque question of: did X (in this case Mr. Justice Ireton) commit this murder, or not? If so, how? A problem in deductive logic more than a fast-on-its-toes guessing game with a twist solution.
But Carr milks everything he can out of it to great success. The mystery itself is baffling, with clues that just don't make sense, really no alternative theories to jump to, but still revelations abound which will make you gasp. It has been a very long time since a twist about how the murder was committed (in a non-impossible-crime situation) has surprised me as much as the who. The characters in this one really come alive, too. Besides the Mephistophelean Justice, whose presence is passive but burningly noticeable, there's his daughter Constance, his protegee/son-in-law hopeful Fred Barlow, Barlow's admirer Jane Tennant, and the curious lawyer of the victim Tony Morell, Mr. Appleby. They all stand out as some of Carr's most well-written characters, especially Barlow. The thematics concerning justice and hubris running throughout this book are done really well.
And the solution... man, it's twist and turny, and one of those ones where some information is a bit too esoteric to figure out, but it is such a fun ride. Seeing how everything you think you know about the murder is wrong was such a great experience. I won't say much more because it is really a unique and ingenious solution. The final pages, though, are classic Carr. A dark atmosphere, a haunting and lingering feeling of uncertainty, and in this case, a surprising literary and incredibly powerful final line. Like, this ending might be better than that of He Who Whispers. I can't believe this is such an underrated Carr. It may be one of his most unconventional, but it is one of his best executed. I will be thinking about it for a long time.
But Carr milks everything he can out of it to great success. The mystery itself is baffling, with clues that just don't make sense, really no alternative theories to jump to, but still revelations abound which will make you gasp. It has been a very long time since a twist about how the murder was committed (in a non-impossible-crime situation) has surprised me as much as the who. The characters in this one really come alive, too. Besides the Mephistophelean Justice, whose presence is passive but burningly noticeable, there's his daughter Constance, his protegee/son-in-law hopeful Fred Barlow, Barlow's admirer Jane Tennant, and the curious lawyer of the victim Tony Morell, Mr. Appleby. They all stand out as some of Carr's most well-written characters, especially Barlow. The thematics concerning justice and hubris running throughout this book are done really well.
And the solution... man, it's twist and turny, and one of those ones where some information is a bit too esoteric to figure out, but it is such a fun ride. Seeing how everything you think you know about the murder is wrong was such a great experience. I won't say much more because it is really a unique and ingenious solution. The final pages, though, are classic Carr. A dark atmosphere, a haunting and lingering feeling of uncertainty, and in this case, a surprising literary and incredibly powerful final line. Like, this ending might be better than that of He Who Whispers. I can't believe this is such an underrated Carr. It may be one of his most unconventional, but it is one of his best executed. I will be thinking about it for a long time.
June 18, 2022
Carr's original title, not used for the US edition, is taken from Psalm 1 in the KJV of the Bible, scornful here meaning disdainful or contemptuous. The psalm aptly sets out two directions which may be followed in life, one leading to happiness the other to misery.
In the book different views of justice are examined. As the barrister Fred Barlow says of Mr Justice Ireton, the man who sits in the titular seat:-
'... “He doesn’t care twopence about the law. What he is interested in is administering absolute, impartial justice as he sees it.”'
Barlow's view differs:-
'“... I hate the smugness of the just. I hate their untroubled eyes. I hate their dictum, which is: ‘This man’s motives do not count. He stole because he was hungry or killed because he was driven past the breaking point, and therefore he shall be convicted.’ I want a fair fight to win my case and say: ‘This man’s motives do count. He stole because he was hungry or killed because he was driven past the breaking point; and therefore, by God, he shall go free.’” '
A man to whom Ireton's daughter is engaged is found murdered in Ireton's living room, with the judge sitting in a chair holding the murder weapon. Dr Fell becomes involved in the investigation and works out the identity of the murderer. The conclusion of the book springs a surprise and some readers may find it unsatisfactory, amoral, and unjust.
The plot is clever-this may be the "perfect murder"-but the book has been somewhat neglected perhaps as it is not of the type most associated with JDC, being a limited attempt at a novel of character.
I very much enjoyed many aspects of it. Fell is much less impossible and jocular than elsewhere, as befits his role as Nemesis. There are nods to other detective novelists of the period in some of the plotting, although the somewhat preposterous solution is all Carr.
The surname Ireton is presumably taken from Henry Ireton, the Parliamentary Commissioner and signatory to the death warrant of Charles I, and MP for Appleby.
Well-written, thought-provoking and recommendable.
In the book different views of justice are examined. As the barrister Fred Barlow says of Mr Justice Ireton, the man who sits in the titular seat:-
'... “He doesn’t care twopence about the law. What he is interested in is administering absolute, impartial justice as he sees it.”'
Barlow's view differs:-
'“... I hate the smugness of the just. I hate their untroubled eyes. I hate their dictum, which is: ‘This man’s motives do not count. He stole because he was hungry or killed because he was driven past the breaking point, and therefore he shall be convicted.’ I want a fair fight to win my case and say: ‘This man’s motives do count. He stole because he was hungry or killed because he was driven past the breaking point; and therefore, by God, he shall go free.’” '
A man to whom Ireton's daughter is engaged is found murdered in Ireton's living room, with the judge sitting in a chair holding the murder weapon. Dr Fell becomes involved in the investigation and works out the identity of the murderer. The conclusion of the book springs a surprise and some readers may find it unsatisfactory, amoral, and unjust.
The plot is clever-this may be the "perfect murder"-but the book has been somewhat neglected perhaps as it is not of the type most associated with JDC, being a limited attempt at a novel of character.
I very much enjoyed many aspects of it. Fell is much less impossible and jocular than elsewhere, as befits his role as Nemesis. There are nods to other detective novelists of the period in some of the plotting, although the somewhat preposterous solution is all Carr.
The surname Ireton is presumably taken from Henry Ireton, the Parliamentary Commissioner and signatory to the death warrant of Charles I, and MP for Appleby.
Well-written, thought-provoking and recommendable.
June 15, 2023
I am usually not a fan of Dr. Gideon Fell, but he was actually tolerable in this story, quite different from John Dickson Carr's usual complex locked room mysteries.
This story is a study of characters, featuring a judge who believes in his own interpretation of justice, who enjoys playing cat-and-mouse with those that come before him, who has a strong aversion to crime. When he is found with a gun in his hand and a dead body on the floor in front of him, the tables have turned and now he is being accused of a crime he claims he didn't commit. The dead body is his daughter's fiancée, a good-for-nothing minor criminal who was accused before of hustling a rich girl for her wealth, whom the judge admits he did not like.
Throw in a suitable suitor who the daughter doesn't love but is the judge's protégée, a female friend of the daughter who (of course) is in love with the protégée, mysterious telephone calls, a missing town drunk, and a gun that legally no one can say exists, and you have a 1940's golden age mystery. Luckily Dr. Gideon Fell happens to be on the scene to ask the offbeat questions and get to the bottom of the mystery, although the ending does have many readers quite upset. One of Mr. Carr's more enjoyable books.
This story is a study of characters, featuring a judge who believes in his own interpretation of justice, who enjoys playing cat-and-mouse with those that come before him, who has a strong aversion to crime. When he is found with a gun in his hand and a dead body on the floor in front of him, the tables have turned and now he is being accused of a crime he claims he didn't commit. The dead body is his daughter's fiancée, a good-for-nothing minor criminal who was accused before of hustling a rich girl for her wealth, whom the judge admits he did not like.
Throw in a suitable suitor who the daughter doesn't love but is the judge's protégée, a female friend of the daughter who (of course) is in love with the protégée, mysterious telephone calls, a missing town drunk, and a gun that legally no one can say exists, and you have a 1940's golden age mystery. Luckily Dr. Gideon Fell happens to be on the scene to ask the offbeat questions and get to the bottom of the mystery, although the ending does have many readers quite upset. One of Mr. Carr's more enjoyable books.
August 30, 2023
An unsatisfying read to me with very stodgy dialogue, awkward plot, and unsatisfying resolution. Referred to as a Devon mystery although the area doesn't figure much into the story. This was my first Dickson Carr novel so I don't know if the style is typical or not. Dr. Gideon Fell is Carr's most noted detective but did not present as a notable character in the story.
Want to read
March 30, 2015This copy without dust jacket, as issued.
August 24, 2022
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
November 6, 2022
Was enjoying this book, until the last chapter although couldn't find any of the characters sympathetic or likeable . The ending was very disappointing
July 30, 2021
Этот роман был впервые опубликован в США в 1941 году под названием «Death Turns the Tables». В 1942 году роман был опубликован в Англии, но с измененным названием — теперь он откликался на имя «The Seat of the Scornful». В России роман впервые был опубликован в начале 90-х в издательстве «Фидес» — под названием «Преступление в дюнах». Второй перевод романа был сделан издательством «Центрополиграф» лет через 10 — роман получил название «Игра в кошки-мышки». Надо ли говорить, что ни один из русских переводов названия и близко не стоял ни с одним из англоязычных названий?
Сюжет. Хорас Айртон известен как один из самых суровых судей в Англии. Он обожает играть с преступниками в кошки-мышки, не просто назначая им наказания, но и давя на них психологически. Дочь судьи, Конни, знакомит отца со своим женихом Тони. Судья договаривается с Тони о том, что заплатит ему 3 тысячи фунтов за то, чтобы тот отстал от его дочери. На следующий день в дом судьи вызывают полицию. В гостиной дома лежит застреленный Тони, а рядом с ним в кресле сидит судья Айртон с револьвером в руке. Казалось бы, всё ясно, но…
Это не обычная для Карра «загадка запертой комнаты». Всё строго наоборот, в этом романе убийство происходит в «открытом мире». Настолько открытом, что Карр построил на этом загадку странного убийства. Чуть подробнее об этом можно только через великие спойлеры. Скажем так, убийство в романе получилось замысловатым не из-за хитрого плана убийцы, а благодаря нагромождению случайностей. Которые Карр очень доходчиво объясняет читателю в конце.
Фелл в романе появляется уж очень фрагментарно. Повествование крутится вокруг других персонажей, а Фелл появляется в ключевые моменты, чтобы услышать ответы на ключевые вопросы. В принципе, стандартный Карр — 5-6 подозреваемых, одна влюбленная пара, немного юмора (сцена в бассейне хороша).
И всё было бы ничего, но есть одно «но». Фелл в конце определяет убийцу и отпускает его. Какое-то время это было общим местом у Карра. Вспомним два предыдущих романа о Фелле. «Человек без страха» 1940 года — Фелл спасает убийцу от тюрьмы, потому что у него были смягчающие обстоятельства. «Дело о постоянных самоубийствах» 1941 года — Фелл отпускает убийцу, потому что его поимка противоречила интересам клиента Фелла. В общем, наплевательство на интересы правосудия было в тех романах хоть как-то объяснено.
В «Игре в кошки-мышки» Фелл совсем уж безо всякой логики не выдает полиции преступника и рвет написанное им признание. Почему? Да так, просто. Настроение у Фелла было лирическое. В целом, из-за такой смазанной концовки весь роман производит странное впечатление. Читаешь — интересно — заканчивается ничем. Нехорошо как-то для «классического детектива».
6/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/carr-death-turns-th...
Сюжет. Хорас Айртон известен как один из самых суровых судей в Англии. Он обожает играть с преступниками в кошки-мышки, не просто назначая им наказания, но и давя на них психологически. Дочь судьи, Конни, знакомит отца со своим женихом Тони. Судья договаривается с Тони о том, что заплатит ему 3 тысячи фунтов за то, чтобы тот отстал от его дочери. На следующий день в дом судьи вызывают полицию. В гостиной дома лежит застреленный Тони, а рядом с ним в кресле сидит судья Айртон с револьвером в руке. Казалось бы, всё ясно, но…
Это не обычная для Карра «загадка запертой комнаты». Всё строго наоборот, в этом романе убийство происходит в «открытом мире». Настолько открытом, что Карр построил на этом загадку странного убийства. Чуть подробнее об этом можно только через великие спойлеры. Скажем так, убийство в романе получилось замысловатым не из-за хитрого плана убийцы, а благодаря нагромождению случайностей. Которые Карр очень доходчиво объясняет читателю в конце.
Фелл в романе появляется уж очень фрагментарно. Повествование крутится вокруг других персонажей, а Фелл появляется в ключевые моменты, чтобы услышать ответы на ключевые вопросы. В принципе, стандартный Карр — 5-6 подозреваемых, одна влюбленная пара, немного юмора (сцена в бассейне хороша).
И всё было бы ничего, но есть одно «но». Фелл в конце определяет убийцу и отпускает его. Какое-то время это было общим местом у Карра. Вспомним два предыдущих романа о Фелле. «Человек без страха» 1940 года — Фелл спасает убийцу от тюрьмы, потому что у него были смягчающие обстоятельства. «Дело о постоянных самоубийствах» 1941 года — Фелл отпускает убийцу, потому что его поимка противоречила интересам клиента Фелла. В общем, наплевательство на интересы правосудия было в тех романах хоть как-то объяснено.
В «Игре в кошки-мышки» Фелл совсем уж безо всякой логики не выдает полиции преступника и рвет написанное им признание. Почему? Да так, просто. Настроение у Фелла было лирическое. В целом, из-за такой смазанной концовки весь роман производит странное впечатление. Читаешь — интересно — заканчивается ничем. Нехорошо как-то для «классического детектива».
6/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/carr-death-turns-th...
May 19, 2020
(hodnocení se týká knihy Death-Watch a Death Turns the Tables alias The Seat of Scornfull)
Další vítězství v mém tažení dílem Johna Dicksona Carra. Ale i když se kniha, kterou jsem četl, jmenuje Třikrát prohnaný tlouštík Gideon Fell, mohu si počítat jen dva zářezy, protože třikrátka opět obsahuje knihu Kletba rodu Campbellů alias Případ ustavičných sebevražd, která česky vyšla minimálně třikrát. Netuším jestli proto, že je to jeho nejlepší věc (není) nebo proto, že je to nejzábavnější věc (je).
Zatím z toho, co jsem znovu četl, pořád považuju, z hlediska elegance triku, za nejlepší Císařovu tabatěrku. A nic z těchto dvou případů můj názor nezměnilo.
Kniha obsahuje jako první čtrnáctý případ, poté třináctý, aby to celé završila pátým. Vážně by mě zajímalo, podle jakého klíče se tohle skládalo.
První detektivka, Prapodivný případ, nenabízí případ zamčeného pokoje a tajuplné vraždy, ale až příliš fádní a jasné vraždy. Vyděrač je mrtvý a soudce u něj sedí s pistolí v ruce. Čili všechno je jasné. Jenže pak se to samozřejmě začne komplikovat a ukáže se, že řešení je mnohem komplikovanější. Je tu pár zajímavých nápadů… když tedy přijmete, že všichni plánují za dva rohy a každý z fleku vytasí plán na dokonalou vraždu. Ale na tomhle tyhle romány stojí. Kouzelnické výstupy vás můžou bavit i v tom případě, že v běžném životě nepůlíte ženy zavřené v bednách. Aspoň ne moc často.
Zajímavé tu taky je to, že Carr případy vážně bere jako hlavolam či křížovku a zločiny nemají emoční dosahy… a jak detektiv, tak z neznámého důvodu i policie, nijak netrvají na potrestání vraha. Je to prostě sport, my vyhráli, vy jste prohrál, můžeme se rozejít do šaten.
Svědkem je měsíc je poslední příběh v knize a jedna z prvních knih s Fellem v hlavní roli. Na jednu stranu je to taková ta detektivka, která má spoustu postav a spoustu alibi a řeší se, kde kdo byl a co dělal… plus jsou tu dokonce i nějaký tajné chodby! Na druhou stranu nabízí vraždu pomocí hodinových ručiček, zajímavé maskování zločinu a sympatické typicky anglické postřehy… včetně obhajoby španělské inkvizice.
Na Carrovi je vidět – a možná proto je mi blízký – že je to hodně technický chlápek a že přemýšlí o tom, jak bude román vnímat čtenář. Jasně, možná člověk, v souladu s celkovou naivitou textu, snižuje svoje měřítka, ale přesto mi přijde, že dokáže správně odlákat pozornost a zavést čtenáře tam, kam potřebuje. Což po severských kriminálkách, kde je vám obvykle pachatel jasný od strany pět, člověk vážně ocení.
Další vítězství v mém tažení dílem Johna Dicksona Carra. Ale i když se kniha, kterou jsem četl, jmenuje Třikrát prohnaný tlouštík Gideon Fell, mohu si počítat jen dva zářezy, protože třikrátka opět obsahuje knihu Kletba rodu Campbellů alias Případ ustavičných sebevražd, která česky vyšla minimálně třikrát. Netuším jestli proto, že je to jeho nejlepší věc (není) nebo proto, že je to nejzábavnější věc (je).
Zatím z toho, co jsem znovu četl, pořád považuju, z hlediska elegance triku, za nejlepší Císařovu tabatěrku. A nic z těchto dvou případů můj názor nezměnilo.
Kniha obsahuje jako první čtrnáctý případ, poté třináctý, aby to celé završila pátým. Vážně by mě zajímalo, podle jakého klíče se tohle skládalo.
První detektivka, Prapodivný případ, nenabízí případ zamčeného pokoje a tajuplné vraždy, ale až příliš fádní a jasné vraždy. Vyděrač je mrtvý a soudce u něj sedí s pistolí v ruce. Čili všechno je jasné. Jenže pak se to samozřejmě začne komplikovat a ukáže se, že řešení je mnohem komplikovanější. Je tu pár zajímavých nápadů… když tedy přijmete, že všichni plánují za dva rohy a každý z fleku vytasí plán na dokonalou vraždu. Ale na tomhle tyhle romány stojí. Kouzelnické výstupy vás můžou bavit i v tom případě, že v běžném životě nepůlíte ženy zavřené v bednách. Aspoň ne moc často.
Zajímavé tu taky je to, že Carr případy vážně bere jako hlavolam či křížovku a zločiny nemají emoční dosahy… a jak detektiv, tak z neznámého důvodu i policie, nijak netrvají na potrestání vraha. Je to prostě sport, my vyhráli, vy jste prohrál, můžeme se rozejít do šaten.
Svědkem je měsíc je poslední příběh v knize a jedna z prvních knih s Fellem v hlavní roli. Na jednu stranu je to taková ta detektivka, která má spoustu postav a spoustu alibi a řeší se, kde kdo byl a co dělal… plus jsou tu dokonce i nějaký tajné chodby! Na druhou stranu nabízí vraždu pomocí hodinových ručiček, zajímavé maskování zločinu a sympatické typicky anglické postřehy… včetně obhajoby španělské inkvizice.
Na Carrovi je vidět – a možná proto je mi blízký – že je to hodně technický chlápek a že přemýšlí o tom, jak bude román vnímat čtenář. Jasně, možná člověk, v souladu s celkovou naivitou textu, snižuje svoje měřítka, ale přesto mi přijde, že dokáže správně odlákat pozornost a zavést čtenáře tam, kam potřebuje. Což po severských kriminálkách, kde je vám obvykle pachatel jasný od strany pět, člověk vážně ocení.
May 11, 2024
Spoiler Alert: The moose didn’t do it. Being by Carr, that’s always a possibility, but, no. Of course, I’m just being silly.
I have read John Dickson Carr mysteries that gave me a proper case of the fantods, ones leaving me haunted for days by the images provoked. Though equally entertaining, though less puzzling, this is not one of those. I’ve never been able to really figure out all the bits of a Carr mystery, though he never cheats like some writers. This book is replete with clues, and very few are red herrings. I almost figured this one out, had most the cogs in place. One difference from other Carrs is there is a fair amount of silliness involved, mostly revolving around romance, which dampens any hair-raising or chills.
The basic premise presents a coldly efficient judge found in the most incriminating of circumstances - sitting in an armchair, murder weapon in his hand, corpse at his feet, said corpse, his daughter’s fiancé, a man he finds most unsuitable. The cast is typical Golden Age stuff: stalwart young man; bubble-head blonde; stalwart young lady; slimy barrister, etc. And, the eccentric detective, Gideon Fell. Dr. Fell’s role feels almost like a cameo though in this outing.
Interesting Carr Facts: I knew that despite writing impeccable English Golden Age mysteries, he was not in fact English but a native of Pennsylvania. What I didn’t know was he is buried quite near in a Greenville, SC cemetery I have passed myriad times. Fact two, Gideon Fell in both his manner, wardrobe and girth is based on G. K. Chesterton, the author of The Father Brown mysteries and one of my favorite novels, The Man Who Was Thursday. I feel a bit idiotic I never having picked up on that before.
I have read John Dickson Carr mysteries that gave me a proper case of the fantods, ones leaving me haunted for days by the images provoked. Though equally entertaining, though less puzzling, this is not one of those. I’ve never been able to really figure out all the bits of a Carr mystery, though he never cheats like some writers. This book is replete with clues, and very few are red herrings. I almost figured this one out, had most the cogs in place. One difference from other Carrs is there is a fair amount of silliness involved, mostly revolving around romance, which dampens any hair-raising or chills.
The basic premise presents a coldly efficient judge found in the most incriminating of circumstances - sitting in an armchair, murder weapon in his hand, corpse at his feet, said corpse, his daughter’s fiancé, a man he finds most unsuitable. The cast is typical Golden Age stuff: stalwart young man; bubble-head blonde; stalwart young lady; slimy barrister, etc. And, the eccentric detective, Gideon Fell. Dr. Fell’s role feels almost like a cameo though in this outing.
Interesting Carr Facts: I knew that despite writing impeccable English Golden Age mysteries, he was not in fact English but a native of Pennsylvania. What I didn’t know was he is buried quite near in a Greenville, SC cemetery I have passed myriad times. Fact two, Gideon Fell in both his manner, wardrobe and girth is based on G. K. Chesterton, the author of The Father Brown mysteries and one of my favorite novels, The Man Who Was Thursday. I feel a bit idiotic I never having picked up on that before.
August 8, 2024
It's the early twentieth century, sometime between the two World Wars, when, in his bungalow on the west coast of England, Justice Horace Ireton is found holding a revolver over the dead body of Anthony Morell, a scoundrel who also happened to be the suitor of Ireton's somewhat flighty daughter Constance. While it would appear to be an open and shut case, there are many confounding factors and the predictable abundance of alternate suspects: Fred Barlow, a longtime friend of Constance and Ireton's preferred choice for his daughter; Constance herself; Jane Tennant, a neighbor enamored of Barlow; Appleby, Morell's attorney; Cynthia Lee, who once tried to shoot Morell under similar circumstances; and Black Jeff, an alcoholic hobo who lurks in the background. Tasked with solving the mystery are Inspector Graham, the traditional by the books policeman, and Dr. Gideon Fell, the 280 pound, wheezing, awkward, somewhat absent-minded but observant acquaintance and sometime chess partner of Ireton.
This is a clever inverted mystery, perhaps a bit contrived in places, with an ending that I did not find wholly satisfactory. All the characters, even minor ones like telephone operator Florence Swan, are quite interesting and more complex than they seem at first. There is one suspenseful scene at an indoor pool, when Tennant's life seems to be in danger. Fell is an admirable creation representative of the idiosyncratic detective school of fiction. A thread of ethnic prejudice runs through the fabric of the narrative and perhaps influences the outcome, but that is not altogether surprising given the time it was written.
This is a clever inverted mystery, perhaps a bit contrived in places, with an ending that I did not find wholly satisfactory. All the characters, even minor ones like telephone operator Florence Swan, are quite interesting and more complex than they seem at first. There is one suspenseful scene at an indoor pool, when Tennant's life seems to be in danger. Fell is an admirable creation representative of the idiosyncratic detective school of fiction. A thread of ethnic prejudice runs through the fabric of the narrative and perhaps influences the outcome, but that is not altogether surprising given the time it was written.
December 6, 2019
Read as The Seat of the Scornful, the earlier and far better title which doesn’t give the plot away like this one kind of does
For most of this book I wondered why on Earth this was a Dr Fell book rather than a Henry Merrivale one. It’s more HM in tone and never as gothic as the most famous Fell books. But I think there are two good reasons why this is a Fell novel. Firstly, HM is too much of a goof to really convince as a friend of the central judge (even Fell barely counts). Secondly, Fell allows Carr to sort of position his greatest influence in the book: as the dust settles after a breathtaking bit of puzzle setting, Carr gives us a second solution and boy howdy is it a thing
Here’s why I’ve put it as spoilers: the judge’s primary crime is a sort of self righteous hubris. It’s even there in the way he writes his confession. The book spells this out in the early and last sections: which is more important to a judge like this, justice or moral certainty. Fell basically becomes Chesterton and, to some degree, Father Brown as the two characters tussle with the book’s final conundrum: which is worse for a judge who prides himself on his innate sense of reason and moral righteousness - admitting he committed a murder and thusly facing death or dashing his reputation to the ground permanently. It’s a tough one and I admire Carr deeply for trying to address it. This is why he’s such a great writer when he’s at his best
For most of this book I wondered why on Earth this was a Dr Fell book rather than a Henry Merrivale one. It’s more HM in tone and never as gothic as the most famous Fell books. But I think there are two good reasons why this is a Fell novel. Firstly, HM is too much of a goof to really convince as a friend of the central judge (even Fell barely counts). Secondly, Fell allows Carr to sort of position his greatest influence in the book: as the dust settles after a breathtaking bit of puzzle setting, Carr gives us a second solution and boy howdy is it a thing
Here’s why I’ve put it as spoilers: the judge’s primary crime is a sort of self righteous hubris. It’s even there in the way he writes his confession. The book spells this out in the early and last sections: which is more important to a judge like this, justice or moral certainty. Fell basically becomes Chesterton and, to some degree, Father Brown as the two characters tussle with the book’s final conundrum: which is worse for a judge who prides himself on his innate sense of reason and moral righteousness - admitting he committed a murder and thusly facing death or dashing his reputation to the ground permanently. It’s a tough one and I admire Carr deeply for trying to address it. This is why he’s such a great writer when he’s at his best
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
This Gideon Fell mystery is a fun, compelling read. It was very hard to put down (metaphorically that is, as I read the kindle version on a PC). It's like a bag of your favorite chips! This is Carr at his most ingenious and his most implausible! You could easily read this short novel in one sitting. It took me just three lunch hours to finish. Recommended to fans of "impossible" crime stories. Just how possible this crime is depends on your concept of realism in fiction. Generally speaking, you need to check your critical nature at the door when you read Carr. The fun is figuring out the true nature of the puzzle, not analyzing its probability of happening. (Note: This novel is #14 in the Fell series and was originally published in the U.S. as Death Turns the Tables (1941). Although set in Devon, there is no indication that the war is going on. Perhaps Carr wrote it pre-war, or he intended it to take place pre-war. Only a comprehensive Carr bibliography can explain that.)
SPOILER ALERT: The double-twist ending will either annoy you or delight you depending on your taste in literary justice and your level of Carr fan-dom. I think it dilutes the moral of the story, so I dropped my rating by a half star.
SPOILER ALERT: The double-twist ending will either annoy you or delight you depending on your taste in literary justice and your level of Carr fan-dom. I think it dilutes the moral of the story, so I dropped my rating by a half star.
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