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Henri Bencolin #5
The Four False Weapons
Henri Bencolin, a French detective comes out of retirement to help solve the strange murder of a Parisian courtesan, who may have been killed with one of four weapons found on the scene.
217 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
73 people are currently reading
227 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 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 2, 2023
3.5; read earlier
full post here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2023/11/...
Written in the late 1930s, In terms of tone, The Four False Weapons is absolutely unlike the other Bencolin novels. Gone are the sort of grand guignol theatrics and the supernatural-ish/macabre elements Carr flirted with to give his books a different edge, and alas, gone too is Jeff Marle. I have to say that I missed all of these things while reading The Four False Weapons, just as I'll miss Bencolin now after having finished this book. He has retired by this time, living quietly in the countryside near to where this novel's mystery occurs, which is great for everyone involved except, of course, the killer.
I have to be honest here -- while it's another fun Bencolin entry, the story falls heavily on the convoluted side when it comes to the French detective actually solving the case, in my opinion making the book longer and the ending more complicated than it needed to be. There was one point where I'd thought the story was over, only to count the remaining pages and discover that it couldn't possibly end there. And I was so right -- Bencolin had more than a few tricks left up his sleeve, none the least of which was an antiquated card game at a private gaming house.
I think this was my least favorite of the five books, yet despite the unnecessary over-complicatedness of it all, the twists and turns in the plot kept me engaged throughout. More than anything, I was sad to see the end of the weirdness in the basic plots of the first four novels, but having said that, it's clear to me that those four Bencolin stories were the work of an author trying to find his footing; judging by what I've read by Carr outside of that series, The Four False Weapons is the closest in style to his later books.
So, it's adieu to that series, but not to Carr -- I have every book the man has written, which will likely keep me going for some time. As far as this novel, I'd recommend it in general to fans of this era of British mystery fiction, to hardcore Carr enthusiasts, and to those readers who must read and finish their mystery/crime series in order. It's been a good series run.
full post here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2023/11/...
Written in the late 1930s, In terms of tone, The Four False Weapons is absolutely unlike the other Bencolin novels. Gone are the sort of grand guignol theatrics and the supernatural-ish/macabre elements Carr flirted with to give his books a different edge, and alas, gone too is Jeff Marle. I have to say that I missed all of these things while reading The Four False Weapons, just as I'll miss Bencolin now after having finished this book. He has retired by this time, living quietly in the countryside near to where this novel's mystery occurs, which is great for everyone involved except, of course, the killer.
I have to be honest here -- while it's another fun Bencolin entry, the story falls heavily on the convoluted side when it comes to the French detective actually solving the case, in my opinion making the book longer and the ending more complicated than it needed to be. There was one point where I'd thought the story was over, only to count the remaining pages and discover that it couldn't possibly end there. And I was so right -- Bencolin had more than a few tricks left up his sleeve, none the least of which was an antiquated card game at a private gaming house.
I think this was my least favorite of the five books, yet despite the unnecessary over-complicatedness of it all, the twists and turns in the plot kept me engaged throughout. More than anything, I was sad to see the end of the weirdness in the basic plots of the first four novels, but having said that, it's clear to me that those four Bencolin stories were the work of an author trying to find his footing; judging by what I've read by Carr outside of that series, The Four False Weapons is the closest in style to his later books.
So, it's adieu to that series, but not to Carr -- I have every book the man has written, which will likely keep me going for some time. As far as this novel, I'd recommend it in general to fans of this era of British mystery fiction, to hardcore Carr enthusiasts, and to those readers who must read and finish their mystery/crime series in order. It's been a good series run.
May 13, 2023
Rose Klonec, a Parisian courtesan, is found dead in the deserted villa which belongs to her former lover, Ralph Douglas. Douglas has recently become engaged to Magda Toller, but all the evidence seems to point to Ralph--a letter directing her former maid to make things ready at the villa and the maid's vehement assertion that she knows he stayed with Rose at the villa on the night of the murder--and the French newspapers are eager to believe in a lovers' quarrel gone wrong. Ralph's English solicitor, Richard Curtis, is on hand--Ralph having noticed odd goings-on at the villa in the days leading up to the murder and seeking advice--and soon helps his client prove a solid alibi. But that doesn't go very far to proving who apparently wounded Rose Klonec grievously, let her bleed to death in the bathtub and then tucked her up in bed.
Never fear, Monsieur Henri Bencolin, retired French sleuth, is in the neighborhood and comes out of retirement to take on the case. He has a variety of clues to follow up: the four weapons left at the scene of crime (a stiletto, a revolver, a cut-throat razor, and a bottle of sleeping pills): the mysterious woman seen leaving the villa; the man in the brown coat who claimed to be Ralph; the fact that the maid can't see without her glasses--and those glasses were knocked to the ground and broken when "Ralph" came to the villa; and yet that same maid claims to be certain what time the clock said, and don't forget the questions surrounding the dead woman's jewelry. There aren't many suspects in the case who could have impersonated Ralph...and most of them have alibis almost as solid as his. But Bencolin declares that he knows who did it--he just can't believe it and he can't prove it well enough to take to court. All the fun is saved for the end when Bencolin gets the final evidence he needs through a high-stakes card game at the Corpses' Club gambling establishment.
Last of the Bencolin novels, this has been my favorite of the mysteries featuring the French detective so far. Lots of clues and red herrings and even Bencolin goes down a few blind alleys before arriving at the solution. Like our detective, I knew who did it (well, knew who I thought did it) early on, but I didn't see any way to prove it. At one point Carr tempted me with an almost perfectly disguised red herring, but not enough to make me give up my first suspect. I certainly didn't see the explanation of how X managed to pull it off coming at me. The scene at the gambling party is nicely done indeed and I appreciated the wrap-up, even if it did seem to take an awful long time.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
Never fear, Monsieur Henri Bencolin, retired French sleuth, is in the neighborhood and comes out of retirement to take on the case. He has a variety of clues to follow up: the four weapons left at the scene of crime (a stiletto, a revolver, a cut-throat razor, and a bottle of sleeping pills): the mysterious woman seen leaving the villa; the man in the brown coat who claimed to be Ralph; the fact that the maid can't see without her glasses--and those glasses were knocked to the ground and broken when "Ralph" came to the villa; and yet that same maid claims to be certain what time the clock said, and don't forget the questions surrounding the dead woman's jewelry. There aren't many suspects in the case who could have impersonated Ralph...and most of them have alibis almost as solid as his. But Bencolin declares that he knows who did it--he just can't believe it and he can't prove it well enough to take to court. All the fun is saved for the end when Bencolin gets the final evidence he needs through a high-stakes card game at the Corpses' Club gambling establishment.
Last of the Bencolin novels, this has been my favorite of the mysteries featuring the French detective so far. Lots of clues and red herrings and even Bencolin goes down a few blind alleys before arriving at the solution. Like our detective, I knew who did it (well, knew who I thought did it) early on, but I didn't see any way to prove it. At one point Carr tempted me with an almost perfectly disguised red herring, but not enough to make me give up my first suspect. I certainly didn't see the explanation of how X managed to pull it off coming at me. The scene at the gambling party is nicely done indeed and I appreciated the wrap-up, even if it did seem to take an awful long time.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
September 10, 2019
2 1/2 stars. A complicated mystery that will keep you guessing. I liked the beginning with the introduction of the lawyer who is bored and dreams of secret missions, etc. only to find himself sent on one. The middle dragged at times but was enjoyable over all. The ending was exciting at the gambling parlour but the explanation was too drawn out and wordy. So a bit of a mixed bag and I'm n not sure how I feel about the detective.
January 26, 2022
This is a classic mystery with lots of red herrings, false leads, mysterious characters, and a very interesting plot.
July 24, 2019
I enjoyed this book up until the end, where the explanation of what happened became complicated and went on for pages. Not a great ending. I haven't read any other Henri Bencolin mysteries, so I'm not sure if this is normal. I didn't care for the last bit, but I did enjoy the rest of the book.
July 30, 2021
Молодой адвокат Ричард Кёртис едет из Лондона в Париж, чтобы уладить дела клиента, Ральфа Дугласа. Неприятности Дугласа заключаются в том, что он собирается жениться, не разрешив до конца все вопросы со своей бывшей любовницей Розой. Кёртис и Дуглас едут на виллу, которую плейбой когда-то купил для Розы и находят ее там мертвой. Вокруг трупа лежат 4 возможных орудия убийства — револьвер, кинжал, бритва и яд. На соседней с Розой вилле живет Анри Бенколен, вышедший в отставку известный сыщик. Именно Бенколену предстоит разрешить загадку «четырех орудий убийства».
С серии об Анри Бенколене Карр когда-то начинал карьеру. Выпустив 4 романа о французском следователе в начале 30-х, Карр забросил его и сосредоточился на новых персонажах — Гидеоне Фелле и Генри Мерривейле. Прошло 5 лет. О каждом из новых сыщиков Карр написал романов по 5-6. Затем вспомнил о Бенколене и в 1937 году написал пятый и последний роман о нем, «Четыре орудия убийства».
Зачем извлекать из чулана заброшенного персонажа? Не знаю. В интернетах информации не нашел. Может в каких-нибудь биографиях Карра об этом и написано, но до них я не добрался. Может быть потому, что расследование происходит в Париже. А в Париже оно происходит потому, что виллы с куртизанками там выглядели уместнее, чем в Лондоне. И так далее. С Бенколеном же в этом романе проблема в том, что он отзывается на имя Анри, но ведет себя, как Гидеон Фелл. Недостает в романе того безумия, что сопровождало Бенколена в ранних романах. И недостает его обычного летописца Джеффа Марла, от имени которого писались ранние романы. В «Четырех орудиях» действие описывается через романтичного адвоката Кёртиса.
Что до загадки убийства, то тут Карр развернулся по полной. Такого «сложного» преступления в его романах я так сходу и не припомню. Куча людей с липовыми алиби и разными преступлениями сплетаются в одну историю. Зачем убийце было убивать убийцу убийцы — как говаривала Писательница Земли Русской. Но Карр достойно смог расплести все свои задумки. Правда, чтобы пазл в романе сошелся, надо брать блокнот и расписывать временную линию для всех участников повествования.
Из-за того, что в романе очень много времени уделено объяснениям кто, когда и как, то на остальное времени практически не оставалось. Романтическую линию Карр порезал сверх необходимого уровня — встретились полтора раза, на месте убийства и в полиции, и вот уже любовь на всю жизнь.
В целом, Карр в этом романе дошел до квинтэссенции классического детектива. Где преступление получилось столь сложным, что большую часть романа его надо разъяснять читателям. Это уже даже не «компот» — это «сироп» детективного жанра. Поэтому читать для развлечения «Четыре орудия» может быть утомительно. Это всё больше для любителей хардкора.
7/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/carr-four-false-wea...
С серии об Анри Бенколене Карр когда-то начинал карьеру. Выпустив 4 романа о французском следователе в начале 30-х, Карр забросил его и сосредоточился на новых персонажах — Гидеоне Фелле и Генри Мерривейле. Прошло 5 лет. О каждом из новых сыщиков Карр написал романов по 5-6. Затем вспомнил о Бенколене и в 1937 году написал пятый и последний роман о нем, «Четыре орудия убийства».
Зачем извлекать из чулана заброшенного персонажа? Не знаю. В интернетах информации не нашел. Может в каких-нибудь биографиях Карра об этом и написано, но до них я не добрался. Может быть потому, что расследование происходит в Париже. А в Париже оно происходит потому, что виллы с куртизанками там выглядели уместнее, чем в Лондоне. И так далее. С Бенколеном же в этом романе проблема в том, что он отзывается на имя Анри, но ведет себя, как Гидеон Фелл. Недостает в романе того безумия, что сопровождало Бенколена в ранних романах. И недостает его обычного летописца Джеффа Марла, от имени которого писались ранние романы. В «Четырех орудиях» действие описывается через романтичного адвоката Кёртиса.
Что до загадки убийства, то тут Карр развернулся по полной. Такого «сложного» преступления в его романах я так сходу и не припомню. Куча людей с липовыми алиби и разными преступлениями сплетаются в одну историю. Зачем убийце было убивать убийцу убийцы — как говаривала Писательница Земли Русской. Но Карр достойно смог расплести все свои задумки. Правда, чтобы пазл в романе сошелся, надо брать блокнот и расписывать временную линию для всех участников повествования.
Из-за того, что в романе очень много времени уделено объяснениям кто, когда и как, то на остальное времени практически не оставалось. Романтическую линию Карр порезал сверх необходимого уровня — встретились полтора раза, на месте убийства и в полиции, и вот уже любовь на всю жизнь.
В целом, Карр в этом романе дошел до квинтэссенции классического детектива. Где преступление получилось столь сложным, что большую часть романа его надо разъяснять читателям. Это уже даже не «компот» — это «сироп» детективного жанра. Поэтому читать для развлечения «Четыре орудия» может быть утомительно. Это всё больше для любителей хардкора.
7/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/carr-four-false-wea...
August 23, 2021
Po moderní detektivce návrat k totální klasice. K dalšímu ryzímu detektivnímu rébusu Johna Dicksona Carra. Tady Carr nemá ani uzamčenou místnost, ani makabrické prostředí, je to jen obyčejná vražda – jen s příliš mnoho vražednými zbraněmi. A s malým okruhem podezřelých, kteří se skoro všichni vystřídají na mušce detektivů. Samozřejmě se žongluje s alibi a tedy, nutno říct, že řešení sice dává smysl, ale je velmi bizarní. Je tu i romantická linka, která se spíše než nějakými normálními emocemi řídí potřebami autora.
Plusem Carrových detektivek je, i přes jejich stáří, docela velké tempo. Na první mrtvolu málokdy čekáte více než pár kapitol, seznamování s postavami je minimální a okamžitě se všechno řeší a rozebírá a přichází se novými řešeními. Ono to taky kvaltovat musí, protože vysvětlit, co se vlastně stalo, někdy zabere až polovinu knihy. Ale díky tomu se stále objevují nové informace a máte pocit, že děj pádí kupředu.
Další věc, která je na Carrovi zajímavá, je to, jak moc ho baví záhady, ale už ho nezajímá nějaké trestání viníků. Pokud sami neumřou či neutečou, tak je detektivové obvykle nechají být. Jsou pro ně asi tak zajímaví jako tajenka vyluštěné křížovky.
A samozřejmě, zábavný je už přístup k vyšetřování, kdy se na nějaké zabezpečení místa činu moc nehraje, všude pobíhají detektivové a svědci a každý si vlastně dělá, co chce. Jak je u Carra už skoro zvykem, detektiv (tady to není jeho oblíbený Fell ale francouzský detektiv Bencoliny) zná pachatele už od prvních stránek, ale nehodlá ho nikomu říct, dokud nebude chápat všechno, co se stalo, protože jinak by to nebyla žádná zábava.
Pořád je to sympatická záležitost – pokud se moc nestaráte o uvěřitelnost. A Carr má na triku rozhodně lepší věci.
Plusem Carrových detektivek je, i přes jejich stáří, docela velké tempo. Na první mrtvolu málokdy čekáte více než pár kapitol, seznamování s postavami je minimální a okamžitě se všechno řeší a rozebírá a přichází se novými řešeními. Ono to taky kvaltovat musí, protože vysvětlit, co se vlastně stalo, někdy zabere až polovinu knihy. Ale díky tomu se stále objevují nové informace a máte pocit, že děj pádí kupředu.
Další věc, která je na Carrovi zajímavá, je to, jak moc ho baví záhady, ale už ho nezajímá nějaké trestání viníků. Pokud sami neumřou či neutečou, tak je detektivové obvykle nechají být. Jsou pro ně asi tak zajímaví jako tajenka vyluštěné křížovky.
A samozřejmě, zábavný je už přístup k vyšetřování, kdy se na nějaké zabezpečení místa činu moc nehraje, všude pobíhají detektivové a svědci a každý si vlastně dělá, co chce. Jak je u Carra už skoro zvykem, detektiv (tady to není jeho oblíbený Fell ale francouzský detektiv Bencoliny) zná pachatele už od prvních stránek, ale nehodlá ho nikomu říct, dokud nebude chápat všechno, co se stalo, protože jinak by to nebyla žádná zábava.
Pořád je to sympatická záležitost – pokud se moc nestaráte o uvěřitelnost. A Carr má na triku rozhodně lepší věci.
January 29, 2024
As I have stated many times before, the author John Dickson Carr, master of the locked room mystery, is not one of my favorites. His series features Dr. Gideon Fell, who I find extremely annoying, but he also has a second series featuring Parisian Inspector Henri Bencolin and his American friend Jeff Marle. This is the final Bencolin mystery, and it's one of the better ones.
We start off with Richard Curtis, an English solicitor who is bored with his lot in life, dreaming of adventure, when he is tasked with running off to Paris after a wealthy British client, Ralph Douglas, who has gotten himself into some (female) troubles. No sooner has Richard arrived when they discover the body of Rose Klonec, an ex-girlfriend who still lives in the house Ralph purchased for her. The maid is convinced that Ralph was there last night, and he killed her, but Ralph has an air-tight alibi that he was with his fiancée and a bar with several witnesses.
Lucky for them, Monsieur Henri Bencolin, retired from the Paris police, lives by and takes an interest in the case. Soon Richard takes the place of Jeff Marle and off we go into a maze of ex-lovers, multiple murder weapons, hidden identities, and a somewhat-locked-room puzzle. Can Bencolin pull one more miracle out of his hat and save Ralph's reputation?
Once again, Mr. Carr actually seems to having some fun with Bencolin and ends this series with a complicated but satisfying puzzle.
We start off with Richard Curtis, an English solicitor who is bored with his lot in life, dreaming of adventure, when he is tasked with running off to Paris after a wealthy British client, Ralph Douglas, who has gotten himself into some (female) troubles. No sooner has Richard arrived when they discover the body of Rose Klonec, an ex-girlfriend who still lives in the house Ralph purchased for her. The maid is convinced that Ralph was there last night, and he killed her, but Ralph has an air-tight alibi that he was with his fiancée and a bar with several witnesses.
Lucky for them, Monsieur Henri Bencolin, retired from the Paris police, lives by and takes an interest in the case. Soon Richard takes the place of Jeff Marle and off we go into a maze of ex-lovers, multiple murder weapons, hidden identities, and a somewhat-locked-room puzzle. Can Bencolin pull one more miracle out of his hat and save Ralph's reputation?
Once again, Mr. Carr actually seems to having some fun with Bencolin and ends this series with a complicated but satisfying puzzle.
November 19, 2017
A woman lay dead in a room where there were four possible weapons, a revolver, a razor, a box of drug-tablets, and a dagger-stiletto. Rose Klonec was found dead in Villa Marbre surrounded with these trappings of death, but knowing John Dickson Carr, you'll know she didn't die by any of these.
The first half was fun, the laying out of the scene of death, the multiple suspects and their possible motives, but the latter half dragged a little. The account of playing basset though was suspense-filled and livened up the story, although I felt the ending was a tad too complicated for me.
The first half was fun, the laying out of the scene of death, the multiple suspects and their possible motives, but the latter half dragged a little. The account of playing basset though was suspense-filled and livened up the story, although I felt the ending was a tad too complicated for me.
March 29, 2018
I read the entire series--5 books...this last book has Bencolin coming out of retirement to solve the crime....When the body was discovered by ordinary folk, and the local police came charging through the crime scene I kept thinking "find Bencolin, somebody find Bencolin before they destroy the clues!"...I didn't realize I had gotten so involved in this series....a perfect ending to Bencolin's career...I enjoyed every single book in this series...very involved--I read them for enjoyment, not trying to solve them myself.
February 1, 2018
A brief foray back to 1937, France, and one of Carr's well done puzzle books. A symphony of red herrings, if not eels, sting rays, and even a plankton community or two. Perhaps a little too complicated, very difficult to follow the display of clues, including (Oh Aunt Agatha) clocks that may or may not be accurate, and plenty of lying witnesses...even an almost locked room situation.
June 18, 2018
Glad I read it. Not as enjoyable as the other Bencolins, though, and this one really suffers from a wordy ending. Carr just goes on and on, repetitively and boringly crossing every t and sorting every i. To be honest, it ruined the ending to such a degree that I really don’t know how I feel about the identity of the killer. Won’t be re-reading this one.
July 6, 2025
Dynamite first chapter, and it's fun to see Bencolin in "retirement," but the mystery gets bogged down in its highly recherché details, and rather than moving forward, it keeps going over the same ground, to diminishing effect.
August 17, 2025
I know this is a well written mystery by the celebrated writer, but for me the intricacies of the plotting and the syntax is f the 1920s just didn’t land well. I found the detailed, complex game situation at the last part just too dreary-
August 28, 2024
By far the best of Carr's novels so far. Superb presentation, deductions and storytelling. So close to perfect.
December 20, 2023
I am absolutely treating JDC books as brain candy
October 23, 2016
Richard Curtis, junior partner at the law firm of Curtis, Hunt, D’Arcy & Curtis, is beginning to regret his career choice. The office-bound life of a solicitor is dreadfully dull for a young man that longs for adventure and secret missions! Just as he is about to succumb to utter boredom, Mr. Hunt, the acting senior partner, calls Richard in for a conference. It seems that Ralph Douglas, a wealthy young client of the firm, has noticed odd things going on at a villa near Paris that he rents but does not live at. It’s probably nothing important, but can Richard dash across the Channel to check in with Mr. Douglas?
As it happens, Ralph is in a bit of a delicate situation between his fiancee Magda Toller, her overprotective mother, and his ex-lover Rose Clonec. The villa in question was where he put up La Clonec while they were together; it’s supposed to be shut up tight, but someone’s been there recently and turned on the electricity and laid in a supply of champagne. Ralph can’t contact Rose directly to ask if she’s responsible without arousing the suspicions of Mama Toller.
When the men drive out to the villa, they find a maid who claims that Ralph was there last night (he claims he wasn’t.) Worse, they find the corpse of Ms. Clonec in an upstairs bedroom. There are multiple potential murder weapons in the room, but are any of them what actually caused her death? If Ralph’s telling the truth, then it’s a pretty sweet frame job, but who would do this, and why? Good thing famous police detective Bencolin has been called out of retirement for this one last case!
John Dickson Carr (1906-1977) was considered a master of the “locked room” mystery, where a crime seems impossible, but this one (the fifth and last Bencolin book) isn’t so much a locked room, as one with too many and contradictory clues that Bencolin must sift through. At one point early on, he declares that he knows who done it, but not why or how–a couple of chapters later, new evidence turns it upside down, and now he claims to know why and how, but no longer who!
While the puzzle pieces are being assembled, Richard tries to act in the best interests of his client while falling in love with Magda. This romance subplot is possibly the least necessary element of the book, and comes across rushed and forced. Much more fun are the antics of newspaper reporter and amateur sleuth Jean-Baptiste Robinson, who keeps guessing almost right. (He also sports a Hitler mustache, which in 1937 was just eccentric, but a couple of years later would have gotten him lynched.)
The climax is a high-stakes card game where Richard must play Basset, a lost game of kings, to reveal the final clue Bencolin needs to prove who murdered Rose Clonec. This ramps up the suspense considerably as Richard doesn’t know whether he needs to win or lose to achieve the detective’s goal.
This isn’t Carr’s best work, but is a fun, light read; worth looking up at your local library if you enjoy older mysteries.
As it happens, Ralph is in a bit of a delicate situation between his fiancee Magda Toller, her overprotective mother, and his ex-lover Rose Clonec. The villa in question was where he put up La Clonec while they were together; it’s supposed to be shut up tight, but someone’s been there recently and turned on the electricity and laid in a supply of champagne. Ralph can’t contact Rose directly to ask if she’s responsible without arousing the suspicions of Mama Toller.
When the men drive out to the villa, they find a maid who claims that Ralph was there last night (he claims he wasn’t.) Worse, they find the corpse of Ms. Clonec in an upstairs bedroom. There are multiple potential murder weapons in the room, but are any of them what actually caused her death? If Ralph’s telling the truth, then it’s a pretty sweet frame job, but who would do this, and why? Good thing famous police detective Bencolin has been called out of retirement for this one last case!
John Dickson Carr (1906-1977) was considered a master of the “locked room” mystery, where a crime seems impossible, but this one (the fifth and last Bencolin book) isn’t so much a locked room, as one with too many and contradictory clues that Bencolin must sift through. At one point early on, he declares that he knows who done it, but not why or how–a couple of chapters later, new evidence turns it upside down, and now he claims to know why and how, but no longer who!
While the puzzle pieces are being assembled, Richard tries to act in the best interests of his client while falling in love with Magda. This romance subplot is possibly the least necessary element of the book, and comes across rushed and forced. Much more fun are the antics of newspaper reporter and amateur sleuth Jean-Baptiste Robinson, who keeps guessing almost right. (He also sports a Hitler mustache, which in 1937 was just eccentric, but a couple of years later would have gotten him lynched.)
The climax is a high-stakes card game where Richard must play Basset, a lost game of kings, to reveal the final clue Bencolin needs to prove who murdered Rose Clonec. This ramps up the suspense considerably as Richard doesn’t know whether he needs to win or lose to achieve the detective’s goal.
This isn’t Carr’s best work, but is a fun, light read; worth looking up at your local library if you enjoy older mysteries.
September 29, 2012
I thought I would love The Four False Weapons. There are times when a mystery reader really just wants to sit back and watch a devilishly complicated story unfold before her. And I was somewhat confident in thinking this, because I'd read another book by Carr and was at least familiar with his work, if not the detective in this instance (Mr. Henri Bencolin).
The beginning is promising: a woman named Rose Klonec is found dead in a house owned by a former lover, Ralph Douglas. She was supposed to be having an assignation with him, despite his being engaged to another girl (he dumped her and was the only man to have done so; she dumped her other lovers). And there's some confusion as to how she was killed: in the room there is a stiletto, a box of pills, a freshly sharpened razor and a pistol. The suspects have seemingly unassailable alibis. How will M. Bencolin solve the case?
Answer: maddeningly. The clues might be there, but they are so subtle in places that they're very easy to miss. Also, with each explanation of the case, the suspects, motive and method change with dizzying rapidity -- "This one did it and here is a solid explanation as to why. Except NOT REALLY!!!! It's this person. Here's how they did it. EXCEPT NOT REALLY!!!!!" Repeat ad nauseam. By the two-thirds mark I was just plain exhausted from it all and almost didn't give a damn who actually committed the crime. It could have been Rose's brother-in-law's cousin's dog, for all I cared. But I did see it through to the end, even working my way through the mildly boring gambling den scene -- I tend to skip over that sort of scene in literature (e.g. Casino Royale, Cards on the Table) because for me, card games, like golf, are more fun to play than to watch. But overall I found the story great fun, with amusingly over-the-top characters (e.g. the tabloid criminologist, the French police) and at least one aspect of the denouement proved most satisfactory.
So with a promising beginning and a maddening ending (albeit somewhat expected in its twists and turns), how do I rate this? Do I focus on the positive experience I had for the first half the book and assert "At least the twistiness met my expectations"? Or do I come down on the side of frustration and knock off some stars? On balance I say yes, it did meet my expectations, so three stars it is, with the caveat that if you're going to read this, prepare to be bamboozled.
The beginning is promising: a woman named Rose Klonec is found dead in a house owned by a former lover, Ralph Douglas. She was supposed to be having an assignation with him, despite his being engaged to another girl (he dumped her and was the only man to have done so; she dumped her other lovers). And there's some confusion as to how she was killed: in the room there is a stiletto, a box of pills, a freshly sharpened razor and a pistol. The suspects have seemingly unassailable alibis. How will M. Bencolin solve the case?
Answer: maddeningly. The clues might be there, but they are so subtle in places that they're very easy to miss. Also, with each explanation of the case, the suspects, motive and method change with dizzying rapidity -- "This one did it and here is a solid explanation as to why. Except NOT REALLY!!!! It's this person. Here's how they did it. EXCEPT NOT REALLY!!!!!" Repeat ad nauseam. By the two-thirds mark I was just plain exhausted from it all and almost didn't give a damn who actually committed the crime. It could have been Rose's brother-in-law's cousin's dog, for all I cared. But I did see it through to the end, even working my way through the mildly boring gambling den scene -- I tend to skip over that sort of scene in literature (e.g. Casino Royale, Cards on the Table) because for me, card games, like golf, are more fun to play than to watch. But overall I found the story great fun, with amusingly over-the-top characters (e.g. the tabloid criminologist, the French police) and at least one aspect of the denouement proved most satisfactory.
So with a promising beginning and a maddening ending (albeit somewhat expected in its twists and turns), how do I rate this? Do I focus on the positive experience I had for the first half the book and assert "At least the twistiness met my expectations"? Or do I come down on the side of frustration and knock off some stars? On balance I say yes, it did meet my expectations, so three stars it is, with the caveat that if you're going to read this, prepare to be bamboozled.
March 12, 2014
The Four False Weapons (1937) is the last of five novels to feature John Dickson Carr's French sleuth Monsieur Bencolin.
Fairly run-of-the-mill locked room puzzle enlivened by a totally unexpected high-stakes card game.
It takes Carr until very late in the book to make the de rigueur for the era joke that one of the characters "worked out this plot with a loving ingenuity, exactly in the style of his favorite detective fiction."
Will Cuppy, in his "Mystery and Adventure" column in the New York Herald Tribune Books on October 10, 1937, said:
"Just as [one of the characters] is unjustly accused on the murder, who should arrive but Henri Bencolin, the greatest detective in France, who has been milling around in an old corduroy coat for just such an entrance. The return of Bencolin, indeed, after an absence of some seasons is the talking point of this complicated and exciting yarn."
Two daggers out of four.
Fairly run-of-the-mill locked room puzzle enlivened by a totally unexpected high-stakes card game.
It takes Carr until very late in the book to make the de rigueur for the era joke that one of the characters "worked out this plot with a loving ingenuity, exactly in the style of his favorite detective fiction."
Will Cuppy, in his "Mystery and Adventure" column in the New York Herald Tribune Books on October 10, 1937, said:
"Just as [one of the characters] is unjustly accused on the murder, who should arrive but Henri Bencolin, the greatest detective in France, who has been milling around in an old corduroy coat for just such an entrance. The return of Bencolin, indeed, after an absence of some seasons is the talking point of this complicated and exciting yarn."
Two daggers out of four.
June 26, 2016
Where to begin?
Sampai pertengahan buku, misterinya cukup straight-forward. Saya masih bisa mengikuti penalaran Bencolin yang membuka simpul pertama dari kumpulan benang kusut yang ada, if you pardon the metaphor. Namun untuk misteri secara keseluruhan, saya masih belum bisa menguaknya.
The How was pretty much explained in the middle of the book. It's the Who and the Why that keeps me wondering right till the end. Di samping itu semua saya juga terlanjur larut dalam atmosfer cerita sehingga tidak begitu keen untuk memecahkan misterinya.
Penjelasan di akhir buku berawal cukup lambat, hampir tidak relevan dengan misteri utamanya namun perlahan bersatu padu menjadi satu keutuhan yg padat, kuat, dan elegan. In short, everything is explained neatly. It's statisfying. As expected from the Grand Master.. :D
4 Stars!
Sampai pertengahan buku, misterinya cukup straight-forward. Saya masih bisa mengikuti penalaran Bencolin yang membuka simpul pertama dari kumpulan benang kusut yang ada, if you pardon the metaphor. Namun untuk misteri secara keseluruhan, saya masih belum bisa menguaknya.
The How was pretty much explained in the middle of the book. It's the Who and the Why that keeps me wondering right till the end. Di samping itu semua saya juga terlanjur larut dalam atmosfer cerita sehingga tidak begitu keen untuk memecahkan misterinya.
Penjelasan di akhir buku berawal cukup lambat, hampir tidak relevan dengan misteri utamanya namun perlahan bersatu padu menjadi satu keutuhan yg padat, kuat, dan elegan. In short, everything is explained neatly. It's statisfying. As expected from the Grand Master.. :D
4 Stars!
September 19, 2009
I like most of John Dickson Carr's books, although I read most a long time ago and don't remember one from another. This one I do remember, though, because he keeps solving the mystery and then solving it a different way over and over.
He writes a lot of locked room mysteries and then wrote one book in which he compares them to magic tricks. Once you know the trick it feels like a let down. Still, his books are clever and entertaining.
He writes a lot of locked room mysteries and then wrote one book in which he compares them to magic tricks. Once you know the trick it feels like a let down. Still, his books are clever and entertaining.
April 20, 2010
A very clever mystery with a surfeit of suspects, motives and methods and a spectacular last act in which an ancient game of chance is revived and fortune choses her favourites. There is a little too much exposition, but for the rest of the time, the stage is occupied by a strong cast of intriguing, colourful characters and the affairs, intrigues and nightlife of 1930s Paris.
September 15, 2007
This has been one of my favorite rereads. The tale is set in and around Paris of the 1930´s and has a number of clever twists. There is a Petite Trianon type of love nest and a marvelous gathering of elderly gamblers trying the ancient game of Basset.
September 7, 2013
John Dickson Carr is a classic mystery / police procedural writer. Although not one of his best, The Four False Weapons did include his detective Bencolin and many twists along the way of the mystery. The best part was a game of Basset with very well developed tension.
April 4, 2017
This is not my favorite of the John Dickson Carr books; he got off track a bit with the 'local color', but his worst is yards above most people's worst. The amateur detectives trying to solve the crime - and getting in each other's way- are the best feature in this book.
August 3, 2018
A gripping thriller and murder mystery novel! There were not many characters involved, so it made it a non confusing and great read. Plot and places were described in good manner to keep the hold of audience.
April 22, 2008
Bencolin should have been more fully developed by Carr.
April 30, 2008
Nicely confusing/confounding John Dickson Carr (only remotely a locked-room mystery) from his best period of writing.
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