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On the sprawling estate of a bizarre wealthy family, a series of cryptic notes brings deadly regards in this classic from a legendary mystery author. York Square is a tidy private garden surrounded by four matching castles, each inhabited by a different branch of the York family. There's Robert, commanding and icy; Myra, gentle and ill; Emily, who would prefer to live in a cottage; and Percival, who has many personal secrets. Watching them all is the gardener, Walt, who sees more than any of them realize. When an anonymous scribe starts sending him letters of praise, Walt is happier than he's ever been. But when a strange card marked with the letter J heralds the death of Robert, the happy garden begins to wilt. Unlocking the puzzle of the bizarre notes falls to the legendary Ellery Queen. He finds that the Yorks are locked in a ghoulish bargain--one that can only be escaped by death.… (more)
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a family compound with four castle-like houses on each corner of the property, a private park in the center. The 'castles' are inhabited by Robert, Miss Myra, Emily and Percival; cousins who are living in the compound and are supported by a trust set-up by their uncle. They must live
Robert receives a card in the mail that has had one corner cut off diagonally. Shortly after, he dies from his scull being crushed by a falling stone from the front of his house. Inspector Queen is given the case to solve and brings Ellery in to help. Not that this is unusual, but Ellery is in a funk and seems to have no motivation to write. Not the norm for this man!
The plot is a bit like a chess game. One character will make a move, then another. What is the reason for the murders? (There are more than the first.) What is it that the cards with the cut corners signify? Who has the most to gain from the deaths?
It is interesting, but I will say the ending wasn't what I expected and not as satisfying an end for me.
Interesting note: This was not written by Lee and Dannay, the real Ellery Queen. It was written by a well-known sci-fi writer and edited by the EQ duo.
The mystery holds up, but my how the times have changed.
I actually don't like Ellery, and his relationship with his father is also not one I care for, but the puzzles are fairly done and usually ingenious.
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Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Ellery Queen er et pseudonym for Frederick Dannay og Manfred Lee
Oversat fra engelsk "The Player on the other Side" af Mogens Cohrt
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| 813.52 |