This is one of the so-called "classic" locked room mysteries, in which an appparently impossible murder takes place. In fact, lead sleuth Dr. Gideon Fell lectures at one point about the myriad locked room crime methods. The actual solution to the murder at hand is so convoluted it made my brain hurt; much more enjoyable is the interplay among the characters.
another old one. i still love it. this is a quirky twist of his locked room mystery fame.
A wonderful book from a writer whose mysteries range from top notch (this one) to basically unreadable.
This is generally considered the zenith of locked room mysteries, and contains the famous "locked room lecture" in which Gideon Fell enumerates the various ways in which a murderer can do his deed and make it seem impossible.
In a poll conducted for his 1981 anthology "All But Impossible," Edward D. Hoch asked a number of mystery writers to name the best impossible-crime novels, and "The Three Coffins" topped the list (The rest are #2 - Rim of the Pit by Hake Talbot; #3 - The Mystery of the yellow Room by Gaston Leroux; #4 - The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr; #5 - The Judas Window by Carter Dickson; #6 - The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill; #7 - Death From A Top Hat by Clayton Rawson; #8 - The Chinese Orange Mystery by Ellery Queen; #9 - Nine Times Nine by Anthony Boucher; #10 - The Peacock Feather Murders by Carter Dickson.) No doubt a few of Paul Halter's mysteries would be included in a list tallied today.
The British title: The Hollow Man.
This is generally considered the zenith of locked room mysteries, and contains the famous "locked room lecture" in which Gideon Fell enumerates the various ways in which a murderer can do his deed and make it seem impossible.
In a poll conducted for his 1981 anthology "All But Impossible," Edward D. Hoch asked a number of mystery writers to name the best impossible-crime novels, and "The Three Coffins" topped the list (The rest are #2 - Rim of the Pit by Hake Talbot; #3 - The Mystery of the yellow Room by Gaston Leroux; #4 - The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr; #5 - The Judas Window by Carter Dickson; #6 - The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill; #7 - Death From A Top Hat by Clayton Rawson; #8 - The Chinese Orange Mystery by Ellery Queen; #9 - Nine Times Nine by Anthony Boucher; #10 - The Peacock Feather Murders by Carter Dickson.) No doubt a few of Paul Halter's mysteries would be included in a list tallied today.
The British title: The Hollow Man.
