Dept of Queer Complaints:
William Wilson's Racket â Colonel March is enlisted by a socialite to track down her missing fiancé, who vanished from an office while she was in the outside reception area. Review: no murder occurs, but the solution is a fun one. ****
The Empty Flat â Col March investigates when a dead man is found in an unused flat after tenants try to find out why a radio is blasting from the space. Review: well told, although it would have been nice to learn more about the two tenants. ****
Dr. Gideon Fell:
The Incautious Burglar â A man is stabbed during the commission of an attempted burglary of expensive original art. Review: OK tale where the clues are laid out for the sharp reader. ***
Invisible Hands â a woman is found strangled at a beach where hers are the only footprints within 20 feet of her body. Review: At only 18 pages, there was a lot the reader had to infer about characters past relationships. The method of murder was given away by one word and the motive behind was silly. Even Dr. Fell grated in this (happily) short story. *
Secret Service Stories:
Strictly Diplomatic â An over-worked man resting in a French resort encounters a woman he becomes attracted to, but she disappears under mysterious circumstances. Review: Light tale with a simple explanation for the disappearance (once it's explained.) ***
The Black Cabinet â A young woman whose family is involved in an assassination plot meets a man in Paris in the late 1800's. Review: The only mystery is why this story was included in this volume. I never warmed to Carr's tales set in historical times, and this one was no exception. Confusing and boring. *
Sir Henry Merrivale:
All In A Maze â A man meets a young woman in distress who tells him her life is in danger. Review: Not only does this novelette annoy a reader with the tiresome trope of a young man falling instantly in love with a â naturally â very beautiful woman he accidentally meets, it becomes even worse when HM enters the story, calling this very beautiful woman âdollyâ every other sentence. Would have taken a star off for every occurrence, but rating it a minus number was impossible. The tricks used were explained away simply but at that point, who cares? *
William Wilson's Racket â Colonel March is enlisted by a socialite to track down her missing fiancé, who vanished from an office while she was in the outside reception area. Review: no murder occurs, but the solution is a fun one. ****
The Empty Flat â Col March investigates when a dead man is found in an unused flat after tenants try to find out why a radio is blasting from the space. Review: well told, although it would have been nice to learn more about the two tenants. ****
Dr. Gideon Fell:
The Incautious Burglar â A man is stabbed during the commission of an attempted burglary of expensive original art. Review: OK tale where the clues are laid out for the sharp reader. ***
Invisible Hands â a woman is found strangled at a beach where hers are the only footprints within 20 feet of her body. Review: At only 18 pages, there was a lot the reader had to infer about characters past relationships. The method of murder was given away by one word and the motive behind was silly. Even Dr. Fell grated in this (happily) short story. *
Secret Service Stories:
Strictly Diplomatic â An over-worked man resting in a French resort encounters a woman he becomes attracted to, but she disappears under mysterious circumstances. Review: Light tale with a simple explanation for the disappearance (once it's explained.) ***
The Black Cabinet â A young woman whose family is involved in an assassination plot meets a man in Paris in the late 1800's. Review: The only mystery is why this story was included in this volume. I never warmed to Carr's tales set in historical times, and this one was no exception. Confusing and boring. *
Sir Henry Merrivale:
All In A Maze â A man meets a young woman in distress who tells him her life is in danger. Review: Not only does this novelette annoy a reader with the tiresome trope of a young man falling instantly in love with a â naturally â very beautiful woman he accidentally meets, it becomes even worse when HM enters the story, calling this very beautiful woman âdollyâ every other sentence. Would have taken a star off for every occurrence, but rating it a minus number was impossible. The tricks used were explained away simply but at that point, who cares? *
