"The Greek Coffin Mystery"

It began with the death of a respected art dealer. He was duly buried in the family vault. But then the dealer's will disappeared. No problem for brilliant amateur detective Ellery Queen, son of New York City Police Inspector Richard Queen: Ellery used logic to deduce that the will had to have been buried with the art dealer - in his coffin. So they went to open the coffin. And they found...

But that would be telling, wouldn't it? That's the very beginning of The Greek Coffin Mystery, by Ellery Queen. (To recap, for those who came in late, "Ellery Queen" was the pen name used by two cousins, Frederick Dannay and Manfred Lee, to write mysteries about "Ellery Queen" the detective character.) Originally published in 1932, it remains one of the best of the early Ellery Queen puzzle mysteries written by Dannay and Lee - a mystery so fairly clued that the authors include a "Challenge to the Reader," daring the reader to solve the puzzle before (or at least simultaneously with) the detective. The Greek Coffin Mystery is the subject of today's audio book review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the complete review by clicking here.

If there is a drawback to this kind of mystery, it is that the puzzle takes such prominence, there's not much room left for character development or atmospherics - although you will find a very entertaining book here. The puzzle is key: Ellery Queen comes up with several different solutions to the mystery - but each time he thinks he has solved the case, something happens to blow up his theories. Until the last time, of course...

Ellery does work with his father, who is the official police presence on the case. And young Ellery is so brash at times - particularly in the first half of the book - that everyone (including the reader) takes a certain amount of satisfaction when he's proven wrong. By the end of the book, when he finally does reach the correct solution, Ellery Queen is a chastened and far more palatable character than he was at the beginning. The peeling away of the final layers is, I think, very likely to provide quite a surprise when the guilty individual is revealed – but an honest appraisal leaves us feeling that we have not been cheated, that we should have been able to spot that individual earlier in the book. I know that I failed to do so…and I suspect you will too. If you like the classic, American Golden Age puzzle mystery, you will almost certainly enjoy The Greek Coffin Mystery. It is available in e-book formats from Mysterious Press and Open Road Media.

Once again, I am submitting this book for consideration in the My Reader's Block Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge - this one to fulfill the requirements for "a book with a detective team." 

 

Comments

[Margot Kinberg]

Les - One of the things about this series that appeals to me is Ellery's evolution over time. And although he's not happy about being proven wrong, he does accept it and move on. I respect that about him. And of course, the story itself is a good 'un. Glad you featured this one.

[Les Blatt]

Thanks, Margot. Ellery is indeed brash and pretty unlikeable for the first quarter or so of the book - way too much like Philo Vance, IMHO...but he accepts his comeuppance and moves on. And, as you say, he does evolve into a much more human and much more likeable character over time.