Displaying 1 of 1 2019 Format: Book Author: Carr, John Dickson, 1906-1977, author. Title: The crooked hinge / John Dickson Carr ; introduction by Charles Todd. Publisher, Date: New York : Penzler Publishers, 2019. Description: iv, 274 pages ; 21 cm. Summary: Dr. Gideon Fell must catch a murderer and discover which of two men is the real heir to the Farnleigh family fortune. Series: American mystery classics Otto Penzler's classic American mystery library. Notes: Originally published: 1938. "Otto Penzler presents American Mystery Classics"--Cover. Subjects: Fell, Gideon (Fictitious character) -- Fiction. Private investigators -- England -- Fiction. Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction. Inheritance and succession -- Fiction. London (England) -- Fiction. Genre: Detective and mystery fiction. Other Author: Todd, Charles, writer of introduction. ISBN: 9781613161302 * 9781613161296 * 9781613161319 Current Holds: 0 System Availability:4 (of 4) Place Request Expand All | Collapse All Where Is It? Fiction/Biography Profile Characters Gideon Fell (Male), Doctor, John Farnleigh (Male), Heir, Survived the sinking of the Titanic when he was a young boy; has returned to England to claim his inheritance; another man is claiming to also be John Farnleigh Genre FictionMysterySuspenseHistorical Topics HeirsInheritanceSwitched identitiesSearched for truthDeception Setting England - Europe Time Period 1937 -- 20th century Large Cover Image Trade Reviews Publishers Weekly ReviewCarr (1906--1977) is at his best in this creepy and baffling entry in the American Mystery Classics series, originally published in 1938. The lives of Sir John Farnleigh and his wife are upended when a stranger using the name Patrick Gore appears at their Kent estate and claims that he's the real Sir John. Gore alleges that as a child he was on the Titanic with another boy, who used the ocean liner's sinking as a cover to attack him and steal his identity. Gore later believed his assailant and fellow survivor was dead, until learning that the imposter was posing as Sir John. Sir John's tutor, Kennet Murray, who knew him well as a boy, quizzes Gore, but before Murray can give his opinion as to the man's veracity, someone's throat is slashed. Gideon Fell, Carr's series detective, investigates the murder, the related question of who is the real Sir John, and allegations of witchcraft at the estate. This is an all-time classic by an author scrupulous about playing fair with his readers. Golden age fans won't want to miss it. (Oct.)Booklist ReviewSir John Farnleigh's household is rocked when a visitor claims to be ... Sir John. Who is the imposter (and whether he even knows himself to be a fake) is the central and most intriguing device of this Titanic-era mystery tackled by Dr. Gideon Fell, whom readers met in Carr's recently rereleased The Mad Hatter Mystery (2017)?. Adding to the clever plot are wonderfully melodramatic scenes involving an automaton that once resembled a beautiful woman but is now decrepit, a fainting maid, and, of course, a murder one of the Farnleighs meets his maker, but how exactly the dead man died, and why, will keep readers turning the pages. By now, fans of the American Mystery Classics series know what to expect: a knowledgeable and in-depth introduction to the work and author, followed by a solid tale. The works sometimes veer into topics or language that are distasteful today this book's stereotypical depiction of gypsies, for example, and the use of that pejorative term but those who can overlook that issue will find this a fine next read after Mad Hatter.--Henrietta Verma Copyright 2019 Booklist Summary An inheritance hangs in the balance in a case of stolen identities, imposters, and murder Banished from the idyllic English countryside he once called home and en route to live with his cousin in America, Sir John Farnleigh, black sheep of the wealthy Farnleigh clan, nearly perished in the sinking of the Titanic. Though he survived the catastrophe, his ties with his family did not, and he never returned to England--not even for the funerals of his mother, his father, or, most recently, his older brother Dudley. Now, nearly 25 years since he was first sent away, Sir John has finally returned home to claim his inheritance. But another "Sir John" soon follows, an unexpected man who insists he has absolute proof of his identity and of his claim to the estate. Before the case can be settled, however, one of the two men is murdered, and Dr. Gideon Fell, who happens to be passing through the village, finds himself facing one of the most challenging cases of his career. To solve it, he'll have to confront a series of bizarre and chilling phenomena, diving deep into the realm of the occult and brushing up against witchcraft, magic, and a sinister automaton to explain a seemingly impossible crime. Selected by a panel of twelve mystery luminaries as one of the ten best locked-room mysteries of all time, The Crooked Hinge is a creepy and atmospheric puzzle inspired by a real life case. It is the ninth installment in the Dr. Gideon Fell series, which may be read in any order. Librarian's View Displaying 1 of 1
