The famous sleuth comes out of retirement to help his father hunt down a New York City serial killer: “Marvelous . . . one of his best” (Classic Mysteries). In the dog days of August, it is no surprise to see New Yorkers perspire. But this summer, a killer called the Cat gives the city a new reason to sweat. He selects his victims seemingly at random and strangles them, then escapes without … escapes without leaving a clue. As the death toll climbs, and the press whips the public into horrified frenzy, Gotham teeters on the edge of anarchy. Ellery Queen, the brilliant amateur sleuth, has gone into retirement when the Cat begins to kill. As his father, a seasoned homicide detective, leads the investigation into the murder, Ellery tries to avoid getting involved. But as the body count rises, he can no longer resist the urge to hunt. The Queens are known for their curiosity–and everyone knows how curiosity can affect a cat.
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Interesting “old-fashioned” mid-20th-century diction; somewhat wordy and discursive, builds its “case” slowly. Sometimes it was a little slow, sometimes completely absorbing. The most fascinating aspect is the way it reflected accurately and unselfconsciously the prevailing social attitudes and mores, particularly those about women. Worth reading, particularly if you are interested in historical aspects of the mystery/detective genre.
I first encountered Ellery Queen through the TV series, so I’ve been intending to pick up the book series for a while now and when this came on sale I figured it was a good time to start, even if it was out of order. I’m not sure how I feel about this particular book. The pacing was good, though the writing could be a bit overwrought. I think, probably because I started with the TV series, I already love the characters enough to keep with it, where I’m not sure I would’ve enjoyed this as much as I did without having that already-established familiarity. However, the twists were twisty, the clues made sense, the loose ends were tied up, and all-in-all, I’m not mad about it. Was it the best mystery I’ve ever read? No. Top ten? No. Will I read more Ellery Queen novels? Yes.
It’s trip back in time, but could happen in 1949 or today. Great mystery with a twist at the end
This is one of Ellery Queen’s best stories. I remember reading it as a teen and re-read it every few years. Pure joy if you love Cozy Mysteries or Intriguing Crime stories.
Come on now for goodness sake it’ ELLERY Queen.
it was hard to put it down, characters are interesting and the plot keeps you guessing.
Too drawn out. It was completely predictable. I used to like the old Ellery Queen magazine.
It kept you guessing,
The book was well written as usual. However, the story dragged on and on and was more dated than some of his others.
I enjoyed this book, although I found it long and dragging in some parts. Really interesting, engaging story otherwise. Also, I don’t like serial killer books, and that’s a big part of the story.
Never read an Queen book and wanted to experience the read.
There are other, earlier Ellery Queen mysteries that are masterpieces of the cozy format — lots of clues, lots of legerdemain, but a solution that does, in fact, fit all the facts. This seemed closer to a police procedural, but without all those pesky police details.
My Grandma subscribed to The Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, so I discovered that fabulous character when I was still in high school. And I’m still in love with him!
This book was absolutely excellent. It was suspenseful and intriguing. A modern writer could use the premise and make it into an episode of “Criminal Minds”.
A little slow.
I like Ellery Queen mysteries.
Interesting story of a killer whose method turns out to be selecting victims that get younger with each new one. All are strangled and left with a silken cord tied around their necks, blue for men and rose for women. All are individually listed in the Manhattan phone book, even if they live with others, such as parents. Ellery Queen works out how the victims are selected, then who the next one is likely to be, and pulls in the relatives of two previous victims to try to capture the killer. Things go wrong, of course, and more thought must be involved before the actual perpetrator is determined. A very involved, intricate story line leads to a satisfying conclusion. Recommended.
I love the book
Hard to beat the Queens when it comes to mystery. Had wondered about the ending earlier but seemed too off to be believed but the explanation was reasonable and a fitting end to a real puzzler.
One of the earliest (as far as I know) serial killer novels. Good characters, good twist.