Sat 9 Jul 2011
A Review by Tina Karelson: ELLERY QUEEN – The Siamese Twin Mystery.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[8] Comments
ELLERY QUEEN – The Siamese Twin Mystery. Frederick A. Stokes, hardcover, October 1933. Reprinted many times, in both hardcover and soft, including Pocket Books #109, paperback, 1st printing, June 1941; Pocket #109, 10th printing, 1950 (shown).
Ellery and Inspector Queen are driving back to New York from a vacation. Ellery takes an ill-advised shortcut over a mountain, and soon the situation is dire. Instead of the Mystery Machine, they’re in Ellery’s Duesenberg, but the other elements of a Scooby-Doo episode are all there: a treacherous journey leads to an isolated, spooky house — punctuated by an altercation with a frightening character who accosts them on the road.
When they approach the darkened house, they are turned away by a creepy servant, but soon the owner offers a slightly more gracious welcome. John S. Xavier, a well-known surgeon, his sultry wife and their guests seem to be hiding something, but they have no choice but to allow Ellery and his father to stay. There’s no escape for anyone, because the base of the mountain is ringed with a forest fire that is gradually creeping upward.
When the first murder occurs, Inspector Queen takes charge. The authorities can’t reach them until the fire is extinguished. As the flames come closer, the tension builds, causing Ellery and Inspector Queen to make some apparent errors, allowing the killer to strike again.
The Siamese Twin Mystery is very atmospheric, and the fire threat ratchets up the suspense. Will they correctly identify the killer? Is there more than one killer? And will any of them survive the fire? You’ll have to read it to find out.
July 9th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
I like the reference to Scooby-Doo! I wouldn’t have thought of it myself, but it’s right on target.
July 10th, 2011 at 10:26 am
One of my literature professors in college talked about the advisability for writers to form a tight boundary around their story and characters. He unexpectedly mentioned The Siamese Twin Mystery as a perfect example, with all the characters cut off from the world by a forest fire. I was delighted, because I knew and loved Queen’s book!
I still have the old paperback copy illustrated above. Bought it as a kid at a used book sale, with my allowance money.
July 10th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
“One of my literature professors in college talked about the advisability for writers to form a tight boundary around their story and characters.”
That’s an interesting statement. I’d never have thought about a story needing to be structured that way. I can see it working for detective fiction, but not so much for science fiction or fantasy. Westerns and historical fiction sometimes, but as often as not they sprawl all over the place.
Mainstream fiction? I have no idea, having read so little of it, but perhaps he’s right.
Interesting though, that he’d pick THE SIAMESE TWIN MYSTERY. It’s perfect, of course, but I’d have been pleased, too, if not totally surprised.
July 10th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
The fire idea makes this a real tour de force. One of my favorites.
July 10th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
I don’t remember reading this one in my distant past (when I read Queen), but how do you maintain motivation for a killer if everyone is about to die from the fire. Was it something on the killer’s bucket list?
July 10th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
I read this one not too long ago, and for some reason I don’t remember there being a lot of panic about the fire surrounding them. There was smoke in the air, but not a feeling of danger, just isolation. I must be remembering it wrong, as I think I’d be freaking out myself.
July 10th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
YEAH, I’d be looking for a bucket of water, a hose ,the number of the fire department- but a murderer?
WHO cares !
But some mystery fiction is a bit unrealistic, at least in parts, and if everything else is done well, they STILL might pull it off !
The Doc
July 10th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
It’s splendid. It’s like Murder on the Titanic.