 he Last Woman in his
life (1970)John Lovering Benedict had more of everything than most men, most of all more women--including 3 ex-wives with little in common but their extraordinary physiques. For Ellery Queen the question was which one of them had bashed in Benedict's skull with a hunk of iron statuary? The clues were many, but puzzling. All had been planted at the scene of the crime, but by whom, and for what purpose? And who was the last woman in John Benedict's life? The green wig belonged to a redheaded Vegas show girl. The sequined gown had highlighted the bouncy silhouette of a blonde off-Broadway actress. The long evening gloves were the property of a bosomy small-town nurse. These were more than an inventory of ladies' wear. For they were found on the scene of a brutal crime during a hideaway weekend, near the body of an internationally known jet-setter notorious for his pursuit of beautiful women. What did they mean? ... There is the victim's dying message. There is the mysterious woman to whom the trail is long and difficult. Above all there is the question: Who was the last woman in his life?
Another dying clue, another plot that seems stretched out for its length, with the final solution not quite as surprising as it should be. Too much penny-ante psychology, not enough story. Wrightsville revisited.
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