he Fourth Side of the Triangle (1965)
Sheila, young international
leader of haute couture,is found murdered in her Park Avenue penthouse. Two floors down,
the distinguished middle-aged millionaire--Ashton McKell--is hauled off to jail. Next to
go, Lutecia, his shy patrician wife. And then--Dane, their handsome, sensitive son.
Together, a triangle of murder suspects. Ellery, immobilized, can trick the police
into becoming his "legmen" if he discovers The Fourth Side of the Triangle.
The first solution is great. Almost to prove Ellery is
fallible a second solution comes to the surface depending on the Inspector's talents. This
disappointing 'deus ex machina' is not in keep with the rules of fair-play and is given
only a few pages...

ueens Full (1965)
Foster Benedict, aging matinee idol, didn't like
playing the sticks. He was sabotaging the Wrightsville production of The Death of Don
Juan, turning it into a farce. When the curtain rose on the second act, Benedict was dead.
There were plenty of suspects--it seemed Foster Benedict had upstaged everyone in town.
Ellery Queen's job was a little like a casting director's--there was plenty of talent, but
no one was right for the part of killer!
3 novelettes and 2 short stories, well-done with appropriately clear logic. The
opening story, a Wrightsville vignette with another dying clue, is probably the best of
the bunch. |