Author | John Dickson Carr writing as "Carter Dickson" |
---|---|
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Series | Henry Merrivale |
Genre | Mystery fiction, Detective fiction |
Publisher | Morrow (US, 1937) Heinemann (UK, first edition, 1936) |
Publication date | 1936 |
Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
Pages | 300pp |
Preceded by | The Unicorn Murders |
Followed by | The Ten Teacups (aka The Peacock Feather Murders) |
The Punch and Judy Murders (also published as The Magic Lantern Murders) is a 1936 mystery novel written by John Dickson Carr under the alias of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit which features the fictional detective Sir Henry Merrivale. It was the last book read by the former American president Franklin D. Roosevelt before his death. [1]
Kenwood Blake, introduced in the previous Sir Henry Merrivale mystery The Unicorn Murders , is about to marry a former British Secret Service operative, Evelyn Cheyne, when he is sidetracked by an urgent telegram from Sir Henry asking him to come to Torquay to play an undercover role under an alias he had used in World War 1, "Robert Butler".
Paul Hogenauer, a polymath of German origin living in Torquay, has aroused the suspicion of Sir Henry and Colonel Charters, the Chief Constable of the county, by his recent interest in ghosts and spiritualism. Sir Henry and Charters feel that anti-British espionage may underlie recent events, and they suspect the involvement of an international spy known only as L.
A police officer observing Hogenauer's house reports "the room was dark, but it seemed to be full of small, moving darts of light flickering round a thing like a flower-pot turned upside down." Blake, as Butler, tries to break into Hogenauer's house and is promptly arrested. To his great surprise, Sir Henry and Charters disavow any knowledge of his actions.
Blake/Butler escapes, breaks into Hogenauer's house and finds Hogenauer dead in his easy chair, grinning from the rictus of strychnine. A colleague of Hogenauer named Dr. Keppel is soon found dead in a hotel miles away, apparently killed at the same time as Hogenauer. Blake/Butler stays a step ahead of the police and races around investigating espionage, counterfeiting, spiritualism, and multiple impersonations. Finally, Sir Henry examines and discards three proposed solutions, and reveals the murderer just in time for the wedding.
John Dickson Carr was an American author of detective stories, who also published using the pseudonyms Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn.
Sir Henry Merrivale is a fictional amateur detective created by "Carter Dickson", a pen name of John Dickson Carr (1906–1977). Also known as "the Old Man," by his initials "H. M.", or "the Maestro", Merrivale appears in 22 of Carr's locked-room mysteries and "impossible crime" novels of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, as well as in two short stories.
The Judas Window is a famous locked room mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, writing under the name of Carter Dickson, published in 1938 and featuring detective Sir Henry Merrivale.
The Plague Court Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who wrote it under the name of Carter Dickson. The first Sir Henry Merrivale mystery, it is a locked room mystery of the subtype known as an "impossible crime".
The Ten Teacups, is a locked room mystery by American mystery writer John Dickson Carr, writing as Carter Dickson. It features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale, working with Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.
The White Priory Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr (1906–1977), who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery and features his series detective, Sir Henry Merrivale, assisted by Scotland Yard Inspector Humphrey Masters.
The Red Widow Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr (1906–1977), who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery and features his series detective, Sir Henry Merrivale.
The Unicorn Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr (1906–1977), who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery and features his series detective, Sir Henry Merrivale.
The Reader is Warned is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.
And So to Murder is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.
Murder in the Submarine Zone is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.
Seeing is Believing is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters. The novel was originally published in 1941.
She Died a Lady is a mystery novel by American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit featuring the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.
He Wouldn't Kill Patience is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his long-time associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.
The Curse of the Bronze Lamp is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery or, more properly, a subset of that category known as an "impossible crime", and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale. Carr considered this one of his best impossible crime novels.
My Late Wives is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit featuring the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his long-time associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.
The Skeleton in the Clock is a 1948 mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his long-time associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.
A Graveyard To Let is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery featuring the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.
Night at the Mocking Widow is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnitfeaturing the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.
The Cavalier's Cup is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr (1906–1977), who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery and the final appearance in novel form of the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his long-time associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.