John Dickson Carr Archives - Playing Detective

Hag’s Nook (1933) – John Dickson Carr

Old, decrepit, and disused, Chatterham Prison still stoops out of the damp earth of the Lincolnshire fens, its crumbling stones held together by ivy and tradition. One tradition is written out in legal documents drafted by Anthony Starberth, the first Governor of the prison: on his twenty-fifth birthday, the Starberth heir must unlock the door to the Governor's old office, unlock the safe, then read what's inside. The other tradition is written in no documents, but still holds true: the Starberths die of broken…

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9 November, 2024

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Poison In Jest (1932) – John Dickson Carr

When Jeff Marle returns home to Pennsylvania for the first time in years, he visits his old friends the Quayles. But the respectable family isn't as he remembered them - he's shocked by the tattered state of both the house and the Quayles' nerves. Patriarch Judge Quayle is poisoned right in front of Jeff and nearly dies, and this near-tragedy is followed by another poisoning, and then a more brutal attack. Without the help of his friend Bencolin, will Jeff manage to find the…

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17 August, 2024

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The Corpse in the Waxworks (1932) – John Dickson Carr

If Paris's Augustin Waxworks are known at all, it's for their frighteningly realistic Chamber of Horrors. So when a woman disappears there, and a ghost appears, naturally Henri Bencolin is interested. But a night-time investigation brings more than he bargained for, as a fresh corpse has been added to the roster of horrors. The trail soon leads to the manipulative Etienne Galant, and a secret club for high-class Parisians. It's been a long time since I've written about Carr. I'd been anticipating The Corpse…

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13 July, 2024

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John Dickson Carr: A Critical Study (1990) – S. T. Joshi

Books are wonderful - so what could be better than a book? A book about books, of course!After I saw John Dickson Carr: A Critical Study book mentioned both in Douglas Greene's biography of Carr and on Tangled Yarns, I felt I had to check it out.Douglas Greene described it as "filled with insights about Carr's writing and attitudes", and I have to say, it met my expectations! There are some great insights here, and it's extremely quotable. Only on one occasion did I…

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8 October, 2023

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Castle Skull (1931) – John Dickson Carr

Castle Skull was once owned by the monstrous magician Maleger, and then, on Maleger's mysterious death, by the famed actor Myron Alison. A peaceful night at Myron's home across the river is disturbed by the sound of screams. The house-guests look up to see a burning body dancing on the battlements of the castle - as Myron spends his final moments in agony. Summoned by financier Jérôme D'Aunay to investigate, Henri Bencolin and Jeff Marle soon find themselves in collaboration - or perhaps in…

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24 September, 2023

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Authors / John Dickson Carr / Short Stories

The Beginning of Bencolin – John Dickson Carr’s short stories in The Haverfordian

After finishing The Lost Gallows I wanted to go back to the short stories that featured Henri Bencolin and Sir John Landervorne. I've also been pretty busy, so I thought a review of the four stories would be a nice quick way to get back into posting. Things did not work out that way… These stories were among Carr's first detective stories, and they were published in Carr's college magazine The Haverfordian between 1926 and 1928, when Carr was in his early twenties. By…

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13 August, 2023

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The Lost Gallows (1931) – John Dickson Carr

A limousine joyrides through the fogbound streets of London with a corpse at the wheel. The shadow of a gallows is seen on an unknown street. Nezam al Moulk receives threatening packages delivered directly to his room even though no one could have entered.Ten years ago a duel was fought in Paris - and now the mysterious hangman Jack Ketch wants revenge. Will he drag his victims to Ruination Street, or can Henri Bencolin stop him before it's too late? Henri Bencolin and Jeff…

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18 July, 2023

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It Walks By Night (1930) – John Dickson Carr

John Dickson Carr is a pretty special author to me. He was the first Classic Crime author I really got into after the obvious Agatha Christie, and discovering the joys of a good Carr or Carter Dickson is what made me want to explore more to see what else was out there. I've already read a lot of his books, but I want to share my enjoyment of them by re-reading them and writing reviews. I've decided to start at the beginning for now,…

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12 June, 2023