The Chinese Orange Mystery
Cover of the first US edition
|
|
| Author | Ellery Queen |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Ellery Queen mysteries |
| Genre | Mystery novel / Whodunnit |
| Publisher |
Stokes (US) Gollancz (UK) |
|
Publication date
|
1934 |
| Media type | |
| OCLC | 212314235 |
| Preceded by | The Siamese Twin Mystery |
| Followed by | The Spanish Cape Mystery |
The Chinese Orange Mystery is a novel that was written in 1934 by Ellery Queen. It is the eighth of the Ellery Queen mysteries.
In a poll of 17 detective story writers and reviewers, this novel was voted as the eighth best locked room mystery of all time.
A wealthy publisher and collector of precious stones and Chinese postage stamps has a luxurious suite in a hotel that serves to handle his non-publishing business and the comings and goings of his staff, his relatives, and his female friends. When an odd and anonymous little man arrives and refuses to state his business, no one is surprised; he is locked (from outside only) in an anteroom with a bowl of fruit (including tangerines, also known as Chinese oranges) and left to await the publisher's arrival. When the door is unlocked, though, a truly bizarre scene is displayed.
The little man's skull is crushed, his clothing is reversed, back to front, all the furnishings of the room have been turned backwards — and two African spears have been inserted between the body and its clothing, stiffening it into immobility. The circumstances are such that someone has been observing every entrance to the room, and no one has apparently entered or left. The situation is further complicated by some valuable jewelry and stamps, the publisher's business affairs and romantic affaires, and a connection with "backwardness" for seemingly every character. It takes the considerable talents of Ellery Queen to sort through the motives and lies and arrive at the twisted logic that underlies every aspect of this very unusual crime.
(See Ellery Queen.) The character of Ellery Queen and the locked room mystery aspect were probably initially suggested by the novels featuring detective Philo Vance by S.S. Van Dine, which were very popular at the time. At this point in time, however, Van Dine's sales were dropping and Queen's were beginning to rise. This novel was the eighth in a long series of novels featuring Ellery Queen, the first nine containing a nationality in the title.
This particular novel is much cited in reference works discussing ways and means of the locked room mystery because of its unusual solution. It is also unusual because it is one of the few murder mysteries in which the victim's name is never known—and it doesn't really matter to the solution.
...
Wikipedia