The King Is Dead

King Bendigo was the head of a powerful family-run company, with his own island kingdom. Ellery and his father are hired to keep him from being killed after a series of anonymous notes announces his impending murder. The good: The mystery. It's a logic puzzle of a mystery, the kind Ellery Queen is rightly famous for. The take-over-the-world conspiracy is a fun bonus. The bad: The murder, the solution, and the conspiracy are all over-the-top, but that's part of the series charm. The verdict: Don't expect in-depth characterization, and don't be surprised that it's dated (it's copyright 1952, after all). Just relax and enjoy a little mental puzzle.