The White Priory Murders

John Dickson Carr (alias Carter Dickson) is at or near the peak of his formidable talents in this book. The pace is fast, the atmosphere chilling, and the characterizations realistic and interesting, which I think in itself tends to separate him from the other great creator of Golden Age mysteries, Agatha Christie. He mixes in humor and romance nicely. And most importantly, he creates the most baffling and difficult to solve murder puzzles that any mystery writer has ever managed. This element is really brilliant and impressive, and this is one of his most challenging puzzles (how did the murderer not make any footprints in the unbroken snow around the victim's cottage--the only set was left by the discoverer of the body! Whatever you are guessing....probably not), and most elegant and satisfying solutions. Carr/ Dickson's portrayal of women is somewhat controversial I think, but I am generally impressed that he creates and obviously likes and admires strong women who defy conventions in pursuit of what they want. The victim here is well drawn--a charismatic and brilliant actress, though unfortunately selfish, callous, and manipulative, which brings about her downfall--but I won't give away details. This is one of the finest books featuring Dickson's detective H.M. (Sir Henry Merrivale), who combines keen intelligence, ill-temper, lowbrow humor, and bombast in a very Churchill-like way. Like Churchill he is given a background as a prominent WWI era government official, though I trust H.M.'s management of military intelligence went a bit better than Sir Winston's rocky tenure at the Admiralty--certainly if he brought to bear the brilliance and shrewdness on display in this classic whodunnit.

The author is at the top of his form in this hilarious and puzzling tale involving Sir Henrey Merrivale. Impossible situations, great characters, fast pace. I loved it!