The Search for My Great-Uncle's Head (Library of Crime Classics)
by Jonathan Latimer
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Description
In an eerie country house, a cruel old man is decapitated When Peter Coffin's mysterious great-uncle Tobias summons the family to his manor in the wilds of Michigan, his aunt warns him to stay away. Peter goes anyway, arriving at the edge of the sprawling estate well after midnight. Wading through the muck in the darkness, he passes a fearsome figure on the road, and when he arrives at the front door, he is greeted by cousins bearing shotguns. An ax-murdering madman is on the loose, but just show more as dangerous are the creatures Peter will encounter inside the house: his family. When old Tobias is murdered, both his head and his will go missing. The police suspect the ax killer, but Peter knows better. After all, if there is one thing his aunt has taught him, it is that you should never trust a Coffin. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This book is from the 1930’s. It’s that favorite: a closed circle mystery, complete with missing wills, servants, and an odd-lot family, few of whom are likable. So it’s pretty standard in the setup.
I’m fairly sure this is meant to be a parody of the genre and the trope. The main character/narrator, Peter Coffin (oh brother) seems at first to be a rather limp college professor but turns out to be an athlete and brave to the point of lunacy.
The book gets off to an extremely slow start, even for me. Things do pick up along the way as the investigation heats up and another murder occurs. So as a narrative and as a pleasant time-filler, this book works well.
But the characterization is really weak. People change behaviors and show more attitudes with no motivation. It’s disconcerting at best. And the police are treated like ignorant fatheads.
Read this only if you love mysteries from between the wars. Keep in mind that this isn’t a British story; it takes place in the US Midwest. show less
I’m fairly sure this is meant to be a parody of the genre and the trope. The main character/narrator, Peter Coffin (oh brother) seems at first to be a rather limp college professor but turns out to be an athlete and brave to the point of lunacy.
The book gets off to an extremely slow start, even for me. Things do pick up along the way as the investigation heats up and another murder occurs. So as a narrative and as a pleasant time-filler, this book works well.
But the characterization is really weak. People change behaviors and show more attitudes with no motivation. It’s disconcerting at best. And the police are treated like ignorant fatheads.
Read this only if you love mysteries from between the wars. Keep in mind that this isn’t a British story; it takes place in the US Midwest. show less
divertente
qualche trascuratezza qua e là ma nel complesso è godibilissimo e in certi passi persino divertente
qualche trascuratezza qua e là ma nel complesso è godibilissimo e in certi passi persino divertente
Jul 21, 2012Italian
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Author Information
18+ Works 741 Members
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Adey's Locked Room Murders (0466)
Doubleday Crime Club (1937.15)
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- The Search for my Great Uncle's Head
- Original publication date
- 1937
- People/Characters
- Peter Coffin
- Important places
- Michigan, USA
- Original language
- English US
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 44
- Popularity
- 671,418
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (2.93)
- Languages
- English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 2
