The Case of the Constant Suicides

This book certainly has a lot going for it. It's a locked-room mystery of the highest order: a suicide that for financial reasons is better ruled a murder, but there does not appear to be any way someone could have got into the room to commit the crime. It has diabolically clever twists that had me yelling "Whaaat?!" at the book as they were revealed. It has two very amusing, sharp-witted young leads, whose introductory scene nearly made me laugh out loud, and other funny scenes besides (usually involving very potent Scotch). And it's set in Scotland, which is always a bonus with me.

I did find it a bit slower to get through than I would have expected, but that may have had something to do with my edition, which was shiny and modern and show more the size of a hardcover (but paperback in format). It was rather annoying to read from. I also thought the phonetically rendered Scottish dialect was a bit over-the-top in places, and Mr. Swan the reporter seemed much more like a stereotypical American than the Canadian he claimed to be. But overall I quite enjoyed this story and would recommend it to fans of the Golden Age of detective fiction. show less

Carr has long been known as the king of the locked room mystery, and in this book we get two actual locked-room mysteries. One appears to be a suiciide and one is a murder, but neither one is straight-forward. In true Carr fashion, he keeps us guessing until the very end. But thank goodness crime fighter extraordinaire Gideon Fell is on the scene and he finds his way through the maze. This book has Carr's trademark black humour as well, and kept me laughing all the way through. The antics when the characters get into the famous in "Doom of the Campbells" (which happens to be a particularly strong whiskey)are incredibly funny! I love the way Carr plotted his stories. His mysteries are highly intelligent, complex and he is the unrivalled show more master in his particular genre. show less

Pleasant enough read (for a story about a grisly way to die). The major problem with the story is that, according to my husband the engineer, the diabolical method used in the crime could not have actually worked. Other than that, .... See p. 136 for the author's explanation, but carbonic acid from dry ice in a room-size space would not be concentrated enough to kill a person.
The advantage of having an unofficial detective solve a crime is that he can share as much or as little with the police and others as is necessary in order to improve the lives of the survivors. If the common-law widow knew that her loved one's death was suicide and not murder, then she would have spent the rest of her life believing he was condemned to eternal show more suffering. show less

Not one of this author's best books, but as usual quite readable. It's set in Scotland at the outset of World War II, and features a couple of rival historians who start the book squabbling over the question of the colour of the Duchess of Cleveland's hair, and end up getting married (this theme recurs in other books by Carr). They are distant relations of Angus Campbell, who has met his end by falling out of a room in a high tower with the door firmly locked on the inside. Was he really murdered? What was in the empty case found under his bed? Further apparent suicides occur and eventually Dr. Gideon Fell does some sleight-of-hand with the evidence. The book would really have been better as a novella (like All in a Maze by the same show more writer) and there is a farcical element involving an American journalist which sits uneasily with the rest of the book. show less

This is a fun classic murder mystery. What I really liked about this one is that it was FUN! It was funny, light, and moved quickly. There weren't long and involved explanations of the scenery or drawn-out descriptions of the personalities... it was just a story that quickly moved from one scene to the next, creating, complicating, and then resolving the mystery.

In the book, several people have been called to a castle in Scotland for a "family meeting" to discuss the death and after-affect of a certain family member. There is a dispute about whether the man committed suicide or was murdered and the various characters are quickly drawn into the activity, the mystery, and the frivolity.

Recommended for people looking for a quick and fun show more classic murder mystery. show less

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The case of the constant suicides by John Dickson Carr was originally published in 1941. Three deaths all look like suicides. However, some questions remain. Dr. Fell arrives to investigate. An insurance policy payout hangs in the balance as the deaths are ruled suicide or murder. I love these old 1940's detective novels. This one is one of those infamous locked room murders. Very ahead it's time , cleverly plotted, mystery with sharp dialogue and quick wit, plus a little romance. A very good classic mystery. Overall an A

I'm torn ... I enjoyed reading it, but when I got to the end and the solution, I found myself saying "Really? Really?! Gimme a break!" I haven't raved about it to anyone and am not champing at the bit to start another Dr. Fell mystery.