Hag's Nook

The first novel featuring the detective Dr. Gideon Fell. It's an enjoyable combination of Gothic thriller in the style of Edgar Wallace and cozy detective novel in the British tradition of the Golden Age of Detection (the author is American, but he's clearly an anglophile).

Very atmospheric descriptions and some horror and humor make it a fast and entertaining read. The insta-love in the central romance and some rushed writing (it reads like pulp fiction) prevents me for giving it 5 stars.

The mystery reminded me of the Sherlock Holmes story "The Musgrave Ritual". It centers on a curse against the Starberth family of Chatterham and their ghastly involvement in the hangings at that prison. Their ruthless ancestors, as prison governors, show more enjoyed mistreating and hanging the prisoners. In turn, they died in a horrible fashion, always with their neck broken. Since then, a family ritual has to be followed by the male heir, and the deaths have returned.

It all started back in 1797 when Anthony Starberth was Governor of Chatterham Prison followed by his descendent, Martin Starberth in 1821. They instituted these merciless hangings without remorse which according to legend brought a curse on the Starberth family. However, the legend actually begins with the untimely death of Timothy Starberth in a most unsettling manner. show less

Such a joy after recently (about a year and a half ago) discovering Dr. Gideon Fell to now read his first published adventure! This one is narrated by a young American who falls for an unconventional British beauty--evidently a stand-in for the author, with his obvious love of the countryside and customs of his adopted home. There are elements of the supernatural, hinging on a family "curse," as well as some of Carr's signature cerebral plotting. A hair-raising and fun read!

This is the very first Gideon Fell book from the Locked-Room King, John Dickson Carr. Written in the early 1930's, the book has a dated but kind of charming romance, lots of humor, and a very creepy ambience. Carr was a master at creating that chilling sense of dread, very carefully leading the reader up several false paths.

Here we have a family that is seemingly cursed, with the eldest son/inheritor in successive generations dying in mysterious, spooky circumstances. Dr. Fell, a prodigious drinker (he's writing an exhaustive treatise on Drinking Customs of Old England) and a genius at working out puzzles, is an engaging detective, if the reader is able to transport him/herself back to a vanished age.

The solution was somewhat show more unsatisfactory in that the complexity of the crime is literally incredibe, at least to this reader. I did manage to pick out the criminal, but I'm not sure how I got there; just lots of experience with Carr's work, I guess.

Recommended to those who enjoy period detective stories. show less

A mystery, set in England, concerning a creepy old abandoned prison on a family's property. A series of deaths in the family over many years seem shrouded in uncertainty. Who killed who? For that matter, who IS who?

The first in Carr's series featuring Dr. Gideon Fell, Hag's Nook centers on the Starberth family, who have owned and operated a prison for centuries. The property is entailed, meaning that the oldest son will officially inherit, but first he must go through a rather bizarre ritual. It is at the time of such a ritual when the story begins. The heir is one Martin Starberth, who is somewhat apprehensive -- there is a curse upon the family and the Starberths have traditionally been found dead at the Hag's Nook, the site of the old gallows where they used to hang witches -- with their necks broken. Try as they might, Fell, young Dorothy Starberth and an American visitor of Fell's cannot prevent the latest in a series of tragedies. The show more solving of the case is ingenious -- I must admit to being surprised at the end. In fact, that's the best part of this book -- the unraveling of an ingenious criminal.

Considering that this was written in 1933, there is still enough between the covers to keep mystery lovers reading: great atmosphere, a tinge of the supernatural, a good mystery complete with red herrings, and above all, a good detective with uncanny reasoning and observational powers. If you're into Golden Age mysteries, or if you want to try your hand at Carr's work, this would be a fine place to start. It may be a bit off-putting to some readers because of the language usage in places, but otherwise, it will definitely keep you interested and absorbed. show less

Not only was this a locked room mystery with a wonderfully creepy atmosphere but the culprit was such a surprise! I have read several other Gideon Fell books but I am glad that I have finally read this first one.

So this one left me feeling a little disappointed. The book was fairly short, which left little room for developing the character of Dr. Fell, our detective. I felt more connected to the lesser character of Mr. Rampole. I'm not sure if he'll be a recurring character or not, but I would lived to have seen more insight into the main character.