The Problem of the Green Capsule

One of the best of the Car's I have read (I do tend to prefer the Gideon Fell stories).

A group of friends and relatives descend on the estate of one marcus Chesney and are soon puzzled as to how and why a series of mishaps, indeed deaths, caused by poisoned cholates from the local High Street store. No this is not that Poisoned Chocolates Mystery!.

As they, and the local police, puzzle over that, the elder Chesney espouses the view that most people are hopeless in accurately describing after the event what they have seen in important situations eg crime scenes. Chesney proposes an experiment in which he will have have a scene played before the assembled group, even going so far as having the scene filmed, before posing 10 questions as to show more what they had seen, as a demonstration that they will give wildly different answers/interpretations.

In the playing of that experiment, the audience see Chesney killed. And then the fun begins. Of course a significant estate/will is now in play, amongst other matters.

The local police bring in Dr Gideon Fell for his expertise.

Amongst other matters, Fell questions not just why people come with their different answers to the questions, notwithstanding they are all seated in the same small room witnessing the experiment, but as to why those particular 10 questions were proposed by Chesney before his untimely death (all of the questions take the form of what/when did you see/ hear X.

A very satisfying read.

Big Ship

10/12/2024 show less

As the book opens, you have a family under stress as one of its most vulnerable members has been associated in the public mind with the poisoning of chocolates from a local sweet shop. Of course, we all know she couldn’t possibly have done it, if only because the Inspector responsible for the investigation has fallen in love with her. Then a subsequent poisoning occurs – a family member very closely tied to the young woman dies in front of three witnesses. It’s a problem. Is it possible to harmonize the various statements from those eye-witnesses in such a way as to identify the wicked, guilty party? The creator of Dr. Gideon Fell (a man who wears astounding dressing gowns and never gets up before eleven in the morning), John show more Dickson Carr weaves a logic problem that theoretically the astute reader can work out, given all the details provided. (I didn’t. The candidate I had my eye on proved to be trustworthy after all.)

However, appearing late in the text was a discussion by Gideon Fell of why poisoners are always ultimately brought to justice. The risks associated with the use of poison are significant. Fell notes,“He must make sure the victim does not live long enough to denounce him, a bad risk; he must show he had neither the opportunity to administer the poison nor reason for administering it, a very deadly risk; and he must obtain the poison without detection, perhaps the worst risk of all.”

Dr. Fell also provides us with an overview of some of the more infamous poisoners. Thomas Wainewright, William Palmer, the Rev. Clarence V.T. Richeson, Dr, Edward Pritchard, Arthur Warren Waite, and so forth. Chapter 18 is really most informative.

And of course, there’s film. (Can’t say more. Spoilers.)

I can't say that Carr is one of my favorite writers, but he does manage to construct some interesting narratives. This one was quite enjoyable. show less

Marcus Chesney istus poolklitsi, õlad längus ja pihud käetuge pigistamas, nagu tahaks end püsti ajada. Kuid see liigutus oli ainult näiline. Tema jalad olid välja sirutatud ning keharaskus oli tooli seljatoele vajunud. Näol paistsid äratuntavad tsüaniidimürgituse jäljed.
Surnu selja taga oli poleeritud puust kaminasimss, millel seisis valge numbrilauaga kell; selle väike pendel liikus valjusti tiksudes agaralt edasi-tagasi.
Osutid näitasid kaksteist ja kakskümmend viis minutit...

Baffling locked-roomer of sorts that keeps you guessing until the end. Character motivations/behavior border on the ludicrous (even for Carr). But the impossible situation--a murder is committed in full view of several witnesses and a movie camera, yet no one can say who did it--is one of Carr's most cleverly-conceived, and the solution's a knockout.

This one felt more like a puzzle than a mystery novel. Though we did get to know the characters more than in the Honjin Murders, which also read like a puzzle rather than a novel. I prefer to get to know the characters and place more than just the mystery. I would definitely try this author again.

A good mystery, but it is dated in style and details. Also a bit overdone with shouting and such.

Unusual in that Inspector Elliot, who is just the regular policemen in several Dr. Fell cases, is personally involved in this one as he falls in love with a beautiful young woman suspected of poisoning.