Hell! Said the Duchess
by Michael Arlen
On This Page
Description
"It belongs to those short, perfect books that are rarely written in English." - Evening Standard " T]his extremely odd performance is indicative of great power." - Gerald Gould, The Observer " A] right intriguing comedy and mystery. As entertainment during your insomnia, it is earnestly recommended." - Milwaukee Journal " A] perfect masterpiece of hair-raising horror. It may offend some of its readers, but it will not bore them." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A female killer stalks the streets show more of London, sleeping with young men before slashing their throats and mutilating their bodies. The crimes have baffled the police and enraged Londoners, who demand the murderer's arrest. Mary, Duchess of Dove, a gentle young widow who is beloved by all who know her, seems an unlikely suspect, but the clues all point to her. The police have a variety of theories - perhaps the Duchess has been hypnotized or drugged, maybe she has an evil double, or could it be a Communist plot to discredit the peerage? Inspector Basil Icelin is determined to solve the mystery, but the true explanation is far more shocking and terrifying than anyone could ever imagine. Michael Arlen (1895-1956) became a rich and world-famous celebrity after the publication of his bestseller The Green Hat in 1924. Hell said the Duchess (1934) is a delightfully bizarre book, telling a "bedtime story" in a light, humorous style that contrasts oddly with its gruesome and horrific subject matter. This first-ever reprinting of what Karl Edward Wagner has called the best supernatural horror novel ever written includes an introduction by Mark Valentine. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
An unexpected gem of a novel that begins as a brittle comedy of manners and ends as supernatural noir, as deft as anything by Mike Carey. Midway it erupts with a survey of politics in Europe at the start of the 30s, and a love scene that’s still hot and that , at the time, must have been shocking. Nicely captures the idea that real evil was afoot on the continent before the start of the second world war. Long out of print and recently brought back by Valancourt books; well worth reading. Available as a paperback and an ebook.
Very creepy, one of the investigators fates is particularly unpleasant
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Exceptional thrillers that deserve a wider audience
49 works; 3 members
Author Information
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Notable Lists
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1934
- Dedication
- This book is inscribed affectionately by his friend and obedient servant the author to Valentine Browne commonly known as Viscount Castlerosse of London and Killarney soldier, dandy, banker, gossip, golfer, philosopher and a ... (show all)man of good will
- First words
- When the writer permits himself the familiarity of calling her Mary Dove it is not from any disrespect to a lady of rank, nor with any pretensions to the intimate condescension of a lady of fashion. It is written so merely b... (show all)ecause he finds it a pleasant thing to set down the name: Mary Dove.
- Quotations
- Walking in mufti down Piccadilly one morning, he was handed a white feather by a large woman with the cold eyes of one who is kind to animals but to no one else.
“And what,” said Wingless, “do we do then? Just as... (show all)k him his views on birth control and if he doesn’t answer with charm tell him he’s a bastard?” - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He left no message of any kind.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 57
- Popularity
- 538,166
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.90)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 2
