Three Coffins

Probably the most famous of Carr's Dr. Gideon Fell mysteries, and a frequent occupant of "all-time best mysteries" lists. It's famous, among other things, for its Chapter 17, in which Dr. Fell delivers a lecture on the various types of locked-room mysteries.

In this one, Carr gives us two apparently impossible murders. Two men are in a locked office, and a gunshot is heard. In the few seconds it takes to burst through the door, the killer has disappeared. There is a window through which he could have jumped, but the newly-fallen snow in the yard below is undisturbed. The second killing takes place in the middle of a short dead-end street. There are witnesses at both ends of the street who see a man fall after a gunshot is heard. The show more police determine that he's been shot at close range, but no gunman was seen, and again, the victim is surrounded by snow with no footprints but his own.

The solution to the mysteries is indeed clever, and all of the clues are neatly laid out, many of them scattered into Fell's locked-room lecture. But getting to that solution is a bit of a slog, I'm afraid. Carr's prose is stodgy and dense; plowing through to the final chapters is rather like wading through molasses. (And I say that as someone who enjoys mysteries of this era.)

As for the famous lecture? It's thorough and informative, but it's a great clump of "and now I shall pontificate" that brings the actual story to a screeching halt for a dozen pages. The most interesting thing about it is the moment in which Fell obliterates the fourth wall, saying

"...we're in a detective story, and we don't fool the reader by pretending we're not. Let's not invent elaborate excuses to drag in a discussion of detective stories. Let's candidly glory in the noblest pursuit possible to characters in a book."

Happy to have read this for its historical importance, but I think Carr's prose will keep me from going back for more, despite the cleverness of his solutions. show less

Clever locked room mystery. Carr's style when writing Dr. Fell is a bit didatic and may turn off some readers but I loved the (somewhat lengthy) exposition Fell gives about the various types of so-called "locked room" mysteries. As he says himself:

"    "When the cry of 'This-sort-of-thing-wouldn't-happen!' goes up, when you complain about half-faced fiends and hooded phantoms and blond hypnotic sirens, you are merely saying, 'I don't like this sort of story.' That's fair enough. If you do not like it, you are howlingly right to say so. But when you twist this matter of taste into a rule for judging the merit or even the probability of the story, you are merely saying, 'This series of events couldn't happen, because I shouldn't enjoy show more it if it did.'"

As I was starting this book, I realized that I had read a few other Gideon Fell mysteries before and that Fell wasn't as much fun as Gervase Fen. In other words, I do not much like Carr's mysteries or perhaps just not his writing style.

However, this seemingly insoluble, improbable locked-room mystery in which the murderer didn't even leave footprints in the snow was extremely clever. I thought I had suspected everyone in turn but not once did I come close to the true culprit! Carr plays fair with the reader -- there are no hidden facts brought out only during the solution. In fact, he tells you in the first chapter the names of certain witnesses whose testimony can be relied on to be truthful and complete!! Yet despite this broad hint and Fell uttering cryptic clues periodically, I only deciphered one small aspect of the crime.

In addition, Gideon Fell did make me chuckle several times with his pronouncements, such as when he gives rules about what ghosts should be like in English fiction (they should be seen in old abbeys or cemeteries, not lemonade stands). I also liked his mention of several other mystery novels and authors who excelled at certain types of mysteries during his discourse mentioned above.

Overall, I would recommend this as an excellent example of a certain style of mystery (the locked room) which is no longer fashionable. show less

The Hollow Man (aka The Three Coffins) is regarded by many (including the esteemed Otto Penzler) as the best locked-door mystery ever written. 'Locked-door' and 'impossible crime' stories are a subset of detective fiction that readers tend to love or hate (the writer Anthony Horowitz claims to fall into the latter camp). The usual problem with these stories is that considerations of plot and character are brushed aside in favour of a highly-contrived solution that tends to be mechanistic and improbable. That is not the case here; the solution (no spoilers) does not disappoint. For me, the issue lies in Carr's prose style. I find his writing flabby, at times wearyingly 'whimsical' and desperately in need of a good editor. The book has show more too many characters, many of whom are not sufficiently well drawn. This is a well-thought-out and eminently readable detective novel, but I would not rush to read further books in the series. show less

I used to love Gideon Fell books, having first come across them in my early twenties. Something has gone wrong, though.
Maybe I just got tired of the terrific stretching of reality required to set up the locked-room mysteries, of which Carr was the acknowledged master. Or maybe I’ve outgrown the ponderous musings of Dr. Fell. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but the bloom’s surely gone off this rose.
Anyway, a man is killed in a locked room, with no visible evidence of anyone possibly being able to enter or leave the room. Then another man is shot in the middle of a deserted cul-de-sac, at night, with no one near him. Plenty of suspects, and a bizarre and creepy backstory keep this one from being a total snoozer.
But it could be me. show more The “challenge “ of this story is so far-fetched that the sharpest reader will only dimly see what’s going on. If you like locked-room mysteries, try “Hag’s Nook”, “The Man Who Could Not Shudder,” or “The Problem of the Wire Cage,” all by this author, first. They’re much more approachable and fun. show less

If you like Locked Room mysteries this is truly brillliant. The mystery is fair and fooled me completejy. Carr is very specialized in that small genre that is now so out of date but i love it, I dont wanna hear about the detectives problems with authority, drinking problems or rocky marriage, i wanna deep dive into the mystery and that Carr does. A consequence of that style of writing is that we see less of a character sketch of the detective than in more modern crime books. This is Dr. Fell, mystery solver, and that is the facet of his personality that is on display. In here is also the famous chapter with the lecture on how locked rooms mysteries work and what the possible solutions can be. It is absolutely excellent and has became a show more model for how to write locked room mysteries. For me, one of the best locked room mysteries ever written. show less

The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr is a locked room mystery that was originally published in 1935 which surprised me as the London depicted in the pages here seemed Dickensian in nature. The mystery features the reoccurring character of Dr. Gideon Fell, who relates the famous “locked room lecture” that is a blueprint for most locked room mysteries, laying out the various ways is which a murderer can be successful at using this trope. Actually, I found this lecture to be the most interesting part of the book.

Although this particular mystery has been voted best locked room mystery by a panel of mystery writers in 1981, I personally found it rather boring and contrived. The mystery relies on illusions, switched identities and show more coincidence. The characters were one dimensional, the writing was uninspired and the whole book relied on a plot device that was convoluted and overly elaborate. I found reading the endless speculations, interviews and explanations quite painful. This is the second John Dickson Carr book that I have read, and, I have come to the conclusion that this is not an author for me. show less

Clever locked room mystery. Carr's style when writing Dr. Fell is a bit didatic and may turn off some readers but I loved the (somewhat lengthy) exposition Fell gives about the various types of so-called "locked room" mysteries. As he says himself:

"    "When the cry of 'This-sort-of-thing-wouldn't-happen!' goes up, when you complain about half-faced fiends and hooded phantoms and blond hypnotic sirens, you are merely saying, 'I don't like this sort of story.' That's fair enough. If you do not like it, you are howlingly right to say so. But when you twist this matter of taste into a rule for judging the merit or even the probability of the story, you are merely saying, 'This series of events couldn't happen, because I shouldn't enjoy show more it if it did.'"

As I was starting this book, I realized that I had read a few other Gideon Fell mysteries before and that Fell wasn't as much fun as Gervase Fen. In other words, I do not much like Carr's mysteries or perhaps just not his writing style.

However, this seemingly insoluble, improbable locked-room mystery in which the murderer didn't even leave footprints in the snow was extremely clever. I thought I had suspected everyone in turn but not once did I come close to the true culprit! Carr plays fair with the reader -- there are no hidden facts brought out only during the solution. In fact, he tells you in the first chapter the names of certain witnesses whose testimony can be relied on to be truthful and complete!! Yet despite this broad hint and Fell uttering cryptic clues periodically, I only deciphered one small aspect of the crime.

In addition, Gideon Fell did make me chuckle several times with his pronouncements, such as when he gives rules about what ghosts should be like in English fiction (they should be seen in old abbeys or cemeteries, not lemonade stands). I also liked his mention of several other mystery novels and authors who excelled at certain types of mysteries during his discourse mentioned above.

Overall, I would recommend this as an excellent example of a certain style of mystery (the locked room) which is no longer fashionable. show less