Customer Reviews

Four of Hearts

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Devil to Pay (1937), The Four of Hearts (1938), and The Origin of Evil (1951) roughly fall in Ellery Queen's middle period and are unique in that the setting is Hollywood. While the portrayal of the Hollywood film industry could not be more farfetched and inaccurate, the three stories are humorous and entertaining, and make good mysteries.

The Four of Hearts is a zany sequel to The Devil to Pay. Ellery finally meets his employer, the young Jacques Butcher, colloquially known as Boy Wonder, executive vice-president of production at Magna Studios. Unfortunately, as Ellery begins his work on his first screen play, an elaborate publicity stunt for the new production is derailed by a double murder. As Ellery begins his investigation, he finds himself crossing swords again with Inspector Glucke of the Los Angeles Police Department. And perhaps what is most unexpected, Ellery himself becomes enamored with a popular, strikingly beautiful, Hollywood gossip columnist.

Despite the hilarious caricature of movie stars, producers, screen writers, and gossip columnists, the murder mystery itself is still quite good and the puzzle will challenge even the astute reader. Ellery's deductions are impressive.

The Four of Hearts has been reissued by HarperCollins. Sometimes an early Pocket Book edition can be found. Another possibility is a 2000 publication by Four Walls Eight Windows of the three Ellery Queen stories that take place in Hollywood under the title The Hollywood Murders.

Yep, I felt like an idiot when I finished this one because I should've spotted the clue early in the book that gave away the identity of the murderer. Yet I give Queen credit for having slipped in the crucial information in such a way that I have it no importance and didn't remember it when it came time to name the culprit.This is one more of the somewhat satirical Hollywood mysteries and while not an accurate picture, it is highly amusing and challenging to me as to trying to equate the Hollywood characters with real life Hollywood people of the era.

I add to the first reviewer that the 1938 hardcover I have(since about 1957) was published by Grosset & Dunlap , New York "By arrangement with Frederick A. Stokes Co." The quotation came from the second printed page, the first having only "The Four Of Hearts". My copy has the outside color red with black lettering front and on the spine.