The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Dedalus European Classics) [Paperback]

Gaston LeRoux (Author), Terry Hale (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Dedalus European Classics | Publication Date: November 2003

(Rerecording)

This novel - the classic French detective story - was written in 1907 by Gaston Leroux, once a reporter who covered the famous trials of his time. (He also wrote THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.) Match your wits with his rival detectives - one amateur, one professional - as they try to crack the mystery. Mademoiselle Stangerson retires to bed in the Yellow Room. Suddenly revolver shots echo through the house and she screams for help. Her father and a servant run to the locked room where they find the wounded girl - alone. The only other exit, a window - barred. How had the assailant escaped?

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

5 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Dedalus (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1873982380
• ISBN-13: 978-1873982389
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best mysteries ever written!, April 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Dedalus European Classics) (Paperback)

Many years ago author John Dickson Carr claimed that "The Mystery of the Yellow Room" was "the best detective tale ever written". While I would probably choose one of the novels of John Dickson Carr as my all-time favorite, I can wholeheartedly endorse this book by Gaston Leroux. It is clearly one of the best. The famous attack which takes place in a locked room is in itself worth the price of the book. That is not all that the book has to offer, though. There is also the amazing disappearance of the villain with pursuers literally two steps behind him. I challenge anyone to guess the solution. Read this book yourself and I am sure you will agree: Gaston Leroux created a masterpiece with "The Mystery of the Yellow Room".

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ingenious page-turner, December 19, 2004

By 

Felix Hunter "flierboy90" (Mars) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Dedalus European Classics) (Paperback)

Mlle. Strangerson, the daughter of a famous scientist, is brutally attacked in her bedroom. The window is barred, and the door is double bolted. No one, it seems, could have left the room. However, somehow, he did, leaving strange clues - a bloody imprint of a hand on the wall, a cap, and a hankerchief.
MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW ROOM is pure genius. Leroux winds and twists together meticoulous detail, interesting psychology, and seemingly impossible occurrences that produce a truly enjoyable and schocking finale. This is a wonderful read, and it is great for a rainy day.
MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW ROOM is an extremely influential book, though it is now virtually forgotten. It is one of the first locked-room mysteries, and it inspired Agatha Christie to write her first book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stick with it and you'll be rewarded, September 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Dedalus European Classics) (Paperback)

I'm not a mystery buff, but the premise of The Mystery of the Yellow Room is intriguing. How could someone commit a crime in a sealed room, then vanish without a trace? To find out the answer, you have to have patience; Leroux feeds you with little tid-bits - just enough to keep you reading - then at long last reveals everything. This is not a book in which the detective openly discusses his ideas and connections, but that makes the end more satisfying (by which I mean you'll be hitting yourself in the forehead, saying, "why didn't I think of that?"). It's not a light read, but follow through and it's worth it.