Why read on Fable?
Publisher Description
A classic mystery featuring dogged detective Philo Vance. “An intricate puzzle . . . [Vance] has an uncanny insight into the subtler aspects of crime.” —The New York Times
Given all the rich people getting bumped off in Philo Vance’s Manhattan, it’s amazing there are enough left to support the symphony. Latest up: Arthur Coe, found dead in his own locked bedroom. Suicide? The ever-perceptive Philo doesn’t buy that theory for a second. The presence in Coe’s house of a strange, prize-winning terrier only adds to the mystery, although Philo’s fabulously in-depth knowledge of dogs does not in fact solve the crime; his fabulously in-depth knowledge of the murder of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1898 proves much more useful.
Like most of the Philo Vance novels, Kennel was made into a movie, directed this time by Michael Curtiz, who a few years later would turn his hand to a little number known as Casablanca. At least one critic has called the film a “masterpiece,” and though we make no similar claim for the book, GoodMysteries.com, dedicated to the art of the classic whodunit, calls Kennel “one of the best locked-room setups ever written.”
Praise for the Philo Vance series
“With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine.” —The New York Times
“Well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society and style of writing.” —Mystery Scene
“Outrageous cleverness . . . among the finest fruits of the Golden Age.” —Bloody Murder
Given all the rich people getting bumped off in Philo Vance’s Manhattan, it’s amazing there are enough left to support the symphony. Latest up: Arthur Coe, found dead in his own locked bedroom. Suicide? The ever-perceptive Philo doesn’t buy that theory for a second. The presence in Coe’s house of a strange, prize-winning terrier only adds to the mystery, although Philo’s fabulously in-depth knowledge of dogs does not in fact solve the crime; his fabulously in-depth knowledge of the murder of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1898 proves much more useful.
Like most of the Philo Vance novels, Kennel was made into a movie, directed this time by Michael Curtiz, who a few years later would turn his hand to a little number known as Casablanca. At least one critic has called the film a “masterpiece,” and though we make no similar claim for the book, GoodMysteries.com, dedicated to the art of the classic whodunit, calls Kennel “one of the best locked-room setups ever written.”
Praise for the Philo Vance series
“With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine.” —The New York Times
“Well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society and style of writing.” —Mystery Scene
“Outrageous cleverness . . . among the finest fruits of the Golden Age.” —Bloody Murder
2 Reviews
3.0
eyowoh
Created over 4 years agoShare
Report
Wordsmithonia
Created about 12 years agoShare
Report
“After reading The Greene Murder Case earlier in the year, this book was pretty close to languishing on the shelves for all eternity. The only reason I picked it up was that I needed two more books by male authors for my Vintage Mystery Challenge that Bev of My Reader's Block is hosting. It isn't often that I have so a strong negative reaction to a book, that it makes me want to never read any other book by an author. I don't want to say I hated The Greene Murder Case, but if I didn't, I was pretty close to that.
I'm not going to say that I felt the same way about The Kennel Murder Case, because I didn't. I'm not sure what the difference is, but the smugness and superiority that Philo Vance showed in the previous book, seemed to be toned down a bit in this one. He was still a know it all, who seemed to have an answer for everything. He still comes across as a pompous, smug rich guy, who for whatever reason, knows every little detail, on every single subject know to man. The author still inserts himself as a character in the book, and even includes scholarly footnotes as a way to ground a fictional book into reality. Even with all that irritation, I didn't find myself wanting to chuck the book into the trash can the way I wanted to do earlier in the year.
Part of it may be the fact that the side characters were a bit more interesting, than the previous book. We have the victim's brother, who is found stabbed to death in a downstairs closet. There is the niece who felt as if her whole life was being controlled by Archer Coe. Then there is the next door neighbor, who was wooing the niece, a man Archer didn't think was good enough for her. Add in the Italian museum curator, a Chinese cook, and a D.A. who seems to share some of my annoyance of Philo, and the cast is pretty well set. One of them killed the two Coe brothers, rigged a room to make it look like a suicide, and took a fireplace poker to a scottie. I'm pretty sure the Coe brothers probably got what they deserved, but the poor dog didn't. And it's that dog, along with a doberman pincher, who makes sure that justice is done, and the killer is punished.
Overall, while I can't say I liked the book, I am willing to say I enjoyed it, well a little anyway. I'm not sure I will ever be able to forgive the author's style and ego, but I am glad that I didn't leave this book feeling the way I did earlier this year. I do think I'll always prefer the movie versions of Philo Vance, over the written. It's the movie version of this book, starring William Powell, that actually got me hooked on the idea of reading these books. I guess, with only one more book to do, that I better start finding the movies on DVD.”
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Similar Books
Save to a list
0
/30
0
/100
Private List