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[edting]

I grabbed this off the shelf to read on a plane. It's generally regarded as one of the better AC novels, and I was looking forward to a break from all the Ellery Queen books.

The concept is that most of us think of a murder as a beginning of something, but it's really the end of a series of events. These events can build from a point years in advance. As such, the murder happens at the end of the book, and is quickly solved.

Several guests are invited to the seaside home of an elderly bedridden rich woman. Among these are the handsome tennis star Nevile, his second wife Kay, and his first wife Audrey. This must have been considered scandalous back in 1944 because the book spends a *lot* of time talking about this. Apparently in some parts of 1944 England divorce was considered taboo. And my word, to have the man's two wives in the same house at the same time!! Where is society going?!!

Despite the dated ideas, it's a well done book. There are enough twists to keep you guessing and there are a couple of false endings.

Ellery Queen took pains to write "fair play" mysteries. All the clues needed to solve the mystery are in plain sight. AC doesn't adhere to this, as vital plot secrets are often withheld from the reader until the very end. EQ challenges the reader, AC invites you along for the ride.