The Benson Murder Case

By S.S. Van Dine

Book Overview

The FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CRIME CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library of classic crime and mystery thrillers. Each stunning unabridged edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges.

The first best-selling title in S.S. Van Dine's series of Philo Vance detective mysteries, The Benson Murder Case (1926), was inspired by the real-life unsolved murder of Joseph Bowne Elwell (1873-1920) in which the victim was shot from within his locked house. Intellectual dandy and amateur sleuth Vance - 'a man of unusual culture and brilliance' - finds the case of murdered playboy stockbroker Alvin Benson fascinating, the missing toupee and false teeth being especially curious... Vance kindly comes to the aid of his friend District Attorney Markham and sets about tracking down the killer using his cerebral powers of deduction in contrast to the short-sighted methods of the police.

A specially commissioned biography of the author and a glossary of Victorian and Literary terms make this new edition essential for all classic crime fans

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1839641576
• ISBN13: 9781839641572
• Release Date: May 2020
• Publisher: Flame Tree Collectable Classics
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 3.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Philo Vance is a character I've heard of...

From a familiarity with old black & white movies. This literary mystery, first published in 1926 is set in New York. As I progressed through the suspects with D.A. Markham, his staff & his astute friend, Vance I found I sometimes became as impatient as Markham with Vance. Characters were well developed, settings with detailed descriptions & action interesting. This IS a 'vintage' murder mystery, detailed, descriptive & at...

The First of the Philo Vance Mysteries

This book is the first of Van Dine's mysteries, and it introduces Van Dine's sleuth, Philo Vance. Vance is a wealthy, but rather cynical, connoisseur in the arts and finer things of life. He has another hobby, though, helping the New York assistant district attorney solve complex murders. This book focuses more on Philo Vance, showing the reader what to expect in the mysteries to follow. S.S. Van Dine, whose real name was...

A Simpler New York City

S.S. Van Dine is a pseudonym for Willard Huntington Wright. THE BENSON MURDER CASE is the first Philo Vance mystery. Vance is an amateur detective and young aristocrat who is a close friend of the new District Attorney, John F.X. Markham. Vance mentions to Markham that he may enjoy going with him on a murder investigation. When Alvin Benson is found slain, Markham invites Vance to join him while he inspects the crime scene...