The Door to Doom, and Other Detections

by John Dickson Carr

Book Overview

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006010628X
• ISBN13: 9780060106287
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Surprising And Entertaining Brief Mysteries

John Dickson Carr excelled at creating "impossible" crimes and then explaining how they occurred. To enjoy Carr's mysteries, you must like puzzles that have intricate solutions, and not mind that a few aspects may be difficult to follow. While Carr's solutions are clever, these mysteries were written in the 1930s to 1950s, so there may be an occasional clue that doesn't hold up in today's CSI era. Though some will disagree, Carr's most most entertaining mysteries are those that feature Sir Henry Merrivale (written under the name Carter Dickson). THE DOOR TO DOOM includes five of Carr's earliest stories, which feature Henri Bencolin; six radio plays, one featuring Dr. Gideon Fell, which are tighter (and much better) than the stage plays in "13 To The Gallows;" three stories that may or may not involve the supernatural; two very brief Sherlock Holmes parodies; and two essays. Since these works are short, there's less time for suspense to build and little character development. But you get numerous surprise endings in one book, rather than just one in the typical 200-page mystery, and many of them are very effective. The editorial comments by Douglas Greene, Carr's biographer, are also worthwhile. Carr's essay, "The Grandest Game In The World," concludes with four important rules that mystery writers should always follow in order to play fair with the reader. Surprisingly, he himself violated some of them (unfairly and incorrectly!) in some of his stories. TDTD is a must for Carr fans, and should also please others. If you're new to Carr and prefer to start with a full-length novel, try one of these Henry Merrivale mysteries: "The Curse of the Bronze Lamp," "Nine--and Death Makes Ten," "He Wouldn't Kill Patience," "A Graveyard to Let," "She Died a Lady."

Will You Make a Bet with John Dickson Carr?

Doug Greene's editorial apparatus deserves five stars, but the book as a whole is slightly disappointing, so I give it a four. The Bencolin stories preceding the French master's first appearance in novel form, aren't as good as the longer works Carr followed them up with. Apprentice stuff, hey're interesting in a way, but none are noteworthy. Odd, too, because Dickson Carr excelled at the short story; many of us prefer at least some of the Fell and Merrivale gems to the novels his sleuths appear in, and the Colonel March stories rule above all others! Greene's subsequent "collected" two volume set is the gold standard for Carr, the double decker FELL AND FOUL PLAY and MERRIVALE, MARCH AND MURDER, both cornerstone volumes of Golden Age Detection. Here, the pickings are slim. Greene boasts of the first complete printing of Carr's 1940s essay "The Grandest Game in the World," but despite the hype, it ain't "The Grandest Essay in the World,"-- in fact it's remarkably incoherent, has no real argument, just lassoes together some grumpy and belligerent opinions. And the added material, specific comments on "ten of the best" detective novels of all time, is just so-so and barely yawnworthy. Puzzling too, and I wonder how deeply Carr really felt about his selections, particularly the Sayers if, on writing an addendum 20 years later, he couldn't even remember if he had given THE NINE TAILORS or STRONG POISON the nod. And the other resuscitated piece, Carr's essay "Stand and Deliver" is pretty blah. In failing health when he undertook it, Carr attempts another round of cheers for highwaymen and blackguards, but he peters out almost in mid-thought. The cream of the book are the six radio plays. I'm beginning to think the radio plays are Carr;s finest achievement in any genre, and the six here are ace. (Wonder how they were selected, for it seems that Carr wrote literally dozens of them!) Greene shows us how "Will You Make a Bet with Death" mutated later into Carr's non-series fulllength novel THE NINE WRONG ANSWERS. It's better shorter, like most precious things. My favorites here are "The Bride Vanishes" and "The Devil in the Summer House," both written for SUSPENSE. I think I had a head start having heard MP3s of both plays on line. All in all a mixed bag of novelties, some excellent, some crumby, but Greene's commentary throughout is a solid gold Cadillac.

Try to find the 1991 edition of this book

"The Door to Doom" was first published in 1980 and reissued in 1991 as the third volume in International Polygonics's omnibus collections of John Dickson Carr's short stories. The 1991 edition differs from earlier printings in including for the first time the complete version of Carr's essay on detective fiction, "The Grandest Game in the World." John Dickson Carr began his professional writing career, at the age of twenty-five, with his Inspector Bencolin mystery novels. However, M. Bencolin first appeared in some of Carr's earlier college stories published in the school newspaper, "The Haverfordian." (It may surprise you to learn that John Dickson Carr was American). "The Door to Doom" includes four of those short stories, which began to appear in 1926. Bencolin is not quite the suave, Mephistophelian character that he becomes in his full-length novels, but his fans will still want to read these stories for Carr's meticulous set-up of the crime and his supernatural atmospheres. (Carr didn't actually resort to the supernatural to resolve his mysteries, but his brooding, neo-gothic ambience might lead the reader to expect something ghostly in the works.) I had always thought that Carr would make a very fine ghost story author if he put his hand to it, and lo-and-behold this volume also includes three of his stories of the supernatural. To tell you the truth, I was a little disappointed in them ("The Man Who Was Dead," "The Door to Doom," and "Terror's Dark Tower") because Carr insisted on explaining everything, even if the explanation did involve a dollop of the ghostly. He couldn't quite make the transition from mystery to true horror, but these three stories are still good for a shudder or two, especially "The Man Who Was Dead." If you read it, you may never want to ride the Underground again. Those of you who are old enough to have listened to episodes of that grand old radio show, "Suspense" might be interested to learn that this author also wrote for this and other radio programs. Six of his radio plays are included in "The Door to Doom," including the classic "Cabin B-13" which was later made into the movie, "Dangerous Crossing" starring Michael Rennie and Jeanne Crain. CBS also broadcast about twenty Carr plays under the title "Cabin B-13" in 1948. "In each of the episodes the ship's doctor tells of bizarre crimes, often in exotic settings..." Finally, do not neglect the two Sherlock Holmes parodies and the two essays that appear at the end of this very fine collection. Carr's thoughts on 'the grandest game in the world' (mystery writing) should be exceptionally interesting to all lovers of this genre, and he also includes his choices for the Top Ten mystery novels of all time.

Let there be a spice of terror, of dark skies and evil...

John Dickson Carr began his professional writing career, at the age of twenty-five, with his Inspector Bencolin mystery novels. However, M. Bencolin first appeared in some of Carr's earlier college stories published in the school newspaper, "The Haverfordian." (It may surprise you to learn that John Dickson Carr was American). "The Door to Doom" includes four of those short stories, which began to appear in 1926. Bencolin is not quite the suave, Mephistophelian character that he becomes in his full-length novels, but his fans will still want to read these stories for Carr's meticulous set-up of the crime and his supernatural atmospheres. (Carr didn't actually resort to the supernatural to resolve his mysteries, but his brooding, neo-gothic ambience might lead the reader to expect something ghostly in the works.) I had always thought that Carr would make a very fine ghost story author if he put his hand to it, and lo-and-behold this volume also includes three of his stories of the supernatural. To tell you the truth, I was a little disappointed in them ("The Man Who Was Dead," "The Door to Doom," and "Terror's Dark Tower") because Carr insisted on explaining everything, even if the explanation did involve a dollop of the ghostly. He couldn't quite make the transition from mystery to true horror, but these three stories are still good for a shudder or two, especially "The Man Who Was Dead." If you read it, you may never want to ride the Underground again. Those of you who are old enough to have listened to episodes of that grand old radio show, "Suspense" might be interested to learn that this author also wrote for this and other radio programs. Six of his radio plays are included in "The Door to Doom," including the classic "Cabin B-13" which was later made into the movie, "Dangerous Crossing" starring Michael Rennie and Jeanne Crain. CBS also broadcast about twenty Carr plays under the title "Cabin B-13" in 1948. "In each of the episodes the ship's doctor tells of bizarre crimes, often in exotic settings..." Finally, do not neglect the two Sherlock Holmes parodies and the two essays that appear at the end of this very fine collection. Carr's thoughts on 'the grandest game in the world' (mystery writing) should be exceptionally interesting to all lovers of this genre, and he also includes his choices for the Top Ten mystery novels of all time.