The Four of Hearts

by Ellery Queen

Book Overview

Ellery Queen's career as a screenwriter is not going well. He has been "working" at the studio for six weeks before his boss even knows he is there. Then they get drunk and come up with the idea of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: B000P7O86U
• Release Date: January 1942
• Publisher: Triangle
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Zany Characterization of Hollywood. Another Remarkable Display of Deductive Skills.

The Devil to Pay (1937), The Four of Hearts (1938), and The Origin of Evil (1951) roughly fall in Ellery Queen's middle period and are unique in that the setting is Hollywood. While the portrayal of the Hollywood film industry could not be more farfetched and inaccurate, the three stories are humorous and entertaining, and make good mysteries. The Four of Hearts is a zany sequel to The Devil to Pay. Ellery finally meets his employer, the young Jacques Butcher, colloquially known as Boy Wonder, executive vice-president of production at Magna Studios. Unfortunately, as Ellery begins his work on his first screen play, an elaborate publicity stunt for the new production is derailed by a double murder. As Ellery begins his investigation, he finds himself crossing swords again with Inspector Glucke of the Los Angeles Police Department. And perhaps what is most unexpected, Ellery himself becomes enamored with a popular, strikingly beautiful, Hollywood gossip columnist. Despite the hilarious caricature of movie stars, producers, screen writers, and gossip columnists, the murder mystery itself is still quite good and the puzzle will challenge even the astute reader. Ellery's deductions are impressive. The Four of Hearts has been reissued by HarperCollins. Sometimes an early Pocket Book edition can be found. Another possibility is a 2000 publication by Four Walls Eight Windows of the three Ellery Queen stories that take place in Hollywood under the title The Hollywood Murders.