The Kennel Murder Case: A Philo Vance Mystery

by S.S. Van Dine

Book Overview

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.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684182483
• ISBN13: 9780684182483
• Release Date: August 1984
• Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great Mystery from the Art Deco Era

If you have a chance to read the Philo Vance mysteries, do so. They are wonder old thirty-style of mysteries. One of S.S. Van Dine's most famous mysteries in the Philo Vance series is The Kennel Murder Case from which the 1933 movie was made starring William Power as Philo Vance. In the movie, it seems that William Powell is more like his Thin Man character of which he was to star later than the character Philo Vance. Philo Vance is portrayed in all the books by Van Dine as a rather cynical upper-crust sort of fellow, lounging in the era of boot leg liquor and Art Deco. Van Dine tells the story in the book by portraying himself as a character who is a close friend to Vance. Always being asked to help solve crimes by the New York police, Vance watches Van Dine solve complex and interesting murder cases.Van Dine always throws in numerous suspects. In the Kennel Murder Case, Hilda Lake is angry that her uncle, Archer Coe, refuses to loan her any more money. Coe's brother, Brisbane (very Art Deco name) hates his brother for unknown reasons. Then there is Doris Delafield who throws him out of her apartment, and (instead of the butler), there is the Chinese cook who knows and resents that Archer is selling Chinese art treasures. Then Archer Coe is found dead holding a gun in his locked bedroom by the butler. The police first report it as suicide, but then Philo Vance investigates and discovers it was a murder. But who did it, and how did do they in a locked room with no evidence of escape? There are more red herrings thrown in, more dead bodies. But Philo Vance with his advanced wit and knowledge solves the case. If you can get hold of these little gems, they are great reading.