Drawling Detective

THE GREENE MURDER CASE--S. S. Van Dine--Scribners ($2). In a queer old mansion at 53rd Street and the East River, Manhattan, murder was as plentiful as dust under the bed. First, Julia, eldest Greene daughter, was shot in the heart in her bedroom with the lights turned on. Then, Ada, youngest and adopted Greene daughter, was shot in the back, but did not die. Then, Chester Greene was killed; then-- but that would spoil the story. Anyway, all the Greenes hated each other like poison; they were forced to live together in the old homestead with their irascible mother, by the will of their father.

Enter the solver of the murders, Philo Vance. He smokes expensive, heady cigarets. He drawls, diverts, digresses. He likes Chinese water colors and all manner of arty things. He drives his own Hispano-Suiza when he is thinking fast. He works with, but often annoys, the police. Finally, he gets the murderer by applying the theory that a painting is a greater work of skill than a photograph. Shrewd readers should be able to spot the murderer on page 330; average readers on page 339; stupid readers on page 348.

The identity of Author S. S. Van Dine has long been a mystery. One guess is that he is a famed architect living in Manhattan. Readers who like their murders raw have been annoyed by his ramblings into esthetics; but none can deny that his plots are incredibly good. His Greene Murder Case has an almost perfect culprit. His Canary Murder Case has an almost perfect climax--in a poker game.