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The Roman Hat Mystery

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About this listen

Despite the dismal Broadway season, Gunplay continues to draw crowds. A gangland spectacle, it's packed to the gills with action, explosions, and gunfire. In fact, Gunplay is so loud that no one notices the killing of Monte Field. In a sold-out theater, Field is found dead partway through the second act, surrounded by empty seats. The police hold the crowd and call for the one man who can untangle this daring murder: Inspector Richard Queen. With the help of his son Ellery, a bibliophile and novelist whose imagination can solve any crime, the Inspector attacks this seemingly impenetrable mystery. Anyone in the theater could have killed the unscrupulous lawyer, and several had the motive. Only Ellery Queen, in his debut novel, can decipher the clue of the dead man's missing top hat.

©2013 Ellery Queen (P)2013 AudioGO Amateur Sleuths Mystery Traditional Detectives Fiction Detective Theatre Crime Murder
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all the clues are there. the situation is one room in most of the story. the story while of its time does has gross level of racism at the end which sours the whole storm

one star removed for no racist content warning

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Wonderful as a retrospective on Ellery Queen’s first novel but not as a stand-alone period contemporary piece. Like reading the Moonstone today. Not thrilling but slow and ponderous.

A bit dated

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This is the first work i have ever read by Ellery Queen and i won't hurry to read another. i found the style truly laborious and feel the conclusions reached might have occurred much sooner. It is also a book very much of its time - nothing wrong with that in my opinion but some readers might be offended by some of the prejudiced attitudes of that time.

A bit of a slog

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The racist and crudely inaccurate genetics references of the last chapter are only a reflection of the times that the novel describes. The social and demographic conventions that the book assumes in its narrative are bizarre to modern ears. The soggy sentimentality of the father son relationship lacks plausibility.
Nevertheless, the story is original and retained my interest. i don't regret listening to it - but, wouldn't do it again.

A novel of its time; sadly.

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narrator very good at presenting all the characters with obvious personalities particularly Richard Queen but also minor actors. But the plot is obvious from the start followed by much discussion, much "going over it" and little to show for it. it was very obvious where the darned hat was right away, but this was only "discovererd" in the final few chapters. it was obvious who the murderer was too although his part was very small. Light plot, too much padding. Could leave it reading on Alexa go and make supper and come back 20 minutes later with no change. I'm glad I got it "free" ..... with my SUB.

So slow and clues screaming obvious

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