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A Room To Die in
A schoolteacher fights to prove that her father’s suicide was actually murderAnn hasn’t seen her mother in 3 years, and she doesn’t miss her at all. But without warning, Elaine shows up on her daughter’s doorstep, dead broke and hungry for scotch. Ann’s father has just come into an inheritance, and Elaine wants every penny. After a few drinks, she stumbles on her way. A month later, Ann has nearly forgotten her mother’s visit—until a policeman shows up to announce that her father is dead. He was found in his study, the windows shut, the doors locked from the inside. There was a .38 beside him on the floor and a note on the desk suggesting blackmail. The police are convinced that he took his own life, but Ann is certain her father was murdered—and she’ll risk her neck to find out who killed him.
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1965
About the author
Ellery Queen
1,635 books448 followersaka Barnaby Ross.
"Ellery Queen" was a pen name created and shared by two cousins, Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905-1971), as well as the name of their most famous detective. Born in Brooklyn, they spent forty two years writing, editing, and anthologizing under the name, gaining a reputation as the foremost American authors of the Golden Age "fair play" mystery.
Although eventually famous on television and radio, Queen's first appearance came in 1928 when the cousins won a mystery-writing contest with the book that would eventually be published as The Roman Hat Mystery. Their character was an amateur detective who used his spare time to assist his police inspector father in solving baffling crimes. Besides writing the Queen novels, Dannay and Lee cofounded Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, one of the most influential crime publications of all time. Although Dannay outlived his cousin by nine years, he retired Queen upon Lee's death.
Several of the later "Ellery Queen" books were written by other authors, including Jack Vance, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon.
"Ellery Queen" was a pen name created and shared by two cousins, Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905-1971), as well as the name of their most famous detective. Born in Brooklyn, they spent forty two years writing, editing, and anthologizing under the name, gaining a reputation as the foremost American authors of the Golden Age "fair play" mystery.
Although eventually famous on television and radio, Queen's first appearance came in 1928 when the cousins won a mystery-writing contest with the book that would eventually be published as The Roman Hat Mystery. Their character was an amateur detective who used his spare time to assist his police inspector father in solving baffling crimes. Besides writing the Queen novels, Dannay and Lee cofounded Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, one of the most influential crime publications of all time. Although Dannay outlived his cousin by nine years, he retired Queen upon Lee's death.
Several of the later "Ellery Queen" books were written by other authors, including Jack Vance, Avram Davidson, and Theodore Sturgeon.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 28, 2024
A Room to Die In is a 167 page mystery novel that was first published in 1965 by Pocket Books. It is also known under the title Death of a Solitary Chess Player. The author, Ellery Queen, is actually the famous science fiction writer Jack Vance. The story has a unique, complex and unpredictable plot and should please Vance fans or those interested in well written, intriguing murder mysteries. The novel was later released in 2006 as a supplement to the Vance Integral Edition under the title “Death of a Solitary Chess Player.” That VIE book was published as a leather bound very limited release collector’s item. All releases except the VIE were heavily edited. The VIE edition is the only one approved by Vance but it is very rare and expensive so most readers will need to purchase one of the used editions or borrow a library copy. (My out of print 1975 Signet edition has larger print than most mass market paperbacks.)
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Unusual for Vance, we have a stand alone main character who is a woman. Ann Nelson lives alone in San Francisco where she teaches second graders. Her parents, who were never married, separated and abandoned Ann to be raised by her grandmother when she was only two. Ann does not really like her father and tries to avoid her hypochondriac, emotionally unstable and self-absorbed mother who lives in Southern California. Although she has not seen her for three years, Ann's mother, Elaine, suddenly appears at her apartment, informing her that Ann's father just inherited a large sum of money. Elaine wants the father's address because he "has come into money, and I want what he owes me--which is great." Ann provides her with this address and Elaine abruptly leaves.
Ann does not hear back from her mother but does receive a visit from the police several months later informing her that her father has died. Her father, a reclusive, difficult, irresponsible, self centered, sculptor and chess player, recently married a wealthy woman who subsequently died in a car accident only six months after the marriage. Her father was found dead in a room that was tightly bolted and securely locked from the inside, so the police assume that he shot himself. A partially burned note found in the fireplace appears to suggest that he was being blackmailed. Ann doesn't believe her father would ever commit suicide, but when she suggests murder to the police, it is pointed out that she appears to be the only person who would profit from her father's death because she will inherit his fortune. After viewing the room her father died in, Ann does agree that it seems impossible for any killer to have left the room. But then things begin to get complicated as Ann's mother can't be located and Ann begins to discover things that don't make sense.
The story is written with Vance's usual skill and portrays a number of interesting, lively characters such as a master chess player, a rather sleazy investigating officer, and a book dealer who wants to claim at least part of the inheritance for himself because he is a cousin to the deceased wife. But the main attraction of the novel is the clever, enigmatic plot that unfolds like a game of chess. I found A Room to Die In to be enjoyable to read and quite intriguing. I’ve read it twice so far and rated it a 4 “Really liked it.”
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Unusual for Vance, we have a stand alone main character who is a woman. Ann Nelson lives alone in San Francisco where she teaches second graders. Her parents, who were never married, separated and abandoned Ann to be raised by her grandmother when she was only two. Ann does not really like her father and tries to avoid her hypochondriac, emotionally unstable and self-absorbed mother who lives in Southern California. Although she has not seen her for three years, Ann's mother, Elaine, suddenly appears at her apartment, informing her that Ann's father just inherited a large sum of money. Elaine wants the father's address because he "has come into money, and I want what he owes me--which is great." Ann provides her with this address and Elaine abruptly leaves.
Ann does not hear back from her mother but does receive a visit from the police several months later informing her that her father has died. Her father, a reclusive, difficult, irresponsible, self centered, sculptor and chess player, recently married a wealthy woman who subsequently died in a car accident only six months after the marriage. Her father was found dead in a room that was tightly bolted and securely locked from the inside, so the police assume that he shot himself. A partially burned note found in the fireplace appears to suggest that he was being blackmailed. Ann doesn't believe her father would ever commit suicide, but when she suggests murder to the police, it is pointed out that she appears to be the only person who would profit from her father's death because she will inherit his fortune. After viewing the room her father died in, Ann does agree that it seems impossible for any killer to have left the room. But then things begin to get complicated as Ann's mother can't be located and Ann begins to discover things that don't make sense.
The story is written with Vance's usual skill and portrays a number of interesting, lively characters such as a master chess player, a rather sleazy investigating officer, and a book dealer who wants to claim at least part of the inheritance for himself because he is a cousin to the deceased wife. But the main attraction of the novel is the clever, enigmatic plot that unfolds like a game of chess. I found A Room to Die In to be enjoyable to read and quite intriguing. I’ve read it twice so far and rated it a 4 “Really liked it.”
April 22, 2019
Ellery Queen fans know that the author's name is a pseudonym created by Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee. Late in their career, the cousins allowed some crime novels, not using Queen as the protagonist, to be written by ghostwriters. According to Wikipedia, "A Room to Die In" is such a book, actually written by science-fiction writer Jack Vance.
Ann Nelson leads an uninspiring life as a school teacher in San Francisco, until notified her father has committed suicide. Not close to either of her estranged parents, she still is unable to believe her stubborn and vital father would voluntarily give up life. That he died inside a locked room makes no difference to her - it seems that there must have been something more involved. As she becomes more entrenched in his estate, she discovers there are several parties who may have been interested in helping him meet his demise - but that locked room makes it seem unlikely. And yet, something seems off, especially when other bodies turn up.
Even though the book is by someone other than the "real" Ellery Queen - it's still a tight and well written story. As with most Ellery Queens, I had no solid feel for the perpetrator and enjoyed the solution.
There were two hints, though, that this wasn't written by the cousins: it was based on the west coast (a pleasant change with nice descriptions of the bay area, but not the norm from EQ), and the police detective assigned to the case was abrasive and often offended the people around him. EQ may have come up with immature, and love interests may have misbehaved, but I don't recall characters ever being offensive. Still, a good story with an interesting twist.
Ann Nelson leads an uninspiring life as a school teacher in San Francisco, until notified her father has committed suicide. Not close to either of her estranged parents, she still is unable to believe her stubborn and vital father would voluntarily give up life. That he died inside a locked room makes no difference to her - it seems that there must have been something more involved. As she becomes more entrenched in his estate, she discovers there are several parties who may have been interested in helping him meet his demise - but that locked room makes it seem unlikely. And yet, something seems off, especially when other bodies turn up.
Even though the book is by someone other than the "real" Ellery Queen - it's still a tight and well written story. As with most Ellery Queens, I had no solid feel for the perpetrator and enjoyed the solution.
There were two hints, though, that this wasn't written by the cousins: it was based on the west coast (a pleasant change with nice descriptions of the bay area, but not the norm from EQ), and the police detective assigned to the case was abrasive and often offended the people around him. EQ may have come up with immature, and love interests may have misbehaved, but I don't recall characters ever being offensive. Still, a good story with an interesting twist.
October 2, 2023
"Φόνος στο κλειστό δωμάτιο", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.
Βαθμολογία: 7/10
Συγγραφέας του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου, το οποίο έγραψε με το συλλογικό ψευδώνυμο Έλερι Κο��ίν, είναι ο εξαιρετικός συγγραφέας βιβλίων φαντασίας και επιστημονικής φαντασίας, Τζακ Βανς. Τον Μάιο του 2020 είχα διαβάσει το πολύ καλό "Ο τρελός δολοφόνος" του ίδιου, που έγραψε επίσης με το ψευδώνυμο Έλερι Κουίν, οπότε αυτό είναι το δεύτερο δικό του σε αυτή τη σειρά βιβλίων. Χμ, οφείλω να πω ότι δεν ξετρελάθηκα αυτή τη φορά. Όχι ότι δεν πέρασα καλά και ότι γενικά δεν μου άρεσε, αλίμονο, ήταν αρκούντως ενδιαφέρον και καλογραμμένο και με κράτησε μέχρι το τέλος με την ωραία του ατμόσφαιρα, απλά μου φάνηκε κάπως ισχνό σε περιεχόμενο, το μυστήριο όχι και τόσο καθηλωτικό, ενώ η λύση δεν με έπεισε απόλυτα και τη βρήκα κάπως τραβηγμένη, αν και σίγουρα είχε το ενδιαφέρον της και ένα κάποιο στοιχείο έκπληξης, πάντα απαραίτητο σε τέτοιου είδους βιβλία. Γενικά, μια καλούτσικη ιστορία μυστηρίου με ορισμένα προτερήματα, αλλά δεν κάνει και τη διαφορά στο είδος, ούτε στο τέλος αφήνει κατάπληκτο τον αναγνώστη. Πάντως, είναι ό,τι πρέπει για να περάσει γρήγορα και ευχάριστα η ώρα.
Βαθμολογία: 7/10
Συγγραφέας του συγκεκριμένου βιβλίου, το οποίο έγραψε με το συλλογικό ψευδώνυμο Έλερι Κο��ίν, είναι ο εξαιρετικός συγγραφέας βιβλίων φαντασίας και επιστημονικής φαντασίας, Τζακ Βανς. Τον Μάιο του 2020 είχα διαβάσει το πολύ καλό "Ο τρελός δολοφόνος" του ίδιου, που έγραψε επίσης με το ψευδώνυμο Έλερι Κουίν, οπότε αυτό είναι το δεύτερο δικό του σε αυτή τη σειρά βιβλίων. Χμ, οφείλω να πω ότι δεν ξετρελάθηκα αυτή τη φορά. Όχι ότι δεν πέρασα καλά και ότι γενικά δεν μου άρεσε, αλίμονο, ήταν αρκούντως ενδιαφέρον και καλογραμμένο και με κράτησε μέχρι το τέλος με την ωραία του ατμόσφαιρα, απλά μου φάνηκε κάπως ισχνό σε περιεχόμενο, το μυστήριο όχι και τόσο καθηλωτικό, ενώ η λύση δεν με έπεισε απόλυτα και τη βρήκα κάπως τραβηγμένη, αν και σίγουρα είχε το ενδιαφέρον της και ένα κάποιο στοιχείο έκπληξης, πάντα απαραίτητο σε τέτοιου είδους βιβλία. Γενικά, μια καλούτσικη ιστορία μυστηρίου με ορισμένα προτερήματα, αλλά δεν κάνει και τη διαφορά στο είδος, ούτε στο τέλος αφήνει κατάπληκτο τον αναγνώστη. Πάντως, είναι ό,τι πρέπει για να περάσει γρήγορα και ευχάριστα η ώρα.
June 22, 2019
Ho letto questo romanzo in un giorno solo, in quanto abbastanza breve. Devo dire che mi ha assieme stupito e deluso: stupito per quanto riguarda la soluzione della camera chiusa, che ho trovato deliziosa, a cui si poteva arrivare con gli indizi trovati da Ann; deluso, invece per la narrazione abbastanza piatta, personaggi non molto delineati (persino la protagonista mi è sembrata abbastanza stilizzata), e per una polizia che non è tale per varie ragioni, tra cui, prima di tutto il fatto che consideri la morte di Roland un suicidio senza eseguire indagini di routine (per esempio non si sa nulla sulla pistola, se fosse della vittima o meno). Una piacevole lettura ma al tirar delle somme non supera le tre stelle per me.
July 21, 2021
I am pretty sure this is my first book by Ellery Queen and it was great fun. This book is about a suicide that is pretty hard to believe. The verdict of suicide seems pretty much a sure thing because the victim was in a locked room. Locked from the inside. He's not a very likable person but his heir just has a hard time accepting his death as a suicide.
May 19, 2018
Listened to this on audiobook. Was totally drawn in, wasn't sure I liked many of the characters, but still found myself caring about the plot and the outcome of the story. The locked room death is solved in an ingenious way, which I did not see coming ... even given the clues.
July 12, 2019
Dated. Insulting. Patronizing. But that is 1965 for you.
I didn't like the characters, and but the story was interesting enough for me to finish it.
Not really my genre, so I suspect I just don't get it.
I didn't like the characters, and but the story was interesting enough for me to finish it.
Not really my genre, so I suspect I just don't get it.
January 28, 2017
"Death of a Solitary Chessman" was published by Ellery Queen as "A Room to Die In." I could not put the book down. So great a whodunit.
November 11, 2017
Good story. Non-series (Ellery & the rest are not in it)
December 3, 2017
Good solid Ellery Queen. Clever solution to the locked room problem.
October 29, 2012
I picked this book up at a used book sale as I remember reading Ellery Queen when I was younger. Mysteries are my comfort books but I couldn't get past the first chapter as none of the characters were sympathetic and the set up read more like a romance novel than a mystery. The main character is a poor schoolteacher who doesn't seem to find any pleasure in her life, then her mother shows up who's an awful character and then her father is found dead.
The mystery seemed interesting, a classic locked room set up, but within a few pages of their meeting, the detective was trying to ask her out on a date. It took me completely out of the story and I ended up putting it down and I don't plan on picking it up again. The quality of the writing isn't bad, but the combination of characters and set-up didn't work for me.
The mystery seemed interesting, a classic locked room set up, but within a few pages of their meeting, the detective was trying to ask her out on a date. It took me completely out of the story and I ended up putting it down and I don't plan on picking it up again. The quality of the writing isn't bad, but the combination of characters and set-up didn't work for me.
December 11, 2012
Don't normally read much crime but as a Jack Vance fan this was a must. It didn't fail to disappoint as it is worth reading merely for the characterization and descriptive passages. Otherwise its a neat little mystery story.
July 22, 2009
Ghost written. Vance did one , Sturgeon did a couple, probably more. That's the ones with Ellery Queen as the protagonist. All other character novels were ghosted.
April 9, 2013
This is Jack Vance under a pseudonym. Still his genius and punctilious sense of detail shine through in a clever locked room mystery story which can be read simply for the beauty of his language.
August 11, 2015
Great compact little mystery (reminded me of Perry Mason.) A timeless classic. I'll definitely be reading more Ellery Queen in the future.
May 15, 2013
I love Ellery Queen mysteries!
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October 15, 2017A Room to Die del 1965 è un apocrifo scritto dal popolare autore di fantascienza Jack Vance.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews