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Excellent Biography of John Dickson Carr (Carter Dickson)

Customer Rating:

John Dickson Carr excelled at creating "impossible" crimes and then explaining how they occurred. To enjoy Carr's mysteries, you must like puzzles that have intricate solutions, and not mind that a few aspects may be difficult to follow. While Carr's solutions are clever, these mysteries were written in the 1930s to 1950s, so there may be an occasional clue that doesn't hold up in today's CSI era. Though some will disagree, Carr's most entertaining mysteries are those that feature Sir Henry Merrivale (written under the name Carter Dickson). JOHN DICKSON CARR: THE MAN WHO EXPLAINED MIRACLES is the definitive biography of Carr. Fans of Sir Henry Merrivale and Dr. Gideon Fell will enjoy the excellent analyses of Carr's works, including weaknesses as well as strengths. And these analyses can help you decide which of Carr's works to buy and which to avoid. (Of course, you may disagree with a few of Greene's evaluations. He loved "The Three Coffins" and "The Burning Court;" I disliked the former and hated the latter.) On the infrequent occasions when Greene has to reveal a surprise ending in order to make his point, he warns you with four asterisks and the next sentence in boldface, so you can skip that paragraph if you haven't read the book. It is interesting to observe how some of what Carr wrote paralleled events in his life. Greene's biography has been criticized for treading lightly on some aspects (e.g., Carr's alcoholism). But many personal details are included, so this is at worst a minor flaw. Greene's scholarship about Carr's works is outstanding, and includes one fact I was pleased to learn: Although the bittersweet ending to "He Who Whispers" predicts the imminent death of a (single) character I really liked, Carr gave her a reprieve by mentioning her as happily married in a mystery he wrote 20 years later. Highly recommended.