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Author John Dickson Carr booklist (click here)

Book Review By Jack Goodstein
The Problem of the Wire Cage by John Dickson Carr

Frank Dorrance was found strangled in the middle of wet sand tennis court surrounded by a wire cage. There are no footprints other than his own and some others demonstrated to have been made long after the murder around his body. Dr. Gideon Fell has to figure out not only who the murderer is, but how it was done as well.

Suspects include Dorrance's fiancé, Brenda White, who is in love with another man; Hugh Rowland, the other man; a young woman who has been having an affair with Dorrance and an old boyfriend of hers.

When the boyfriend, who is an acrobat, is shot in a theatre after it is suspected that he has photographs of the murder, Fell has a second killing to solve.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Special suspect? - lover
Kind of investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Race

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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