The Chinese Orange Mystery and Wife or Death

Rating:
Summary: A shotgun divorce and a jealous DA
Review: Signet used to have an annoying habit of publishing 2-in-1 volumes of Ellery Queen - the annoyance being that while one would be a *real* Ellery Queen (featuring the eponymous character), the other usually wouldn't, as in this case. However, as my range has expanded somewhat, these "other" novels have started looking pretty good. Here I'll only review _Wife or Death_, since the system doesn't seem to have any entries for its appearances as a stand-alone book - this review's rating is for that book alone.

Jim Denton, as editor of his hometown's only newspaper, may have all the news that's fit to print, but he's well aware that the local gossips have all the rest, true or not, especially about his wife, Angel. Although her face is as childishly innocent as her name, she likes putting her gorgeous body on display during the country club costume party - not that it holds any secrets for most of the men there. What innocence she has is that of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks - believing that she's kept the whole town from knowing about her promiscuity, and even making herself believe in the great career in show business she left for Denton (only he knows that she was a stripper). The only surprise when the conversation turns to divorce on the way home from the party is that *Angel* wants out - her boredom with life in a small town would hardly lead her to another man in Denton's circle, and she's got nowhere to go if she doesn't go with someone. (The real mystery to the reader might well be why Denton didn't kick her out long ago, but it's believable from what we see of his character - he's the viewpoint character, though not in first person).

So when Denton wakes up the next morning to find her gone with a farewell note, he's only annoyed that they didn't finish thrashing out the details - and mildly surprised that her Lothario told her only to bring a small suitcase: most of her stuff was left behind. Rather than make the breakup public property, he covers her departure by saying she left on a visit - which backfires spectacularly when she's found shot dead some time later in the woods. Worse, Denton doesn't know who her most recent conquest was - the man she left him for, who killed her. And if life wasn't tough enough, the last-but-one was the District Attorney, who's so fixated on Denton as a killer that if Denton doesn't solve the murder himself, he's going to be in *real* trouble.

This is actually a pretty good novel, and almost spends more time on how Denton is coping with the murder, the town's conviction that he did it, and which of his friends are fair-weather than with the murder itself. (When the mortician asks him for the names of intimates of the deceased as pallbearers, he's human enough to indulge in a little revenge, for instance.)

Rating:
Summary: Two Good Mysteries - One With and One Without Ellery Queen
Review: This Signet Double Mystery edition (June, 1983) reprints two earlier books written under the pseudonym Ellery Queen.

The Chinese Orange Mystery (1934) is the eighth novel in the Ellery Queen canon, that is, those stories that involve Ellery Queen the sleuth, and are jointly written by the cousins Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee (using the pseudonym Ellery Queen).

Contrastingly, the second story, Wife or Death (1963), was penned by a ghostwriter, Richard Deming, authorized to use the pseudonym Ellery Queen. More importantly, Wife or Death does not involve the character Ellery Queen.

The Chinese Orange Mystery (1934): This challenging, locked room murder has a bizarre element: the victim's clothes were removed and inexplicitly the body was then redressed backwards. Likewise, the paintings in the room were hung upside down and the furniture was resituated in reverse positions. I had little success in unraveling the mystery. Ellery's deductions were brilliant.

Wife or Death (1963): Although Ellery is not present in this story, Wife or Death is surprisingly good. The well-paced plot is realistic and the ending was a surprise. The explanation was both detailed and convincing, suggesting perhaps that Dannay and Lee played a role in developing the plot structure.

Jim Denton, owner, publisher, and editor of the Ridgemore Clarion, is the prime suspect in the disappearance of his promiscuous wife. Jim has long been aware of his wife's infidelity, but he remained indecisive, avoiding a direct confrontation with Angel. When she goes missing, Jim is questioned by the police and is soon judged guilty by the town's rumor mill. The author, Richard Deming, realistically depicts Jim's changing relationship with the local community. In general, the character development is more extensive than found in most Ellery Queen (the sleuth) stories.

Some advice about the Signet Double Mystery Editions:

After Dannay and Lee jointly created the first 25 or so Ellery mysteries, they confused matters by contracting ghostwriters to create additional stories under the pseudonym Ellery Queen (and occasionally, Barnaby Ross). Notably, none of these additional mysteries involved either Ellery or his father, Inspector Richard Queen. In parallel, Dannay and Lee (as Ellery Queen) continued to write the traditional Ellery Queen stories.

In the late 1970s Signet began packaging two novels (reprints) penned by Ellery Queen in a single paperback (Signet Double Mysteries) with the catchy slogan: 2 Full Novels for Only $1.95. Sometimes both stories do involve the sleuth Ellery Queen; however, often one, or even both, of the stories were ones created by ghostwriters and Ellery is absent.

Although these Signet Double Mysteries are now becoming a bit yellowed and worn, they are still easy to find and are usually inexpensive. But look carefully, especially if you are only looking for the stories in the Ellery Queen canon.