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Rating: 
Summary: Taut, amusing, albeit predictable thriller.
Review: After reading The Bishop Murder Case a definite pattern is
detectable as to whom the killer (or killers) will be. Van Dine
likes to direct suspicion to the least savory (and most likely) of suspects and then surprise the reader when the suspect is eliminated from being the potential cuprit. This tactic is excusable because of the clever way Van Dine creates the seemingly perfect murders. He also jettisons character development by having the narrator (Vance's sidekick Van) give
his personal analysis of each of the stories protagonists and
seldom allows any other traits reveal themselves through action and dialogue. That is, all of the protagonists except Philo
Vance himself (the real reason to spend the time to read these whodunnits - many of which are hard to obtain) who in spite
of Van's attempts to reign him in and define him is in vain, because of Vance's lackadasical intensity in solving seemingly impossible crimes and his weird colloquialisms and abbreviated take on English.
Rating: 
Summary: Vance As Brainy Bertie Wooster Plays Detective....
Review: If you can manage through some truly loathesome characters in a really dysfunctional family (all grown up, no less), then you'll really enjoy this twisted murder story about various very spoiled family members in 1920's upper crust east side NYC. The hilites include some nice scenes in the big city, and witty and amusing dialogue, not to mention some estoric comments on art and criminalogy by the intrepid Vance, who is not as "obnoxious" as ofen made out,plus interesting medical treatments at the time. DA Markman and his underlings also provide some near comic relief to a really gruesome story. The culprit was not too hard to figure for an old mystery fan like me, but all in all a solid and thoughtful whodunnit from the old school! Van Dine is today a very underrated expert at the old classic mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Philo Vance and The Dark And Stormy Night
Review: The Greene Murder Case is my favorite S.S. Van Dine book, and not just because it was the first of his series that I read.Reading this book is like viewing a fabulous black and white movie from the 1930's.It has everything--a dark,brooding mansion,a cast of dark,brooding suspects,mood-setting snowstorms, murder, many, many dark and stormy nights, a dark library filled with dusty tomes lit only by a guttering candle! What more could a mystery lover ask? Even though Vance's pretentious banter gets tiring, they just don't write 'em like this anymore. Sigh.
Rating:
Summary: Classis source of many cliches
Review: There is a lot to dislike about S S Van Dine and Philo Vance, the main influence on the creation of many other Golden Age detectives, but in this book we see all the things to like. Fiendishly clever, good atmosphere, and Vance is not too far over the top. Also very good is the Bishop Murder Case.
Rating:
Summary: Who did the Greene Family In?
Review: This book was supposed to be last the trilogy with the Benson Murder and Canary Murder being the first two. The first book was to be about a single man, the second book on a couple, and this book on a family.The plot involves the murders of family members of the Greene family. It grows to be rather convoluted because at the end there are only two suspects left, and Philo Vance stays up an entire night figuring out which one of them actually was the murderer. Still it was a fun read of the old school of detectives, and I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Who did the Greene Family In?
Review: This book was supposed to be last the trilogy with the Benson Murder and Canary Murder being the first two. The first book was to be about a single man, the second book on a couple, and this book on a family. The plot involves the murders of family members of the Greene family. It grows to be rather convoluted because at the end there are only two suspects left, and Philo Vance stays up an entire night figuring out which one of them actually was the murderer. Still it was a fun read of the old school of detectives, and I recommend it highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Great thriller, highly insufficient detective fiction!
Review: This novel tells a gruesome mass murder in the Greene Mansion where five grown-up Greene children-- one of which was adopted-- lived with their invalid mother and were frequently visited by their family doctor. An insider job became apparent when the 2nd victim were shot dead. After many bluffs and boasts, Vance finally picked out the culprit when only 2 of the Greene family were still alive. Great thriller, but highly insufficient as a detective fiction! Although I never equal originality to greatness, van Dine apparently read a lot of crime literatures when he was confined to bed, as all the murders found their origins in Greene's criminology library. I just hope he wasn't the prototype of the whining Ms. Greene, whose complaints made the Greene Mansion a living hell.
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