tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post5419376402802299245..comments2024-03-21T22:22:59.425-07:00Comments on Vintage Pop Fictions: Ellery Queen's The Chinese Orange Mysterydfordoomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-59121996051151650512021-01-07T06:39:47.323-08:002021-01-07T06:39:47.323-08:00[i]Egyptian Cross[/i] was not, to my 14-year-old m...[i]Egyptian Cross[/i] was not, to my 14-year-old mind when I first read it, the best of the early EQs. But I've come to love it for the unusual settings, the bizarre murder scenes, the epic multi-state chase Ellery undertakes at the climax, and the blindingly simple essential clue.Benzadmiralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16762681617545684805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-63913668932389023002017-01-15T15:07:18.700-08:002017-01-15T15:07:18.700-08:00Would you rank 'Chinese Orange' as the ver...<em>Would you rank 'Chinese Orange' as the very best of the Nationality novels? </em><br /><br /><em>The Greek Coffin Mystery</em> is pretty darned good.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-67058806879320271922017-01-15T04:18:06.778-08:002017-01-15T04:18:06.778-08:00Well, no chance of shooting a blogger. :P Anyway, ...Well, no chance of shooting a blogger. :P Anyway, I agree with your less-than-favourable take of 'Egyptian Cross'. To be fair, of the Nationality sequence, I've only read 'Roman Hat', 'French Powder', 'Dutch Shoe' and 'Egyptian Cross' - and it was definitely the weakest. Would you rank 'Chinese Orange' as the very best of the Nationality novels? <br /><br />I have heard many mixed reviews of 'Calamity Town', but enough negative ones to steer clear of it... Of the non-Nationality titles, I enjoyed 'Face to Face' and 'There was an Old Woman'. Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-82682634698843170132017-01-14T17:06:28.951-08:002017-01-14T17:06:28.951-08:00I had part of the solution to 'Chinese Orange ...<em>I had part of the solution to 'Chinese Orange Mystery' spoilt for me </em><br /><br />As John Wayne would say, I've shot men for less than that!dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-24854725587082566222017-01-14T17:05:43.898-08:002017-01-14T17:05:43.898-08:00which non-nationality Queen titles have you read, ...<em>which non-nationality Queen titles have you read, and enjoyed?</em><br /><br />The only non-nationality title I've read is <em>Calamity Town</em>, which I'm afraid I didn't like at all. I should give the later Queens another chance I guess.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-37266915527381740882017-01-14T16:30:34.572-08:002017-01-14T16:30:34.572-08:00I had part of the solution to 'Chinese Orange ...I had part of the solution to 'Chinese Orange Mystery' spoilt for me - at least, the part explaining why the corpse was dressed in that bizarre fashion. Grrrrr. <br /><br /><br />DforDoom - which non-nationality Queen titles have you read, and enjoyed? Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-23038858089112020382017-01-10T17:56:03.901-08:002017-01-10T17:56:03.901-08:00I've liked most of the early Queens. They did ...I've liked most of the early Queens. They did make a few missteps. <em>The Spanish Cape Mystery</em> has a brilliant murder method but the identity of the murderer is obvious. <em>The Chinese Orange Mystery</em> might perhaps be the most perfect - the identity of the murderer is well concealed, there are some good red herrings but it's still fair play, the murder method is ingenious and every clue that seems like it's going to be important really is important. It's outlandish but it all hangs together.<br /><br />I quite liked <em>The French Powder Mystery</em>. I loved the department store setting. I wasn't so fond of <em>The Egyptian Cross Mystery</em>.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984067990467963645.post-74847650784171647762017-01-10T06:46:37.907-08:002017-01-10T06:46:37.907-08:00In spite of my much-vaunted enthusiasm for an impo...In spite of my much-vaunted enthusiasm for an impossible crime, I've not yet read this. In order to correct that oversight I had intended to reread the entire Queen (Danny and/or Lee) canon chronologically; after struggling through The Roman Hat Mystery, I stumbled and fell about 30 pages into The French Powder Mystery...but I must go back and try again. I must!<br /><br />Just let me build up a head of steam with a run of excellent books first, and I'll be right back on track...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com