Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780881842883
ISBN number: 0881842885
Label: Carroll & Graf Publishing houses
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishing houses
Quantity: 1
Printing Date: 1987-02
Publishing house: Carroll & Graf Publishing houses
Sale Popularity Level: 1603962
Studio: Carroll & Graf Publishing houses
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Rated by buyers 
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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, his best 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).
PANIC IN BOX C features Dr. Gideon Fell. It was written toward the end of Carr's career (1966), when he suffered from a serious illness and lost much of his enthusiasm for writing. Some strengths remain: a murderer whose identity is surprising but logical, interesting characters, the corny but amusing romance that Carr often liked to include. The setting is entertaining (a community theater). And there is 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 20 years later on pages 16-17.
Carr's often excellent attempts at humour don't work well in PIBC. One male character uses slangy/rude pet names for his girlfriend that are more embarrassing than funny. Chapter 13, which for some reason is devoted to singing college songs at a bar, is a waste of time in a book that is already somewhat too long. The motive is less startling than other Carr mysteries. As is often the case, the method is somewhat of a stretch. (You have to be a bit forgiving with a Carr mystery.) And some ideas are recycled from previous works, such as the nicknames Punch and Judy, one character's personality flaw, and the importance of a crossbow.
PIBC is probably worth your time if you're a devoted Carr fan, but the very first three Gideon Fell mysteries--"Hag's Nook," "The Mad Hatter Mystery," and "The Eight of Swords"--are much better. So are Carr's Sir Henry Merrivale mysteries.
Rated by buyers -
One of the later, weaker Dr. Gideon Fell novels. The great detetcive is not much more than a shovel-hat and canes in the background. The magic of the great novels is missing. All we have here are the props of a mystery play. The story for the most part takes place in a theatre with a bevy of actors and actresses running around and doing Romeo and Juliet. I thought that the wrap-up in chapter 20 was pretty good even though the rest of the story was plodding. The supernatural element that of course turns out to be false in Carr's mysteries is missing except for a "goblin" mask that is not very effective or frightening to anyone. There is a ton of dialogue padding and some funny drunken bar scenes that are not really that funny. All of Carr's elements are trotted out on to the stage, but the scenes are for the most part dull and forgettable. An old Sherlock Holmes stage play starring Wiilliam Gillete plays a key role, so this one will be interesting to Holmes fans. If you happen to be an expert on Sherlock Holmes, you might even guess the ending!
Rated by buyers 
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This is a Gidéon Fell mystery with a theatre related plot.There is a great number of digressions.The gimmick is good,but it is quite similar to the one used in a previous March mystery (the silver curtain).It is also similar to the gimmick of the second murder in "les sept merveilles du crime" from Paul Halter ( for the ones who read French mystery writers ).I will recommend this book for the fans of the author:they will find a lot of remarks refering to the private life of the author.But it's not the J.D. Carr of the golden age.
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