2007 Book 12 - The Night of the Wolf

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Regardless or not whether you are the fan of impossible crime, you MUST collect this book. This is one of the best read of detective story, at least for the year of 2007!

This book is packed with imaginative impossible crime, genius detection, fair clues and a (simple but clever) solution.


Consist of 10 short stories, 9 of them are impossible crime type. 



Paul Halter's writing is nice, easy to understand. His descrption on the building, environment is really easy to follow. Try to compare to earlier Carr's work, you may need to read a few times to understand what Carr is trying to say. 

Here are the 10 stories and my comment (no spoiler):

 

 

Title	Crime	Comment
The Abominable Snowman	The witness swore that he saw a snowman attacked the victim with a bayonet	Ingenious story. You will kick yourself when the solution is revealed. Simple but clever. Fairly clued. Everything fit nicely.
The Dead Dance At Night	When sealed crypt which has been undisturbed for many years was opened, the coffin was found in complete disarray, the occupants were not in their own coffin.	Wonderful. You will be surprise to see how simple why the coffins were in disorder. The clue is really right in front of you. An ingenious method indeed.
The Call of the Lorelei	Man was drowned in the lake. No other footprint was visible on the snow except his. Was it really an accident or a murder?	Wonderful! Again, the clue is just right in front of you!
The Golden Ghost	There was a ghost in gold that is always after this little girl. Sometime it is there, sometime it is not. Is there really such thing as Golden Ghost that follow you?	This one is slightly far–fetched. Improbable! Don’t tell me the witness can’t really differentiate that thing with something so common in real life (I hope this not a spoiler)
The Tunnel of Death	Victim was shot in the escalator where he was being monitored all the way.	OK, the idea of this how-dun-it is something original. However I really wonder can it really being implemented in the real life.
The Cleaver	A murder was committed the exactly the same way as the victim’s friend saw in his dream.	Another masterpiece. Again, you will really kick yourself on the solution. You will yell “of course! Or how else it could be”    The ending is really funny.
The Flower Girl	The track of sleigh appears from no where in the undisturbed snow. And it disappears to nowhere after a short track mark. Could it be that there is a really a Santa clause came with sleigh with deers that can fly?	The crime was really wonderful. Readers would scratch their head to figure out how the track was formed. However the solution was a slight let down to me. Don’t tell me the police can’t trace anything on that.
Rippermania	A few young girls were being murdered cruelly. Who is the murderer that mimics Jack the Ripper?	No impossible crime. As a mature reader, you would be able to guess the denouements
Murder in Cognac	The author is dead by poisoning where there is no possible method to put in the poison.	The poison method is not easily guess but it is not really stunning.
The Night of the Wolf	The victim was claimed to be assault by a werewolf. On the scene, there was only the foot print of the victim and a dog-like creature.	The foot print method was quite cool! (Sorry, I can’t find a proper word) and is convincing. I like this story.