A whodunit that "presents a good puzzle, and that, according to Mr. Vance and his tens of thousands of readers, is what murder mystery books are for" (The New York Times).
No question, The Dragon Murder Case showcases Our Philo at his most supremely irritating. The book is set at a Manhattan mansion complete with picturesque pool. Into that pool dives Sanford Montague, never to be seen again. Fools rush to blame the supernatural, noting that the "Dragon Pool," is supposedly home to a monster known to the Lenape Indians. Philo's not so sure: He is (of course) an expert on both dragons and the Lenape Indians, with a sort of sideline expertise in pools and fish.
It is tempting to agree with Ogden Nash, that "Philo Vance needs a kick in the pance": and by the time you reach the end of Dragon, you will almost certainly want to point your boot at his posterior. But you will have had a swell time getting there, and we've got a crisp greenback that says you'll be chuckling too hard to aim.
