The Bishop Murder Case A Philo Vance Detective Story

This early work by S. S. Van Dine was originally published in 1928 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introduction. 'The Bishop Murder Case' is one of Van Dine's novels of crime and mystery. S. S. Van Dine was born Willard Huntington Wright in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1888. He attended St. Vincent College, Pomona College and Harvard University, but failed to graduate, leaving to cultivate contacts he had made in the literary world. At the age of twenty-one, Wright began his professional writing career as literary editor of the Los Angeles Times. In 1926, Wright published his first S. S. Van Dine novel, The Benson Murder Case. Wright went on to write eleven more mysteries. The first few books about his upper-class amateur sleuth, Philo Vance, were so popular that Wright became wealthy for the first time in his life. His later books declined in popularity as the reading public's tastes in mystery fiction changed, but during the late twenties and early thirties his work was very successful.

'The perfect sleuth for the Jazz Age' CRIMEREADS 'Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine' NEW YORK TIMES 'Probably the most asinine character in detective fiction' RAYMOND CHANDLER __________ In one of the most well-known classic American puzzle mysteries, amateur detective Philo Vance must solve a baffling series of murders based on nursery rhymes A series of gruesome murders has left the glittering world of Jazz Age Manhattan in shock. With each new victim, the ruthless killer known only as 'The Bishop' sends taunting notes to the press, driving New York's District Attorney to summon the only man up to the task: the brilliant and debonair detective, Philo Vance. With his razor-sharp intellect and impeccable style, Vance sets out to track down the killer, and soon uncovers a dark pattern to the murders. From the lavish mansions of the elite to the gritty underworld of speakeasies, Vance must outwit The Bishop at every turn. Can he crack the case before more lives are claimed, or will he become the killer's next target?

The Bishop Murder Case is the fourth in a series of mystery novels by S. S. Van Dine about fictional detective Philo Vance. The detective solves a mystery built around a nursery rhyme. The Bishop Murder Case is believed to be the first nursery-rhyme mystery book.

Philo Vance is a stylish, even foppish dandy, a New York dilettante and bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual bent he likes to use for solving some quite complicated crimes. His methods are unusual and often in contradiction to the firm police rules and official requirements, but his wit always gets him a step further. Philo Vance novels were chronicled by his friend Van Dine, who appears as a kind of Dr. Watson figure in the books. Table of Contents: Introduction Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories The Philo Vance Series The Benson Murder Case The Canary Murder Case The Greene Murder Case The Bishop Murder Case The Scarab Murder Case The Kennel Murder Case The Dragon Murder Case The Casino Murder Case The Garden Murder Case The Kidnap Murder Case The Gracie Allen Murder Case The Winter Murder Case S. S. Van Dine is the pseudonym used by American art critic Willard Huntington Wright when he wrote detective novels. He was an important figure in avant-garde cultural circles in pre-WWI New York, and under the pseudonym he created the immensely popular fictional detective Philo Vance.

This early work by S. S. Van Dine was originally published in 1928 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introduction. 'The Greene Murder Case' is one of Van Dine's novels of crime and mystery. S. S. Van Dine was born Willard Huntington Wright in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1888. He attended St. Vincent College, Pomona College and Harvard University, but failed to graduate, leaving to cultivate contacts he had made in the literary world. At the age of twenty-one, Wright began his professional writing career as literary editor of the Los Angeles Times. In 1926, Wright published his first S. S. Van Dine novel, The Benson Murder Case. Wright went on to write eleven more mysteries. The first few books about his upper-class amateur sleuth, Philo Vance, were so popular that Wright became wealthy for the first time in his life. His later books declined in popularity as the reading public's tastes in mystery fiction changed, but during the late twenties and early thirties his work was very successful.

When Joseph Cochrane Robin is found murdered in New York's upper west side accompanied by a note quoting the nursery rhyme "Who Killed Cock Robin," Philo Vance is called in by District Attorney Markham to help the police track down the murderer. But can Vance solve this complex case before Mother Goose claims any more victims? American art critic Willard Huntington Wright, under the pseudonym of Dine when he wrote detective novels, was an important figure in avant-garde cultural circles in pre-WWI New York, and under the pseudonym (which he originally used to conceal his identity) he created the once immensely popular fictional detective Philo Vance, a sleuth and aesthete who first appeared in books in the 1920s, then in movies and on the radio.