The Garden Murder Case — S.S. Van Dine

A horse race turns into a murder case . . . “Mr. Van Dine's amateur detective is the most gentlemanly, and probably the most scholarly snooper in literature.” -- Chicago Daily Tribune

Aristocratic detective Philo Vance has gotten an anonymous invitation to a New York rooftop garden, where a group of wealthy friends gather to listen to the horse races. But on the night Vance attends, a guest dies of a gunshot wound after losing a load of money on a bet. Vance doesn't think it was suicide, though -- and when two other people in the household are targeted, he has to take the lead in this Golden Age mystery featuring the classic character with a “highbrow manner and [a] parade of encyclopedic learning” (The New York Times).

“One of the high water mark Van Dine yarns.” -- Kirkus Reviews

“The perfect sleuth for the Jazz Age.” -- CrimeReads

“The Philo Vance novels were well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society.” -- Mystery Scene

“Outrageous cleverness.” -- Bloody Murder