Don Von Elsner (1909–1997)

Von Elsner's book starts out quite well, with a lawyer being drawn into a complicated murder plot where all the evidence points to him! There are some pretty interesting characters and sappy dialogue, though on more than one occasion the author tries to get a little poetic but just comes across as silly. The structure of the book is interesting, beginning as a detective story before moving to a courtroom for a preliminary hearing with lots of Perry Mason-type surprises. By the time the book is finished, however, the incredible series of plot twists and the long series of explanations required at the end (including a bridge problem!) has completely worn the reader out and it is difficult to care about the outcome, sinking this book to the level of mediocre despite its promising elements.… (plus d'informations)