Something Crooked This Way Comes
Review of the Penzler Publishers American Mystery Classics eBook (October 1, 2019) of the Harper and Brothers hardcover original (1938)

We shall have to take our choice. On the one hand we have a somewhat preposterous suicide; but on the other hand, unfortunately, we have a more than somewhat impossible murder. Will someone kindly oblige me with an idea?

The Crooked Hinge is from towards the middle of the pack of Carr's Dr. Gideon Fell mysteries. I had randomly picked it up as a Kindle Deal of the Day and it isn't necessary to read the books in order. It is also listed quite high at #4 in a ranking of best "locked rooms / impossible crimes" novels. Carr is often considered the top writer of those scenarios. They usually involve a solution which is by necessity extremely elaborate and not very realistic, but as long as you are willing to go along, they can be very entertaining.

This one is par for the course. It takes a sort of Return of Martin Guerre scenario where there are two claimants to a baronetcy. One of them has already established themself in the position when another claimant appears, they have a lawyer and a supposed proof of their claim. Then one of the claimants dies, perhaps by suicide or was it an impossible murder? The man was observed standing outside with no one else seen nearby when he dies. The supposed "proof" also disappears. Somehow an automaton in the attic is involved, which seemingly moves unaided. Then a maid disappears. Then there appears to be a tie-in to a murder from a year ago which had previously been thought to be solved. Then there is apparent witchcraft involved.

You will think that there can't possibly be a solution to all this. Dr. Gideon Fell is of course on hand to explain it. In the end, the culprit also provides a complete confession which contains reveal after reveal, twist upon twist.

See cover at https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/...
The front cover of the original 1938 Harper and Brothers hardcover. Image sourced from Goodreads.

Trivia and Links
John Dickson Carr (1906-1977) is one of the 99 authors listed in The Book of Forgotten Authors (2017) by Christopher Fowler. He is No. 20 in the alphabetical listing which you can see towards the bottom of my review here.

This edition of The Crooked Hinge is part of the Otto Penzler American Mystery Classics series (2018-ongoing). There is a related Goodreads Listopia here with 57 books listed as of mid April 2024. There are currently 71 titles listed at the Mysterious Press online bookshop. The official website for the series at Penzler Publishers seems to show only the most recent and upcoming titles.

John Dickson Carr took the inspiration for Dr. Gideon Fell's appearance from that of author G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), writer of the Father Brown mysteries and other works.
See photograph at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Gilbert_Chesterton.jpg...
Photograph of G.K. Chesterton. Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The source of the name Dr. Fell is apparently from the apocryphal epigram:

I do not like thee, Doctor Fell,
The reason why – I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Doctor Fell.

( )

Two men claim to be heir to estate and title, and one is killed in circumstances that suggest suicide but also seem impossible. Dr. Fell makes connections to earlier killing in village and to occult elements.

The current Farnleigh of Farnleigh Close comes under scrutiny when questions arise as to if he is really the John Farnleigh who is descended from the long line of Farnleighs. A man has shown up claiming to be the real John Farnleigh and the current one is a fraud.

It is brought out that the real John Farnleigh had been shipped off to America after he disgraced his family, when he was 15, 25 years ago. He sailed on the Titanic and was thought lost at sea. It now seems he had been living in America all this time under another name.

People from John Farnleigh’s past are brought in to help determine which man is the real John Farnleigh. When the current head of Farnleigh is found dead in his garden, with his throat slashed, the question of who is the real John Farnleigh becomes even more important than who killed him.

Dr. Gideon Fell is called in to reconstruct the known facts and to determine who the real heir is. Gideon finds that determining the rightful heir isn’t the only problem; there are also complications regarding who is really entitled to the estate.

John Dickson Carr doesn’t write simple mysteries, but rather ones with many twists and turns. This is definitely one of them! ( )

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

Great book. A lot of twists and turns, and compelling throughout. It is justifiably listed as one of the best impossible crime novels. ( )