Death Turns the Tables

 Death Turns the Tables (aka The Seat of the Scornful; 1941) by John Dickson Carr

Judge Horace Ireton likes to think that he's infallible. That he knows an innocent man when he sees one and that evidence can't lie, no matter how circumstantial. Many accused have stood before him and all have, he importantly thinks, received the justice due them. Not only that, he delights in using the law to play cat and mouse with those who come before him. He loves to let them think they're "perfectly safe, winning hands down: and then catching [them] in the the corner." 

But when his daughter presents him with an undesirable fiance who later winds up dead in his study and the Judge is found sitting and staring at the body while holding the pistol which killed Anthony Morrell, all the evidence points to him. By his own standards, he must be guilty. Yet he says he didn't do it and expects to be believed. But it's obvious his daughter thinks he did--though she bravely stands by him and tells a story she thinks will help him.

Dr. Gideon Fell arrives on the scene at the behest of a young woman who is in love with Judge Ireton's protege, Frederick Barlow. He notes various oddities about the scene of the crime--from the red sand under the body to the broken, powder-burned phone receiver to subject of chewing gum. And then there are certain discrepancies in the witnesses' stories. But...it will be infernally difficult to prove definitely who did what on that fatal night. So Fell decides to play a little cat and mouse game of his own.

I am a bit torn over this one. On the one hand it is such a beautifully done, simple little mystery. There is no need of showy extras or weird atmosphere and Carr doesn't even employ his trademark impossible crime. It's perfectly obvious how the man was killed and it's simple a matter of bringing the crime home to the proper culprit. The investigation is carried out very nicely and the characters fit into the picture snugly. It's a delight to read.

But...you knew there was a but coming...I cannot go along with the ending. [Spoiler encoded in ROT13] Whqtr Ubenpr Vergba vf n frys-evtugrbhf byq ulcbpevgr. Jura ur'f hc ba gur orapu, ur'f nyy nobhg whfgvpr naq gur thvygl trggvat gurve whfg qrffregf naq nyy gung. Ohg, ol tbyyl, yrg uvz xabpx bss uvf qnhtugre'f haqrfvenoyr svnapr naq ur'f cresrpgyl jvyyvat gb nyybj uvf vaabprag cebgrtr gb gnxr gur jenc. Ur qbrfa'g ong na rlr jura gur cbyvpr neerfg Serqrevpx. Vg gnxrf n ybg bs orngvat qbja ol Qe. Sryy orsber uvf pynvzf gb vaabprapr trg funxra. Ohg gung'f abg gur jbefg cneg bs gur gur svany fprarf. Bu, ab. Jr unir Qe. Sryy svanyyl trggvat gur zna gb unaq bire n pbasrffvba naq gura ur qrpvqrf gb yrg gur Whqtr bss. Ur oheaf gur pbasrffvba! Ur qbrfa'g frrz gb guvax nobhg gur snpg gung jura gur cbyvpr yrg Serqrevpx tb naq gura dhvrgyl yrg gur pnfr qvr sbe ynpx bs rivqrapr gung cbbe Serqrevpx zvtug whfg or haqre n pybhq bs fhfcvpvba sbe gur erfg bs uvf yvsr. Nsgre nyy, sbyxf ybir gb fnl gung "gurer'f ab fzbxr jvgubhg sver." Ohg ab--yrg'f znxr n cbvag bs fubjvat zrepl gb n zna jub arire fubjrq zrepl gb n fvatyr crefba jub jnf oebhtug orsber uvz. Frevbhfyl, V'q engure unir frra uvz gnxr gur pbasrffvba, nyybj gur Whqtr gur gvzr ur nfxrq sbe gb pbzzvg fhvpvqr naq pyrne Serqrevpx bapr naq sbe nyy. Were it not for my disappointment with the denouement, this would have been a five-star read. As it is--★★★★

[To decode: Copy the coded portion, follow the ROT13 link, and paste it in to the appropriate box.]

First line: "Members of the jury, have you agreed upon a verdict?"

Last line: Both men sat silent, watching truth burn.

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Deaths = 2 (one beaten to death; one shot)