The Siamese twin mystery

I've got two ratings here: 4 stars for the book, 2 stars for the audio version.

The story is one of Queen's better ones - Ellery and Dad flee a forest fire and have to take refuge in the strange mansion of an even stranger doctor, Dr John Xavier. Though very friendly - perhaps too friendly - he is tense, as if he has something to hide and he is not the only. His wife, brother, colleague, guests, and servants are all on tenterhooks as if they are under a great deal of stress - and this is before they hear about the raging forest fire. Richard Queen swears that he saw a monster during the night. He also sees someone he knows quite well (by reputation at least) - a famous society woman who is know to be shy of the spotlight. What is she doing here?

It doesn't take long for the first murder - Dr Xavier is found dead with a torn six of spades card in his hand. Xavier was diabetic, so his rigor mortis set in very early. The alibis for the time of his death are very weak - it happened late at night when most everyone was asleep or at least in their rooms. Suspicion instantly falls on Xavier's widow, Sara, passionate, volatile and extremely jealous. Accused of her husband's murder, Sara confesses, but Ellery quickly exonerates her. Someone tried to frame her with the six of spades card, but who? It takes another murder and some more red herrings before Ellery finally identifies the killer.

The writing is pretty good, though often overwrought. EQ has a tendency to show off that can get annoying. He struts around like a peacock as if to say, "Look at me! I'm so much smarter and better educated than you. I know all the answers and you don't!" Made me want to shake him on more than one occasion. The audiobook really brought this out. Ugh.

The fire is an ever present threat. It may go into the background for a while, but you never forget it's there. The situation becomes very tense towards the end as the hapless guests of the Xavier mansion realize they are probably not going to survive this. EQ did an excellent job of portraying their desperation and despair. The murderer and their acts take second, even third place to the wildfire that is heading straight for the Xavier home.

The book is excellent - if you can get over Ellery's swelled head and juvenile antics - but the audiobook is extremely annoying. Fred Sullivan gives Ellery an irritating (and mystifying) falsetto that positively squeaks at times. He also does not do a good job when it comes to the change in emotions of any of the characters. Often, the only way I knew someone was mad or upset was when the narrator said they were. He does a decent job on the women, which is surprising from a male narrator, but Smith is given what sounds more like a bullfrog's croak than an actual voice.

My recommendation - get the e-book or print book and skip the audiobook (or at least the one in this version). I returned my copy to get something else.