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The Problem of the Wire Cage
John Dickson Carr Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Problem of the Wire Cage
"Frank Dorrance was found strangled in the middle of wet sand tennis court surrounded by a wire cage. There are no footprints other than his own and some others demonstrated to have been made long after the murder around his body. Dr. Gideon Fell has to figure out not only who the murderer is, but how it was done as well.

Suspects include Dorrance's fiancé, Brenda White, who is in love with another man; Hugh Rowland, the other man; a young woman who has been having an affair with Dorrance and an old boyfriend of hers.

When the boyfriend, who is an acrobat, is shot in a theatre after it is suspected that he has photographs of the murder, Fell has a second killing to solve."

Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Problem of the Wire Cage
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - 1900-1920's
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Special suspect? - lover
Kind of investigator - british mystery (I say!)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes
Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - a lawyer creature
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - doctor
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - physically sick

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to The Problem of the Wire Cage
Ragtime in Simla by Barbara Cleverly
Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
Poirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie


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John Dickson Carr Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Jack Goodstein  

SCHOLARS:
Alan J. Bishop  


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