AND ON THE EIGHTH DAY
Ellery Queen
As far as Ellery Queen books go, fans either love or hate this book. Though it does involve Ellery, and there is a murder, the pace is extremely slow, and will try the patience of many a reader.
Lost in the SW desert, Ellery stumbles upon a desert commune, run by a religious leader considered by his subjects to be a prophet. From an atmospheric standpoint, the story is awash in surreal description, at times thoroughly dreamlike and hallucinatory. It also dabbles in more than its share of religious imagery and philosophizing. By doing this, the author paints himself into a narrative corner from which there is little room to maneuver, geographically or from the standpoint of tone. For this and other reasons, the solution to the mystery, as well as the conflict resolution, are unsatisfactory.
To make matters worse, the contrived, anti-climactic ending cheapens all that has gone before.
As a study on religion and corrupt leadership, this book makes some good points. But as a mystery, it is tough sledding, and not recommended for those seeking an introduction to Ellery Queen mysteries, or Ellery himself. ( )

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Title: And On the Eighth Day
Series: Ellery Queen
Authors: Ellery Queen
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 128
Words: 55.5K

Synopsis:

From the Publisher

It's April 1944 and Ellery Queen has been working for the military making films in Hollywood. Driving through Death Valley on his way home, his car breaks down. Stumbling over a rise in the desert, he encounters an odd man who seems to come from an earlier time, and is welcomed into his community as a sort of prophet. Queen must root out a growing corruption while operating within the limits of an alien world and comes to the realization that evil can invade the most guarded of people's hearts and societies.

My Thoughts:

Really? Ellery is an idiot, gets lost in the desert, comes across a cultic commune and solves a murder mystery that would destroy the commune if the cult leader had let it and then he just leaves? And once the murder took place, even “I” knew what had really happened (the cult leader covering for his protege so as to not leave the commune without a leader in the coming years) but good ol' (c)elery for brains couldn't? Sure, he's supposed to be exhausted from writing propaganda during WWII, but come on!

This was a real mix bag of Christian aphorisms mixed with actual Scripture from the Bible mixed with pagan philosophy while referencing such people as Josephus and Pliny (the Elder or the Younger not being specified).

I did not enjoy this. I've decided that unless the next Queen book is a 4.5star read and completely blows me out of the water, that I'll be done with this series.

★★☆☆☆

All of My “Ellery Queen” Reviews

ps,

I have NO idea what that cover is supposed to convey. I didn't like this book and so I chose the most unappealing cover I could find for it. If you like this cover, please drop me a comment telling me why and giving me your doctor's name and number so I can get you some emergency psychiatric care. ( )