The Siamese Twin Mystery

The Ellery Queen Mysteries, Book 7

By: Ellery Queen

Narrated by: Fred Sullivan

Trapped on a burning mountain, the Queens take refuge with a killer.

Dashing detective Ellery Queen and his father are driving over the pothole-scarred Arrow Mountain Road when they come face to face with a wall of flame. They tear back in the other direction, fire at their fenders, and finally find safety in a clearing, at the home of Dr. Xavier, a renowned surgeon. He is a genial man, but his distracted, mysterious smile conceals dark secrets. Passing through one of the drafty hallways, Ellery's father is startled by a pair of eyes burning in the darkness - the eyes of a monster. Could they be trapped on some kind of mountain of Dr. Moreau? Dr. Xavier introduces them to the rest of his household, including his wife, brother, and medical assistant. Everyone's welcoming, but they also seem anxious and cagey. When the good doctor is found shot to death in his study, Queen realizes that he and his father have more to fear than a pair of sinister eyes. The Queens might have escaped the forest fire, but they have leapt into a situation that's every bit as hot.

©1993 Otto Penzler Books (P)2013 AudioGO

Better than the last one I listened to.

This one had NO Challenge to the Reader but didn't need one It actually kept you held until the last chapter and finish.

Ellery Queen is always a winner.

I liked the narrator and storyline. It was twisted and convoluted-just my style. Great book!

Certain errors are inexcusable

Ellery Queen, as it is THOROUGHLY known amongst even the broadest of fan bases, is a man of many affectations and idiosyncrasies.

One of the most obvious manifestations of this personality is his favoring of pince-nez in lieu of traditional ear hook eyeglasses.

Pince-nez, more commonly seen on very conservative men three times his age, are basically very dainty glasses which perch apon the bridge of one’s nose and do not extend beyond the lenses. In effect, arm-less glasses.

If you’re going to narrate an Ellery Queen novel, it would be of importance to know this fact. Moreover to know that the pronunciation of the apparatus is not “pince nez” but “parsnay”.

A mistake like this... so, elementary of you will, goes a long way in turning me off not just the whole performance, but the narrator in general.

If you don’t know what the meaning or pronunciation of a word is, LOOK IT UP! Most self respecting readers do this. A professional narrator most assuredly should.

Lots of twists and satisfying fallse needs

(As posted on GoodReads)
Gosh, it's been a long time since I read an Ellery Queen book! This one reminded me why I like them to start with! The number of false trails and misleading leads is amazing, and the situation is miserable but believable. Certainly, if were in today's time, this situation would have not been as inescapable, although even now in the day of cell phones etc., there are still inescapable realities! But it wasn't shrieking going through Ellery's thought processes, false leads and all, to get to a reasonable conclusion!

Classic Ellery Queen

Would you listen to The Siamese Twin Mystery again? Why?

This is my third time through the Siamese Twin Mystery. It seems to keep getting better with each read/listen as I see the plot and solution from new perspectives.

What did you like best about this story?

I really like the menagerie of characters portrayed and the Dr. Moreau feel to the entire story.

What about Fred Sullivan’s performance did you like?

Fred Sullivan does a great job with Ellery Queen, Detective Queen and the rest of the cast.

another great story another horrible narrator

this mystery will keep you guessing right till the end... Just like every other Ellery Queen book... However, again, they put into place a narrator who has no range... When you have a series of books, you should stick with one narrator, why they ever changed it up from the first narrator who narrated the first book is beyond me... Having said my little rant, the story is great

A murder during a forest fire...

Ellery and his father are trapped at the summit of Arrow Mountain, as a fire rages below them. There's only one house where they can seek refuge, a mansion owned by the very strange Dr. Xavier. The staff and guests are equally strange. And, of course, one of them gets murdered. Ellery races to solve the mystery...although, as the fire creeps nearer and nearer, he has to wonder if it's really worth the trouble. An interesting case, with plenty of the Queen tricks (false solution, dying clues, etc)...one of Ellery's theories is so laughable it's hard to believe he seriously considered it. Still not a fan of Sullivan's narration, although he's less whiny here than previously.

pure enjoyment

very enjoyable listen, one of my favorites so far in the series.
hope more are like this in the series

A good old-fashioned mystery

This is an early Ellery Queen mystery from the 1930s. It’s a bit old in its style but holds up remarkably well 80+ years later. Yes it’s convoluted and has some gimmicks but it also has good characters and building pressure.

My first Ellery Queen mystery

I enjoyed my first Ellery Queen mystery! The setting was interesting and the mystery was fun to listen to. So many characters to get to know! I love the early 1900's setting.