Princess Fuzzypants here: I enjoy my cozies and other books but sometimes it is lovely to go back and read something from an earlier age, written by one of the giants. This publisher and author are excellent sources of such material.
Not only are the stories engaging, this one being a twist on the locked door mystery, but the language is elegant and eloquent and the atmosphere wreaks of the time and place. Set in Paris is matches a famous detective against a canny villain who had been locked away for unspeakable acts but has escaped. His ex-wife, who had been his obsession, is remarrying and her future husband is warned that he is going to die. On the night of the wedding, he is found in a club with his head cut off.
The rest of the book tells the tale of how the detective figures out who is to blame and what happened. It is certainly not what the reader expects and is all the more fascinating for the Machiavellian mind behind it. The fact is the plot did not turn out as the plotters had expected either, adding another layer to the mystery.
It was a page turner and a pleasure to read. Five purrs and two paws up.

I read a lot of Dickinson Carr's mysteries but not this one.
Even if it shows its age sometimes its a gripping and entertaining read, well written and with a solid and complex mystery.
It was a good read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This pair of early mysteries by John Dickson Carr have the trademark smoke-wreathed atmosphere of the early Golden Age. Although they show their age in the somewhat overwrought language and gesticulations of the characters, they are complicated and engrossing examples of Carr’s work. The reader can walk at Detective Bencolin’s side as he investigates these “impossible” mysteries.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The first novel by this iconic mystery writer is great. It's a very puzzling mystery that is beautifully written and very atmospheric. While some of the comments will strike the modern reader as hopelessly out-dated, they don't stand in the way of this excellent book.

It's rounded out with an early short story featuring the same dectective.

It Walks by Night is the first Henri Bencolin Paris mystery by John Dickson Carr. Originally released in 1930, this reformat and re-release from Poisoned Pen Press is 272 pages and due out 3rd March 2020. This edition will be available in paperback and ebook formats. (Other editions available in other formats). This book is one of the books in the British Library Crime Classics series and it's really nice to see these gems being brought back into print and presented to new readers. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

As the others in the series, there is an introduction by mystery history maven Martin Edwards. As engaging as these classic mysteries have been, I have also looked forward in equal measure to Mr. Edwards' insightful commentary.

Carr is well known (with good reason) for his 'impossible' locked room mysteries. This is another such. Despite being almost 100 years old, it wears well, and still provides a load of atmosphere (in some places, positively creepy). The first murder is quite gory (a beheading) and there's a varied cast of suspects and a load of red herrings along the way.

The dialogue and style are admittedly a bit dated and true to the period, but I found it charming. For fans of golden age mysteries, it'll definitely be a plus, not a detraction.

Very well done. I have read a lot of Carr's work, but somehow had missed this one. Worth a read, especially for fans of the golden age.

Four stars.

An Atmospheric Parisian Mystery....
A classic from the Golden Age of crime and Carr’s first locked room mystery set in an atmospheric Paris. Combining aspects of the traditional whodunit with more than a little Gothic horror, grotesque murders and a gloom filled backdrop. Entertaining and certainly surprising. This edition contains the usual informative and interesting introduction from Martin Edwards and an additional short story.

This is pretty good but is written in a "old" style that may turn off some readers. Otherwise a pretty interesting plot and a good detective character to go with it. Recommended for Golden Age mystery fans. 3.5 stars.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

This is a very early Johns Dickson Carr, and very different from some of his later ones that I have read, but enjoyable all the same, once you get your head around the reading taste of the time. Very intriguing with lots of twist and turns, and a surprising ending.