A fun classic mystery, particularly if you’re a fan of setting and atmosphere.

There’s perhaps no better place to set a mystery predicated on isolated location than a creepy, forbidding castle, and Castle Skull, as the title might suggest, is about as creepy as it gets.

That the exterior looks like a human skull is in fact the least of it. Secret passages, dim and sinister interiors, and a sorta kinda trapped group of guests is the perfect formula for this type of murder mystery.

John Dickson Carr is a master of setting, which makes up for some convoluted plot issues and a slightly scattered solve. The basic plot is satisfyingly macabre and creepy, even if the conclusion is a bit drawn out and predicated on one of those frustrating info dumps in the concluding pages that drives mystery readers crazy.

Still, it does all add up in the end, and matters less in a book like this where the real joy is in the immersive atmosphere and the experience of moving through the narrative rather than how things turn out in the end.

The characters are fairly archetypal, though I don’t think that’s necessarily bad in a book like this. I love a sort of dueling detective component, and Dickson Carr’s detailed descriptions of his characters add just as much to the excellent atmosphere of the book as the setting itself does.

An enjoyable read, with an intriguing cast of international characters. I found the opening in Paris a little slow, but once we got onto the Rhine and were introduced to various mysterious castles and houses, with stormy weather and steep woodland paths, I was drawn in. The friendly (?) rivalry between the French and German detectives was engaging, and I enjoyed the amount of detail given to the food and drink served, especially at the climactic dinner party. I would be intrigued to read more in this series and see how they work in different settings.

Personally I wasn't fond of this book. As a fan of traditional golden age mysteries this story came as a bit of a shock. Dueling detectives, three 'solutions', and the writing style, were unusual and unexpected.

But, this would be an amazing book to recommend to patrons who are fans of the Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet films or filmas along those lines. It would also be great gateway book for patrons who like modern detective fiction but are looking for something more traditional, but not too traditional. I did order a copy for my library.

Atmospheric With Feel Of The Gothic.....
Atmospheric tale with a feel of the Gothic from the Golden Age of crime with the usual excellent introduction from Martin Edwards. Inspector Bencolin is on top form as he seeks to catch a killer on the Rhineland. A colourful cast and a complex plot, it’s both bizarre and macabre but certainly entertaining. This edition also features a rare short but amusing Bencolin story, ‘The Fourth Suspect’.

Castle Skull is the second Henri Bencolin mystery by John Dickson Carr. Originally released in 1931 this reformat and re-release, out 5th May 2020 is part of the British Library Crime Classics series by Poisoned Pen Press. The new edition is 256 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. (Other editions available in other formats).

This early Carr novel is well crafted, but quite lurid and, to me, a bit over the top. A large house full of very odd characters, a gothic skull shaped tower across the river which was the scene of a bizarre murder-by-fire on the ramparts, two competing detectives (one French, one German), and a twisty denouement which I honestly didn't see coming.

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. Despite being almost 90 years old, it wears well, and still provides a load of atmosphere (in some places, positively creepy). The first murder is quite gory (an immolation) 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.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

John Dickson Carr’s moody crime novel Castle Skull, as its title indicates, has an extraordinary setting. It’s an extremely visual novel which creates a doom-laden atmosphere even before we see the first corpse. The novel features the author’s series character, Henri Bencolin while the book’s splendid narrator is Bencolin’s friend, writer Jeff Marle. It’s largely thanks to the strong narration and Marle’s canny observations, that the story succeeds so well. The intro from Martin Edwards mentions that the creepy Castle Skull may be based on the twin castles “The Hostile Brothers,” in Germany’s Rhine Valley.

Castle skull

The book opens in a Paris restaurant where the wealthy Belgian financier Jérôme D’Aunay meets Henri Bencolin. Also at the memorable meeting is the narrator Jeff Marle. Marle recounts the meeting in retrospect, and we know from hints dropped, that death awaits D’Aunay. The meeting, set against the light, noise and life of a busy restaurant, is the last glimpse we see of normality, for after this everything sinks into the dark macabre.

D’Aunay requested the meeting with “the celebrated juge d’instruction of the Seine” with employment in mind. D’Aunay explains that the task, if Bencolin accepts (and how can he resist?) “will be the strangest affair you have ever handled.” D’Aunay explains that his friend, the wealthy magician, Maleger, owner of the Castle Skull (Schloss Schadel) died while traveling on the train from Mainz to Coblenz. He was alone in a first-class compartment, and somehow his body ended up in the Rhine. Although there was “no possibility of foul play,” how Maleger fell from the train cannot be adequately explained.

But the plot thickens: Maleger’s heirs are D’Aunay and another friend, English actor Myron Alison. But now Myron is dead: shot three times in the chest, doused in gasoline and then ignited. His blazing body was seen running about on the battlements of Castle Skull.

So now D’Aunay is the sole heir, and he’s understandably nervous. He invites Bencolin (Jeff Marle goes along for the ride) to Myron Alison’s home, now occupied by his sister “the Duchess.” Myron’s home faces Castle Skull. Bencolin’s task is to discover who murdered Myron Alison

“I couldn’t refuse this case, Jeff,” he observed. “It’s bad. That’s the point: it’s worse than anybody suspects. You heard what he said about the body of Maleger–does it mean anything to you?”

I said, “There’s the obvious theory that Maleger’s death was a fake, arranged by himself.”

“Yes.” Still he stood motionless, staring after the car. “I only wish it were as simple as that. No; I think it’s worse than that, Jeff, and more devilish. More devilish…”

Castle Skull is dreadful, imposing and memorable. It’s the perfect home for someone who dabbled in the macabre.

The name is not a fancy. Its central portion is so weirdly constructed that the entire facade resembles a great death’s head, with eyes, nose, and ragged jaw, But there are two towers, one on each side of the skull, which are rather like huge ears; so that the devilish thing, while it smiles, seems also to be listening, It is set high on a crag, with its face thrust out of the black pines. Below it is a sheer drop to the waters of the river.

There’s a lively set of characters here–some of whom seem immediately suspicious, and the unusual setting adds a great deal to the plot. There’s the typical long explanation at the end which is common with the genre, but it is darker than most I’ve read from this period.

Review copy

The first classic crime novel I've read in a long time, Castle Skull is written by one of the greats of the golden age, John Dickson Carr, the king of locked room mysteries. The setting for this book is the Rhineland in Germany, between the two world wars, and has a really international feel to it.

"That is the case. Alison has been murdered. His blazing body was seen running about the battlements of Castle Skull.

And so a dark shadow looms over the Rhineland where Inspector Henri Bencolin and his accomplice Jeff Marle have arrived from Paris. Entreated by the Belgian financier D'Aunay to investigate the gruesome and grimly theatrical death of actor Myron Alison, the pair find themselves at the imposing hilltop fortress Schloss Schädel, in which a small group of suspects are still assembled.

As thunder rolls in the distance, Bencolin and Marle enter a world steeped in macabre legends of murder and magic to catch the killer still walking the maze-like passages and towers of the keep." (Blurb from the book)

This book had me hooked from page one! The detective, Bencolin, is smart but also a humanitarian, trying to understand the killer as well as trying to solve the mystery. Marle is like his Watson...someone to help him solve the case but not to confide all the details in until the reveal. A second detective was also involved in this book, in competition with Bencolin when it comes to who can solve the case the quickest, and their interactions with the suspects are very much like chalk and cheese. I was kept guessing about the murderer all the way to the end, and the reveal, when it came, had me shocked!

There is also a short Bencolin story included in this volume and it was also really intriguing. It gave me more of an understanding of the detective involved and I would definitely like to read more books in this short series.

John Dickson Carr has always been an author on my to-be-read list yet I have never gotten a chance to read any of his works. Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for offering me an e-gallery and now I am hooked to the author's writing and would like to read the rest of his works in the future.

"Castle Skull" is a nice page turner which is full of drama and with unexpected twists-and-turns. The writing is easy to understand regardless of the complexity of the plot. This is an awesome gothic, spooky mystery which makes this title a fun read. While modern thrillers/mysteries are exciting and fast-paced, "Castle Skull" is something sophisticated and different. What a great addition to the British Library Crime Classic series.

As usual, I love reading the introduction by Martin Edwards.

Be forewarned! Castle Skull is not your typical John Dickson Carr mystery.

It has many melodramatic elements tacked onto the traditional golden-age mystery. A castle that looks like a skull. Its owner, a magician, missing from a train car who is later found drowned in a nearby river. A close neighbor shot and set aflame at the Castle, who then falls to his death. A mansion full of suspects, a private detective and his chronicler, a competing German police detective, and loads of spooky atmosphere.

As long as you forget this book was written by Carr, there is much fun to be had within Castle Skull. It’s so outlandish, it seems like a parody. Or maybe, as the excellent introduction by famed Martin Edwards states, it shows the exuberance of a youthful author. Either way, it is an enjoyable ride that is not to be missed. 5 stars!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Johns Dickson Carr has always been a favorite of mine, he really knows how to twist a story as well as give it atmosphere. This mystery is typical of the time and a fabulous read written by a master from the Golden age of mysteries. This book has a lot of meat, a lot of drama and the twists you won't see coming - couldn't put it down. It isn't a quick book but one to savor and enjoy.

When the acclaimed detective Bencolin and his young assistant Jeff Marles are invited by financier D'Aunay to investigate the mysterious murder of the malovolent magician Maleger and his beneficiary Allison, they find themselves in a strange and creepy situation, surrounded by odd characters who are all suspects. One of the murders took place in a house above the Rhine called Castle Skull, a huge castle-like place built in the shape of a skull with its own moat and battlements. Bencolin and Marles have to find out whether the magician staged his own death, and who threw the actor Allison off the building.



John Dickson Carr really ramps up the Gothic horrors in this novel with its mysterious events, old legends, gruesome murders and nasty characters. At one stage, Bencolin and Marles travel across the Rhine in a terrific storm to explore the atmospheric house in the middle of the night. Poor Marles has to cope with a lot, and it doesn't help that he is attracted to young 'flapper' type Sally who is engaged, and seemingly telling lies.



I prefer cosy mysteries and the plot became rather elaborate in the end, although very clever and difficult to guess. John Dickson Carr's writing is probably too creepy and gruesome for me, and I didn't like one of the characters hiding her Australian origins (although I realise that it was often done in those days).



I received this ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Poisoned Pen Press has done it again! They have captured the best the Golden Age of Crime has to offer. This book is second in the Henri Bencolin series by John Dickson Carr; the first being It Walks By Night. I will admit to being partial to the author and a collector of his early paperbacks. Thus, I read first in series before this, the second. That being said, nothing prepared me for her another gothic tale of murder and suspense. In a castle on the Rhine, Henri investigates three murders in this tale of twisted revenge. Moody and dark, odd set of suspects, island and locked doors, need I say more? It's a shivery, eerie book and I loved every minute reading it.
Note: The original book was a "Harper Sealed Mystery" which had a paper seal at page 232- if you didn't want to know the outcome, you could return the book for full value refund. If you ever find an unsealed copy, it's worth a mint! Happy hunting!

This is a unique mystery story in which a French detective competes with a German police detective to solve a bizarre murder at a menacing castle situated on the Rhine River. The detectives are called upon to solve a puzzling murder in a country house setting consisting of the gothic Skull Castle (also known by its German name, Schloss Schadel) perched above the Rhine and "a great stone house with an enormous veranda" on the opposite riverbank overlooking the castle. The murder happened in the castle and the suspects are staying at the stone house. How the killer got from one to the other is one of the many little mysteries involved in the story.

It's a classic Golden Age story, set in the interwar years, and features a cast of oddball characters including the two detectives themselves: Henri Bencolin ("the celebrated juge d'instruction of the Seine") and Herr Baron Sigmund von Arnheim of the Berlin police. The story narrator is Bencolin's assistant, Richard Marle. He's an American who does a good job of playing the dim bulb of the detective array, but is a keen observer and reporter.

The gloomy setting looms over the story of the sudden death of one of two friends who inherit the castle from a famous but eccentric magician. This magician disappeared a decade or so ago in mysterious circumstances and was presumed dead. The two beneficiaries of his will are an English actor and a wealth Belgian. The actor is killed in spectacular fashion and the Belgian engages Bencoin to find the murderer. Von Arnheim is assigned to the case to lead the police investigation. Bencoin and von Arnheim joust with each other as they attempt to identify the culprit. Along the way to a surprising conclusion with a shocking twist, they encounter secret tunnels and false walls to challenge their sleuthing. However, the investigation is secondary to the atmospheric setting which dominates and drives the storytelling. It's over-the-top at times but in the final analysis the sheer entertainment is worth the necessary suspension of belief.

The Henri Bencolin novella included in the book is a welcome bonus for the reader. Similarly, Martin Edwards's Introduction provides useful background colour about the author, his detective creation and the stories in the book. All in all, it's a neat package of entertainment.
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I received a complementary advance reading copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press, via Netgalley. The comments about it are my own.

This is early John Dickson Carr featuring Detective Henri Bencolin. The book is heavy on moody atmospherics set in an ominous castle on the Rhine. Despite the threat that the atmospherics will overwhelm the plot, the book delivers a solid Golden Age country house (albeit in Germany) murder mystery with an international cast of characters and good twists

Originally published in 1931, CASTLE SKULL, a classic from the early 20th Century's Golden Age of Mystery, is the third of four novels featuring Parisian sleuth Bencolin. This new edition contains also a Bencolin short story, "The Fourth Suspect. " Bencolin's classy mannerisms, wealth, and ability to unravel puzzling mysteries will appeal to readers of Christie's Poirot and Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

Everything in this book is over the top and exaggerated and this made this story a lot of fun to read.
This mix of gothic and Golden Age mystery already features some of the tropes of the more mature John Dickinson Carr I used to read but I enjoyed every moment of it.
The cast of characters is interesting and well thought, the setting is amazing and reminded me of gothic novels, the mystery is full of twists and turns and the solution came as a surprise.
It was an entertaining and engrossing read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Tremendous fun .. yes, full blown drama, and locked room dramas are always fraught .. you are twisted this way and that .. who killed the great actor outside his ruin in the middle of CB the night .. the blowsy sister, the millionaire friend who inherits it all, the musician the thing female friend with a secret?? and Carr's writing is actually well crafted .. the characters, eccentric or not, are real .. the stakes are high .. I really couldn't put it down. Let's, have more of his books in this series .. The rivalry between van Arnheim and Benocol and his young assistant brings great additional verve. Totally loved it... more, more!

Before Castle Skull I'd only read a couple of John Dickson Carr short stories in anthologies and was not exactly overwhelmed. They were a bit too outlandish for me. Of course, Carr is "the master of the locked room mystery" and those are rarely down-to-earth and full of realism but there's "this isn't that realistic" and there's the "apart from a 10-step cunning plan by the villain this also requires a riddiculous chain of coincidences to work" that happened in the Carr stories I came across.

This book...well it features a riddiculous mustache-twirling villain and a series of coincidences that should have made me roll my eyes. But it also fully commited to the riddiculousness. I mean, it's called Castle Skull for God's sake. And the eponymous castle isn't called like that for some strange outlandish reason...it simply resembles a skull if you look at it from a certain distance. The murder victim was shot and then set on fire and "danced" and screamed before eventually dying. This book doesn't pretend to be a normal run-of-the-mill mystery and then hit you over the head with a riddiculous solution (which happened to me with the other Carr stories). It goes: "Do you want to read something over-the top and insane? Sit down with me. I have just the right thing for you." And I really can't complain about that.

British-crime-classics

Unusual! An early work of a master of the detective novel set in an eerie German castle and even seems to have macabre ghosts! I was unfamiliar with Henri Bencolin as detective, but you can never go wrong with a twisty work by John Dickson Carr. Just ask my bookshelves!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

An interesting detective novel. The plot was quite complex, and the end results were unable to be determined by the reader.