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Murder in the Submarine Zone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Murder in the Submarine Zone (US title: Nine -- and Death Makes Ten, also published as Murder in the Atlantic)
First US edition
AuthorJohn Dickson Carr writing as "Carter Dickson"
LanguageEnglish
SeriesHenry Merrivale
GenreMystery fiction, Detective fiction
PublisherMorrow (US, 1940)
Heinemann (UK, 1940)
Publication date
1940
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Preceded byAnd So To Murder 
Followed bySeeing is Believing 

Murder in the Submarine Zone (also published as Nine—And Death Makes Ten and Murder in the Atlantic) is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.

Plot summary

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Nine oddly-assorted passengers aboard the S.S. Edwardic are crossing the Atlantic during World War II, with the constant threat of attack by German submarines. When one passenger is murdered, apparently for a military secret, Sir Henry Merrivale must solve the mystery. But can he contend with the fact that the killer's fingerprint doesn't match anybody on the ship?

Literary significance and criticism

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according to Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor, the novel is:"One of the author's most straightforward stories. The action ... consists in finding out who murdered whom for a military secret -- except that the motive takes an unexpected turn. The several characters are well differentiated and suspicion fairly distributed. Shipboard life in the blackout is especially well done."[1]

References

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  1. ^ Barzun, Jacques and Taylor, Wendell Hertig. A Catalogue of Crime. New York: Harper & Row. 1971, revised and enlarged edition 1989. ISBN 0-06-015796-8