The kidnap murder case by SS Van Dine

Well, it was a bit boring here and there, but not  a bad read. I like the character of Philo Vance (at least for now), and I like the fact that in every book, after the solution is revealed, we are told a bit of what happens to the other characters.
The story is quite simple, and the solution didn't shock me at all. It starts with Kaspar Kenting being kidnapped from his home, but Vance is from the start quite sure that he's probably already dead. The other characters are: Kaspar's brother Kenyon, a good and responsible man, not like his stupid brother  or his even worse father. Kaspar's wife Madeleine, her brother Frayn and her mother Mrs Falloway. Plus Mr Flees, the family lawyer who 'controls' their money. A first attempt of paying the ransom fails and Madeleine is kidnapped too, while Kaspar is found dead (and has been dead for a long time, like Vance feared). In the end Vance, Van Dine who refuses to leave him alone, and sergeant Heath find the house where she's kept and free Madeleine. Vance reveals that, in a desperate need of money after having played and lost the Kenting's money, Fleel had planned everything. Incidentally Vance manages to save Heath's life: he kills three men, Madeleine's kidnappers, who were all wanted by the police so now Vance is "threatened with a medal" and plans to go abroad to avoid all the fuss :-)
We learn that in time Madeleine will marry Kenyon and Mrs Falloway will follow Vance's advice and have her son cured by the doctor whose name was given to her by Vance. All's well that ends well, isn't it? So, it's not a book to read again and again, but it was a pleasant enough read nonetheless.
The end.
What always surprises me is how useless Markham is. I mean, sergeant Heath does the police work, Vance does all the investigating-interrogating-making of important decisions, but Markham does nothing at all. It's sweet how they all care about Vance, and I like the Markham-Vance friendship, but I find annoying how he always doubts Vance, gets angry at his slow methods, and would always accept the easy solution that criminals set for him. Vance is a good character, without him the whole thing would be really boring.


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