The Benson Murder Case

The clues look convincing. Philo Vance thinks that is precisely the problem.

When stockbroker Alvin Benson is found shot dead in his Manhattan home, the investigation produces suspects, motives, and a persuasive trail of physical evidence. District Attorney Markham sees a path toward an arrest. His friend Philo Vance, an erudite art connoisseur with little patience for conventional detective work, sees reasons to doubt the obvious conclusion.

First published in 1926, S. S. Van Dine's The Benson Murder Case introduces a detective whose approach puts personality ahead of appearances. A missing revolver, a singer's handbag, uncertain alibis, and a confession all demand attention, but Vance asks what sort of person could have committed the crime. Against a backdrop of fashionable New York life, the clash between his psychological deductions and Markham's practical judgment turns a murder puzzle into an argument about evidence, interpretation, and proof. Its enduring appeal lies as much in that contest of minds as in the question of who fired the shot.

What readers find inside:
A distinctive detective - Philo Vance brings an art expert's eye and a taste for intellectual argument to a criminal investigation.Manhattan suspects - The inquiry moves through a circle of people whose secrets and connections complicate the apparent facts.Psychological detection - Vance tests the clues against his understanding of the person behind the crime.Competing methods - Markham's confidence in conventional evidence meets Vance's insistence on looking beneath the surface.A series beginning - This debut novel establishes the character and investigative approach at the heart of the Philo Vance mysteries.
A rewarding choice for readers of Golden Age detective fiction, fans of amateur sleuths, and anyone who enjoys a puzzle that questions how we decide what to believe.

Enter Vance's New York and weigh the evidence for yourself.