The Bishop Murder Case

Philo Vance's latest case begins with a murder that seems to have stepped out of a nursery rhyme and into New York's polished upper class. Called from a leisurely breakfast by District Attorney Markham, the brilliant, sardonic detective is drawn into the killing of Joseph Cochrane Robin, an archer found dead by an arrow on the Dillard family's private range, with clues that echo "Who Killed Cock Robin?" and point toward a killer who delights in symbolism. At the elegant Dillard house, where Professor Bertrand Dillard, his niece Belle, and his adopted protégé Sigurd Arnesson move through an atmosphere of wealth, intellect, and hidden tension, Vance quickly senses that the crime is more than a jealous love triangle. A suspicious last companion, a vanished suspect, and an unsettling midnight intrusion deepen the mystery. Mrs. Drukker's terror, the discovery of a black chess bishop, and Grete Menzel's coerced lie all suggest a household bound by secrets and intimidation. With physicists, mathematicians, servants, and family members all under suspicion, Vance must untangle a case where obsession, deception, and murder have been arranged with theatrical precision. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.