Recommended reading - The Garden Murder Case (1935):

The Garden Murder Case

By S.S. Van Dine.

# 9 in the Philo Vance mystery series.

Published by Felony & Mayhem Press.

First published 1935.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1631942050

ISBN-13: 9781631942051

Description:

In the ninth novels in the series, "The Garden Murder Case," Philo Vance investigates a murder and other suspicious events connected with the rooftop garden of the Garden’s New York penthouse, where a group friends gather to listen to the result of horse races.

According to one review, Garden runs on “passion, avarice, ambition and horse-racing.” It also runs on pure 1930s octane, because this is a classic house-party murder mystery, that staple of the Golden Age. As befitting a Philo yarn, of course, it’s a very Manhattan house-party, with an actress and a socialite on hand, and a bookie on the telephone. There’s also a losing bet on the ponies, and an ensuing suicide…but Philo, natch, is not sure just who pulled the trigger. A joy, as always, for readers who delight in Philo’s spectacular brand of awfulness – is there anyone snootier’ Snobbier’ More taken with himself’ – but also for fans of the Impossible Crime.