A review by rellimarual
The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I read this because it is said to be one of the great locked-room mysteries. It is very puzzle-driven, and I did like the way the author would anticipate who the reader had begun to suspect and then deftly cancel out that suspect. But otherwise the book is rather unpleasant. The detective is less a character than a collection of grotesque eccentricities and the other characters, especially the women, are depicted with a misanthropic cattiness that gave the whole thing an off flavor. Also, there's an edgelordy focus on ghastly details like blood and gruesome stories from Transylvania that come across as a bit weak sauce in this day and age but that the author clearly thinks is daring. The mystery is solidly handled but everything else put me off and made me unlikely to read another of Carr's novels.