The Finishing Stroke

The Finishing Stroke is a mystery novel published in 1958 that spans three distinct time periods in New York state: 1905, 1929-1930, and 1957. The book follows detective Ellery Queen as he investigates a series of events that begin with a mysterious accident in 1905 and culminate in a complex case during the Twelve Days of Christmas in 1929-1930. At a grand house party celebrating the impending inheritance of a wealthy young man, anonymous gifts and cryptic notes with Christmas themes begin to appear. The festive atmosphere turns dark when two murders occur at the mansion, leaving Queen and law enforcement unable to fully solve the crimes or determine the connection to events from 1905. In 1957, an older Ellery Queen returns to the cold case with decades of additional experience, reviewing his original notes and the police files with fresh eyes. The novel's structure reflects classic Golden Age mystery conventions while incorporating elements of psychological suspense and historical intrigue. The multilayered narrative explores themes of identity, inheritance, and the way time can both obscure and reveal truth. Through its examination of one case across different eras, the book considers how perspective and maturity can alter the interpretation of evidence and human behavior.

Readers describe The Finishing Stroke as a lesser entry in the Ellery Queen series, with many finding it slow-paced and overly long. Readers appreciated: - The Christmas setting and atmosphere - The complex puzzle structure - The connections to Queen's earlier works - The dual timeline between 1929 and 1957 Common criticisms: - Plodding pace through the middle sections - Too many characters to track - Solution relies on obscure clues - Several plot holes and unexplained elements Review scores: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (157 ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (21 reviews) Multiple reviewers noted that the book works better as a period piece than a mystery. One Goodreads reviewer wrote: "The nostalgia factor is the main draw here, not the actual detective plot." Several Amazon reviews criticized the "artificial and forced" nature of the solution, while praising Queen's evocation of the 1920s setting.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie A group of strangers trapped in a secluded mansion face murder one by one while searching for the killer among them.

The Chinese Orange Mystery by Ellery Queen A locked room murder presents impossible circumstances with a corpse found facing backward with clothes reversed in a sealed chamber.

Nine Times Nine by Anthony Boucher A killer who appears to vanish from locked rooms targets members of a mystical cult while an amateur detective races to prevent more deaths.

The Three Coffins by John Dickson Carr Two murders in seemingly impossible circumstances—one in a locked room and another in untouched snow—challenge a detective to uncover the truth.

Death from a Top Hat by Clayton Rawson A magician-detective investigates murders within New York's magic community where the victims are found in sealed rooms with no apparent means of entry.

🔍 The name "Ellery Queen" was actually a pseudonym for cousins Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee, who collaborated on mysteries for over 40 years. 📚 This book marked a significant shift in the series, being one of the last "puzzle mysteries" before the authors moved toward more psychological thrillers. 🎄 The novel's Christmas setting places it among classic "Golden Age" holiday mysteries, a popular subgenre that includes Agatha Christie's "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" and Dorothy L. Sayers' "The Nine Tailors." ✍️ The 1957 portions of the narrative were inspired by real events from the authors' early career as mystery writers in the late 1920s. 🏰 The book's house party setting was a deliberate homage to the classic British country house mysteries that influenced American detective fiction in the early 20th century.