The Kidnap Murder Case
by S. S. Van Dine
This new Van Dyne kidnapping-murder trial deals with two of the most unusual crimes in the entire history of Philo Vance's criminological research. Kasper Kenting, the playboy and ne'er-do-nu disappear from their ancestral home, the Purple House, on West 86th Street, with all the signs indicating abduction. Both District Attorney John F.-X.-Markham and Sergeant Ernest Heath of the Homicide Bureau are involved with Philo Vance in a gripping investigation. In the murder kidnapping case, Philo Vance faces the most serious personal danger, and thanks to the accuracy of his target, at a critical moment, he saves Sergeant Heath's life and his own life. The location of this startling crime shifts from one of the most breathtaking settlements in downtown Manhattan to the bleak and obscure bully on the upper east side. The story reaches a dramatic climax at a stunning pace and will appeal even to readers who have not yet been particularly interested in this type of fiction.
