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Craig Rice
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The Wrong Murder (The John J. Malone Mysteries) Kindle Edition

by Craig Rice (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 49 ratings
A cynical Chicago attorney butts heads with a beautiful killer socialite—from “the Dorothy Parker of detective fiction” (William Ruehlmann).
 
Press agent Jake Justus doesn’t care if all of Chicago drops dead. He’s just tied the knot with debutante Helene Brand, and a Bermuda honeymoon is only three in-flight martinis away. But the shooting death of a man in broad daylight, on the busiest shopping day of the year, with plenty of witnesses, is particularly ill timed. Jake’s pal, attorney John J. Malone, agrees. Only a day before, wedding guest Mona McClane, notorious jetsetter and tipsy big-game hunter, bet the two men she could bag an innocent stranger and they’d never be able to prove a thing.
 
Then Malone discovers that the victim wasn’t so innocent. Any number of people wanted him dead. And if Mona is only one of them, Malone’s wagering there’s much more to this murder than just the thrill of getting away with it.
 
The first mystery writer to ever make the cover of Time magazine, Craig Rice was known for her fizzy cocktails of hard-boiled noir and screwball comedy, prompting the New York Times to ask: “Why can’t all murders be as funny as those concocted by Craig Rice?”
 
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  1. Book 3 of 14
    The John J. Malone Mysteries
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
  5. Publication date
    August 14, 2018
  6. File size
    4.9 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Craig Rice (1908–1957), born Georgiana Ann Randolph Craig, was an American author of mystery novels and short stories described as “the Dorothy Parker of detective fiction.” In 1946, she became the first mystery writer to appear on the cover of Time magazine. Best known for her character John J. Malone, a rumpled Chicago lawyer, Rice’s writing style was both gritty and humorous. She also collaborated with mystery writer Stuart Palmer on screenplays and short stories, as well as with Ed McBain on the novel The April Robin Murders.
 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07DPGKTDG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (August 14, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 14, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

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Craig Rice

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
49 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's characters unique and entertaining, particularly appreciating the sheer hilarity of the romp. The plot complexity receives mixed reactions from customers.

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3 customers mention "Character variety"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the variety of characters in the book.

"...sheer hilarity of the romp is priceless, right down to the unforgettable characters and their names too - flossie, ogletree...." Read more

"...There are also some funny running gags and nice little character quirks that add to the fun. All in all, a delightfully old-fashioned whodunnit." Read more

"...The plots are intriguing and the characters are unique and funny...." Read more

3 customers mention "Entertainment value"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, particularly appreciating the sheer hilarity of the romp.

"...of “baffles the reasonably intelligent person”, the sheer hilarity of the romp is priceless, right down to the unforgettable characters and their..." Read more

"...There are also some funny running gags and nice little character quirks that add to the fun. All in all, a delightfully old-fashioned whodunnit." Read more

"...The plots are intriguing and the characters are unique and funny...." Read more

3 customers mention "Plot complexity"2 positive1 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot complexity of the book.

"...With snappy writing and a well-constructed plot, it’s an entertaining and easy read...." Read more

"...worse, the murder's real solution is so convoluted and weird and confusing that I didn't really care who did it, and when in the end they revealed &..." Read more

"...The plots are intriguing and the characters are unique and funny...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Sanjay Kumar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Craig Rice is unique in the annals of mystery fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The Wrong Murder or The Right Murder, there is no one like Craig Rice - the Gods of mystery writers broke the mold after they created her - even if you discount whodunnit part of her books, which definitely falls into the category of “baffles the reasonably intelligent person”, the sheer hilarity of the romp is priceless, right down to the unforgettable characters and their names too - flossie, ogletree. Once I finish all her books, I am going to reread them in order. Five stars do not do her justice.
    One person found this helpful
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  • R. Jones
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Nicely Done 1940s Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is the third of Rice’s John J. Malone mysteries and, in my opinion, the best one yet. (I’m currently reading them in order.) Set in Chicago in the 1940s, it follows Malone and his friends as they try to figure out who committed a couple of related murders involving both the city’s lowlifes and its high society folk. With snappy writing and a well-constructed plot, it’s an entertaining and easy read. There are also some funny running gags and nice little character quirks that add to the fun. All in all, a delightfully old-fashioned whodunnit.
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  • Helen Joy Dhar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic murder mystery by Ms. Craig Rice!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    If you purchase the Wrong Murder, you must purchase the Right Murder. Both books are fantastic! Actually, I have purchased the entire collection of The John J. Malone, Helene and Jake Justus novels by Ms. Craig Rice. The plots are intriguing and the characters are unique and funny. The lawyer, Malone, who knows everyone in Chicago, always finds the solution to the crimes, even without sleep, no funds, and too much to drink. Helene, a wealthy debutant, and Jake, her husband, drink with Malone and help him with his cases, but seem to land in jail for various reasons. All of Ms. Rice's books are worth every penny you spend on them, beginning with the novel, 8 Faces at 3 - and they just get better with every novel that follows! Extremely entertaining!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • annemaryt1
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Very strange book. I would not read again.
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  • MK
    2.0 out of 5 stars Misleading and confusing
    Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    SPOILER ALERT -- please do not read this review unless you have read the book. I started reading Craig Rice's John J. Malone books after watching the movie "Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone," which features a version of the Malone character (but not the madcap couple, Jake and Helene). I'm not crazy about Rice's books. To me they are too confusing to be good mysteries and the characters are incredibly unbelievable. I realize they are supposed to be funny, but I just found them mostly annoying. Now, the reason I'm only giving "The Wrong Murder" two stars is this (last warning, SPOILER AHEAD). At the very beginning of the book (page 16 in my copy), a young woman makes a bet with the Jake character, in front of a lot of witnesses. She is extremely rich and owns a large casino. She bets Jake the casino that she can murder someone and get away with it and he will not be able to prove that she did it. Her exact words are: "I'll commit a murder and you pin it on me. I'll bet you can't do it. I'll bet you the Casino." To which Jake replies, "Lady, it's a bet." Very soon, someone is in fact murdered. At the end of the book, it turns out that the murderer was not the young woman who made the bet. It also turns out that she didn't murder anyone at all. So the bet is totally meaningless. You spend the entire book, right down to the last two pages, watching Jake try to prove this young woman murdered somebody, but she didn't. So what's the point? I just felt completely cheated and misled. Making matters worse, the murder's real solution is so convoluted and weird and confusing that I didn't really care who did it, and when in the end they revealed "who done it," I wasn't even sure who the heck they were talking about. So, for both those reasons -- the absurd bet that wasn't a bet, and the totally confusing mystery plot -- I can only give this one two stars. (I reserve one star for books I can't even finish reading.) With apologies to all who liked this book.
    2 people found this helpful
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