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Dr. Sam Hawthorne
Diagnosis: Impossible: The Problems of Dr. Sam Hawthorne
Impossible crimes -- locked rooms, sealed time capsules, the vanishing of a horse and buggy from within a covered bridge -- by a master of the fairplay detective story.
203 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
46 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Edward D. Hoch
423 books45 followersEdward D. Hoch is one of the most honored mystery writers of all time.
* 1968 Edgar Allan Poe Award (Mystery Writers of America): "The Oblong Room", The Saint Mystery Magazine, July 1967
* 1998 Anthony Award (Bouchercon World Mystery Convention): "One Bag of Coconuts", EQMM, November 1997
* 2001 Anthony Award (Bouchercon): "The Problem of the Potting Shed", EQMM, July 2000
* 2007 Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award (awarded 2008): "The Theft of the Ostracized Ostrich", EQMM, June 2007
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Private Eye Writers of America), 2000
* Grand Master (Mystery Writers of America), 2001
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Bouchercon), 2001
* 1968 Edgar Allan Poe Award (Mystery Writers of America): "The Oblong Room", The Saint Mystery Magazine, July 1967
* 1998 Anthony Award (Bouchercon World Mystery Convention): "One Bag of Coconuts", EQMM, November 1997
* 2001 Anthony Award (Bouchercon): "The Problem of the Potting Shed", EQMM, July 2000
* 2007 Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award (awarded 2008): "The Theft of the Ostracized Ostrich", EQMM, June 2007
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Private Eye Writers of America), 2000
* Grand Master (Mystery Writers of America), 2001
* Lifetime Achievement Award (Bouchercon), 2001
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 8, 2018
A fun collection of impossible mysteries set in rural 1920s Connecticut. Young country doctor, Sam Hawthorne, finds himself called upon to solve various mysteries, mostly (but not entirely) murders -
* a horse and carriage enter a covered bridge, but don't come out the other end
* a young boy vanishes from a schoolyard swing
* a man is stabbed to death inside a voting booth - and there is no one else around
* a body is found inside a sealed time capsule
and several other cases.
The stories are entertaining, but light and the characterization is pretty weak. Hoch is good at creating impossible crimes, but lacks the gift of Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, or Phoebe Atwood Taylor to create believable characters you care about. Even Dr Sam doesn't really come to life. The stories are all about puzzles, not people. Still, this is a fun, quick read - just don't expect a lot of depth.
* a horse and carriage enter a covered bridge, but don't come out the other end
* a young boy vanishes from a schoolyard swing
* a man is stabbed to death inside a voting booth - and there is no one else around
* a body is found inside a sealed time capsule
and several other cases.
The stories are entertaining, but light and the characterization is pretty weak. Hoch is good at creating impossible crimes, but lacks the gift of Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, or Phoebe Atwood Taylor to create believable characters you care about. Even Dr Sam doesn't really come to life. The stories are all about puzzles, not people. Still, this is a fun, quick read - just don't expect a lot of depth.
April 21, 2009
This was a fun collection of stories that each feature an impossible crime. Told in a series of flashbacks, Dr. Sam Hawthorne begins his recollections as a country doctor in rural Connecticut in the 1920s.
The contents include (my favorites marked with a *):
1. The Problem of the Covered Bridge*
2. The Problem of the Old Gristmill
3. The Problem of the Lobster Shack*
4. The Problem of the Haunted Bandstand
5. The Problem of the Locked Caboose*
6. The Problem of the Little Red Schoolhouse*
7. The Problem of the Christmas Steeple
8. The Problem of Cell 16
9. The Problem of the Country Inn*
10. The Problem of the Voting Booth
11. The Problem of the County Fair
12. The Problem of the Old Oak Tree
There is also, at the end of the book, a chronology of Sam Hawthorne stories.
The stories were fun, but by the end, picking up on Hawthorne's methods, I was pretty much able to figure out the last few. However, it is a joy to read -- the author tells his stories in a folksy tone and doesn't take himself too seriously as a mystery writer.
I think people who like locked-room mysteries or impossible crimes will really enjoy this one; even cozy readers will probably like this one because it is easy to read, uninvolved and uncomplicated. This book is a welcome addition to my mystery shelves, and I can definitely recommend it.
The contents include (my favorites marked with a *):
1. The Problem of the Covered Bridge*
2. The Problem of the Old Gristmill
3. The Problem of the Lobster Shack*
4. The Problem of the Haunted Bandstand
5. The Problem of the Locked Caboose*
6. The Problem of the Little Red Schoolhouse*
7. The Problem of the Christmas Steeple
8. The Problem of Cell 16
9. The Problem of the Country Inn*
10. The Problem of the Voting Booth
11. The Problem of the County Fair
12. The Problem of the Old Oak Tree
There is also, at the end of the book, a chronology of Sam Hawthorne stories.
The stories were fun, but by the end, picking up on Hawthorne's methods, I was pretty much able to figure out the last few. However, it is a joy to read -- the author tells his stories in a folksy tone and doesn't take himself too seriously as a mystery writer.
I think people who like locked-room mysteries or impossible crimes will really enjoy this one; even cozy readers will probably like this one because it is easy to read, uninvolved and uncomplicated. This book is a welcome addition to my mystery shelves, and I can definitely recommend it.
December 20, 2022
This brilliant collection of 'Impossible Crime' stories contain the following~
1. The Problem of the Covered Bridge;
2. The Problem of the Old Gristmill;
3. The Problem of the Lobster Shack;
4. The Problem of the Haunted Bandstand;
5. The Problem of the Locked Caboose;
6. The Problem of the Little Red Schoolhouse;
7. The Problem of the Christmas Steeple;
8. The Problem of Cell 16;
9. The Problem of the Country Inn;
10. The Problem of the Voting Booth;
11. The Problem of the County Fair;
12. The Problem of the Old Oak Tree.
It also contains a complete chronology of all the Cases of Dr. Sam Hawthorne.
Initially Hoch must have been trying (after being persuaded by the EQMM editor to do so) to make his Country Physician sound rather rustic. But with passage of time, those pretences got dropped. The stories became some of the most well-written, witty, gritty stories of classic 'locked room' types that enabled us to apply our minds as well.
Highly recommended.
1. The Problem of the Covered Bridge;
2. The Problem of the Old Gristmill;
3. The Problem of the Lobster Shack;
4. The Problem of the Haunted Bandstand;
5. The Problem of the Locked Caboose;
6. The Problem of the Little Red Schoolhouse;
7. The Problem of the Christmas Steeple;
8. The Problem of Cell 16;
9. The Problem of the Country Inn;
10. The Problem of the Voting Booth;
11. The Problem of the County Fair;
12. The Problem of the Old Oak Tree.
It also contains a complete chronology of all the Cases of Dr. Sam Hawthorne.
Initially Hoch must have been trying (after being persuaded by the EQMM editor to do so) to make his Country Physician sound rather rustic. But with passage of time, those pretences got dropped. The stories became some of the most well-written, witty, gritty stories of classic 'locked room' types that enabled us to apply our minds as well.
Highly recommended.
September 6, 2021
Ed Hoch was a prolific short story writer. This collection brings together some (but not all) of the impossible crime stories first published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. I found the stories most entertaining if I read them one at a time, when I wanted to read the entirety of a clever mystery in 20 minutes, rather than reading the collection cover to cover. A perfect diversion to wind down in the evening.
March 21, 2018
Anyone familiar with vintage mysteries such as those in Ellery Queen or Alfred Hitchcock Magazines has heard the name Edward D. Hoch – and, in fact, many think he is the finest author in this genre. He has received the Mystery Writers of America’s highest honour, the Grand Master Award, and he has been recognized for Lifetime Achievement by the Private Eye Writers of America and the Bouchercon. According to FantasticFiction.com, Ed Hoch is the only author who specializes in the mystery short story to receive such recognition.
Dr. Sam is a country doctor in what I recall seemed the early part of the twentieth century. There were still horses and carriages, but Dr. Sam did have a nice roadster. Aside from making house calls and doctoring the county, Dr. Sam is an amateur sleuth.
Many of these stories first appeared in one of those fine mystery magazines mentioned above. If you’re a fan of those, you’ll love this. I did.
Thank you to the Puzzle Doctor at In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel for letting me know about this.
4 stars
Dr. Sam is a country doctor in what I recall seemed the early part of the twentieth century. There were still horses and carriages, but Dr. Sam did have a nice roadster. Aside from making house calls and doctoring the county, Dr. Sam is an amateur sleuth.
Many of these stories first appeared in one of those fine mystery magazines mentioned above. If you’re a fan of those, you’ll love this. I did.
Thank you to the Puzzle Doctor at In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel for letting me know about this.
4 stars
May 10, 2016
Read so far:
The problem of the covered bridge --3
The problem of the old gristmill --3
The problem of the lobster shack --2
The problem of the haunted bandstand --2
The problem of the locked caboose --3
The problem of the little red schoolhouse --3
The problem of the Christmas steeple --2
The problem of cell 16 --2
The problem of the country inn --2
The problem of the voting booth --2
The problem of the county fair --2
The problem of the old oak tree --3
The problem of the covered bridge --3
The problem of the old gristmill --3
The problem of the lobster shack --2
The problem of the haunted bandstand --2
The problem of the locked caboose --3
The problem of the little red schoolhouse --3
The problem of the Christmas steeple --2
The problem of cell 16 --2
The problem of the country inn --2
The problem of the voting booth --2
The problem of the county fair --2
The problem of the old oak tree --3
June 12, 2010
Nice collection of Hoch's impossible-crime stories. Nowhere near as good as John Dickson Carr--his sense of atmosphere is pretty sterile in comparison--but tricky little puzzles worth 10 minutes of your time.
June 3, 2022
Three and a half stars: Short stories featuring a country doctor in 1920's Massachusetts as detective. The writing is fluid and although not much character development occurs, the stories are satisfyingly mysterious, until Dr. Sam explains it all.
The stories and my ratings from * to **** --
Problem of the Covered Bridge - as Dr. Sam follows close behind, a man in a horse and buggy disappears from the snowy road ahead, his buggy tracks entering but not leaving a covered bridge just around a bend and out of sight. ****
Problem of the Old Gristmill - a man is killed and his valuable journals disappear from a locked and guarded strongbox during a train journey. ****
Problem of the Lobster Shack - an escape act by a Houdini wannabe goes wrong. ***
Problem of the Haunted Bandstand - a killing takes place in full sight of people at a July 4 celebration and then the killer disappears. ****
The Problem of the Locked Caboose - during an overnight train trip to fill in for a colleague, Dr. Sam is involved in a jewel theft and murder in the train's caboose. **
The Problem of the Little Red Schoolhouse - a boy seems to disappear from a swing with his teacher watching him. ***
The Problem of the Christmas Steeple - a man is found stabbed to death at the top of a locked belfry and the only other person there could not have killed him. ****
The Problem of Cell 16 - a notorious criminal escapes from a newly built jail. **
The Problem of the Country Inn - a masked robber runs down a corridor and disappears and the only exit is a door bolted on the inside. **
The Problem of the Voting Booth - a man is stabbed in a booth that is solid on three sides and the front is watched by many people. *
The Problem of the County Fair - when Dr. Sam suspects a murdered man is inside a newly buried time capsule, he has the capsule dug up and finds the corpse, even though lots of people saw the thing buried and Dr. Sam himself saw the inside just before it was lowered into the ground. **
The Problem of the Old Oak Tree - when a stunt man jumps from an airplane during the filming of a movie he lands in a large tree and is found to have a wire around his neck which strangled him. ***
The stories and my ratings from * to **** --
Problem of the Covered Bridge - as Dr. Sam follows close behind, a man in a horse and buggy disappears from the snowy road ahead, his buggy tracks entering but not leaving a covered bridge just around a bend and out of sight. ****
Problem of the Old Gristmill - a man is killed and his valuable journals disappear from a locked and guarded strongbox during a train journey. ****
Problem of the Lobster Shack - an escape act by a Houdini wannabe goes wrong. ***
Problem of the Haunted Bandstand - a killing takes place in full sight of people at a July 4 celebration and then the killer disappears. ****
The Problem of the Locked Caboose - during an overnight train trip to fill in for a colleague, Dr. Sam is involved in a jewel theft and murder in the train's caboose. **
The Problem of the Little Red Schoolhouse - a boy seems to disappear from a swing with his teacher watching him. ***
The Problem of the Christmas Steeple - a man is found stabbed to death at the top of a locked belfry and the only other person there could not have killed him. ****
The Problem of Cell 16 - a notorious criminal escapes from a newly built jail. **
The Problem of the Country Inn - a masked robber runs down a corridor and disappears and the only exit is a door bolted on the inside. **
The Problem of the Voting Booth - a man is stabbed in a booth that is solid on three sides and the front is watched by many people. *
The Problem of the County Fair - when Dr. Sam suspects a murdered man is inside a newly buried time capsule, he has the capsule dug up and finds the corpse, even though lots of people saw the thing buried and Dr. Sam himself saw the inside just before it was lowered into the ground. **
The Problem of the Old Oak Tree - when a stunt man jumps from an airplane during the filming of a movie he lands in a large tree and is found to have a wire around his neck which strangled him. ***
May 4, 2021
Fans of impossible crimes and locked rooms will eat this up. Old school, fair play mysteries done extremely well. I can’t get enough of Hoch (pronounced HOKE apparently.) Up until now I’ve ignored the Dr. Sam Hawthorne stories—I think because I mistook him for Lawrence Bloch’s doctor detective (which I assume is more medical/forensic detection, so not by cuppa, though I may be wrong again.) Glad I rectified my mistake, in any case, and I’m looking forward to the remaining four collections. Highly recommended, very charming stuff.
Hoch really does his research and it’s fun to observe the changes in the American landscape as the 1920s chug along. Usually I don’t expect much color in these types of stories but they really feel like they were written in the 1920s. Like reading early Holmes gives you a feel for Victorian England, these do the same for rural New England in the time of prohibition, talkies, and automobiles. Hoch seemed to have set these chronologically from just after WWI to just after WWII. I’m interested in the development of Doc’s life and profession and even reputation, as well as in what the future holds for his adopted hometown of Northmont*, CT and its denizens. (Hoch also treated his Simon Ark stories similarly: you watch the characters and their circumstances change and grow and gray—or in the case of Ark himself, remain the same.)
(Radio drama fans will want to check out the EQMM podcast which features all of these stories dramatized from the 70s. Unfortunately I can’t find out much of anything about the circumstances of the recording and transmission of these plays but they’re very good.)
(I keep hearing Seth Hazlitt’s voice, so I’ve mentally relocated Northmont to the northern coast of Maine, and cast William Windom and Tom Bosley as the doctor and the sheriff, respectively.)
Hoch really does his research and it’s fun to observe the changes in the American landscape as the 1920s chug along. Usually I don’t expect much color in these types of stories but they really feel like they were written in the 1920s. Like reading early Holmes gives you a feel for Victorian England, these do the same for rural New England in the time of prohibition, talkies, and automobiles. Hoch seemed to have set these chronologically from just after WWI to just after WWII. I’m interested in the development of Doc’s life and profession and even reputation, as well as in what the future holds for his adopted hometown of Northmont*, CT and its denizens. (Hoch also treated his Simon Ark stories similarly: you watch the characters and their circumstances change and grow and gray—or in the case of Ark himself, remain the same.)
(Radio drama fans will want to check out the EQMM podcast which features all of these stories dramatized from the 70s. Unfortunately I can’t find out much of anything about the circumstances of the recording and transmission of these plays but they’re very good.)
(I keep hearing Seth Hazlitt’s voice, so I’ve mentally relocated Northmont to the northern coast of Maine, and cast William Windom and Tom Bosley as the doctor and the sheriff, respectively.)
October 13, 2018
Edward Hoch started writing short stories featuring Dr. Sam Hawthorne for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine since the 1970s. The stories started in the 1920s and follow the career of Dr. Hawthorne from the day he was a young country doctor through the decades. This book is the first collection in the series and contain Dr. Hawthorne's early years. A dozen of those stories are collected in this book. They are all very short stand-alone locked room mysteries in a historic setting. Extremely good New England local color as well as discussion of medical practice and small town life in the 1920s. The stories are short concise and creative. At the end of the book is a full list of all the Sam Hawthorne stories listed by publication years.
June 19, 2018
This short collection is one of the best impossible crime stories I ever read. The mysteries are very cleverly designed and Dr. Sam is the smart detective that unravels all of them with no effort at all.
March 11, 2021
Good stories
Nice set of cozy short story mysteries. Best read one or two at a time, and do not skip the introduction which puts the stories into context. The country doctor detective evolves over the course of the stories. Enjoy.
Nice set of cozy short story mysteries. Best read one or two at a time, and do not skip the introduction which puts the stories into context. The country doctor detective evolves over the course of the stories. Enjoy.
February 20, 2019
Another entertaining collection of locked room murders/impossible crimes from the fertile mind of Ed Hoch.Ideal for dipping in and out of,as most stories can be finished in 15 mins or so.
Read
February 3, 2022Love Dr. Sam
I like the continuing characters in the stories and the plots are good. Reading these Dr. Sam stories is very enjoyable. On to Volume 2 of Dr. Sam!
I like the continuing characters in the stories and the plots are good. Reading these Dr. Sam stories is very enjoyable. On to Volume 2 of Dr. Sam!
April 13, 2022
I'm not much of a fan of short stories as a rule, but these dozen "impossible crimes" left me wishing for more.
June 4, 2022
Like candy
November 28, 2022
Fun. Delivers exactly what you would suspect.
August 8, 2023
A collection of locked room mysteries featuring series character Dr. Sam Hawthorne.
December 5, 2024
grandpa told stories in old times small town of New England in an old fashion way.
Want to read
March 17, 2019Synopsis: from the 1930s. Twelve New England mysteries involving Dr. Sam Hawthorne who specialized in impossible crimes.
July 16, 2023
第三章弃了
February 20, 2016
Enjoyed the stories -good bedtime reading.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews