The Green-Eyed Monster

by Patrick Quentin

Stated First Printing. A VG+ copy in a VG dust jacket. Rubs to the spine tips and tanning to the boards. The dust jacket has rubs and tears to the upper and lower edges of the panels. Wear to the head and heel of its spine. Dust soiling to the panels and rubbing to the rear panel.

Genres: Mystery

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Patrick Quentin, Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge were pen names under which Hugh Callingham Wheeler (19 March 1912 – 26 July 1987), Richard Wilson Webb (August 1901 – December 1966), Martha Mott Kelley (30 April 1906–2005) and Mary Louise White Aswell (3 June 1902 – 24 December 1984) wrote detective fiction. In some foreign countries their books have been published under the variant Quentin Patrick. Most of the stories were written by Webb and Wheeler in collaboration, or by Wheeler alone. Their most famous creation is the amateur sleuth Peter Duluth. In 1963, the story collection The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow was given a Special Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America.

AKA:
Πάτρικ Κουέντιν (Greek)

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm tempted to call this a "trashy" mystery; and, like much trashy literature, it has, despite its superficiality and obvious contrivances, a darn good story with lots of surprising twists and turns. Not good enough to recommend, but if you happened to be stuck on a plane or train with it, you'd have a good time. Another similar book by Quentin that's better is Shadow of Guilt.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unless you crave unrelieved grimness, skip this one.

I got half-way through and gave up. What sets the Patrick Quentin mysteries apart from the herd is the sly wit. After all, even in the mist of a crisis, funny things still happen. If you're a person who's amused by absurdity, pomposity, and other forms of nonsense, you're likely to run into just as much of it when dealing with cops and criminals as you do everyday. Probably more.

This book was published in 1960. In the 1950's the writing partnership that produced the Patrick Quentin books fell apart. Richard Webb moved to Europe. Hugh Wheeler continued to write, but devoted most of his attention to his career as a playwright.

"Suspicious Circumstances" is a delightful exception, but Wheeler by himself turned to dark "thrillers." Not my style at all. This one is a well-written psychological thriller about a man who struggles with both a dysfunctional family and a wife whom he loves, but doesn't know very well.

Andrew Jordan is a really nice guy. Maybe TOO nice to be dealing with a self-absorbed mother, a charming bum brother, and a wife who may have married him for his money. He tells himself the problem is his jealousy and lack of confidence, but there are always questions in his mind about where Maureen is and what she's doing. And her answers aren't very good.

Maureen was orphaned early and taken in by relatives who never really loved her. She always felt second-best to her cousin. When she left their home, she was determined to marry a rich man and show them they had underrated her.

More and more, Andrew suspects the brilliant marriage Maureen wanted isn't satisfying her. Then he comes home one night to find a dead body in his bed and he's the main suspect.

It's a well-written psychological drama with no humor in it at all. If that's what you like, congratulations. Not for me.

[Filip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic Patrick Quentin mystery with a convoluted web of lies and deceit, reprehensible victim and a nice twist at the end. Really not much more to add, a simple but nevertheless enjoyable book.