The Black Spectacles Audiobook By John Dickson Carr cover art

The Black Spectacles

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

The Black Spectacles

By: John Dickson Carr
Narrated by: Kris Dyer
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.16

Buy for $20.16

A sinister case of deadly poisoned chocolates from Sodbury Cross's high street shop haunts the group of friends and relatives assembled at Bellegarde, among the orchards of 'peach-fancier' Marcus Chesney. To prove a point about how the sweets could have been poisoned under the nose of the shopkeeper, Chesney stages an elaborate memory game to test whether any of his guests can see beyond their 'black spectacles'; that is, to see the truth without assumptions as witnesses. During the test - which is also being filmed - Chesney is murdered by his accomplice, dressed head to toe in an 'invisible man' disguise. The keen wits of Dr Gideon Fell are called for to crack this brazen and bizarre murder. This classic novel is widely regarded as one of John Dickson Carr's masterpieces and remains among the greatest impossible crime mysteries of all time.

©1939 The Estate of Clarice M. Carr (P)2023 Soundings Mystery Murder Crime Fiction Detective Private Investigators Traditional Detectives
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
All stars
Most relevant
“ The Black Spectacles” is a fun listen. I enjoyed the interesting characters, their idiosyncrasies, and their manners. Dr. Gideon Fell, with pipe and cape and top hat, often gruff and stout and a lover of fine drink and meat, is one of my favorite detectives. This is one of Carr’s best.

Carr Is A Master of Mystery

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This time capsule is not only a great portrait of an era; it is witty and probes the psychological twists and of unpredictable characters.

The lengthy histories of poisoners are perhaps a bit overdone but it was fun to hear the “gentlemen” discuss criminals in times past:. A retro glimpse of criminal profiling!

Ingenious plot

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A multi-layer of motives and observations. only concluded by more analysis and observations. A mind game from the beginning.

analysis of each segment

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good story, with adequate (if somewhat wanting) character development; if only the voice chosen by the Narrator for the story's main detective (Inspector Elliot) would not have been one of a whining 4th grader...

Good Story, One Rant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well written and performed with carefully thought out plot. Rather artificial but still enjoyable

Clever Plot

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews