The Bishop Murder Case

by

S. S. Van Dine

New York
Charles Scribner’s Sons

Copyright, 1929, by Charles Scribner’s Sons

Contents

I[“Who Killed Cock Robin?”]
II[On the Archery Range]
III[A Prophecy Recalled]
IV[A Mysterious Note]
V[A Woman’s Scream]
VI[“ ‘I,’ Said the Sparrow”]
VII[Vance Reaches a Conclusion]
VIII[Act Two]
IX[The Tensor Formula]
X[A Refusal of Aid]
XI[The Stolen Revolver]
XII[A Midnight Call]
XIII[In the Bishop’s Shadow]
XIV[A Game of Chess]
XV[An Interview with Pardee]
XVI[Act Three]
XVII[An All-Night Light]
XVIII[The Wall in the Park]
XIX[The Red Note-book]
XX[The Nemesis]
XXI[Mathematics and Murder]
XXII[The House of Cards]
XXIII[A Startling Discovery]
XXIV[The Last Act]
XXV[The Curtain Falls]
XXVI[Heath Asks a Question]

The Earth is a Temple where there is going on a Mystery Play, childish and poignant, ridiculous and awful enough in all conscience.

Characters of the Book

Philo Vance John F.-X. Markham District Attorney of New York County. Ernest Heath Sergeant of the Homicide Bureau. Professor Bertrand Dillard A famous physicist. Belle Dillard His niece. Sigurd Arnesson His adopted son: an associate professor of mathematics. Pyne The Dillard butler. Beedle The Dillard cook. Adolph Drukker Scientist and author. Mrs. Otto Drukker His mother. Grete Menzel The Drukker cook. John Pardee Mathematician and chess expert: inventor of the Pardee gambit. J. C. Robin Sportsman and champion archer. Raymond Sperling Civil Engineer. John E. Sprigg Senior at Columbia University. Dr. Whitney Barstead An eminent neurologist. Quinan Police Reporter of the World. Madeleine Moffat Chief Inspector O’Brien Of the Police Department of New York City. William M. Moran Commanding Officer of the Detective Bureau. Captain Pitts Of the Homicide Bureau. Guilfoyle Detective of the Homicide Bureau. Snitkin Detective of the Homicide Bureau. Hennessey Detective of the Homicide Bureau. Emery Detective of the Homicide Bureau. Burke Detective of the Homicide Bureau. Captain Dubois Finger-print expert. Dr. Emanuel Doremus Medical Examiner. Swacker Secretary to the District Attorney. Currie Vance’s valet.