The Tragedy of Z

Name: The Tragedy of Z
ISBN: 9787513323796

Ellery QueenNew Star Press2017

3.6

Word count: 135K words
Chapters: 26
Series: Midnight Library · Masters Series · Ellery Queen Works
ISBN: 9787513323796

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Summary

The Tragedy of Z is the third of Ellery Queen's "Tragedy Quartet," first published in 1933; the standard Chinese translation is by Lin Darong, published by New Star Press in its "Midnight Library" series. The story takes place in Tilden County, home of Algonquin Prison: one night, Senator Fawcett, who had made countless enemies, is stabbed to death in his study; the same day, a small man happens to be released from prison after serving his sentence. A letter left in the study points to this newly released man, and the police are all but certain he is the murderer. Yet the case is far from as simple as it appears: the evidence is not sufficient to hold. Retired Inspector Sam, with his daughter Patience, once again seeks help from the former Shakespearean actor now living in seclusion, Drury Lane. Drawing on his keen grasp of human nature and detail, Lane eliminates the suspects one by one through a deductive demonstration repeatedly cited in scholarly circles and a prison-cell experiment, and finally brings the true murderer to trial. The book continues the rigorous logic characteristic of Queen, allowing readers to follow the clues alongside the detective; it is one of the representative works of classical "fair-play" deduction. This edition is New Star Press's 2017 reissue, with a main text of about 135,000 characters.

Editor's review

如果你已经读过《X的悲剧》《Y的悲剧》，那么《Z的悲剧》就是这套“悲剧四部曲”里最容易被忽略、却最能体现奎因方法的一本。它与前两本不同，这次推演真相的不再只是雷恩一人：萨姆巡官的女儿佩辛斯以一种近似“助手＋旁观者”的身份进入案件，为这对老搭档带来了新的视角，也让读者多了一个可以代入的位置。全书的核心在于证据与逻辑：一群嫌疑人、看似确凿却站不住脚的指控，以及一场把推理过程公开呈现的“逻辑课”。奎因最迷人之处，是他把线索全部摊在读者面前，却不急着交出答案，而是让读者亲眼看着排除法一点点收紧网口。新星“午夜文库”这一版译文流畅，是中文读者接近奎因古典推理的一条稳定通路。对推理爱好者而言，这本是补全悲剧系列的必修课。

Who it's for

A good fit for

读过《X的悲剧》《Y的悲剧》，希望补全悲剧四部曲的推理迷
偏爱古典本格、重视逻辑推演和公平推理的读者
喜欢“侦探带助手联袂破案”结构的读者
想系统了解埃勒里·奎因作品的文学爱好者

Not a good fit for

偏好快节奏、强动作或社会派写实风格的读者
对黄金时代古典推理的缓慢铺陈缺乏耐心的读者
希望看到独立成篇、无需系列背景即可进入的读者

Reading tips

最好先读《X的悲剧》和《Y的悲剧》，会更容易理解哲瑞·雷恩与萨姆父女的关系。
阅读时不妨准备纸笔，把人物关系和每封信、每件物证记下，和侦探同步推理。
读到“一堂逻辑课”“囚室实验”等章节时可以放慢速度，梳理作者的排除思路。
读完后再回看开头的线索铺陈，体会古典公平推理设计的巧妙。

About the publisher

New Star Press China · Founded in 1989

New Star Press focuses on classic works, mystery and detective fiction, science fiction, history, foreign literature and art, and its 602 titles in the library show a balance between popular reading and humanistic depth. Representative books include The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Illustrated Collector's Edition, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Player of Games, Local Government in Qing China, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and A Collection of Fine Ukiyo-e Prints, spanning classic literature, detective fiction, science fiction, local history and visual art. Its authors and contributors include William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Iain M. Banks, as well as translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Su Fuzhong and illustrators such as John Gilbert and George Cruikshank. Known for the detective series Midnight Library and for social-science and humanities titles, the press emphasizes edition design and reading experience; public information is limited, so this profile highlights the publishing features reflected in the library's books.

Author's Note
Dramatis Personae
The Case
Chapter 1: Meeting Mr. Drury Lane
Chapter 2: Meeting the Deceased
Chapter 3: The Black Box
Chapter 4: The Fifth Letter
Chapter 5: The Sixth Letter
Chapter 6: Aaron Dow Appears
Chapter 7: The Net Tightens
Chapter 8: A Deus ex Machina
Chapter 9: A Lesson in Logic
Chapter 10: The Prison Cell Experiment
Chapter 11: The Trial
Chapter 12: Aftermath
Chapter 13: The Death of a Man
Chapter 14: The Second Half of the Wooden Box
Chapter 15: Escape
Chapter 16: Z
Chapter 17: Playing the Heroine
Chapter 18: The Dark Hour
Chapter 19: The Manhunt
Chapter 20: The Tragedy of Z
Chapter 21: The Final Clue
Chapter 22: The Final Move
Chapter 23: The Final Word

FAQ

《Z的悲剧》需要先读《X的悲剧》吗？

不必勉强，但建议按顺序读。三本书共用哲瑞·雷恩、萨姆巡官等人物，先读前两本更熟悉人物关系与侦探的行事风格；单独读《Z的悲剧》也能读懂案件本身。

这本书的出版社和译者是谁？

中文通行版由新星出版社“午夜文库”出版，译者林大容，2017年再版的ISBN为9787513323796，约13.5万字；2009年首版ISBN为9787802255999。

《Z的悲剧》是系列第几部？

它是“悲剧四部曲”的第三部，前有《X的悲剧》《Y的悲剧》，后面还有《哲瑞·雷恩的最后一案》。

这本书适合入门推理小说吗？

可以，但不算最轻松的入门选择。它的重心在逻辑和物证推演上，节奏比一般悬疑小说慢；如果习惯现代快节奏推理，可能会觉得铺陈较长。

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About the author

Ellery Queen Author · American · 1905–1982

Ellery Queen is the pen name shared by the American detective novelists Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and his cousin Manfred B. Lee (1905–1971), and also the name of the detective they created. The pair made their debut in 1929 with The Roman Hat Mystery and went on to write the nine-volume "Country Series" and the "Tragedy Quartet," along with such works as The Greek Coffin Mystery, The Last Case of Drury Lane, and The Lamp of God. Their fiction is known for rigorous logical deduction and fair-play puzzle plots that challenge the reader, making them key representatives of Golden Age detective fiction. In 1941 they founded Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, which has long promoted the writing and criticism of detective fiction.