The Lamp of God

Name: The Lamp of God
ISBN: 9787580804389

Ellery Queen / 潘鹤文Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaApr 2026

4.0

Word count: 173K words
Chapters: 14
ISBN: 9787580804389

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Summary

If you think you can see through every trick in detective fiction, try your hand at these nine puzzles—

A stone house vanishes without a trace after a night of heavy snow. How did it disappear?

A pearl necklace disappears from a manor with every entrance guarded. How did the thief pull it off?

Someone is shot four times in a pitch-black room. How did the killer land every shot?

A portrait bleeds in the dead of night. Its subject has been dead for a century. Where does the blood come from?

…………

Nine stories, nine impossible crimes.

Ellery Queen's logical deduction is the only key.

Editor's review

This is a collection of short detective stories by Ellery Queen, nine tales corresponding to nine "impossible crimes": a stone house vanishing on a snowy night, a necklace stolen from under layer upon layer of guards, four shots finding their mark in total darkness, blood seeping from a century-old portrait. Each setup is like a puzzle, placing the reader at the same starting line of clues as the detective, testing nothing less than logical deduction itself. The appeal of Queen-style reasoning lies in this: the answer rarely depends on supernatural explanations; instead, it finds the overlooked logical gap in a scene that seems flawless. The short format keeps each puzzle tight, suited to reading one or two at a time, working out your own solution before checking the answer. For readers who consider themselves familiar with detective tricks, this book offers not thrills or social-depth commentary but a pure contest of logic. Jot down your own deductions first, then see how Queen pulls the clues together—this "match-play" approach is the best way to enjoy it.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy honkaku detective fiction and logic-puzzle mysteries
Mystery fans who prefer short stories and fragmented reading
Puzzle-solving readers eager to take on "impossible crime" tricks
Readers of Ellery Queen and classical detective fiction

Not a good fit for

Detective readers who prefer social depth or psychological character study
Readers seeking long, complex narratives and atmospheric buildup
Readers impatient with short puzzle-style structures

Reading tips

Read each puzzle first, pause and write down your own solution, then read the reveal.
Read only one or two at a time to avoid logic fatigue from nonstop solving.
Keep pen and paper handy to record key clues and eliminations, and follow Queen's reasoning path.
After finishing, revisit the stories you got wrong and sum up the blind spots the tricks share.

About the publisher

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1958

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House focuses on literary publishing while also covering the humanities, social sciences, and books on art and daily life. Its approximately 1,535 titles in the database span social novels, world history, design, science fiction, classic works, and film and television: they include modern Chinese literary classics by Lu Xun such as A Madman's Diary: The Complete Short Stories of Lu Xun, Call to Arms, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, as well as foreign literary memoirs like Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday. In science fiction it offers Asimov's Galactic Empire series, while in architecture and art it publishes Liu Dunzhen's Classical Gardens of Suzhou and design titles from Phoenix Space. Its authors are concentrated among classic writers such as Lu Xun, Zweig, and Asimov, with translators including Liang Xijiang, Zhong Haonan, and Ye Lihua. Its overall character is built on classic works while embracing genre fiction and visual culture. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based on the titles in the database.

版权信息
一部短篇小说
上帝之灯（上）
上帝之灯（下）
埃勒里·奎因的新冒险
寻宝游戏之谜
空心龙之谜
黑屋之谜
渗血画像之谜
埃勒里·奎因的体育比赛之谜
人咬狗
遥远的射程
心胜于物
特洛伊木马

FAQ

Can I read this directly without having read other Ellery Queen works?

Yes. This is a collection of short puzzles; each story stands relatively independent and does not rely on plot buildup from a longer series. Readers need only an interest in "impossible crime"–style deduction to dive in. If you enjoy this logical style, going back to Queen's full-length novels will give you a more complete experience.

Do the tricks involve supernatural explanations?

From the available information, the nine stories are set up as seemingly supernatural "impossible crimes"—a vanishing stone house, a bleeding portrait, and so on—but the key to Queen-style reasoning is logical deduction: the answers should come from the scene conditions and clues, not from the paranormal. Readers can safely treat it as honkaku puzzle-solving, with the focus on finding the overlooked logical gap.

Is it suitable as bedtime reading?

It works as short reading, but the book emphasizes logical puzzle-solving rather than horror atmosphere, so one or two stories before bed usually won't be strongly frightening. Still, if you like to fully relax before sleep, continuous puzzle-solving may keep your mind active and make it harder to fall asleep. Arrange it according to your own reading rhythm; there's no need to finish it in one sitting.

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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.

潘鹤文 Author

Pan Hewen is an author about whom limited public information is available; to date, only one work has been found under this name, the suspense and mystery novel The Lamp of God. Because details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and educational background are not clearly recorded, little can be said about the author's life, and the writing can only be observed through the work itself. The Lamp of God is classified as suspense and mystery fiction, suggesting that the author has made an attempt in this field, with the writing emphasizing puzzles, suspense, and the process of deduction to drive the narrative and create an atmosphere of gathering mystery that is gradually unraveled. Given the available material, it is not yet possible to confirm whether the author has published other works, nor to assess the overall direction of the author's style or position within genre literature. For readers interested in suspense and mystery fiction, The Lamp of God may serve as a window into this author, while a fuller picture must await more works and public information in the future.