Eight Faces at Three

By Craig Rice

John J. Malone, defender of the guilty, is notorious for getting his culpable clients off. It's the innocent ones who are problems. Like Holly Inglehart, accused of piercing the black heart of her well-heeled and tyrannical aunt Alexandria with a lovely Florentine paper cutter. No one who knew the old battle-ax liked her, but Holly's prints were found on the murder weapon. Plus, she had a motive: She was about to be disinherited for marrying a common bandleader.   With each new lurid headline, Holly's friends and supporters start to rally. There's North Shore debutante Helene Brand; Holly's groom's press agent, Jake Justus; the madam of a local brothel, and Alexandria's hand-wringing servants. But not one of them can explain the queerest bent to the crime: At the time of the murder, every clock in the Inglehart mansion stopped dead. And that's only the first twist in a baffling case of "aunty-cide"—because Alexandria won't be the last to die.   Making his debut in this fun and funny novel, Craig Rice's one-of-a-kind Chicago attorney is "an inspired creation . . . an unapologetic champion of the defense bar . . . a defender of the guilty whose contempt for society outstrips his contempt for criminals" (Jon L. Breen, Edgar Award–winning author).   Eight Faces at Three is the 1st book in the John J. Malone Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

• Language: English
• Publisher: mysteriouspress.com
• Release date: Nov 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781789540000

Craig Rice

Craig Rice (1908–1957), born Georgiana Ann Randolph Craig, was an American author of mystery novels and short stories described as “the Dorothy Parker of detective fiction.” In 1946, she became the first mystery writer to appear on the cover of Time magazine. Best known for her character John J. Malone, a rumpled Chicago lawyer, Rice’s writing style was both gritty and humorous. She also collaborated with mystery writer Stuart Palmer on screenplays and short stories, as well as with Ed McBain on the novel The April Robin Murders.  

Reviews for Eight Faces at Three

[condorena · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would have liked this book more if it wasn't for the basic premise that all people think better drunk. The author is proud that her characters are drunk most of the time, the police and authorities are drunk most of the time and the only sober person is the victim who deserved to die. I must not overlook the Asst DA who really only got drunk on one occasion but did imbibe sometimes just for fun.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Holly Inglehart has woken up at 3.00am. But why? And as she is concerned she checks on the other occupants of the house. Only to find all the clocks have stopped at 3.00 am and the only other person in the house is her dead aunt, stabbed three times. Because she has a motive Fleck, Maple Park's Chief of Police arrests her. Who can come to her aid. It is friends Helen Brand, and Jake Dayton, with the help of lawyer John J. Malone that help her. But does the amount of alcohol they drink help or hinder them.
An entertaining historical mystery, a good start to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Originally published in 1939