the police sealed off the theater. That leaves only the few hundred people in the cast, crew, and audience at the time as suspects.

The Roman Hat Mystery takes its title from the fictional Roman Theater where the murder occurred and the victim’s formal top hat. Since the story takes place in the 1920s, many theatergoers wore formal wear at evening performances, including the victim. But when the police search the theater after the killing, the hat is nowhere to be found. Both Inspector Queen and Ellery note the significance of the missing headgear. Figuring out what happened to the hat becomes an important plot point in the book.

Dannay and Lee wrote The Roman Hat Mystery as an entry in a literary contest. At the time, they were still polishing their technique, as both writers and puzzle makers. The authors include a list of characters and a map of the theater in their foreword. And the novel includes Ellery Queen’s trademark “Challenge to the Reader.” Immediately before the authors reveal the killer’s identity, they include a brief chapter stating that readers have all the information needed to solve the murder. This device proved so popular that the authors included the Challenge in several subsequent novels.

In other ways, the authors’ mystery puzzles and the character of Ellery Queen were still works in progress in The Roman Hat Mystery. The plot isn’t as complicated as those of later Queen novels, in which the authors concealed numerous clues en route to an exotic solution. Instead, the hat (along with its meaning) is pretty much the only clue involved in solving the case. The authors devote far too much time to discussing the search for the hat, resulting in a 200-page book that is significantly padded. Later Queen novels would also feature a lengthy explanation by Ellery of how he solved the case. The explanation is far briefer here. Surprisingly, Ellery himself is nowhere to be found when his father explains the details to his fellow cops and the readers. Instead, the younger Queen goes away on vacation shortly before the police catch the killer. Veteran mystery buffs will immediately jump to the conclusion that this “vacation” is some sort of strategy and that Ellery will show up at a critical moment later. But, no, he actually leaves town for the rest of the book.

Those who remember Ellery Queen from Jim Hutton’s folksy TV portrayal may be surprised that the character in these early books is somewhat of a stuffed shirt dilettante, given to elaborate discourses on both trivia and the facts of the case. He’s not as bad here as in the next few novels in the series, but readers will feel little empathy for him. The Roman Hat Mystery also contains some disquieting racial references and outdated sexist depictions of the female characters. From having read many similar books of that era, I can state that these comments and statements were pretty common and unremarkable at the time. Now, however, some readers may be offended and should note accordingly.

As a character, Ellery Queen was nowhere near as entertaining as contemporaries like Hercule Poirot or Nero Wolfe. Nor does The Roman Hat Mystery contain memorable dialogue or descriptions. The only appeal for modern-day readers is the central puzzle itself. The mystery is good but not at the level of Agatha Christie or even the best Ellery Queen novels. I’m giving it a marginal three-star recommendation, primarily for fans of the authors or this particular subgenre. Except for those who want to start “at the beginning” of any author’s works, readers will find more enjoyable Ellery Queen mysteries elsewhere.