Though I enjoy reading and rereading classic mysteries, I think this is my first Ellery Queen novel. In reading about the books I found that the earlier and later ones are considered quite different in style, and most but not all of today's readers prefer the later books. Then I found some references to this being the "first of the newer style" of novels, and decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did!Unlike many older mysteries, this one starts off quickly. Ellery is traveling through Trenton, NJ, when he runs into an old school friend, now an attorney with a married sister living in the area. Their decision to travel to NYC together is altered when the friend finds his brother-in-law murdered in an abandoned shack, the Halfway House of the title. Ellery, who has a soft spot for the new widow, of course gets involved and investigates.I liked the dated feel of this book. Clearly a product of 1930's, it's not a contemporary novel but still is easy to read and accessible. Part of the fun for me of reading older books is getting to indulge in something different than is being turned out today. I enjoyed the characters and the situation the murder reveals. There were plenty of logical suspects to keep me wondering. I also liked that Ellery insisted on collecting evidence and resisted jumping to conclusions about what the evidence meant, and that he didn't figure out the solution until well into the story. So much more fun unraveling it with him instead of having him smugly laughing at me because I hadn't worked it out yet. :)The trial left me stunned - it was really gripping and well written. It's been a long time since I read one so engrossing; it was made all the more moving because of the attorney's relationship to the accused. Honestly, it left me breathless. Overall this book rates 4.5 stars. I have no idea if the others in this series are this good, but I'll be finding out soon. :)
Cleverly crafted murder mystery first published in 1936 by Frederic Dannay and Manfred B, Lee, under the pen name Ellery Queen. Queen, of course, is the detective solving the mystery of a body found in a house where it’s obvious no one lived. Half way between NYC and Philadelphia Pennsylvania, the house was a place for the murder victim, who led a double life, to switch identities.I had an inkling of who the murderer was this time, but based only on one fact, and no clues. These guys were good.Read this if: you love a classic murder mystery; or you want a small taste of NYC society in the 1930s. 3½ stars
