"The Greek Coffin Mystery" (1932) is considered one of the earliest, most popula
r, confounding, brilliantly plotted classic whodunit mysteries of the Ellery Que
en series, involving a dead and blind art dealer, a slain forger, a stolen price
less painting and the disappearance of a mysterious will from a New York townhou
se full of suspects. During the funeral of famous art dealer Georg Khalkis, the
metal box containing his last will and testament had vanished from the library s
afe. Son of a New York cop, Ellery Queen, a young master of deduction, orders a
search of the coffin. To the horror of both detectives and mourners, when the co
ffin is unearthed, a second corpse, strangled and decaying, is found with the la
te Georg Khalkis.
