Case for Three Detectives

这是一部把黄金时代推理小说的“名侦探神话”当成靶子射击的作品。三位风格各异的业余侦探——勋爵、法国人皮孔、史密斯神父——轮番登台，各自给出逻辑自洽、自诩惊艳的密室解答，而真正破案的反而是那个被他们集体蔑视、始终沉默的警察牛肉探长。读者记住它的，往往不是诡计的精巧，而是那种“全员打脸”的酣畅：伪解答讲得头头是道，真相却把它们逐一击碎。它既是向波罗等前辈致敬的致敬之作，又是对“披马甲就充天才”的聪明人的辛辣反讽。喜欢多重解答与密室的人能获得解谜乐趣，但真正会心一笑的，是那些看透了推理小说自身套路的读者。

Leo Bruce is a pseudonym for Rupert Croft-Cooke (1903-1979). Under this name, Bruce wrote several mystery novels. He created two series, one which featured Sergeant Beef, a British police officer, and one that features Carolus Deane, a schoolteacher who acts as an amateur sleuth. Most of his books are out of print now. Croft-Cooke also wrote some books under his own name, including a collection of short stories entitled Pharaoh and His Waggons and Other Stories.