During a weekend party at the Thurston’s the conversation turned to crime. Norris, a writer, was the most vocal on the subject of mysteries and their solutions. Williams, an attorney, had another take on it. Strickland, a young man whose interest was fast cars, gambling and was a very close friend of the Thurstons also added to the conversation. Little did they know there would be a real murder and real detectives would be called in.

A prank concocted by the hosts became a reality. — a locked door mystery that brought in three detectives, who each came up with three different solid solutions of their own.

While the investigations were going on, Sergeant Beef, the village policeman, had already solved the case to his own satisfaction.

The three detectives: Lord Simon Plimsole, M. Amer Picon and Monsignor Smith have strong similarities to to other well-known fictional detectives. Sergeant Beef has respect for them and their sophisticated solutions, but he relies on what his knowledge is from regular police investigation.

This is a fun read of a parody of the mystery genre. Written during the 1930s when the mystery was coming into its Golden Age. ( )

In any murder mystery featuring an amateur sleuth, members of the police force are almost always too quick to jump to the wrong conclusions, if they aren't portrayed as being downright stupid. This cliche gets turned on its ear in “Case for Three Detectives” (1936) by Leo Bruce.

Bruce gives us a classic locked-room mystery, so common at that time. A group of people are guests at the home of Dr. Thurston and his wife. Soon after Mrs. Thurston goes up to bed, the others hear a scream. After her securely locked bedroom door is broken open, she is found with her throat cut. There is an open window behind her, and a knife is found in the yard. How did the murder happen? How did the killer get away? Who could have done it when the others were gathered in a room below?

The next day three famous amateur detectives show up: Lord Simon Plimsoll (patterned after Lord Peter Wimsey), Monsieur Amer Picon (Hercule Poirot) and Monsignor Smith (Father Brown). Also present is Sergeant Beef, the local police officer, who immediately declares that he knows who the murderer is and how the crime was committed. Nobody believes him, however, or even asks him to explain. He has been told by his superiors to allow the three distinguished detective to complete their investigations before making an arrest, and so Beef sits in the background while Plimsoll, Picon and Smith do their thing in the manner fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and G.K. Chesterton will be familiar with.

In the end, each of the three detectives names a different murderer and explains a totally different manner in which the crime was committed. And each brilliant deduction seems entirely convincing. But then Sgt. Beef tells what really happened, and offers the proof that the other three lacked.

Bruce gives us four -- make that five -- possible solutions to a crime that seems to have no solution at all. His novel is a treat for any fan of classic mysteries, and especially for fans of Wimsey, Poirot and/or Brown. ( )

Dr and Mrs Thurston are hosting a country house party, attended by a neurotic novelist, a lawyer, a hard-drinking sportsman and the narrator. There is crowd of servants with unusually murky pasts, and a very peculiar vicar, so when Mrs Thurston is found murdered there are plenty of suspects. Shortly following the murder, three famous detectives descend on the Thurston house: the Lord Peter Wimsey stand-in, Lord Simon Plimsoll; Amer Picon, who bears a strong resemblance to Hercule Poirot; Monsignor Smith, who shares many characteristics with Father Brown. Our narrator Townsend, well-versed in the rules of detective fiction, conscientiously acts as Watson (or Hastings) to all three, as they apply their giant intellects to the murder. Also investigating is the red-faced, beer-drinking, dart-playing plebian, Sergeant Beef, who is sadly underrated by the other investigators.

This is an amusing locked-room mystery, particularly for fans of Golden Age detective stories. The story sags slightly when the four detectives produce their theories, but overall it's an entertaining read. ( )

I’m beginning to like author Leo Bruce and his character Sgt. Beef. Here Beef is at his best: he knows “who done it” from the get-go, and is respectful of the more sophisticated amateur detectives working on the case, but of course shows them up in the end.
This is that classic favorite, the locked room murder, and we get several possible and logical solutions to the mystery.
As a fan of the three detectives parodied here (Poirot, Holmes, Wimsey) I found this book amusing but not brilliant. I’m not much of a fan of the multiple solution ending. The only exception is The Poisoned Chocolates Case, which I thought was beautifully done. In fact, The Poisoned Chocolates Case is very much like this book in plot and tone, but is a much better book.
Still, Sgt. Beef is a comical, sly fellow and makes this book worthwhile. ( )

parody of classic, 3 amateurs ingenious but wrong