The Case with Nine Solutions

The Case with Nine Solutions by J. J. Connington is a fiction, mystery first published in 1928. At its center are secrecy, evidence, motive, and the difficult search for truth, developed through the conventions and freedoms of fiction, mystery. As part of a series, the book also contributes to a larger imaginative or narrative design while retaining its own identity. The book’s distinctive character comes from a carefully controlled structure that rewards attention to detail and shifting suspicion. At roughly 74,488 words with a fairly easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Readers still return to it because of its role in shaping the pleasures and conventions of detective and suspense fiction. For modern readers, the pleasure comes from entering its particular world while noticing how its central concerns still shape personal and public life.