The Eighth Circle

by Stanley Ellin

Book Overview

Murray Kirk runs his private investigation agency like the business it is: he isn't interested in justice or crusades, just the profit and loss account. When he's asked to act for a young policeman... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0752853317
• ISBN13: 9780752853314
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Orion Paperbacks
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.8" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

A great private eye novel

James Ellroy says somewhere, "the last time a private eye solved a murder was never". Ellin's underrated novel takes it's title from Dante's description of hell: the eighth circle of the inferno is where the lawyers, bribers, and toadies are. The great strength of this book is the real-life description of a detective agency. The author spent months researching the reality of private eyes, so his book does not perpetuate the Chandler-based myth. As a murder mystery THE EIGHTH CIRCLE is only so-so, but the rest is simply wonderful--it really places you in New York in the late 1950's. (The greatest Ellin is probably his short stories: try THE MOMENT OF DECISION.)

Beware: masterpiece!

Stanley Ellin won the Edgar Award for best novel for this book, and it's well deserved. The only word that comes to my mind to definite this is "perfection". Perfection in writing, plotting, characterization, atmosphere. "The Eighth Circle" is probably one of the best mystery novels ever written, and one of the most deserved Edgar-winners, with Charlotte Jay's "Beat Not The Bones", Chandler's "The Long Goodbye" - to name just two. Don't miss it! Like Nat King Cole would say, it's "unforgettable"...