The Greene Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine is the third book in the series of Philo Vance whodunits. It was published in 1928 and focuses on the murders of members of the Greene family. This is also the first of the Philo Vance-centric books that was not inspired in some capacity by a real-life crime.
This book is reissued by American Mystery Classics and is sure to delight fans of mystery films, classic Hollywood, and fans of William Powell. It was Powell who ultimately portrayed Vance in the screen iteration of the book, The Greene Murder Case (1929), the following year. While there was an additional film called Night of Mystery (1937) that was based upon the same source material at starred Grant Richards in the lead role, no prints exist beyond university and museum collections.
I strongly recommend The Greene Murder Case as a delightful read for classic film fans, particularly as a fine accompaniment to “Noirvember” fun.
Hometowns to Hollywood 