Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes

Misspelled words have been corrected. These are identified by
♦♠ symbols in the text and are shown immediately below the
paragraph or section in which they appear.

Details and other notes may be found at the end of this text.

THE ROMAN HAT
MYSTERY

_A Problem in Deduction_

_By_
ELLERY QUEEN

FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
NEW YORK MCMXXIX

_Copyright, 1929, by_
Frederick A. Stokes Company

_All Rights Reserved_

Published August 15, 1929
Second Printing (before publication) July 2, 1929
Third Printing (before publication) August 8, 1929
Fourth Printing, September 10, 1929

_Printed in the United States of America_

Grateful Acknowledgment
Is Made to
PROFESSOR ALEXANDER GOETTLER
_Chief Toxicologist of the City of New York_
For His Friendly Offices in the
Preparation of This Tale

CONTENTS

PART ONE

PAGE
Foreword vii

CHAPTER

I. In Which Are Introduced a Theatre-Audience and a Corpse 3

II. In Which One Queen Works and Another Queen Watches 12

III. In Which a “Parson” Comes to Grief 29

IV. In Which Many Are Called and Two Are Chosen 47

V. In Which Inspector Queen Conducts Some Legal Conversations ♦56

VI. In Which the District Attorney Turns Biographer 79

VII. The Queens Take Stock 90

PART TWO

VIII. In Which the Queens Meet Mr. Field’s Very Best Friend 105

IX. In Which the Mysterious Mr. Michaels Appears 123

X. In Which Mr. Field’s Tophats Begin to Assume Proportions 131

XI. In Which the Past Casts a Shadow 145

XII. In Which the Queens Invade Society 158

XIII. Queen to Queen 174

PART THREE

XIV. In Which the Hat Grows 197

XV. In Which an Accusation Is Made 214

XVI. In Which the Queens Go to the Theatre 226

XVII. In Which More Hats Grow 240

XVIII. Stalemate 261

INTERLUDE

In Which the Reader’s Attention Is Respectfully Requested ♠271