Ellery Queen
The Roman Hat Mystery (1929)
Plot summary
"When Monte Field was found murdered in the Roman Theater shortly before the second act of the play, there were a number of strange facts about the case. First, there were seven empty seats surrounding the murdered man, although the play was sold out. Field's top hat was missing, but a thorough search of the theater and audience revealed nothing. And last, Field had man enemies and some of them, coincidentally enought, were in the audience. But the most importnt clue of all, the missing silk top hat, could't be found. Inspector Queen was baffled." (Summary published with the Tower Books edition of The Roman Hat Mystery in 1948).
Characters
| Ellery Queen | A writer |
| Richard Queen | A Police Inspector |
| Henry Sampson | District Attorney |
| Timothy Cronin | Assistant D.A. |
| Monte Field | A lawyer |
| Angela Russo | Monte's fiancée |
| Charles Michaels | Monte's manservant |
| Benjamin Morgan | A lawyer |
| Hilda Orange | An actress |
| Eve Ellis | An actress |
| James Peale | An actor |
| Lucille Horton | An actress |
| Stephen Barry | An actor |
| Frances Ives-Pope | Stephen's fiancée |
| Stanford Ives-Pope | Frances's brother |
| Dr. Vincent Cornish | A doctor and a scientist |
| William Pusak | An accountant |
| Esther Jablow | William's fianceé |
| Louis Panzer | Manager of the Roman Theater |
| Harry Neilson | Promotion manager |
| Mrs. Phillips | A costume lady |
| Madge O'Connell | An usherette |
| Thomas Velie Flint Hagstrom | Members of the police department |