The French Powder Mystery, the second Queen novel, is an excellent example of the formal detective novel.

Given its form, it is not surprising that, on the surface, the work seems to concern itself little with significant social issuesl; for the formal detective novel is, by nature, dominated by the action of solving a mystery through the elaboration and intensely analytical study of clues and evidence. Yet such works are not without social concerns, and The French Powder Mystery is no exception.

The plot of the novel centers on Ellery Queen's attempt to discover who murdered Winifred Marchbanks French, and the solution to the puzzle involves Queen and company in the world of the narcotics trade. Although the novel offers some insight into the illegal drug trade of the 1920s and the effects of narcotics upon users, it can hardly be said to reflect a strongly...