''The Evil of the Day'' is a novel by

Thomas Sterling Thomas Sterling (February 21, 1851August 26, 1930) was an American lawyer, politician, and academic who served as a member of the United States Senate and the first dean of the University of South Dakota College of Law. A Republican, he serv ...

, published in

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

by Victor Gollancz Ltd. in the UK. The book is patterned after Ben Jonson's

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...

comedy '' Volpone'', and was later adapted for the stage by playwright Frederick Knott under the title of ''Mr. Fox of Venice''. Together, these three works formed the basis of

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best ...

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

film '' The Honey Pot''.

Plot introduction

As in '' Volpone'' a wealthy old man summons three old faces from his past to his villa in Venice promising to name one his heir. It departs from Jonson's work when one of his guests is murdered in the night, Fox's production abruptly switches genres from comedy to full-blown murder mystery.

References

* 1955 British novels British crime novels British novels adapted into films Novels set in Venice Grand Prix de Littérature Policière winners Works based on Volpone Victor Gollancz Ltd books {{1950s-crime-novel-stub