The doorbell rang vs When the Sacred Ginmill Closes: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: New york, Private investigators, Mystery, Fiction

The doorbell rang Rex Stout · 1965 ★★★★☆ 4.2 178 pages · ≈ 3 h 18 m · Challenging

There’s no one and nothing the great detective Nero Wolfe wouldn’t take on if the price was right. That’s something wealthy society widow Rachel Bruner is counting on when she writes him a check for a whopping hundred…

Literary Criticism Nonfiction

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When the Sacred Ginmill Closes Lawrence Block · 1986 ★★★★☆ 3.9 261 pages · ≈ 4 h 50 m · Moderate

In the dark days, in a sad and lonely place, ex-cop Matt Scudder is drinking his life away -- and doing "favors" for pay for his ginmill cronies. But when three such assignments flow together in dangerous and disturbing…

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate The doorbell rang highest: The doorbell rang 4.2 · When the Sacred Ginmill Closes 3.9.
The doorbell rang has the widest readership — 7928 ratings behind its score.
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes runs the darker storyline; The doorbell rang stays the lighter read.

How to choose

New to the genre? When the Sacred Ginmill Closes Moderate vs Challenging for The doorbell rang In the mood for something dark? When the Sacred Ginmill Closes a darker storyline than The doorbell rang Want something lighter? The doorbell rang an easier tone than When the Sacred Ginmill Closes

Scores by source

	The doorbell rang	When the Sacred Ginmill Closes
Goodreads	4.2 (7928)	—
Hardcover	4.3 (16)	3.9 (15)
Apple Books	4.5 (128)	4.0 (60)

Reception

	The doorbell rang	When the Sacred Ginmill Closes
Ratings	7928	60
Editions	27	20
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	1648	—
Reading it now	467	—
Written reviews	466	—
Wikipedia attention	367	249
Pages	178	261

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: The doorbell rang or When the Sacred Ginmill Closes?

The doorbell rang has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The doorbell rang 4.2/5, When the Sacred Ginmill Closes 3.9/5).

Which is shorter to read: The doorbell rang or When the Sacred Ginmill Closes?

The doorbell rang is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The doorbell rang (178 pages, ≈ 3 h 18 m); When the Sacred Ginmill Closes (261 pages, ≈ 4 h 50 m).

Which is harder to read: The doorbell rang or When the Sacred Ginmill Closes?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The doorbell rang: Challenging; When the Sacred Ginmill Closes: Moderate.