Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Eleven Came Back by Mabel Seeley (1943)

 


About the author: Mabel Seeley was born Mabel Hodnefield in Herman, Minnesota. Her first book, The Listening House, was published in 1938. In 1941, she won the Mystery of the Year Award for her book The Chuckling Fingers. She wrote seven mysteries, all between 1938 and 1954, and all of them period pieces set in the Midwest. (Goodreads)

Major characters:
  • Martha Chappell, radio network owner, our narrator
  • Dane Chappell, her husband
  • George Talbot, their investor
  • Delphine Andra Huddleston, a.k.a. Mrs. Parent
  • Jim Parent, her husband
  • Eveyln Anson, her secretary
  • Rolf Gaden, refugee from Norway
  • Lolly Sheehan, former showgirl
  • Jock Huddleston, Delphine's first husband, newspaper heir
  • Deirdre Huddleston, Jock's (second) wife
  • Ed Laidlaw, stable hand
  • Hank Carradeau, ranch hand
  • Henry Rayfield, park ranger
  • Robert Batson, park ranger
  • Sheriff Gagnon
Locale: The Tetons, Wyoming

Synopsis: Martha and Dane Chappell are owners of the Arcadia Broadcasting System, a small midwest radio network serving the needs of rural farmers and ranchers. Their primary shareholder is George Talbot. Talbot has invited them to a gathering at the home of "Mr. and Mrs. Parent", in the Tetons of Wyoming, adjacent to Teton National Park. Talbot is selling out his share of the network, and the purpose of the gathering is to introduce them to Mrs. Parent, who is buying him out.

The Chappells are shocked to find out that Mrs. Parent is really Delphine Andra Huddleston, a greedy, wealthy social climber who seeks to take over the radio network for her own ambitions. Martha has clashed with her before.

Delphine has other house guests: her ex-husband, Jock Huddleston, and his much younger trophy wife Deidre Huddleston, Rolf Gaden, and Lolly Sheehan.

The Chappells immediately decide that Delphine must not be allowed to go through with the purchase of Talbot's share.

Delphine organizes a nighttime horse ride into the national park. Twelve riders set out (the top twelve in the list above). They reach a part where a bridge crosses over a fast stream and waterfall. Clouds obscure the moon and the night becomes absolutely dark, and unsafe to continue with the horses on the narrow trail. Lolly Sheehan organizes some games while they wait for the moon to reappear. Lolly is at the bridge when a scream is heard, and they find she has fallen off the bridge and over the falls to her death.

Park rangers Henry Rayfield and Robert Batson arrive and document the scene, and turn the investigation over to Sheriff Gagnon.

Review:

What I liked:

The atmosphere was done very well, and it was pleasant reading of the dry desert and high mountains, which looking at cold and snow here in Maine.

The first big surprise was the first victim. When the group headed off on the horse ride, I figured the unversally-hated nasty Delphine was going to get what she had coming. Not so. 

The characters of Rolf Gaden and Lolly Sheehan are not immediately introduced to the reader, so I had no idea who they were, or why they were guests, for a long time. Lolly's connection is eventually revealed at the inquest. Rolf's role is introduced near the end ... a long time to wait, but it did add to the suspense.

The inquest scene was done well, with all the principals called to witness, which brought the reader up to date and brought out some new information. I did laugh when it was time for the jury to deliberate, and not having a separate room in which to remove the jury, they instead just removed the spectators from the jury (everybody out!). I hadn't seen that done before.

What I didn't like:

It was disappointing that Jim Parent, the only native American, was given a stereotypical role as being dead drunk and lazy all the time.

The aspect of the story that was hard to believe was when the group got stopped by darkness on their ride. What to do until the moon comes out? Instead of sitting around the campfire swapping stories, they play hide-and-seek! Well, the author had to get the group spread out as part of the plot, but it seemed a silly way to do it.

I also have The Chuckling Fingers which I enjoyed (the name is of a location on a lake where the water splashes [chuckles] over a rock formation [the fingers]. The author only wrote nine mysteries so I am keeping my eye out for the others. 


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