The Old Silent by Martha Grimes, 1989

 

About the author: This is #10 of 25 books featuring Richard Jury. See this Wikipedia article for biography and list of the 25 Richard Jury books. Click this Martha Grimes label to see all my reviews of this series.

Major characters:

• Roger Healey, arts/music critic
• Nell Citrine Healey, his wife
• Billy Healey, their son
• Toby Hoyt, Bill's friend
• Charles Citrine, Nell's father
• Irene "Rena" Citrine, Nells' aunt (Charles' sister)
• Martin Smart, publisher
• Mavis Crewes, editor of Travelure, a Smart publication
• Charlie Raine, heart-throb musician
• Morpeth Duckworth, American musician
• Ann Delholme

The regulars:

• Superintendent Richard Jury
• Divisional Commander Brian Macalvie
• Melrose Plant
• Vivian Rivington
• Marshall Trueblood, antique dealer
• Carol-anne Palutski, Richard's upstairs neighbor
• Mrs. Wasserman, Richard's downstairs neighbor

Synopsis: Superintendent Richard Jury is having some time off and idly watching an attractive woman, Nell Healey, visiting shops. Jury stops in the Old Silent Pub and is surprised when she comes in and meets briefly with a man - they have words, she pulls out a gun and shoots him dead right in front of Jury.

The victim turns out to be her husband, arts critic Roger Healey. The authorities respond under the supervision of Divisional Commander Brian Macalvie. The Healeys are known to him: eight years earlier, their young son, Billy Healey, and his friend, Toby Holt, were kidnapped and never seen again after the family refused to pay the ransom demand.

The rest of the book concerns sheep, rock musicians, dogs, cats, motorcycles, guitars, and various random people.

Review: This one started out strong but I lost interest about halfway, after a few side plots I had trouble following. 

The good:

I enjoyed the obligatory scene of Racer, Fiona Clingmore, and the cat Cyril. I also enjoyed the accounts of Vivian Rivington as she prepared to go to Italy (this is the tenth book in the series, and she is still preparing).

The not-so-good:

I had trouble relating two side stories (1. Melrose and his long visit to the little girls who live in a sheep barn, and 2. the long accounts of Charlie Raine and his band) to the main plot (the kidnapping of the boys and the murder of Roger Healey. They did not seem relevant.

Grimes starts off many side stories cold, without the reader being introduced to the situation or the characters. One long passage had me mystified until I finally caught on it was a stream-0f-consciousness account by a sheepdog as he was herding sheep!

We have only a minimal pub scene, which is too bad. The pub scenes are the best elements of these stories. And no appearance by Aunt Agatha!

(Spoiler follows, select text to reveal): Here's the big thing: We have two missing kids - Billy and Toby. It is never revealed exactly what happened to them. We also have two bodies to account for - is it them? Well, one might be Billy. Toby turns up alive at the end. So at least one of the bodies is someone else, but we never find out what happened to Billy, nor who the bodies really are.

C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton, 1986

 

About the author: Sue Taylor Grafton (1940 – 2017) is best known as the author of the 25 "alphabet series" ("A" Is for Alibi, etc.) novels featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, California (based upon Santa Barbara). She was the daughter of detective novelist C. W. Grafton.

Major characters:

• Bobby Callahan, twice the victim
• Glen Callahan, his mother
• Derek Wenner, his stepfather
• Katherine "Kitty" Wenner, his stepsister
• Rick Bergen, another victim, and Kitty's boyfriend
• Sufi Daniels, friend of the Wenners
• Dr. Leo Kleinert, a psychiatrist
• Dr. James Franken, M.D. & his cougar wife Nola
• Kinsey Millhone, private investigator and narrator
• Henry Pitts, Kinsey's landlord
• Lila Sams, Henry's new lady friend

Locale: Santa Teresa, California

Synopsis: Kinsey meets 23-year old Bobby Callahan at her gym. He is recovering from a host of  injuries, sustained in a car crash in which he was driving, and his friend Rick Bergen was killed. Upon learning Kinsey is a P.I., he hires her to investigate the accident. He had been forced off the road by someone, and Bobby claims it was attempted murder.

Kinsey meets Bobby's wealthy family: mother Glen Callahan, stepfather Derek Wenner, and stepsister Katherine "Kitty" Wenner  - who is heavily into drugs. Kinsey begins the preliminaries, but no sooner has she begun meeting with the family and doctors, than Bobby is killed in a second car accident, which turns out to be no accident at all.

Meanwhile, Kinsey's landlord, Henry Pitts, has a new lady friend Lila Sams; but she ain't no lady. She is a gold digger out to scam Henry of his savings. 

Review: I really enjoyed this third book in the series. There is a small cast, and the action moves right along. It adds to the enjoyment when Kinsey, as our narrator, constantly thinks-out-loud her comments about the various people. The scenes in the Callahan/Wenner household gave me a good idea of how the other half lives.

Sufi Daniels was a puzzle, she pops in and out but her connection to the story is quite slim and I never quite figured her out.

The sub-plot about Henry and Lila Sams also adds another dimension, even though you know how that is going to wind up.

The book builds to a climax which occurs in a hospital morgue, where Kinsey finds herself alone with the killer. If you enjoyed Robin Cook's Coma, you will enjoy this hospital chase too. 

The White Cottage Mystery by Margery Allingham, 1927

 

About the author: Margery Louise Allingham (1904 – 1966) was an English novelist from the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", best remembered for her hero, the gentleman sleuth Albert Campion. Initially believed to be a parody of Dorothy L. Sayers's detective Lord Peter Wimsey, Campion formed the basis for 18 novels and many short stories. (from Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Chief Inspector W. T. Challoner
• Jerry Challoner, his son
• Roger William Christiansen, owner of The White Cottage
• Eva Grace Christiansen, his wife
• Joan Alice Christiansen, their daughter, age 5
• Norah Phyliss Bayliss, Eva's sister
• Eric Crowther, their neighbor at The Dene, and the victim
• Clarry Gale, a.k.a. William Lacy, valet to Eric Crowther
• Latte Cellini, resident of The Dene

Locale: England, Paris, and Mentone, France

Synopsis: Jerry Challoner encounters, and is enchanted by a young lady - Norah Phyliss Bayliss - whom he meets as she steps off a bus. He watches as she enters The White Cottage. The Cottage is also home to Roger and Eva Christiansen, and their five-year old daughter Joan Alice. 

Almost immediately a shot is heard from the cottage, and a cry of murder. Jerry rushes in to find the house in turmoil and a body (D below) in the dining room. It is Eric Crowther, their neighbor, who lives next door at 'The Dene', an imposing institutional-like grey building. Jerry identifies himself as the son of Scotland Yard Chief Inspector W. T. Challoner. 

Crowther has been killed by a shotgun blast, the gun found resting on the dining room table (E). The Challoners soon find that Crowther was disliked by all, and took pleasure in tormenting others. There was a past affair between him and Eva, and he had taunted Roger (confined to a wheelchair) about it, daring him to shoot him - even conveniently providing the shotgun which he had left propped up in a corner (C) of the dining room. 

The Dene was also home to Latte Cellini, a mysterious Italian who suddenly disappears. Taking this as a sign of guilt, Challoners follow him first to Paris, then to Menton on the French Riviera. The Challoners are surprised to find Eva and Norah there as well.

Here is a possible layout of The White Cottage, reverse-engineered from the text showing the rooms of significance - omitting stairs, bath, etc. The Dene is off to the right. You may find this helpful as much conversation is about how the killer got in and out, and movements of the family during that time.

A - the narrow door

B - French windows

C - where Crowther propped the gun

D - body of Crowther

E - dining room table

F - coat rack

G - front door

Review: This is my first Allingham read, and it was quite enjoyable. Originally published as a serial, its heritage is apparent. Similar-length tight chapters are quite focused and well organized. It was edited prior to publishing as a book to remove the traditional lead-in synopses. The murder occurs immediately in chapter one, and all the characters introduced neatly in chapter two.

The story is stretched a bit by several coincidences, as the Challoners just happen to meet up with Eva and Norah in Paris, and then again in Menton. 

One story line which I expected but did not occur was some explanation of The Dene - being described several times as a grey, institutional building - I expected some creepy hanky-panky going on there but no.

Also see this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block.