Old Bones by Herman Petersen, 1943

 

This is Doc Miller #3 (of 4). Doc Miller, the country coroner, is the series detective and local Ben Wayne is the narrator.

About the author: Herman Petersen (1893-1973) sold his first story, “ The Seven Gilded Balls, ” to Black Mask in 1922. He worked for Utica (NY) newspapers and was the postmaster for Poolville, New York. All his mysteries were set in this area.  

The Toronto Star, 1957

Bibliography (full length titles):

• 1940 Murder in the Making (Doc Miller #1)
• 1942 Murder R.F.D. (Doc Miller #2)
• 1943 Old Bones (Doc Miller #3)
• 1943 The D.A.'s Daughter (Hank Wilbur)
• 1945 Country Chronicle (autobiography)
• 1948 Night on Castle Hill (serial)
• 1950 The Covered Bridge (historical novel)
• 1950 The Road (romance)
• 1957 The House in the Wilderness (Doc Miller #4, published as a serial)

 

Major characters:

• Dr. Thaddeus Miller, coroner
• Ben Wayne, farmer, our narrator
• Marian Wayne, his wife
• Paul Burns, District Attorney
• Peg Lasher, the girl-next-door, Ben's sidekick
• Hester Wight, "Aunt She", matriarch of the Wights

Locale: Upstate New York, Utica area

Synopsis: Marian Wayne, wife of our narrator Ben Wayne, is in search of old pine boards for redecoration. Her search leads her to the abandoned Wight mill. She enters and peers down a deep standpipe, and is shocked to see a skull deep in the water. She heads home to tell Ben, who returns with Doc Miller to investigate. Sure enough, there are bones in the water; and timbers had been added above the bones apparently to prevent the body from floating to the surface (as pictured on cover). This leads to a murder investiagtion.

Review: This book is structured much like The D.A.'s Daughter, with a first-person narrator, a sidekick of a young wisecracking girl-next-door on horseback, and an underwater rescue scene which is a typical entry in his books. It is the third book featuring Doc Miller and Ben Wayne. 

The Wight family was complicated with all its relations, but I didn't need to follow that as it wasn't germane to the story. 

There was also a little hint of a possible relationship with the older (and married) Ben Wayne and the much younger Peg, but it did not develop. 

I enjoy all of Petersen's writings and this one did not disappoint. The books place you right in the peaceful countryside of upstate New York. I am a rural person myself, and felt right at home.

You may also enjoy this review by J F Norris on Pretty Sinister Books.