Murder with Southern Hospitality by Leslie Ford, 1941

 

dustjackets.com

About the author: Leslie Ford is a pseudonym of Zenith Jones Brown, 1898-1984. She also wrote as David Frome and Brenda Conrad. Also see this Book Scribbles blog: Leslie Ford's Fall From Grace. 

Locale: Natchez, Mississippi

Major characters:

• Louise Gould, Garden Club member, our narrator
• Cornelia Cartwright, Garden Club president
• Lusby, Cornelia's chauffeur
• Alec Cartwright, Cornelia's stepson
• Miss Laetitia "Letty" Drayton, Garden Club secretary
• Judge Ed Drayton, Letty's brother
• Kate Drayton, Letty's sister
• Anne Drayton, -----'s daughter
• Lawrence Drayton, Ed's son (Anne's cousin)
• Steven Heywood
• Millicent Storm, Garden Club member

Synopsis: Garden Club president, wealthy (and pushy) Cornelia Cartwright is determined to go to Natchez on a Garden Club pilgrimage. She brings along Louise Gould, and to save on expenses includes club secretary Miss Letty Drayton, as she has family in Natchez and Cornelia plans to impose on their hospitality instead of spending money on a hotel. Letty is reluctant to go at all, apparently as she would be embarassed by her family's poor situation. The three depart, driven by Cornelia's chauffeur Lusby.

Along the way they encounter a young northerner, Steven Heywood, who is also bound for Natchez to look up a certain young woman. He is the heir to a will which leaves him several plantations if he marries her.

The three ladies arrive in Natchez and are astounded to find Letty's family not in a hovel, but in a palatial mansion, "Antigua". Letty is received coldly by her brother Judge Ed Drayton, sister Kate Drayton, and nephew Lawrence Drayton (Ed's son). Her niece Anne Drayton (.... daughter) is the only one to welcome her warmly.  

 

Steven Heywood arrives at the neighboring mansion, "Tangiers", owned by his family. He is looking for his young woman, who turns out to be Anne. However, Anne is already engaged - to her cousin (!) Lawrence. 

Letty has a secret concealed in a locket, and this leads to two deaths.

Review:

Nov 28 2025: reading now, please check back. 

The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths, 2021

 

Series: This is Brighton Mysteries #6. 

About the author: Elly Griffiths is a pseudonym of Domenica de Rosa.

Locale: London and environs

No review - image only.

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton, 1999

 

Image only - no review

The Case of the Restless Redhead by Erle Stanley Gardner (1954)

 

Evening Star Books

Series: Perry Mason #45

 

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis: Perry Mason drops into a trial and observes young attorney Frank Neely having trouble cross-examining a theft witness, Harry Boles. Mason meets with Neely outside and gives him some advice. Neely returns to court, and gets his client, redhead Evelyn Bagby, acquitted.

The Excursion Train by Edward Marston (2005)

 

Series: Railway Detective #2

About the author: Edward Marston is a pseudonym of Keith Miles.

Major characters:

• Inspector Robert Colbeck, Scotland Yard
• Sam Horlock, railway policeman
• Tod Galway, train guard (conductor)
  Caleb Andrews (train driver)
  Madeleine Andrews, his daughter
• Bill Hignett, "The Bargeman", a prizefighter
• Isaac Rosen, "Mad Isaac", a prizefighter
• Jacob Guttridge/Bransby;   public executioner (victim)
  
• Louise Guttridge/Bransby, his widow
• Michael Guttridge/Eames; their son
• Becky Guttridge/Eames; Michael's wife
• William Calcraft, public executioner
  
• Superintendent Edward Tallis
• Inspector Robert Colbeck
• Sergeant Victor Leeming

Locale: London and environs

Synopsis: An excursion train runs from London to the countryside to bring a rowdy crowd to a prizefight between "The Bargeman" (Bill Hignett) and "Mad Isaac" (Isaac Rosen) . After the fans leave the train at the destination, a body is found by railway policeman Sam Horlock in one of the coaches - murdered. Scotland Yard inspector Robert Colbeck, "The Railway Detective", is sent into the investigation. The murdered man is Jacob Guttridge, a public executioner (hangman); who lived incognito with his wife Louise under her maiden name (Bransby). Plenty of people had a motive of retribution, as he had been responsible for hanging quite a few.

Colbeck looks up his friend, train driver Caleb Andrews, for insight into the railway workings; as well as getting closer to his romantic interest, Caleb's daughter Madeleine.

 

All for the Love of a Lady by Leslie Ford, 1943

 

Series: Colonel Primrose #11

About the author: Leslie Ford is a pseudonym of Zenith Jones Brown, 1898-1984. She also wrote as David Frome and Brenda Conrad. Also see this Book Scribbles blog: Leslie Ford's Fall From Grace. 

Locale: Washington DC

Major characters:

• Grace Latham, our narrator
• Colonel John Primrose
• Sgt. Phineas T. Buck
• Molly Crane, nurse's aide
• Cass Crane, her husband
• Randy Fleming, Molly's former boyfriend
• D.J. Durbin, mysterious war industry financier
• Achille, his chauffeur
• Courtney Durban, his wife
• Duleep Singh, economist
• Horace Blodgett, corporate lawyer
• Corinne Blodgett, his wife
• Mr. Austin, a.k.a. Mr. Armistead
• Lons Sondauer, a.k.a. Louis Skagerlund

Synopsis: In the midst of wartime Washington DC, the story follows two couples: Cass and Molly Crane - Cass being expected home on leave any moment, and Molly a nurse's aide. D.J. Durbin, wealthy industrialist and his wife Courtney. The couples are connected as Cass and Courtney had intended to marry before she met Durbin. On the side is Randy Fleming, Molly's former boyfriend. Problems begin when Cass notifies Courtney (not his wife) that he will be home any moment. Then Durbin's chauffeur, Achille, dies after drinking poisoned alcohol in the Crane's home - but for whom was it intended?

Please note there are troubling references to animal abuse/killing (cats and kittens) as well as two instances of the N-word, as used in the old colloquial expression about a woodpile. Cat lovers may wish to take a pass on this one.

You may also enjoy this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block.

Three at Wolfe's Door by Rex Stout, 1960

About the author: Rex Stout (1886 – 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and 39 novellas between 1934 and 1975. (wikipedia). (bibliography)

This title contains three novellas.

Poison à la  Carte: Wolfe's cook, Fritz Brenner, is hired by a gourmet club to prepare their annual dinner. Ten members are seated, and the courses are served by ten women hired from an acting agency. One member, Vincent Pyle, a theatrical producer, is known by several of the women as having made advances toward them. He suddenly becomes ill and within hours is dead of aresenic poisoning. Wolfe's task is to find which of the ten women did it.

Mini-review: It is difficult to follow which woman served which member unless it is charted out, and I didn't bother. They narrow the field down quickly, then use a clever ruse to make the killer reveal herself. The coaching and use of Zoltan, a kitchen worker, is quite enjoyable.

Method Three for Murder: Archie has one of his occasional spats with Wolfe and, as usual, quits. On his way out the door, he encounters Mira Holt coming in. She hires him on the spot for a consultation, but has a thin story. Complicating matters is the cab at the curb, empty except for a dead woman inside. Archie suggests to her three methods of dealing with the police: Say nothing, Say the whole truth, or pick a simple lie and stick to it.

Mini-review: There's a few too many characters for this short novella, and the timeline analysis is a bit overdone, but the major characters are well done. The tough-talking woman cabbie is a delight.

The Rodeo Murder: Archie's flame, wealthy Lily Rowan, hosts a contest at her rooftop penthouse. Cowboys toss a lasso over the edge, and try to lasso a horse ridden slowly past the building. One cowboy can't find his rope, and when he does, it is around the neck of one of the other cowboys - dead. 

Mini-review: The cowboy drawl and vocabulary got tiring pretty quickly. That plus the ridiculous setup of a lasso contest in Manhattan made the whole thing quite unreal; and the sorting out of alibis tedious. Worst of the three stories.