photo: Goodreads
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)
About this title: This is also published as Dell Mapback #55. I have six books by Herman Petersen (all the mysteries, and an autographed! The Covered Bridge.) The spelling of his name is Petersen (correct) on four and Peterson on the other. If you search for his books, try both spellings.
As this enjoyable book takes place in the countryside during haying season, it has been my tradition* to reread it every summer here as soon as the first hay is being cut. This summer (2024) will be my 17th reading!
Major Characters:
- Henry "Hank" Wilbur", narrator, putting himself thru college by selling life insurance
- Lydia Bannock, Hank's girl-next-door, daughter of the D.A.
- Charles Bannock, the D.A.
- Charles Andrews, who bought a home/pond in Pleasant Hollow, he is dead before the story begins.
- Sara Andrews, 36-year old charming blonde cougar, widow of Charles
- Clarabelle Thompson, the rugged dairy farmer
- George Tanner, fishing friend of Hank
- Big Joe Hustin, hard-drinking lug who likes to pick fights
- Horace Phelps, secretary of the Andrews family
- Simon Blake, attorney for the late Charles Andrews, owns a horse farm
- Sergeant Baker of the State Troopers
- Trooper Nolan
Locale: fictional Pleasant Hollow in upstate New York
Synopsis:
Hank Wilbur, our narrator, is selling life insurance to pay for college in the fall. He has become quite cozy with blonde widow Sara Andrews, hanging out with her and giving her swimming lessons. Since the death of her husband Charles Andrews, local lug Big Joe Hustin has taken it upon himself to be Sara's protector, and slugs any men who show interest in her.
Sara drives home alone after a community supper. Later, Hank and girl-next-door Lydia Bannock drive the same way, to find a broken guard rail, and Sara's car overturned in the river. Hank dives in to try to rescue, but she is already dead. Police find a skid mark indicating the car's brakes have been tampered with. She had just purchased a $100,000 life insurance policy from Hank - with Avery Hayden as beneficiary. This is a A-1 motive for murder, but just who is Avery Hayden? Turns out he is a inmate of Sing Sing, serving a life sentence - a watertight (forgive the water reference) alibi.
Hank and Lydia try to find the motive, and narrow down the suspects. Lydia, with her exposure to her D.A. father, leads the way as watson-like Hank tries to keep up.
Favorite quotations:
"Let's drive around the square," Lydia suggested. "I need a breath of night air."
"What have you been breathing since sundown?"
Lydia: "Plant a good looking blonde widow anywhere and you've sown the seed of murder."
Trooper Nolan: "What'd he [Charles Andrews] die of?
Hank: "I think it was his heart."
Trooper Nolan: "Stopped, eh?"
Hank: "I think it stopped."
Trooper Nolan: "It usually does. It's a common cause of death."
Review:
This is one of the most enjoyable books I have encountered (having read it 11 times). Herman Petersen was a master of perfect, musical sentence construction ("Peaceful was the countryside over which the shadows of evening grew long.") and irony - too bad he only authored four books; of which I have obtained three.
The scene of the sleepy rural village is well portrayed. Petersen was a rural letter carrier in upstate New York, and perfectly captures the countryside.
There are hints of a potential relationship building between 21-year old** Hank and 36-year old Sara - today she would termed a "cougar". It is a surprise when she turns out to be the victim early on. There are also hints that Lydia has her eye on Hank as well. The repartee between them is enjoyable.
This is a perfect book for summer reading in a hammock, with the sound of a tractor cutting hay in a nearby field. If you enjoy this one, you will also enjoy Old Bones which has a similar setting and cast.
Author's inspiration?
On a whim, I looked up Petersen's town (Poolville, NY) on Google Maps. I was amazed to find that this book's fictitious locale on the mapback matched right up with Poolville - with the same road and river orientation and even the Community Center, center of the action, in the correct location!
You may also enjoy this review by J F Norris on Pretty Sinister Books.
*My other seasonal reading tradition is to read Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis during a blizzard, as it takes place in a country house being buried in snow.
**inferred - Sara states she is 36 when making the insurance application, and Lydia mentions that Sara is 15 years older than Hank.
There is another edition out there:
which has a fanciful cover. The woman pictured is not Lydia (a brunette with red highlights). It could be blonde Sara, but the killer never manaced her directly, but sabotaged her car instead to cause a fatal accident. The teaser at the top "Crime Runs in the Family" has no connection to the story.
