Well-oiled Hinges

One of my favorite mystery tropes is the "well-oiled hinge", and it's close relative, the "well-oiled lock" which appear regularly in golden age detective stories. It always brings to mind the well-prepared burglar who always carries a little tin of oil with him to oil all the hinges he may encounter that lie between him and the booty. I have gathered a collection of well-oiled hinges and locks here.

Well-oiled hinges

Duty Free by Manning Coles (1959)

 

About the author: Manning Coles is the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (1891–1959) and Cyril Henry Coles (1899–1965), who wrote many spy thrillers from the early 40s through the early 60s. The fictional protagonist in 26 of their books was Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon, who works for the Foreign Office. (wikipedia)

Major characters:

Robert Brown, British attendant to Prince André

Prince André

*Marcel Avril, poet, author, newspaper editor

*Gilles d'Ecosse, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Instructor of the Children

*Father Denys, The reverend curé

*Henri Tonnerre, winegrower and innkeeper

*Louis Durand, postmaster

*Jean Latour, farmer and stockbreeder

Fishy Pike, a jewel thief; a.k.a. Pasquet the photographer

Adam K. Hopkins, hotel magnate

Betty Hopkins, his daughter

Locale: Principality of Sainte-Roche, bordering France

Synopsis: Englishman Robert Brown is travelling to the tiny Principality of Sainte-Roche to take a position as attendant to Prince André. He finds the only bridge into it has fallen. He gets across with aid from a local. He meets with the prince and the leaders of the small country, known as The Six (marked * above). They hold a staff meeting to deal with a crisis: the cash reserves have fallen to almost nothing, and knowing Brown as a man of the world, ask for his ideas.

Brown relates how the US typically will provide foreign aid (cash) to those countries under threat of turning to communism. The communists are not interested in this tiny country, but an idea is hatched: publicize the idea that they are in danger of  turning communist, in hopes of attracting the US foreign aid. 

The plan is to stage a fake battle between the local militia and the "communists" (portrayed by other locals). The battle is set up and reporters from various European newspapers arrive to cover the story. The locals put on a big, noisy, smoky show of battle as the reporters clamor to use the only telephone to call in their stories.

The ruse works only too well. A big pile of foreign aid will be theirs as soon as the Price and Brown (now his Foreign Minister) travel to Paris to sign the contract. Meanwhile, a frenzy of work begins to bring Sainte-Roche into the 20th century. While in Paris, the prince falls for Betty Hopkins, daughter of hotel magnate Adam K. Hopkins. Everything looks rosy until a disreputable man from Brown's past, Fishy Pike, appears and threatens to reveal the truth about Brown.

Review: A charming and always amusing tale of the challenges of bringing an isolated, simple community up to world expectations. Robert Brown has to play both sides of his character to make it succeed. Several crazy story lines run in parallel with the usual mixture of Manning Coles chaos erupting at every turn. A laugh-out-louder filled with colorful locals. 

Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects Exhibition

The Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects exhibition was held January 12 - April 16 2022 at The Grolier Club in New York City. I was fortunate to be able to attend. It displayed 221 items from the collection of Glen S. Miranker. The highlights were original manuscripts by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and original line drawings by Sindey Paget.

The Grolier Club, New York City

Inside the gallery

The Exhibition web page describes it: Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects draws upon the preeminent collection assembled by Glen S. Miranker, rich in bibliographic rarities, manuscripts, books, correspondence, and artwork, all with fascinating stories to tell beyond their significance as literary and cultural landmarks. Named for the address of the detective’s Baker Street lodgings, the exhibition presents items that will intrigue bibliophiles, Sherlockians, and general audiences.

Here are some of my photos from the exhibition:

Various editions of The Sign of Four

Items from The Hound of the Baskervilles, including some original manuscript pages

Pirated editions, in which Conan Doyle received no compensation

Original manuscript of The Adventure of the Dancing Men

detail

The Work of Storytelling, 8 page holograph speech delivered at The Authors' Club, 1896.

detail

Also see this New York Times article. 

The Big Shot by Frank L. Packard (1929)

 

dustjackets.com

About the author: Frank L. Packard (1877 - 1942) was born in Montreal, Quebec. As a young man he worked as a civil engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. His experiences working on the railroad led to his writing many railroad stories, then to a series of mystery novels, the most famous of which featured a character called Jimmie Dale. Several of his novels were made into films. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

Enid Howard, a Canadian author, our protagonist

Phil Martin, reporter for the New York Herald Star

Joe Caprillo, proprietor of the Gondola Restaurant

Shive Frank, a hoodlum and informer

The Big Shot, a.k.a. Hal Varney, Norman "Norry" Kane

Roy Howard, Enid's MIA brother

Izzy Myers, junk dealer

Locale: New York City

Synopsis: Enid Howard, a Canadian author living in New York City, dines each evening at the Gondola Restaurant operated by Joe Caprillo - a place which skirts the prohibition laws and is frequented by some underground characters. She becomes acquainted with newspaper reporter Phil Martin who eats there with her often. 

Phil reveals he is working on a story to expose the identity of the biggest gang leader in New York, only known as the 'BigShot'. He is working with an informer, Shive Frank, who is going to provide a photo of the Big Shot. Shive follows Enid on the street and hands her the photo for Phil. Shive is then killed in a drive-by shooting. Enid looks at the photo and is convinced the Big Shot is her own brother, Roy Howard, who went MIA (Missing in Action) in France during the war, and has not been heard of since. 

Enid tracks down the Big Shot and claims he is her long-lost brother, but the Big Shot denies it. While they are meeting, the police come in. The Big Shot and Enid flee. She sustains a minor gunshot wound in the process, and now the police think she is part of the gang. The Big Shot knows all about Phil, and now Enid tries to save him while falling in love with him at the same time. Enid is trying to prove to the Big Shot he is really her brother, while he is trying to prove he is not. Of course, he has a hidden agenda - now he is falling in love with her!

Review: We are in gangland New York in prohibition times, where tough guys and hoodlums abound. There is lots of youse-tough-guys talk. 

The story reads a lot like a Hardy Boys adventure, with lots of things happening all the time! Every moment! With plenty of exclamation marks! And cliffhanger endings to each chapter! Lots of ingredients: conflicting love stories, chases, creepy dark houses, girls tied up, narrow escapes, and of course someone with amnesia!

The Big Shot solves the is-he-the-brother question in a unique and surprising way. 

Note use of some ethnic slurs for persons of Italian ancestry and stereotypes for persons of the Jewish faith.

This book features well-oiled hinges.

I have one of Packard's railroad novels (Running Special) which I enjoyed. I look forward to escaping into his The Adventures of Jimmie Dale which is lurking in my TBR pile.

The Saint vs. Scotland Yard by Leslie Charteris (1932)

About the author: Leslie Charteris (1907 – 1993), was a British-Chinese author of adventure fiction, as well as a screenwriter. He was best known for his many books chronicling the adventures of his charming hero Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". Charteris spent 55 years – 1928 to 1983 – as either writer of or custodian of Simon Templar's literary adventures, one of the longest uninterrupted spans of a single author in the history of mystery fiction, equalling that of Agatha Christie (from Wikipedia). 

This book consists of three novellas. The three should be read in sequence, as each refers to events in the previous.

The Inland Revenue

Simon Templar, The Saint, has a big income tax bill to pay (for income from his mystery book!). He is at a local club when blackmailer "The Scorpion" shakes down club owner Montgomery Bird. Simon intervenes and walks off with a blackmail payment as well the contents of the club's safe. This, of course, puts The Scorpion after Simon. Simon cooks up a deal with Chief Insepctor Claud Eustace Teal: If Simon delivers The Scorpion to Teal, Teal won't inquire where Simon came up with the money to pay the income tax. Simon makes use of an informer, Harold Garrot (Long Harry), to catch up with The Scorpion on a dark, deserted road. Simon's girlfriend, Patricia Holm, performs some gunplay to get the better of The Scorpion.

Mini-review: Two big surprises here. First, I never knew Simon wrote a murder mystery! Second, I never knew Patricia Holm to use a gun. Simon pens some outlandish poetry, which is a hoot in itself. 

 The Million Pound Day

Simon is returning from a trip in the early morning hours when he encounters a man running for his life, chased by a large Black man, Ngano. The man passes out, and Simon brings him to a hotel and arranges a doctor. Lacking his name, the Saint just refers to him as Beppo. When he awakes, he tells Simon he is the Duke of Fortezza, and president of the Bank of Italy. He had come to England to pick up the shipment of new Italian Lire notes. He had been adbucted by a criminal named Kuzela and forced to order an additional one million pounds worth from the printer, which would not make it back to Italy, but remain with Kuzela - genuine Lire notes, but "off the books". Simon finds Kuzela but winds up his captive, and fights hand-to-hand with Ngano.

Mini-review: A clever plot for the criminals to get an illicit haul of genuine notes, but marred by the unfortunate stereotyping of Ngano as a savage; emphasizing his race, size, and strength. He is even clothed in a loincloth for no apparent reason. Note the use of the n-word.

The Melancholy Journey of Mr. Teal

Frankie Hormer is a diamond smuggler working for Isadore Elberman, yet Frankie only lasts a page or two before being double-crossed and stabbed by Elberman's tough guy, Gunner Perrigo. Now Perrigo has the diamonds, and The Saint wants them in order to reach his financial goal prior to retirement. It appears Perrigo has them on his person, so the Saint takes him along until he can figure out where they are. The amusing climax occurs on the boat train as Perrigo attempts to flee to the continent, with Perrigo stashed in a prim lady's trunk.

Mini-review: This is the best of the three, although there are lingering racist remnants from the previous novella, as well as additional use of the n-word. The episode on the boat is quite funny and this alone makes it worth the read.

Please visit me on Goodreads and check out The Mystillery Reading Challenges!

The Mad Hatter Mystery by John Dickson Carr (1933)

 

dustjackets.com

About the author: John Dickson Carr (1906 – 1977) was an American author, who also published using the pseudonyms Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn. He lived in England for a number of years, and is often grouped among "British-style" mystery writers. Most (though not all) of his novels had English settings, especially country villages and estates, and English characters. His two best-known fictional detectives (Dr. Gideon Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale) were both English. (excerpt from this Wikipedia article.)

Major characters:

Sir William Bitton, book and document collector

Philip C. Driscoll, his nephew, a newspaper reporter (the victim)

Lester & Laura Bitton, his brother and sister-in-law

Sheila Bitton, his daughter 
Robert Dalrye, Sheila's fiancé
Julius Arbor, American document colletor 

Mrs. Amanda Georgette Larkin, a witness

General Mason, Deputy Governor of the Tower of London 

Dr. Gideon Fell

Tad Rampole, Fell's American associate

Chief Inspector Hadley

Locale: London

Synopsis: Dr. Gideon Fell is called in by Scotland Yard to investigate a theft. A manuscript has been stolen from the desk of Sir William Britton. The manuscript is alleged to be a valuable unpublished story by Edgar Allan Poe, and Sir William's right to it is a bit shaky - having paid some workmen - who didn't realize its value - only $20 for it.

Meanwhile, a strange series of thefts is in the news. Someone, dubbed 'The Mad Hatter',  has been stealing expensive hats, and placing them in odd locations: on statues, on a horse, etc. A story appeared in the press about it, written by Philip C. Driscoll, Sir William's nephew. And Sir Williams had his hat stolen, as well.

General Mason, Deputy Governor of the Tower of London, finds a body on the steps of the gate. It turns out to be Driscoll - shot with a crossbow bolt (similar to an arrow). Not only is wearing an incongruous golfing outfit, but also has Sir William's stolen hat on his head. A witness to the murder, Mrs. Amanda Georgette Larkin, is a bit huffy with the authorities, but describes what she saw exactly. However, she seems to be more than she appears; especially when it is found she occupies the flat adjacent to Driscoll's. 

Review: This story consists of two plot lines running in parallel: the hat thefts and the Driscoll murder. The only thing connecting them is that Driscoll wrote a news story about the thefts, but that was not enough to justify a murder. Something else connects the two plots, and it takes most of the book to unveil it. 

I liked the pacing of the story - it went along very quickly until eventually bogging down with the minute examinations of who was exactly where at the murder, with several of the characters in the immediate vicinity. It took wayyyyyyy too long. The episode where Dr. Fell pretends to be Inspector Hadley while interviewing a witness is hilarious - especially as Hadley stands by observing quietly. 

I also enjoyed learning about the various locations at the Tower of London. A map and detailed explanations are provided. This would be a good book to read prior to an actual visit.

As is common in some of Carr's novels, a complete explanation is provided as to how A committed the murder. Of course, this is at the 3/4 point of the book, so you know that theory is not correct. Then an explanation of how B committed the murder. Still lots of pages left, so you know there is more to come. Ah, yes, C walks in and confesses. Moral: Don't believe early dénouements if there are more than ten pages remaining!

Please visit me on Goodreads and check out The Mystillery Reading Challenges!

The Man with the Clubfoot by Valentine Williams (1918)

 

photo: AbeBooks

About the author: Valentine Williams (1883–1946) was an English journalist and writer of popular fiction. Williams was awarded the Military Cross as a soldier and wrote two autobiographical books about his war-time experiences. In the aftermath of war, he travelled widely as a reporter.  It was during this period that he began writing thrillers and around 1926 he gave up his post at the Daily Mail to pursue a full-time career as an author. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

Desmond Okewood, British Intelligence

Francis Okewood, his brother

Dicky Allerton

Dr. Henry Semlin

Anna Schratt, innkeeper

Monica Rachwitz, Desmond's friend

Dr. Adolph Grundt, a.k.a. "der Stelze" and "Clubfoot"

Locale: Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Berlin and Düsseldorf, Germany

Synopsis: Desmond Okewood, our narrator, is with British Intelligence (this is during WW I). He is anxious to learn the whereabouts of his brother, Francis Okewood, also with British Intelligence; but who has not been heard from for some time. He learns from an officer that Dicky is still alive, and as Francis is fluent in German, likely there as a spy. His friend Dicky Allerton provides a coded communication which may contain clues to his whereabouts, as well as half of some document, apparently valuable.

Desmond decides to enter Germany through Holland. He goes to Rotterdam and takes a room in a German inn run by Anna Schratt. The man in the adjacent room, Dr. Henry Semlin, suddenly has a heart attack and dies at Desmond's feet. Desmond decides to swap identities with him, to gain his travel papers. He also finds a silver badge, the insignia of the German Secret Police Section Seven, which will gain him wide access. 

Desmond travels to Berlin, and meets up with the Emperor, who holds the other half of the secret document. Taking the document, he escapes from the Emperor before he can be found out; and runs into Dr. Adolph Grundt, a.k.a. Clubfoot, the German master spy. He hits Clubfoot on the head and teams up with his old friend Monica Rachwitz as they try to get out of Germany before Clubfoot catches up with them.

Review: This is the first of seven in the Clubfoot series, and is the only spy novels I have run across set in the World War I era. They are fast-paced and adventurous page-turners. The settings are well described, and put the reader in the dark, rainy streets of various German cities. It contains the usual requirements for spy novels: chases, disguises, false passports, fights, and of course a beautiful woman. 

I found it interesting when Okewood describes the 'code of honor' among intelligence workers: they respect those on the other side - they may fight them, but they will not kill them.

There are two big "coincidences" which are a stretch, but do serve to advance the story. First, Dr. Semlin conveniently dies (of natural causes!)  in front of Desmond, allowing him to obtain his travel documents; and second, Desmond's old friend Monica just happens to be staying in the Berlin hotel in which he is trying to escape from Clubfoot.

The subtitle on the dustjacket is a bit misleading - this is not the story of Clubfoot, the German master spy (who has just a few brief appearances), but the story of Desmond Okewood, the British master spy. 

If you enjoy spy novels like those of Manning Coles, you will enjoy Valentine Williams - for something a little different, being in the WW I era (WW II had not happened yet, when they were written!)

Please visit me on Goodreads and check out The Mystillery Reading Challenges!

The Tannahill Tangle by Carolyn Wells (1928)

 

This is Fleming Stone #25.

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters: (ages listed, as the age groupings are a significant plot point.)

• Patterson "Pat" Grant, our narrator, age 27
• Captain Charley Kipp, age 50
• Bert Gilray, the groom
• Alexandra "Sannie" Crane, the bride, age 21
• Jim Tannahill, uncle of Sannie, age 54
• Muriel Tannahill, his trophy wife, age 25
• Ellis Ellison, the Apollo god type
• Kathleen Ellison, his cougar wife
• Sheridan "Sherry" Masters, family lawyer
• Violet Lane, maid of honor
• Miss Amanda "Mandy" Folsom, Muriel's elderly spinster cousin
• Anne Alden, "The Girl in Blue"
• Detective Dawlish
• Fleming Stone, private detective

Locale: the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts

Synopsis: We join Patterson "Pat" Grant (27), narrator, as he meets up with Captain Charley Kipp (50) on their way by train from New York City to the Massachusetts mansion of Jim Tannahill (54) and his much younger trophy wife Muriel Tannahill (25).

The occasion is an engagement party for Jim's niece/ward, Alexandra "Sannie" Crane (21) to Pat Grant's old buddy, Bert Gilray.  As they arrive, there is much raised-eyebrow anxiety about the Ellisons who will be attending: Ellis Ellison, a young god-like type, and his much older cougar wife, Kathleen Ellison. 

Muriel's cousin, elderly spinster Amanda "Mandy" Folsom reveals the drama everyone knows about - a love quadrangle: Jim Tannahill with Kathleen Ellison, and Muriel Tannahill with Ellis Ellison. These matchings bring together couples of similar ages; and they make no attempt to hide it. Pat questions why they do not all divorce and remarry all around, but being Roman Catholic, it is prohibited by their religion. Mandy has some heavy religion herself, and proclaims herself to be God's agent in bringing about retribution for these sinful relationships. 

The group gathers to admire a box of precious jewels which will pass from Jim to Sannie upon her marriage. As they gather for cocktails, the Tannahills and Ellisons cannot be found. The butler forces the locked door of the library to find Jim and Kathleen both shot dead, with Ellis and Muriel engaged in a tête-à-tête in an upstairs alcove. The authorities arrive, led by Detective Dawlish. With the room locked, Ellis and Muriel are the top suspects, but even their stories do not agree.

On top of the disruption of the murder, an unknown woman is found sleeping in Grant's bed. She claims she has lost her memory* and doesn't even know her name - so she is referred to as "The girl in blue". Then she disappears as quickly as she appeared. As the investigation grinds to a standstill, Fleming Stone arrives, and sees things the others all missed.

Review: This has a well done introduction, as Pat and Kipp travel on the train together and Kipp provides thumbnail sketches of all the characters to Pat, which introduces them to the reader as well. 

This was the best Fleming Stone story I have read thus far - even though he, as usual, only shows up late in the book (page 216!). The story is not dated at all, and could easily be present day. Wells had fun writing this one. In the beginning, the characters are all agog over "The Casey Case", a popular detective novel. Grant declares himself an expert on deduction, on the basis of having read so many mystery stories!

The locked room aspect is revealed as a clever but simple twist.

*The text refers to the loss of memory (which we know as "amnesia") as "aphasia", which is a different condition (word selection and speech difficulty). Perhaps the meaning of the term has changed over time.

Please visit me on Goodreads and check out The Mystillery Reading Challenges!

The Image in the Mirror by Dorothy L. Sayers (1936)

About the author: See this Wikipedia article.

Locale: London and environs

Synopsis: Lord Peter Wimsey takes notice of Robert Duckworthy at his club, who is 1) reading Lord Peter's book, and 2) using both hands to turn the pages. Unusual. Lord Peter strikes up a conversation with him, and Duckworthy reveals that his internals are all reversed, with organs all on the opposite side than usual. What's more, Lord Peter is astounded when Duckworthy says this condition was not from birth, it happened all at once, when a bomb shelter he was in took a direct hit; not only reversing his innards, but causing him to stumble about in a daze for several days.

Duckworthy relates many strange things happened during the dazed period: a woman unknown to him claims to have been with him in the bomb shelter. His fiancée breaks their engagement after seeing him out with another woman. When approaching a mirror his reflection suddenly turned about and walked away from him. Lefts and rights are all mixed up. Then his photograph appears in the newspaper, found in the purse of murdered Jessie Haynes, another woman unknown to him. The police come to question Duckworthy, and Lord Peter convinces them to hold off on an arrest.

Lord Peter sets out to check all the aspects of Duckworthy's story - and they all check 100%. His appendix had once been removed, and indeed, from the "wrong" side. The mirror is found and examined and operating as expected. People who knew him since childhood are questioned. Lord Peter gradually forms an explanation which frees Duckworthy from suspicion.

Review: This is a nice bite-size Lord Peter story, perfect for consuming in one sitting. Mirrors are strange things anyways*, and the one in the story a bit stranger than usual. Lord Peter reveals a scientific reason for the backwards-innards, which I won't reveal here as it is a bit of a spoiler.

*We all know mirrors reverse left to right, but not top to bottom. Why? My pet theory is because our eyes are set side-by-side, and if they were set one over the other, then mirrors would act the opposite way. So there.

The Mystery of Marie Rogêt by Edgar Allan Poe (1842)

 

photo: Mysteries Ahoy!

Major characters:

• Mlle. Marie Roget, the victim
• M. Jacques St. Eustache, her fiancée
• M. Beauvois, believed to be her formersuitor
• M. LeBlanc, perfumer
• Mme. Dulac, innkeeper
• C. Auguste Dupin, investigator

Locale: Paris

Synopsis: This story is based upon the real-life murder of Mary Cecelia Rogers in New York City. Poe has taken newspaper accounts of this crime, and transplanted the details into a fictional parallel story set in Paris. Each person and news source is carefully cited in footnotes, for example "Rue Pavée Saint Andrée" is footnoted as "Nassau Street" (in Manhattan, from the original accounts).

Mlle. Marie Roget goes missing from her job in M. LeBlanc's perfumer's shop, and after a few days her body is found floating in the Seine. Although there is some doubt as to the identity of the body, it is identified by her former suitor, M. Beauvais. Her fiancée, M. Jacques St. Eustache, is overcome by grief and takes poison. Later, a group of boys discover some of her clothing, possessions, and evidence of a struggle in a thicket near the inn of Mme. Dulac. 

Dupin's unnamed narrator collects five newspaper accounts of the crime, full of assertions and guesswork, but little in the way of facts. Dupin analyzes the five accounts, and without leaving his apartment, determines how the murder was done, and narrows down the suspects.

Review: This is an intriguing short story, best read slowly and carefully. It is billed as the "sequel to The Murders in the Rue Morgue", but only in the sense that it is the second story by Poe featuring C. Auguste Dupin. There are no orangutans. 

It is fascinating to observe Dupin as he carefully compares the newspaper accounts - some contradictory - and uses logic to discard false assumptions and build the true story of events. Dupin stops short of naming the murderer, but does pinpoint his occupation and whereabouts.