Not I, Said the Sparrow by Richard Lockridge, 1973

 

About the author: Richard Orson Lockridge (1898 –1982) was an American writer of detective fiction. He began the Captain Heimrich series with his wife Frances (1896-1963), and continued the series following her death.

Major characters:

• Arthur Jameson, wealthy master of The Tor
• Ursula Jameson, his spinster sister
• Rebecca Jameson, his first wife (dead prior to story)
• Ronald Jameson, son of Arthur and Rebecca
• Janet, Arthur's second wife (dead prior to story)
• Estelle Tennant, daughter of Arthur and Janet
• Dr. James Tennant, Estelle's husband
• Dorothy "Dot" Selby, Arthur's secretary, soon to be Arthur's wife #3
• Geoffrey Rankin, Dorothy's distant cousin
• Florence Selby, real estate agent, Dorothy's mother
• Barnes, the Jameson's valet/butler
• Captain Merton L. Heimrich, NY State Police
• Lieutenant Charlie Forniss, NY State Police

Locale: New York state

Synopsis: Merton and Susan Heimrich are invited to a birthday party for elderly Arthur Jameson, a Van Brunt local living in a castle-like mansion named "The Tor". They feel a bit out of place, but attend anyway. Arthur shocks the guests with a surprise announcement that he is going to marry his young secretary, Dorothy Selby. Everyone assumed Dorothy was the girlfriend of Geoffrey Rankin, although they describe themselves as distant cousins. 

The next morning Heimrich gets a call: Jameson has been found dead on a rowboat on a small lake on his estate, shot with an arrow. Heimrich goes to the Selby home and finds Dorothy unaware her fiancé is dead, as she had been hustled home early from the party by her overbearing mother Florence Selby. Florence did not want any appearance that Dorothy was spending the night with her (73 year old!) fiancé. But Heimrich walks into an awkward scene: Florence and Dorothy are in their back yard shooting arrows at targets.

The plot thickens when it is revealed Jameson had made a new will the night before, making Dorothy his residual legatee which gives her a pile of money, whether or not the marriage is ever made.

While the murder is being investigated, another incident occurs. Jameson's son-in-law, Dr. James Tennant, apparently falls down the steep lakeside steps and lands on his head; severely injuring him. This is a bit too much for coincidence, which causes Heimrich to think about a previous tragedy: Jameson's second wife, Janet Jameson, had been killed on the grounds after apparently being thrown from her horse.

Review: I particularly enjoyed how the opening cocktail party at The Tor was used by the author to give the reader the backstory on some of the characters. The various introductions which occur at the party not only introduce the characters to each other, but to the reader as well. Very seamless and elegant.

I also was fascinated how the author describes the layers of social strata, for example:

• When Susan explains her background as "the Upton girl" to Ursula, we see there is a distinct society difference between people from the two sides of town.
• The author describes how Capt. Heimrich, Forniss, and the other police act and speak differently just among themselves, then when there are civilians present.
• Frans Frankel, the yardman, makes a definite statement that he and his wife, while employees of the Jameson estate, are definitely not of the same class as the servants.

As for the murders - I was surprised at the identity of the killer. I had someone else pegged. The killer was responsible for the two deaths (Janet and Arthur) as well as the attempt on Dr. Tennant. I was puzzled by the last, as I could not see any motive for that one.

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