The Case of the Crying Swallow and Other Stories, by Erle Stanley Gardner

 

This title has no publishing date indicated, but the "Publisher's Note" states: "This is the second book by Erle Stanley Gardner to be published since his death in 1970." It contains the novella of the title, and three short stories. All four have a common theme of stolen jewels.

The Case of the Crying Swallow (1947)

Characters:

• Major Claude Winnett, mining executive
• Marcia Winnett, his wife
• Victoria Winnett, his mother
• Helen Custer, Victoria's nurse
• Harry Drummond, Marcia's first husband
• Daphne Rexford, a birdwatcher ... and ingenue
• Perry Mason, attorney
  
• Paul Drake, private investigator

Wealthy Claude Winnett hires Perry Mason to locate his wife of five weeks, 25-year old Marcia Winnett, who has disappeared; leaving an odd note of regret. He mentions his mansion was burgled two nights before she left, and her jewelry taken. Winnett was sleeping at the time, but awoke to hear disturbed swallows chirping in a nest outside the bedroom. Mason investigates and finds some of the jewelry stashed in the swallows' nest, and more stuffed in the barrel of a shotgun. Mason visits Winnett's tower room, which has binoculars fixed to a stand, regularly used by ingenue birdwatcher Daphne Rexford; who was crusty Victoria Winnett's (Claude's mother) preference to be Claude's bride. Mason and Paul Drake find the binoculars focused on a nearby spot where a camping trailer has been parked, and where Marcia's trail leads. They learn the trailer belongs to Marcia's first husband, Harry Drummond. They run into Drummond's current wife - she is looking for him too. Once Mason, Drake, and Mrs. Drummond find the trailer, they also find a body inside.

Mini-review: The reason this is a short novella is that is a regular Mason, minus the courtroom scenes! The writing is concise and action packed. There is a bit of decoding a numerical message which is interesting. Mason solves the case in short order and turns the evidence over to the police, and that's where it ends. This is a good one-night read.

The Candy Kid (1931)

Lester Leith learns of a jewel heist, in which the robber winds up dead and the jewels missing. He and his valet, Scuttle (actually police spy Edward Beaver) investigate the chocolate shop next to the jewelry store, convinced the jewels have been hidden in the chocolates. Sergeant Ackley plans a sting operation to catch Leith with the stolen jewels.

The Vanishing Corpse (1931)

Sidney Zoom loves to wander the dark, mysterious nighttime waterfront. He helps his friend Officer O'Hara stop a fleeing figure; who turns out to be young Mildred Kroom - and she has a precious diamond in her purse. The owner of the diamond is reported dead and locked in his parked car, but when Zoom and O'Hara get there, the car is still locked but the body is gone.

The Affair of the Reluctant Witness (1949)

Jerry Bane studies a newspaper photo which shows a grocery store owner, Bernice Calhoun, and customer William Gordon pointing at each other; as she accuses him of robbing the adjacent jewelry store. Bane suspects that jewels have been hidden somewhere in the grocery store and has his lawyer, Arthur Arman Anson, attempt to retrieve them in exchange for a cut.

Honolulu [Murder] Story by Leslie Ford, 1946

 

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Also published as "Honolulu Story"

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

Series: This is Colonel Primrose #13.

Major characters:

• Mrs. Grace Latham, narrator
• Tommy Dawson, Lieutenant, Army Air Force
• David Boyer, Lieutenant, Army Air Force
• Swede Ellicott, Lieutenant, Army Air Force
• Ben Farrell, Marines (killed in action)
• Corinne Farrell, Ben's widow
• Mary Cather, formerly engaged to Swede Ellicott
• Alice & Harry Cather, Mary's parents
• Roy Cather, Harry's estranged brother (Mary's uncle)
• Norah Bronson, Harry's sister (Mary's aunt)
• Kumumato, Japanese servant
• Colonel John Primrose
• Sergeant Phineas T. Buck

Locale: Honolulu, Hawaii; 1944

Synopsis: Three Army Air Force friends, Tommy Dawson, David Boyer, and Swede Ellicott are on leave in Honolulu. Their fourth friend, Ben Farrell, had been killed in action. Swede had been engaged to Mary Cather, but broke off the relationship abruptly and is now engaged to Ben's widow; causing hard feelings all around. 

Mrs. Grace Latham, our narrator, has been sent from Washington to duty  in Honolulu. A friend of Mary, she is staying with Mary and her parents, Alice and Harry Cather, in their remote hillside home. Grace is stalked by a man in leafy camoflage who turns out to be Harry's estranged brother, Roy Cather. She also meets Harry's sister, unstable Norah Bronson. There is ill will in the family, as the home had been left equally to the three siblings but Harry and Alice have essentially taken ownership.

Alice Cather has been harboring brother-in-law Roy in their fallout shelter, and it turns out he is a spy from Japan, which puts him on the very-wanted list. Then he is found dead.

Review: At first I thought I was in a Mignon G. Eberhart novel, with its exotic setting, remote household, lurking killers, and love triangles. The wartime setting of Hawaii is done well, and revealed to me many aspects of that time and place of which I was unaware. 

There are twists in the story, as some characters are not who them seem to be. But all is explained.  A great read which puts you right in the home front during World War II.

 

Motive for Murder by Wallace Reed, 1957

 

About the author: I couldn't find anything about this author, other than some(?) of his other titles: No Sign of Murder (1940), Time to Kill (1940), Marked for Murder (1941), and Pass Key to Murder (?date).

Major characters:

• Dr. John Barnes, deceased on a yellow shag carpet
• Madeline Sears, his nurse; a.k.a. Rose Grant
• Len Whitman, her partner in crime
• Gilbert Johnson, a millionaire "patient"
• --- Blanning, famous violinist, a "patient"
• Suzanne Suchard, actress, a "patient"
• Dr. Gregory Barnes, brother of John Barnes
• Del Reed, fiancée of John, then girlfriend of Gregory
• Lt. Dan Mallory, Homicide

Locale: Long Island, NY  

Synopsis:  John Barnes, a New York doctor, has a very small but strangely lucrative practice. It primarily consists of making an addicting "compound" and dispensing it to his "patients", an arrangement overseen by his nurse, Madeline Sears and her accomplice, Len Whitman. 

Dr. Barnes calls for his three "patients" to meet with him at Madeline's home, purpose not mentioned. He arrives first and lets himself in. When Madeline arrives, she finds him shot to death, on her yellow shag carpet; no less.* The three "patients", wealthy Gilbert Johnson, violinist --- Blanning, and actress Suzanne Suchard arrive shortly after. They conspire to obtain the remaining compound, and get rid of Barnes' body. They put it in his car and abandon it in a brushy area. 

Dr. Gregory Barnes, John's brother, is unaware of the compound scheme and worried about his disappearance. When he finds out about his death, he enlists John's fiancée, Del Reed, to investigate. They discover John, Madeline, and the three "patients" are involved in some type of medical conspiracy.

* This immediately brought to mind the 1990 murder of Gregg Smart in New Hampshire, in which his wife, Pamela Smart, cautioned the killer to be careful to not shoot her husband on her white carpet.

Review: This could be in the "so bad it's good" category, but definitely different. 

The bad: The writing style is that of a middle schooler assigned to write a hard-boiled novel. A gun never leaves Greg's hand as he investigates. All the male characters thoroughly ogle the female characters. Like The Hardy Boys, he and Del race all over the place in a frantic search for clues which just conveniently appear as needed. Mallory, the cop, makes only token appearances. The author could have used a writing coach, editor, and proofreader as there are grammatical, practical, logical, and continuity errors throughout.

The good: The author is definitely enthusiastic about his subject, and the story moves right along at a breathtaking pace. It has some humorous moments: 

• Madeline more worried about blood staining her yellow carpet than the body lying on it
• Madeline driving to dump the body while having a one-way "conversation" - with gestures - with the corpse propped up in the passenger seat, to make it appear to onlookers that he is still alive.  
• Del moving instantly from being John's fiancée to Greg's intimate girlfriend before John's body is cold.

The plot: We eventually find out what "the compound" is, and it is a surprise. The medical aspects and the details of the conspiracy are well explained and make a good plot, suitable for a Robin Cook medical thriller.

 

Drury Lane's Last Case by Barnaby Ross (Ellery Queen), 1933

 

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About the author/series: Barnaby Ross is a pseudonym of Ellery Queen. There are four books in the Drury Lane series:

• The Tragedy of X, 1932
• The Tragedy of Y, 1932
• The Tragedy of Z, 1933
• Drury Lane's Last Case, 1933

Major characters:

• Dr. Alonzo Choate, retiring curator of the Brittanic Museum
• Hamnet Sedlar, incoming curator of the Brittanic Museum
• Dr. Ales, a bibliophile
• Mrs. Lydia Saxon, patronne des arts
• Gordon Rowe, a young scholar
• Donoghue, guard at the Brittanic Museum
• George Fisher, bus driver
• Mr. Drury Lane
• Inspector Thumm, retired Inspector of Detectives
• Patience Thumm, his daughter

Locale: New York City and environs

Synopsis: A heavily disguised, anonymous man hires (now) private investigator Inspector Thumm to hold a sealed envelope him indefinitely; stating it holds "a clue to a secret" on which he is working. The man will phone Thumm monthly to let him know he is OK, and if he fails to phone on schedule, Thumm is to open the envelope in the presence of Drury Lane.

Meanwhile, a mystery is developing at New York's small Brittanic Museum. A bus tour of 17 Indiana schoolteachers, driven by George Fisher, had toured the museum. It is discovered two men had stowed away on the bus, and later a museum display case is found smashed. At the same time, museum guard Donoghue has disappeared.

The mystery man fails to phone the following month. Thumm and Lane open the envelope to find a simple notation: 3HS wM. At the museum, it is found a rare book was stolen from the display case and another book substituted. Thumm, Patience, and Lane seek to sort out the mystery consisting of several similar books and two similar people (Sedlar and Ales). Then one of them is found murdered, but which one is it?

Review: The setup is interesting and the action good to follow, although it gets confusing quickly between different versions of a book, and confusion between Hamnet Sedlar and Dr. Ales. The last portion of the book consists of discussion of various theories - all long and involved - before the solution is painfully analyzed. As in the other Drury Lane titles, the dénounement takes way too long. The final act in the book is somber as it brings the series to an end.

  

The Tragedy of Y by Barnaby Ross (Ellery Queen), 1932

 

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About the author/series: Barnaby Ross is a pseudonym of Ellery Queen. There are four books in the Drury Lane series:

• The Tragedy of X, 1932
• The Tragedy of Y, 1932
• The Tragedy of Z, 1933
• Drury Lane's Last Case, 1933

Major characters:

• York Hatter, chemist, dead as story begins
• Emily Hatter, his wife/widow
• Louisa Campion, Emily's daughter by her first husband
• Barbara Hatter, a poet
• Conrad Hatter, a waster
• Martha Hatter, Conrad's doormat wife
• Jackie Hatter, Conrad and Martha's 13-year old son
• Billy Hatter, Conrad and Martha's 4-year old son
• Jill Hatter, a hedonist
• Captain Trivett, a peg-leg old sea dog
• Mrs. Arbuckle, cook and housekeeper
• Drury Lane, investigator
• Walter Bruno, District Attorney
• Inspector Thumm
• Dr. Schilling, medical examiner
• Dr. Merriam, family doctor

Locale: New York City and environs

Synopsis: In The Tragedy of X, X stood for the murderer. In this book, Y stands for the first victim, York Hatter. As the story begins, the body of chemist York Hatter is pulled from the water. Medical Examiner Dr. Schilling determines he was poisoned, apparently self-administered as he left behind a suicide note. 

York leaves behind a dysfunctional family: his widow, overbearing Emily Hatter, three children (poet Barbara Hatter, waster Conrad Hatter, and party girl Jill Hatter) and a stepdaughter, Louisa Campion (by Emily's first marriage). Louisa is severely disabled, being blind, deaf, and non-verbal.

Routinely, housekeeper Mrs. Arbuckle prepares a glass of egg-nog for Louisa each afternoon, placing it in a certain spot on the table. One afternoon as Louisa approaches, 13-year old Jackie Hatter (son of Conrad and his doormat wife Martha Hatter) gets there first and takes a gulp, and reacts violently. He recovers under the care of family doctor Dr. Merriam, who finds the egg-nog poisoned with strychnine, and calls in the police as an attempted murder of Louisa. Inspector Thumm consults with Drury Lane, but additional deaths occur before it can be resolved. 

Review: This was a dark book, on several levels, albeit a product of its time. There is the condescending treatment of Louisa due to her disability (although she does contribute vital clues). There is the episode near the end as the writer explains an unnamed "shameful disease" has. spread through the family, and is part of the motive of the crimes. While off-limits in 1932 to discuss sexually transmitted diseases., the symptoms and presentation certainly indicate syphilis, given to Emily by her first husband, resulting in Louisa's disabilities, and further infecting her second husband and their children. Finally, there is the cringy discussion on the last page of what to do with the murderer. The result is not explicity stated, but my interpretation is that Drury Lane arranges his own justice to be served, resulting in the murderer's own death.

Those aspects aside, Drury Lane turns in a good performance, and realistic in that he tries various approaches, not all successful; yet he plugs on. The use of his theatrical skills are minimal, and even rejected at one point. 

There is a lot of precision involved in the solution - various measurements (all carefully documented) of heights, footsteps, shelf spacing, etc. and elaborate descriptions of arrangement of bottles on shelves, and so on. 

The solution - the identity of murderer and what drove the murderer to act - is pretty clever and an approach I had not seen before.

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

 

One Way to Eldorado by Hollister Noble, 1954

 

About the author: Charles Hollister Noble (1901 – 1954) was an American historical novelist and screenwriter. Noble was a professional writer and editor in the newspaper, radio and motion picture fields, with strong interests in the American Civil War and railroads. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Howard Bierce, Road Foreman of Engines, Great Western Railway
• Jim Reynolds, Assistant Division Superintendent
• John Macintosh, Division Superintendent
• Maria D'Alvarez, proprietress of the Casa Alta restaurant
• Selma ---, the blonde waitress
• Lisa Maddon, waitress, aspiring pianist
• Ted Helmholtz, pianist
• Pete Gustavson, a miner
• Jackpot Thomas, a organized crime boss and gambler

Locale: the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the border of California and Nevada

Synopsis: Set during World War II, Howard Bierce, troubleshooter for the Great Western Railway, is en route with his wife to New York to an exhibition of his hobby artwork. On the spur of the moment, he drops off the train at Pioneer Gap to choose between his two loves: the railroad or the art world. He books a room for a couple of weeks with Assistant Division Superintendent Jim Reynolds. 

Pioneer Gap is facing a number of quick moving snowstorms which threaten to strand him there, as well as disrupt service on the railroad. Howard is called in to deal with the escalating situation. He takes his meals at the Casa Alta restaurant, owned by Maria D'Alvarez, and employing two waitresses: sexy blonde star-of-the-show Selma and quiet, mysterious Lisa Maddon. Gambler Jackpot Thomas makes inappropriate moves on Selma, and Howards knocks him out and throws him out in the snow. Thomas, unaware who hit him, swears revenge. Trains start piling up in the snow, along with a special train carrying gold bullion.

Howard encounters his old college chum pianist Ted Helmholtz, and becomes aware of unsaid drama between Helmholtz, Reynolds, and Lisa. Helmholtz has teamed up with miner Pete Gustavson to work the remnants of an old mine. 

Review: This is one of those books I love to pull out during a snowstorm, as it deals with the drama of railroading in the High Sierras during a blizzard, with lots of mystery and murder mixed in too. This was my fifth reading (and it just started snowing).

I enjoyed the scenes of the railroad workers and their dwellings inside the snowsheds, where it is nighttime 24 hours a day. The characters are well done, and the author's enthusiasm for railroading is obvious - especially as he writes the story in the first person.

The only critique I have of this novel is that there are way too many subplots going on in parallel throughout:

• Howard and Betty's strained marriage
• Howard's pull between his railroad job and his art hobby
• Selma and her various admirers
• Jackpot Thomas and his ilk of hoodlums
• Dangerous mine excursions with Helmholtz and Gustavson
• Helmholtz's terminal illness
• Constant snowfall paralyzing the town
• School kids gearing up for a pageant
• Love triangle of Helmholtz-Reynolds-Lisa
• Reynold's secret previous life and tragedy
• Piano careers of Helmholtz and Lisa
• Shipments of gold east on the railroad
• Troop trains heading the opposite direction

It saddens me to read about the author's own fate. He was accused of plagiarism of research, and committed suicide just before he was exonerated. He had potential for more fine novels.

Third GIrl by Agatha Christie, 1966

 

Series: Hercule Poirot #40

Major characters: 

• Norma Restarick, the third girl
• Frances Cary, artist, the second girl
• Claudia Reece-Holland, secretary, the first girl
• Andrew Restarick, Norma's father
• Simon Restarick, Andrew's brother [deceased]
• Mary Restarick, Norma's stepmother
• Sir Roderick Horsefield, Mary's uncle
• Sonia, the Restarick's au pair
• David Baker, "The Peacock", Norma's boyfriend
• Hercule Poirot
• Ariadne Oliver, writer of detective stories

Locale: London and environs

Synopsis: A scattered young girl drops in on Hercule Poirot, claiming she "might" have committed a murder. She abruptly changes her mind, stating Poirot is too old to help her, and leaves - neglecting to give her name.  Poirot and his detective story writer friend Ariadne Oliver set out to track her down. Ariadne finds her name is Norma Restarick, and she is the "third girl" sharing an apartment. The "first girl"(the actual renter) is secretary Claudia Reece-Holland, and the "second girl" is artist Frances Cary.

Despite their efforts, Poirot and Oliver cannot find any trace of a murder - or any death - having occurred.

Norma drops out of sight, much to the consternation of her father, Andrew Restarick; and stepmother Mary Restarick. Poirot and Oliver find Norma's boyfriend is flamboyant David Baker, whom they nickname "The Peacock". She does eventually show up, but with alarming memory lapses. It is found that a woman, Louise Charpentier, had committed suicide by leaping from her window at Norma's apartment house; but could this be the murder Norma mentioned?

Review: There is a theme throughout of Poirot believing he is too old to be effective, and this is one of the final Poirot stories written at the end of the series. This is contrasted with the young mods of Britain in this day of The Beatles. Drugs are a common theme as well.

The story ends with several surprises which explain everything, but Agatha is not completely fair with the reader. Poirot knows things all along and has his fingers in the 'disappearance' of Norma, but none of this is revealed to the reader as it happens. Foo. It left me feeling tricked.

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

 

Masks Off at Midnight by Valentine Williams, 1934

 

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Series: Sergeant Trevor Dene #3

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:

• Henry and Margaret Tallifer, local patriarch/matriarch
• Jenny Tallifer, their daughter
• Anthony Tallifer, Jenny's cousin
• Brent Hordern, millionaire developer
• Major Ivan Ivanoff, Hordern's chauffeur
• Constance Barrington, flashy widow
• Randolph and Barbara Waverly, the party hosts
• Ezekiah Harding, newspaper publisher
• Paul Kentish, newspaper editor
• Trevor Dene, of Scotland Yard
• Nancy Dene, his wife

Locale: Long Island, New York

Synopsis: Trevor Dene and his wife Nancy are in Laurel, a small town in Long Island, New York, to attend a gala pageant party given by Randolph and Barbara Waverly. All the locals are invited - but one is definitely excluded, developer Brent Hordern.

The locals despise brash Hordern, who has been buying up property in town. The locals are also suspicious of flashy widow Constance Barrington, with her expensive clothes and sports car. Constance wants to get her hooks into Hordern, but he wants young Jenny Tallifer, daughter of Henry and Margaret Tallifer, highly respected old-money in town.

The night of the gala arrives. There is to be a masked procession into the ballroom, and at midnight the guests will unmask. When the procession enters the room, Holdern is found dead in the sedan chair; and all circumstances point to newspaper editor Paul Kentish, who is the boyfriend of Jenny. He had plenty of motive: Haldern wanted Jenny for himself, and bought out Kentish's newspaper as well.

Review: An enjoyable visit to Long Island society and a huge gala, which is a bit overdone with 500 guests (!) and elaborate costumes. I always enjoy stories with the underdog newspaper people up against evil. In this title, Trevor Dene takes a back seat to the investigation with Paul Kentish doing the honors.

The requisite love triangle consists of Paul Kentish, Jenny Tallifer, and of course, Brent Hordern who corners Jenny in the golf course pavilion and pressures her to marry him.

A hated millionaire New York City developer who bullies everyone, spends most of his time golfing and chasing young girls, and just does whatever he damn pleases? In my mind's eye there is only one person who fits this description - You Know Who That Is. I couldn't get his face out of my mind while reading this character.

The Case of the One-Eyed Witness by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1950

 

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About the author: Erle Stanley Gardner (1889 – 1970) was an American lawyer and author. He is best known for the Perry Mason series of detective stories. The best-selling American author of the 20th century at the time of his death, Gardner also published under numerous pseudonyms, including A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray and Robert Parr. (wikipedia)

Series: Perry Mason #36

Major characters:

Medford D. Carlin, bookbinder and photographer

Arthman D. Fargo, Realtor

Perry Mason, attorney

Della Street, his secretary

Paul Drake, private investigator

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis: While dining at a night club, Perry Mason receives a phone call from a woman - declining to give her name - desperate to retain his services. She sends, by messenger, a retainer of $570 and a newspaper clipping. She instructs Mason to show the clipping to bookbinder/photographer Medford D. Carlin, along with the message that "he needs to find a new partner". Mason also has a conversation with the club's cigarette girl, who tells him she is searching for her lost four-year old daughter who had been given up for adoption.

When Mason meets Carlin, Carlin denies knowing anything about it. Mason is skeptical and has Paul Drake watch the house. In the middle of the night, Drake's operative sees a woman enter the house, and shortly afterward the house catches on fire. When the fire is out, Carlin is found dead.

Mason thinks the woman may have been his client. In trying to trace her, he finds realtor Arthman D. Fargo, who could be her husband. Mason poses as a prospective house buyer to interview him, and later finds Fargo dead. 

Review:

The good: I enjoyed when Mason and Della called on Fargo, Mason pretending he was house-hunting with Della posing as his mistress. Mason and Della had some flirtation in which Mason suggested they really get married, but Della talks him out of it!

The bad: This 1950 novel has overtones from World War II and lingering prejudice about the Japanese. Much ado is made about a baby-selling scheme and how people don't want any baby that has any percentage of Japanese blood.

The strange: I think the strange curvy shape on the cover may be a stylized jigsaw puzzle piece, as better seen on this cover:

Seven Were Veiled by Kathleen Moore Knight, 1937

 

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About the author: Kathleen Moore Knight (1890-1984) is one of my absolute favorite authors. She wrote 34 mystery novels, most set on fictional Penberthy Island off Massachusetts, all published by the Crime Club; with a few under the pseudonym of Alan Amos. See my post All I Know about Kathleen Moore Knight, as well as this Wikipedia article and her booklist  on Fantastic Fiction.   

Major characters:

* Phyllis "Phil" Heath, would-be bride, our protagonist

Christopher Bryan, her fiancé

Marvin Heath, her foster father

Dwight Garrison, wannabe groom

* Francine Drake, young gold-digging widow

Norman Brent, orchestra leader

* Corliss Brent, his wife

Pete Bishop, travel agent

* Anita Templeton-Smith, wedding planner

* Aunt Laurie Ferris, Phyllis' aunt, Marvin's sister-in-law

* Ailsa Breton, writer

Dudley Houghton, Marvin's attorney

Elisha Macomber, chairman of the Board of Selectmen

Bill Deeter, private investigator from Boston

Dr. Larcom Sargent

Dr. Franklin Tolman

Bellows, the Heath's butler

* Hattie Parsons, the Heath's cook

Lisa, the Heath's maid

* The title indicates the seven women known to wear veils, indicated by * in the list above: one wedding veil (worn by both Phyllis Heath and Francine Drake), one allergy veil (Aunt Laurie Ferris), and four fashion veils (four others).

Locale: Penberthy Island, off Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Synopsis: It is the night before the wedding  of Phyllis Heath and Christopher Bryan on Penberthy Island. All is not well - Phyllis' foster father, Marvin Heath, is against the wedding; and wants to substitute Dwight Garrison as the groom, no matter what Phyllis wants. Marvin issues an ultimatum - he will sign a new will if she marries Bryan, leaving his $5M estate to charity instead of to her.

As Phyllis frets about what to do, Marvin takes ill after the rehearsal dinner and dies. First suspicion is poisoning from mushrooms provided for the dinner by Elisha Macomber - yet everyone ate them but only Marvin had ill effects. Then suspicion is directed at a medicine, and word circulates that a woman wearing a veil was seen exiting Marvin's room after the poisoning.

Someone steals Phyllis' veil, and Phyllis sees Francine Drake, a widow who had eyes on Marvin, carry it into the woods. She follows only to find Christopher and a dead body - a man no one recognizes. Francine does not return the house, and a search finds her stranded on a sand bar with the tide rising. 

Christopher is arrested for the murder of the unknown man, and the poisoning of Marvin. Following a newspaper story, the dead man is identified as Franklin Tolman, a Boston doctor.

Elisha Macomber heads up the investigation, competing with a hotshot private investigator from Boston, Bill Deeter.

Review: Lots of possibilities to ponder in this one. There are three possible poisons that took out Marvin, each connected to a different character. Lots of poison information as well, including belladonna/deadly nightshade, a bit concerning to me as this summer we found this growing wild on the fence surrounding our garden! 

The high drama point is the ocean rescue of Francine who is stuck on a sand bar as the tide is coming in. This scene was well done and exciting.

The situation of Phyllis having to choose between grooms - on her wedding night! - seemed farfetched and like something out of the Old Testament - like Jacob, Rachel, and Leah in reverse. 

There are lots of veils to go around, but the wedding veil is the primary one of interest. Hattie wears an "allergy veil" which was prescribed to her to block allergens  - apparently a complicated alternative to a simple mask. My wife is a nurse, and has allergies, but has never heard of such a thing. The fashion veils are mentioned briefly but not pertinent.

The cast of characters is way too large, I left a few out of the list. It could easily have been cut in half without affecting the plot. 

Elisha's ongoing competition with hotshot P.I. Deeter did distract from his investigation. I enjoy in other stories how he goes it alone. This is one of the earliest Elisha stories, and one thing I find distracting is when the author renders his dialect phonetically. It is not always obvious what he is saying, and I had to "sound it out". It seems she did this less and less and the series continued. 

 

 

Affinities by Mary Roberts Rinehart, 1920

 

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About the author: Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876 – 1958) was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie, although her first mystery novel was published 14 years before Christie's first novel in 1920. Rinehart is considered the source of the phrase "The butler did it" from her novel The Door (1930), although the novel does not use the exact phrase. Rinehart is also considered to have invented the "Had-I-But-Known" school of mystery writing, with the publication of The Circular Staircase (1908). (from a Wikipedia article).

Locale: England

Débutantes get into some crazy adventures in this collection of five charming girls-in-trouble stories. 

Affinities: Fanny and her friends (all married) have a marvelous idea: In addition to their husbands, each wife should have a platonic male friend (their affinity) and spend time with just them. The wives all match up with their chosen affinity and head off to a picnic on an island. There is a mixup and Fanny and her affinity get marooned by themselves. How will they save their reputations?

The Family Friend: Kit is ready to be married to Russell, but a friend convinces her to elope with her childhood friend Henry instead - the night before the wedding. 

Carla's Little Escapade: Clara and Roger are out for a drive and get stuck in a rainstorm. The car winds up stuck in the creek, and, soaking wet, they seek shelter. It is very late when they enter what they believe an empty house, but are surprised by who is waiting inside.

The Borrowed House: Poppy and her sufragettes have a bold plan: kidnap the Prime Minister and hold him hostage until he agrees with their demands for the women's vote. They take over an empty house for the adventure.

Sauce for the Gander: Poppy and her sufragettes set out posting votes-for-women signs and graduate to infiltrating a government meeting. Things get complicated when they get locked in with all the men, and the only key has been slipped down the back of Poppy's dress, completely out of reach.  

Mini-review: "Débutantes Gone Wild" would be a good subtitle. This collection of five stories has the girls getting into some crazy messes, chases, and situations as they try to resolve things without harming their reputations, yet always putting it on over the men. We have a lady stuck on an island with a man (not her husband!), sufragettes kidnapping the Prime Minister, housebreaking, stolen cars and boats, kisses in railway tunnels, keys dropped down corsets, and of course wild chases! A fun romp with Mary Roberts Rinehart!

The Eye of Osiris by R. Austin Freeman, 1911

 

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About the author: Richard Freeman (1862-1943) became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College, and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. (excerpt from Goodreads)

Series: This is Dr. John Thorndyke #3.

Major characters:

• Dr. John Thorndyke, lecturer in forensics
• Dr. Paul Berkeley, a GP (General Practitioner), our narrator
• John Bellingham, archeologist, missing for two years
• Godfrey Bellingham, his brother
• Ruth Bellingham, Godfrey's daughter
• George Hurst, cousin to the Bellingham brothers
• Arthur Jellicoe, John Bellingham's lawyer

Synopsis: Forensics lecturer Dr. John Thorndyke points out a newspaper story to his students. An archeologist, John Bellingham, had disappeared from his brother Godfrey Bellingham's home without a trace. He was last seen by a maid, sitting in Godfrey's library, waiting for John to arrive. Thorndike point of interest to the class is the legal point of succession: what is the last moment it can be proven Bellingham was alive? The case is complicated by the finding of a scarab, a curio John Bellingham's always carried, in the yard of his cousin George Hurst. Did John go from Godfrey's to Hurst's and lose the scarab there? Or did he leave Hurst's, lose the scarab, and then go to Godfrey's? 

Two years later, one of the students, Dr. Paul Berkeley, is called to treat Godfrey. Recalling the class two years earlier, he gets an update from Godfrey. Godfrey is nearly destitute, and his brother's will in his favor cannot be probated since he cannot be shown to be dead. 

Suddently bones are found in various places in the area, including on property owned by John Bellingham. The bones could be his. Bellingham had several injuries could identify his body, including a tattoo of the Eye of Osiris; yet none of the found bones are those which could be identified.

The legal point of succession comes into play. If Bellingham can be shown or presumed dead, the will can be probated. But the will is strange: Brother Godfrey inherits in one circumstance, else cousin Hurst inherits. 

Mini-review: Legal technicalities abound in interpreting this strange will. The action is continuous with new revelations always popping up. The coroner's inquest is hilarious and provides a lot of comic relief when the witnesses make the coroner look foolish. A romantic subplot with Berkeley and Ruth rounds out this well-constructed novel.

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

Phantom Hollow by Gerald Verner, 1933

 

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This is Trevor Lowe #1. The series is available in "boxed sets" for the Amazon Kindle.

About the author: Gerald Verner (1897-1980) was the pseudonym of British writer John Robert Stuart Pringle.

Mini-synopsis (from Goodreads): When Tony Frost and his colleague Jack Denton arrive for a holiday at Monk’s Lodge, an ancient cottage deep in the Somerset countryside, they are immediately warned off by the local villagers and a message scrawled in blood across a window:  "THERE IS DANGER. GO WHILE YOU CAN!’

Tony invites his friend, the famous dramatist and criminologist Trevor Lowe, to come and help — but the investigation takes a sinister turn when the dead body of a missing estate agent is found behind a locked door in the cottage.

Mini-review: This immediately struck me as The Hardy Boys grown up, with the two boys (Tony Frost and Jack Denton) as adults, aided by dramatist Trevor Lowe, the stand-in for Fenton Hardy! We have all the elements: the two are in constant peril, being tied up, being gassed, messages scrawled in blood, warning notes attached to a dagger driven into the tabletop! And of course, lots of chapter-ending cliffhangers. A good romp with constant action. I was always waiting for the "dramatist" role to come into play, but it did not. 

Wings of Fear by Mignon G. Eberhart, 1945

 

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About the author: Mignon Good (1899-1996) was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1929 her first crime novel was published featuring 'Sarah Keate', a nurse and 'Lance O'Leary', a police detective. This couple appeared in another four novels. Over the next forty years she wrote a novel nearly every year. In 1971 she won the Grand Master award from the Mystery Writers of America. (from Goodreads)

Major characters:

• Monica Blane, our protagonist
• Eric Weller, a Frenchman
• Linda Chavon, Monica's friend
• John Basevi
• Gibbs Brooke
• "Uncle" Bill Fiske, elderly lawyer
• Pinky, an elevator operator
• Joe Sproul, a mysterious swarthy character
• Fae Demuth, née de Rissaud
• Carlos Demouth, Fae's husband

Locale: New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Mexico City

Synopsis: Monica Blane and John Besevi were raised by an attorney, "Uncle Bill Fiske". Monica and John and two friends, Linda Chavon and Gibbs Brooke, take an extended vacation in the French Riviera. They are hosted by Fae de Rissaud (later to marry Carlos Demuth). They pick up another companion, Eric Weller.

It is 1939 and the approaching war sends Europe into turmoil. Monica, Eric, and Gibbs return to the US, but lose track of Linda and John for five years. Linda and John were to be married, but perhaps this did not occur. Linda, in love with John, hopes to reunite with him.

Now 1944, Linda, in New York, receives a tiny note concealed in a French-style medicine cachet. The note is from Linda, pleading for help. After a dinner date, Eric comes to Linda's apartment. They quarrel, and Eric is found dead. 

Uncle Bill fears Monica will be suspected of Eric's murder, and having now heard from John, sends her on a mission to Mexico City to deliver funds he needs. She travels by air via Chicago and St. Louis. She meets up with Gibbs, now in the Army, along the way. She realizes a fellow traveler, Joe Sproul, is following her, and now there are two attempts on her life - but she suspects Gibbs. 

Review: Set in the uncertain times around World War II, this follows four friends (and a fifth they pick up) trying to vacation in the Riviera, but cutting it short due to the drumbeats of war. It gives a good insight into the uncertainty of the times. Monica is our protagonist, and winds up in Mexico City where most of the action takes place. The setting is a villa in the usual Eberhart style - a two story open square residence with overlooking balconies. There is much suspense as Monica deals with a mysterious man (Sproul) following her, and ultimately suspecting the man (Gibbs) she saw as her protector.

I especially found interesting the description of a system which members of the resistance used to identify each other, whether dead or alive, and would not be discovered by the Axis powers. The system was simple, and involved carrying a token coin with a certain date on it, and making a tiny notch in the edge adjacent to the date. Mixed in with other pocket change, it was not suspicious at all, but could be shown as a token, or used as an identity clue if found on a body. I don't know if this was a real system or not, but it certainly sounded plausible.

A high-suspense wartime novel from Eberhart's most productive middle period.