dustjackets.com
Series: This is Dr. Basil Willing #6
About the author: Helen McCloy (1904-1994) was an American mystery writer, whose series character Dr. Basil Willing debuted in Dance of Death (1938). Willing believes, that "every criminal leaves psychic fingerprints, and he can't wear gloves to hide them." He appeared in 13 of McCloy's novels and in several of her short stories. McCloy often used the theme of doppelganger, but in the end of the story she showed a psychological or realistic explanation for the seemingly supernatural events. (wikipedia)
Major characters:
- Pete Halloran, correspondent for Occidental News Service
- Philip Stark, correspondent for Occidental News Service
- Vincente Almazam, office boy for Occidental News Service
- Patricia Mitchell ("Mitch"), correspondent for Coordinated Press
- Miguel Urizar, captain of municipal police
- Charley Eustis, US Consul
- Peranda de Castellar ("Martin"), director of CAE
- Consuelo Aquila, Peranda's mistress
- Clarence Emmett, Pan Am Processing Co.
- Dr. Basil Willing, New York psychologist
Locale: Santa Teresa, a Caribbean island during WWII
Synopsis: Out-of-work news correspondent Philip Stark is in Santa Teresa and at the end of his resources. He is about to approach Pete Halloran of Occidental News Service for work, but Halloran is found dead of a broken neck on the stairs outside his office. Stark contacts Occidental and is hired on as Halloran's replacement.; working with office boy Vincente Almazam.
Stark meets glamourous Patricia "Mitch" Mitchell, correspondent for competing Coordinated Press. She tells him Halloran had been working on a big story, and discovering one of his telegrams is missing, suspects his death was murder. Police captain Miguel Urizar insists it was an accident, and does not want anyone to pursue it.
One of the suspicious people on Stark's list is Peranda de Castellar, director of CAE, an oil exporter. His mistress, Consuelo Aquila, has some clues for Stark, but before they can rendezvous, she is found dead also; with Stark set up as the fall guy.
Review: I was confused for a bit. Dr. Basil Willing is supposedly a series detective. He gets a brief mention early on, when Halloran left behind a doodle of a slice of pie inside a square. Willing is described as being able to interpret dreams and doodles. But he is in New York. So they write and offer him $50 for his interpretation. Then nothing is more is heard of him and I figured he had his cameo mention and was forgotten - until the very end, when he enters the story in a big, surprising way.
I always enjoy stories with newspaper reporters as the prime investigators, as this one does not disappoint. Stark is a reporter in the mold of Peter Piper (by Nancy Barr Mavity), and silk stockings and stilettos competitor Patricia Mitchell reminds me of Brenda Starr (of comic book fame).
No comments:
Post a Comment