With This Ring by Mignon G. Eberhart, 1941

 

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:

• Sophronia "Rony" Chatonier, 23, our protagonist
• Eric Chatonier, her invalid newlywed husband
• Blanche Radoczi, Eric's sister
• Turo Radoczi, Blanche's husband, a musician
• Mimi Chantonier, Eric's sister
• Buford "Buff" Scott, Mimi's boyfriend, a lawyer
• Judge Henry Yarrow, friend of the family
• Stuart Westover, Eric's friend, to whom Rony is attracted
• Catherine Sedley, the femme fatale in the cottage
• Lewis Sedley, Catherine's ex-con husband
• Magnolia, the maid/housekeeper/nurse

Locale: Louisiana bayou country

Synopsis: Sophronia "Rony" Brace went through a hurried marriage with Eric Chatonier, of Louisana's bayou country. Eric has a heart condition and is quite delicate. At the wedding Rony takes an immediate crush on the best man, Stuart Westover; but tries to put him out of her mind. Eric takes her to Louisiana where she meets the rest of the clan at Belle Fleur:

Eric has two sisters - Blanche (married to musician Turo Radoczi) and Mimi (with boyfriend lawyer Buff Scott). Blonde femme fatale Catherine Sedley lives in a cottage on the property, awaiting the release of ex-con husband Lewis; with divorce in her plans. Family friend Judge Henry Yarrow lives on a small yacht anchored in the bayou. 

Eric makes a new will, leaving everything to Rony; and cutting out his sisters. Judge Yarrow plans to oppose it. Eric gives Rony a note to deliver to the judge on the yacht, and when she gets there she finds him dead. She is immediately suspected of the murder, in order to stop his opposition to the will; so she will inherit the full estate and marry Stuart Westover.

Review:

An enjoyable mystery, albeit with a lot of MGE formula:

• Exotic locale
• Square 2-story house with balcony all the way around
• Love triangle of woman (protagonist), stuck with bad man, in love with unattainable good man
• Femme fatale on the sidelines
• Protagonist wrongly accused of murder
• Big storm, power failure

A good several night's read, placing me in the Louisiana bayou country!

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. 

 

Escape the Night by Mignon G. Eberhart, 1944

 

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:

• Serena "Sissy" March, New York script writer, our protagonist
• Amanda Condit, her older sister
• Sutton Condit, Amanda's husband, ranch owner
• Luisa de la Vega Condit, Sutton's aunt
• Leda Blagden, Amanda's friend
• Johnny Blagden, Leda's just ex-husband
• Jeremy "Jem" Daly, Serena's lost love
• Dr. Dave Seabrooke, researcher
• Bill Lanier, US Army

Locale: Monterey, California

Synopsis: Script writer Serena March - originally from California - takes a vacation from her New York City office to visit her sister Amanda Condit, who is married to wealthy Sutton Condit; owner of a large ranch on the Monterey, California peninsula. It has been four years since Amanda's wedding, at which time Serena fell in love with Jeremy "Jem" Daly. She could not attain a relationship with him, and left California for New York to escape. Now she is returning, and as she hoped, meets up with Jem again. He is unchanged, and the chemistry seems intact.

However, the former camaraderie of the Condits and their friends seems to have dissolved, and there is tension and bitterness; which Serena senses but cannot understand. There are rumors about others, particularly Johnny Blagden, having affairs with Amanda. Sutton's aunt, Luisa de le Vega Condit, goes walking on the cliffs with Serena and falls to her death. During the investigation, another killing occurs, and Serena is the prime suspect by circumstantial evidence.

Review: This title features two of Eberhart's usual setups: the protagonist (Serena) in a love triangle (she loves Jem, who loves Amanda); and the action occurring in a fascinating sort of Spanish architecture. Eberhart's stories frequently use a three or four sided residence built around an open patio/courtyard, two stories, bedrooms upstairs, with verandas around the inside with spiral stairs on either side. This provides opportunites for persons on the verandas to observe and listen to the people below. This story has these two exterior stairs as the only connection between floors, handy for the plot but totally impractical for a residence. In any event, I always look forward to stories using this sort of residence, as it is already in my mind's eye.

It is interesting seeing how the four years' absence - and the war -has changed the group of friends for the worse. Amanda deteriorates before our eyes. 

I did pick the killer out early on. But that's OK, still an engaging story.

The White Dress 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:

• Tim Wales, president of Wales Airlines
• Judith Wales, his second wife
• Winnie Wales, his daughter by his first marriage
• Marny Sanderson, his secretary/advisor, our protagonist
• André Durant, friend of Judith
• Cecily Durant, his estranged wife
• Laideau, André's hulking friend
• Charlie Ingram, a British neighbor
• Commander Bill Cameron, USN

Locale: Shadow Island in Biscayne Bay, near Miami

Synopsis: No sooner had Marny Sanderson  arrived from New York to Florida with her employer, Tim Wales, president of Wales Airlines, then she had a premonition of disaster. She had traveled with Tim and André Durant, a job seeker and house guest of Tim's elegant wife, Judith Wales. Judith and Tim's daughter, Winnie Wales, have been living in the Wales' Florida island home. 

Once settled in to the home on Shadow Island, Marny swims in the pool and meets Commander Bill Cameron, who is desperate to meet with Tim om war-related issues. Then André appears, and to Marny's delight, they have a brief romantic encounter in the garden. Marny returns to her room, and finds a young stranger, who identifies herself as Cecily Durant, André's wife. Marny is shocked to learn he is married. Cecily brandishes a gun at Marny and threatens her for taking André from her. Cecily then gets scared off and runs out into the night. Marny follows, to find her shot dead, and Marny is now the prime suspect.

Review: I really enjoy Eberhart's middle-career mysteries, even if they follow a formula:

1. Girl meets Guy #1 who seems right for her but is really a cad
2. Girl meets Guy #2 is seems wrong for her but is really right
3. Someone gets murdered, and Girl is the suspect
4. Girl is saved by Guy #2
5. Happy ending

Even the setting is formula, Girl's upstairs bedroom has both an interior door and an exterior door to a balcony with a spiral staircase to the ground, where much slinking around occurs.

At first I thought millionaire Tim might be Guy #2, but when he is described as being short, fat, and sweaty I knew he was scratched off the list.

I had a bit of trouble getting a picture of Winnie. She must only be about 19 years old yet she has a prime "adult" set of responsibilities, despite having no visible means of support. 

The surprise witness who shows up is a bit of a stretch, given the circumstances in which he observed a murder. He returns near the end in a re-enactment but that falls through. I thought the approaching hurricane would be a good plot element but ho-hum, not much there except a lot of wind. 

Overall, an enjoyable page-turner, and the killer was a surprise; and the one I thought would be the killer turned out to be the Red Herring, so Mignon got one over on me again. The killer got their punishment in an unexpected way at the end which closed up the story cleanly.

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

Man Missing by Mignon G. Eberhart, 1954

 

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The Nurse Sarah Keate series:

1. The Patient in Room 18

2. The Mystery of Hunting's End

3. While the Patient Slept 

4. From This Dark Stairway

5. Murder by an Aristocrat (a.p.a. Murder of My Patient)

6. Wolf in Mans Clothing

7. Man Missing

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:

Lieutenant Parly, hospital patient

Marine Sgt. Bill "Buffalo" Brown, hospital patient

Ensign Smith, hospital patient

Ensign Sally Wilson, a nurse

Capt. Harry Somers, base Commanding Officer (CO).

Kitty Somers, his wife

--- Jenson, a corpsman

Cmdr. Jim Warring, Executive Officer (XO)

Colonel Sinclair, CO of Marines

Marie Sinclair, his wife

Wanaha Bonanza "Bonny" Winters, Parly's date

Jack Lewis, electrician

Nurse Sarah Keate

Locale: Naval base in the desert, unnamed location but sounds like Nevada

Synopsis: Nurse Sarah Keate is serving as a temporary civilian nurse at the Naval Ammunition Depot near (fictional) Wanaha City. One night after visiting hours, she glimpses a man leaving her wing, only seeing his shoulder boards with three stripes (Commander rank). She finds one of her patients, Lt. Parly, is dead, his throat cut. In the next room, patient Marine Sergeant Bill "Buffalo" Brown seems to know something but is not telling.

Sarah is living on base as a guest of Captain Harry Somers and his wife Kitty Somers. As an officer, he has the privilege of living in housing on "The Row". The Row is a village unto itself, separate from the enlisted men's area by a guarded wall. The search is on for the "Missing Man" who was seen leaving the hospital. As The Row is closed and guarded, he must be inside. 

Sarah finds a connection between Parly and one of her nurses, Ensign Sally Wilson. She finds Sally is a widow - her late husband, Johnny Wilson, reportedly died in a plane crash. His body was never identified, and $30K being transported was missing. Years have passed, and now Sally has a boyfriend, Commander Jim Warring.

Sarah suspects that Johnny Wilson is alive, and someone else's body was in the crashed plane. Suspicion alternates between Johnny and Sally as being the murderer, when a second murder occurs.

Review: This entire story takes place on a military base, and we come to know the routine and the rigid segregation between officers and enlistees. The story held my attention, even though I am unfamiliar with military practice. The suspense builds throughout. The common closed-environment of a mystery story (snowbound train, island, etc.) is here portrayed by "The Row", a closed and walled area inside a closed and walled naval base, which was a clever place to contain the characters.

I had to look up a list of ranks to understand the hierarchy:

Here are the ranks in the story, in descending order:

• Captain
• Commander
• Lieutenant Commander
• Lieutenant
• Ensign

Some abbreviations to know:

• B.O.Q. Bachelor Officer's Quarters
• C.O. Commanding Officer
• N.A.D. Naval Ammunition Depot
• O.D. Officer of the Day
• X.O. Executive Officer

Dead Men's Plans by Mignon G. Eberhart, 1952

 

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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:

• Sewel Blake, our protagonist
• Amy Minary, her stepsister
• Reg Minary, her stepbrother
• Zelie "Lizette" Minary, Reg's new wife
• Marianne Duclos, Zelie's French maid
• --- Diccon, Minary butler
• Mrs. Diccon, Minary cook
• Cora Ingram, the Minary housekeeper
• Barny Ingram, Cora's son
• Steve Forsyth, Executive VP of the Minary Lines

Died prior to the story, but part of it:

• Julius Minary, founder of the Minary Lines; father of Amy and Reg
• Raoul Dumont, Zelie's first husband

Locale: Chicago

Synopsis: Julius Minary of Chicago was the founder of the Minary Lines, steamships serving the ore industry of the Great Lakes. Four children grew up together in the Minary household: his son Reg Minary, daughter Amy Minary, stepdaughter Sewel Blake, and the cook's son, Barny Ingram. 

Reg is returning from Europe with his new wife, Zelie "Lizette" and her maid, Marianne Duclos, and that is when the trouble begins. Zelie is not the cultured, fawning wife they expected; but rather a hard, scheming shrew who has her claws out for the Minary fortune.

Sewel has always been attracted to Barny Ingram, but over time has become involved with Steve Forsyth, a VP of Minary Lines. Sewel is out walking the dogs on the foggy waterfront and finds Reg on the ground, having been shot and injured. When she returns home, she stumbles across a gun and decides to hide it to protect whatever family member may have used it.

Sewel wants Barny instead of Steve now, but stepsister Amy has her eyes on him also. 

Review: This is from Eberhart's peak years, and right away we have the classic Eberhart triangle setup: A protagonist (Sewel) who is meant to be with Mr. Right (Barny) but is entangled and pressured to be with Mr. Wrong (Steve Forsyth); and getting herself set up as suspect #1 in a murder.

The setting is lakefront Chicago, but with the dense fog the house seems isolated. I enjoyed the dark, misty setting for all the action. When Sewel reaches for the gun, I wanted to cry out, "Nooooooo!" but she went for it anyway. 

Eberhart does the combination romance/mystery so well, and I enjoy all the titles in her middle period of writing. 

The Mystery of Hunting's End by Mignon G. Eberhart. 1930

 

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The Nurse Sarah Keate series:

1. The Patient in Room 18

2. The Mystery of Hunting's End

3. While the Patient Slept 

4. From This Dark Stairway

5. Murder by an Aristocrat (a.p.a. Murder of My Patient)

6. Wolf in Mans Clothing

7. Man Missing

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:

Huber Kingery, murdered five years prior to story

Matil Kingery, the hostess

Aunt Lucy Kingery, the patient

Miss Sarah Keate, nurse

The guests:

Juilian Barre

Gerald Frawley

Lawrence "Lil" Killian

Newell Morse

Signor José Paggi, opera singer

Signora Helene Paggi, his wife

Terice, Baroness Von Tircum

Lance O'Leary, detective undercover

The staff:

Annette, the cook

Brunker, the manservant

Locale: The Sand Hills, Nebraska

Synopsis: Wealthy socialite Matil Kingery is hosting a strange house party in her "hunting lodge" in desolate Nebraska. Five years ago, the lodge was full and someone shot and killed her father, and the killer never identified. She takes it upon herself to restage the event in the hopes of finding out which one of the guests was the killer, inviting the same assortment of guests and placing them all in the same rooms. 

This time there are two new faces. Nurse Sarah Keate, hired to nurse her now-elderly aunt Lucy Kingery; and Detective Lance O'Leary in an undercover role posing as Sarah's friend.

Once everyone is settled in - with one change, Gerald Frawley taking the late Huber Kingery's room, a days-long snowstorm bears in and isolates the party.

Everyone views each other with suspicion - knowing this is really a plot to reveal a killer. Then Gerald Frawley is shot to death - in the same room Huber met his end five years ago. The killer is still among them.

O'Leary and Keate partially solve (method but not the killer's identity) the first set of murders (Huber and Frawley), and it looks like a wrap is imminent, but wait - another murder occurs and we still don't have the answers. 

Review: I always enjoy a snowbound house party with a killer on the loose. This story has many similarities to another of my favorites, Deep Lay the Dead by Frederick C. Davis (1942) even including a snowstorm, no electricity or phone, a couple of dead bodies, and a famous musician as one of the guests.

I began to be suspicious when Frawley dies in the same room as Huber, even winding up in the same position. Then Frawley's body disappears, which was a plot twist I was not expecting. Usually when the body disappears, the victim is not really dead - but that was not the case.

The setup is excellent, down to the detailed map. Pairs of rooms, all separated by baths. Much is made of the lock arrangement, which is integral to the plot. Please note the terms 'gallery' and 'balcony' ae used interchangeably.

The Paggis are an enjoyable couple, as are bejewelled Terice, and the servants: crusty Brunker from Central Casting and lush Annette the cook. Barre, Killian, and Morse seemed rather two-dimensional throughout; but then again they are investment bankers.

An enjoyable read when a snowstorm is imminent.

See also this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block. 

Never Look Back by Mignon G. Eberhart, 1950

 

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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:

• Margaret "Maggy" Brooke
• Fenwick "Fen" Brooke, her husband
• Charles Brooke, her father-in-law
• Laura Brooke, her New York cousin (by marriage)
• Willy, the cook
• Bill Sanderson
• Joan Greenfield, Fen's old flame
• Sloane Pickering
• Sylvia Hunter
• Russell Warner, attorney
• the mysterious "woman in black"
• Agnes Maclagen, Fen's childhood governess

Locale: New York City

Synopsis: Maggy Brooke is flying to the US from a visit to England. Her destination is the luxurious New York penthouse apartment of her cousin, Laura Brooke. She is anxious: will her estranged husband, Fenwick "Fen" Brooke, meet her at the airport or not? He is a no-show. Upon arrival she is met only by lifetime friend Bill Sanderson. Maggy goes to the penthouse, but strange things happen indicating she is not alone. She finds a cigarette still burning and other signs of recent occupancy. To ease her anxiety, she invites Sylvia Hunter to stay with her. A mysterious "woman in black" keeps reappearing on the scene.

The visit to Laura Brooke was the idea of her father-in-law, Charles Brooke. He has hopes that Maggy and Fen will reconcile. Fen cannot handle money, and has embezzled from his employer - so Charles wants Maggy to handle the couple's money. While Maggy and Fen discuss this, word comes that Charles has died and left everything to Maggy in his will. Suddently Maggy is wealthy and several people have their eyes on that wealth, especially Fen.

Review: Right away, we have the usual Eberhart triangle set up. Maggy is torn between two men: her no-good husband (Mr. Wrong) and longtime friend Bill Sanderson (Mr. Right). We get a glimpse of the super-rich life of a 5th Avenue penthouse - nothing to do but drink martinis, and go out clothes and jewelry shopping. The suspense of some mysterious person accessing the penthouse builds throughout the story (although no one seems to think of changing the lock). 

I had the "woman in black" figured out right away. Two things did fool me, however: I suspected Charles' death to be suspicious - but it wasn't. And when we finally do get a murder victim it was a relatively minor character I was not expecting.

Willy the cook is an enjoyable character and adds a lot to the story.  Overall, a good fast-paced suspenseful tale, perfect for a rainy night at the penthouse.

Wolf in Man's Clothing by Mignon G. Eberhart, 1942

 

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The Nurse Sarah Keate series:

1. The Patient in Room 18

2. The Mystery of Hunting's End

3. While the Patient Slept 

4. From This Dark Stairway

5. Murder by an Aristocrat (a.p.a. Murder of My Patient)

6. Wolf in Mans Clothing

7. Man Missing

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:

• Nurse Sarah Keate
• Nurse Drue Cable
• Craig Brent, shooting victim, Drue Cable's ex
• Conrad Brent, father of Craig
• Alexia Senour Brent, wife of Conrad
• Nicky Senour, Alexia's twin brother
• Peter Huber, a house guest
• Dr. Claud Chivery
• Maud Chivery, his wife
• Anna Haub, maid
• William Beevens, the butler
• Lt. Nugent of the police

Locale: The Berkshire mountains in western Massachusetts

Synopsis: World War II is in progress. Nurses Drue Cable and Sarah Keate are assigned a private duty case at the Brent mansion in western Massachusetts. Upon arrival, Sarah is startled to find that Drue already knows everyone in the household - and most of them are hostile to her. They are taken to the patient, Craig Brent, recovering from a minor bullet wound to the shoulder; and Sarah is again startled to find that Craig and Drue not only know each other, but were once married.

Craig's father, Conrad Brent, insists that Drue leave immediately, but she convinces them to allow her to spend the night with their patient. The next shock is that Conrad's wife turns out to be the former Alexia Senour, who was once engaged to Craig - only to have that engagement broken when he took up with Drue. It seems Alexia was enacting her revenge by taking hold of Craig's father - and likely his vast estate.

Conrad takes ill during the night. He has a heart condition which requires digitalis, and as it cannot be readily found, Drue administers some from her supply by hypodermic. Conrad collapses and dies instantly, and it appears Drue had intentionally murdered him to remove an obstacle to her getting back together with Craig.

The backstory is they had a spontaneous marriage, and when Craig found he could not take military  pilot training as a married man, got divorced so he could get the training; intended to remarry after the war. 

Review:

This was written while WWII was still ramping up, and it shows. We have lots of talk of German submarines, escaped sailors, and even references to the real-life Nazi saboteurs who landed on Long Island, NY.

The romantic escapades are a bit much, with everyone involved with someone else, and the particularly nasty revenge-marriage of Alexia.

The health care system during the 1940's is some different from today. One character gets a broken arm and was admitted to the hospital for five weeks. Meanwhile, Craig Brent gets shot, never goes to the hospital, has the bullet removed in his bedroom by the local G.P. and gets two private duty nurses all the way from New York.

The wrap-up scenes in the Chivery cottage are a bit melodramatic with lots of running up and down stairs, and Nurse Keate even engaging in some gunplay.

The logistics of the Craig murder are pretty clever but a stretch to believe - they reminded me of some of the weird solutions in Agatha Christie.

This book contains an actual MacGuffin: The Frederic Miller checks, which we never get a look at.

The book title contains a spoiler in itself, and gives away one of the murderers.

The White Cockatoo by Mignon G. Eberhart (1933)

 

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:

• James Sundean, mining engineer, our narrator
• Marcus Lovschiem, blingy hotel manager
• Mme. Grethe Lovschiem, his wife
• Miss Sue Tally, hotel guest
• Francis Tally, her brother
• Pére  -- Robart, a priest and hotel guest
• Mrs. Felicia Byng, hotel guest
• Marcel, hotel porter
• David Lorn, private detective
• Pucci, Marcus's cockatoo

Locale: rural France

Synopsis: Mining Engineer James Sundean (our narrator) checks into a hotel in rural France during the cold off-season winter; to await arrival of his friend Jack Dunning. Although the hotel is large, there are only a handful of guests: Mrs. Felicia Byng, an annoying American woman; Pére Robart, a priest; and Miss Sue Tally, the attractive young love interest.

Sue Tally comes to Sundean's room seeking help. She said she had been abducted by unknown man, driven around, then dropped back off at the hotel. Sundean urges her to call the police but she is reticent. He then goes to the lobby to retrieve her room key. He returns to find a dead man in the hallway outside his room, and Sue Tally gone. Hotel manager Marcus Lovschiem and his temptress wife Grethe Lovschiem respond, and they find he was stabbed with a miniature dagger which had been part of the decorative clock in Sundean's room - representing Napolean's sword. As the weapon was from his room, Sundean is placed under arrest.

Private detective David Lorn arrives on the scene and quickly gets Sundean released. Lorn and Sue Tally meet with Sundean to explain the situation. Lorn has been hired by Sue's brother, Francis Tally, to track her down. Sue, along with her brother, are heirs to a $10M fortune, but before her $5M portion can be released, she must prove her identity to Francis. This is because she and her brother have been separated since infancy, and would not recognize each other by sight. Each of them had received a "token" from their father's estate - a unique item which, when matched, will prove her identity by virtue of its possession. 

It now seems likely the murdered man had been in search of her token, in order to plant a substitute Sue and claim the fortune.

Review: We start right off with some standard Eberhart: the man wrongly accused and his beautiful young brunette young interest. It's a formula, but it always works. 

The atmosphere element is enjoyable. An almost deserted hotel in a deserted resort town in winter. The winds blow and the rooms are cold, and it is a perfect setting. The characters are well-drawn, especially hand-wringing hotel manager Marcus and his come-hither wife Grethe. The cockatoo Pucci makes an appearance now and then, but pulls off the stunt that solves the case at the end.

Jack Dunning, the long-awaited friend of Sundean, never shows up and although I expected him to part of the story line, he is just written out. A map of the hotel would have been quite helpful, suffice to say it is a 2-story open square with a courtyard in the middle.

One little nitpick: Sundean obtains a gun from Lorn. At the beginnning it is described as an automatic, but somewhere along the line it becomes a revolver. Oops. Readers will also find a interesting new use for a grand piano.

The House on the Roof by Mignon G. Eberhart (1934)

 

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About the author: (from Goodreads): 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. 

Major characters:

• Mary Monroe, opera singer, roof
• August Tighe & Pigeon, 3rd floor
• Deborah Cavert, 2nd floor, & Annie, her cook
• Juliet Cavert, Deborah's aunt
• Gibbs and Chloe Riddle, 2nd floor
• Anthony Wyatt and Francis Maly, 1st floor
• Alfred & Dolly Brocksley, 1st floor
• Juanito Murphy, janitor
• Lieutenant Waggon, police detective

Building/apartment diagram:

Roof:		Mary Monroe
3rd floor:	#5 vacant	#6 August Tighe & Pigeon
2nd floor:	#3 Deborah & Juliet Calvert	#4 Gibbs & Chloe Riddle
1st floor:	#1 Anthony Wyatt & Francis Maly	#2 Alfred & Dolly Brocksley

Locale: Chicago

Synopsis: Deborah Calvert enters the vestibule of her apartment building to encounter Mary Monroe, a woman she does not recognize. Mary says she has misplaced her keys, and Deborah lets her in. Mary invites her up to her apartment for tea. It turns out her "apartment" is really a separate building on the roof, accessible only by fire escape - from the 2nd or 3rd floors, or from the ground*. The house is set back from all the walls, so is not visible from the ground.

Deborah and Mary go the 3rd floor, exit to the fire escape, and climb to the rooftop house, and have tea. Mary offers to sing for Deborah, if Deborah will accompany her on the grand piano. While doing so, an interior door in the house opens, a hand with a gun emerges, and shoots Mary. Deborah tries to call the police, but the phone - like Mary -  is dead. The house intercom rings, and a man says he will be right up. It turns out to be first-floor tenant Anthony Wyatt, who tells Deborah to return to her apartment, and he will notify police. 

It becomes evident (from lack of police response) that Wyatt did not call the police, and the body is not "discovered" until much later. Wyatt and Deborah are both afraid of being accused, and conspire to silence and pretend they were not present. Wyatt goes so far as to propose a marriage, so they would be unable to testify against each other.** Deborah accepts the idea, and upon leaving the apartment, discovers the body of Alfred Brocksley in the hallway.

Suspicion mounts against a couple of shady characters: August Tighe and his tough guy "secretary" (actually bodyguard) Pigeon. They occupy the apartment directly below the rooftop house.

Review:

The closed world of the apartment house and its tenants (most with secrets) spying on each other reminded me of Cornell Woolrich's short story Rear Window and the subsequent Alfred Hitchcock film of the same title.

This one was a puzzler. Especially the character of Anthony Wyatt: I could never figure out if he was the good guy who be Deborah's ally and love interest, or a bad guy just using her for his own purposes. When we meet him, he is holding a gun and being menacing. He was just a mystery throughout - until the very last page. I thought I had the killer ID'd about halfway through, but ... I was wrong. 

The character of Francis Maly definitely gave off gay vibes with his styled hair and stated affections for Anthony, even down to the ambiguous pronunciation of his name (Francis/Frances) - pretty bold for 1934. This misled me into discounting roommate Anthony as the eventual love interest for Deborah.

The reader would do well to keep the layout of the apartment house handy, as the locations of the apartments are central to the plot.

But the biggest mystery of all ... how did Mary Monroe get her grand piano up the fire escape in the first place?

*The fire escape exit doors on the 2nd and 3rd floors are spring-locked one-way in the usual manner, persons can only exit to the fire escape, but not enter the building from the outside.

**This is a common misconception. In reality, the provision that a husband may not be compelled to testify against a wife, and vice versa, known as spousal privilege; only applies to testimony about communications or events that occured during the marriage. Thus, each can be compelled to testify against the other concerning communications or events which occurred prior to (or even after a dissolution of) the marriage. Source: Legal Information Institute. So entering into a marriage just to avoid this sort of predicament would not work, but it makes a good plot element. Erle Stanley Gardner always got it right, but then again, he was a lawyer! He used it a number of times to trip up witnesses.

For a similar rooftop adventure, try The Bungalow on the Roof by Achmed Abdullah (Mystery League, 1931).

Be sure to visit The Mystillery for my mystery reading challenges!

House of Storm by Mignon G. Eberhart (1949)

 

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About the author: (from Goodreads): 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. 

Major characters:

• Nonie Hovenden, due to be married
• Royal Beadon, her fiancé, owner of the island estate (Mr. Wrong)
• Hermione Shaw, owner of the adjacent estate
• Jim Shaw, Hermione's nephew (Mr. Right)
• Lydia Bassett, a sultry widow
• Aurelia Beadon, Royal's sister
• Major Dick Fenby, estate manager for Hermione
• Dr. Riordan
• Seabury Jenkins, Magistrate

Locale: Beadon Island in the Caribbean

Synopsis: Nonie Hovenden is engaged to much-older Royal Beadon, owner of a sugar cane plantation, Beadon Gates, on Beadon Island in the Caribbean. The wedding is in three days. Nonie is pleased but not too excited about it, and just sees it as her inevitable destiny as her family (just a distant aunt) urges her to accept.

Adjacent to Beadon Gates is the only other plantation on the island: Middle Road Plantation, owned by domineering Hermione Shaw. She employs her nephew, Jim Shaw, as an errand boy although he is supposed to be assuming management from her. She also employs hard-drinking Major Dick Fenby as the manager.

Nonie and Jim hit it off immediately in a case of love at first sight. Jim, frustrated with working for Hermione, heads off to a job in New York. At the last moment, he decides to face up to things, remain on the island, and along with Nonie will tell Royal the wedding is off.

At the same time a terrific rainstorm and building hurricane hits the island. Dick Fenby is visiting Royal, and Nonie offers to drive him back to Middle Road Plantation. They arrive to find Hermoine dead - shot - on her front steps. And Jim is inside the house with a gun.

Review: This is a great ready for a rainy, stormy night. It just so happened I got a rainy, windy night to finish this one and it was perfect. 

Eberhart paints the Caribbean scene skillfullly, and the reader can feel the heat, rain, and lushness of the tropical environment. She describes the Beadon home perfectly, and the constant struggle to keep any house operating and maintained in such a high-temp, high-humidity environment. 

A little suspension of disbelief is in order when Nonie drops her planned marriage to rock-steady Royal just days before, for a flighty love-at-first-sight Jim. I was surprised when Royal calmly accepts her change of heart, reacting with about the same emotion as a change in the dinner menu; but he comes through it like a man and even shakes hands with Jim. 

The climax of the story and the climax of the storm occur simultaneously, with the characters creeping around a dark (the power is out) house in the middle of the hurricane.

Major Dick Fenby is a bit of a cardboard character - he is Hermoine's estate manager, and also the chief of police, but most of the time he is just drunk. Confronted with a murder, he is not too sure exactly what to do. The story could have been stronger if these two roles were divided into two characters.

A map would have been helpful - it was a bit unclear where the various scenes were, or if they were even on the same island.

Be sure to visit The Mystillery for my mystery reading challenges!