Gold Comes in Bricks by A.A. Fair, 1940

 

Cover image only - no review

This is Donald Lam & Bertha Cool #3 

Turn on the Heat by A.A. Fair, 1940

 

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About the author: A.A. Fair was a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Series: Donald Lam & Bertha Cool #2

Major characters:

• "Mr. Smith", the client
• Dr. James C. Lintig, a.k.a. Charles Loring Alftmont, a specialist
• Amelia Lintig, his estranged wife
• Vivian Carter, his nurse, corespondent in his divorce action
• Marian Dunton, office staff of The Blade
• Evaline Dell Harris
• Flo Danzer, night club hostess
• Donald Lam, P.I., our narrator
• Bertha Cool, P.I.

Locale: California

Synopsis: A mysterious client, "Mr. Smith", hires Bertha Cool and Donald Lam to do just one thing: locate Amelia Lintig, supposedly divorced from Dr. James C. Lintig. She dropped out of sight over twenty years ago and hasn't been seen since. Lam travels to Oakview to try to pick up her trail, with the assistance of Marian Dunton, office manager for the local newspaper, The Blade. He soon finds out that two others are looking for Amelia as well: Miller Cross and Evaline Dell Harris. 

Lam consults records to find Dr. Lintig had changed his name to Charles Loring Alftmont, and continued his practice. Lam tracks down Dr. Alftmont and finds he is the client, "Mr. Smith". Marian Dunton, looking for a news story, goes to Evaline's hotel room to find her strangled, and a man just leaving looks much like Dr. Alftmont - who is Bertha's client. 

Review: This is only the second book about Lam and Cool, and the dust is still settling as the characters shape up. Gardner seemed in a hurry to cram all the action in he could, action that would never fly in a Perry Mason - such as when Donald Lam steps aside to let Bertha Cool rough up another woman. The book is handicapped in a way as many characters go by more than one name and pose as other characters. As it nears the end, the name switcheroos and identity switcheroos are just too confusing to follow. I was not even able to determine if Amelia was alive, or ever found; as another character had been posing as her throughout the story.

 

Crows Can't Count by A.A. Fair, 1946

 

Sorry, no review - photo required for Vintage Scavenger Hunt challenge.

Fools Die on Friday by A. A. Fair, 1947

 

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A.A. Fair is a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Major Characters:

Gerald Ballwin, real estate developer

Anita Ballwin, his first wife (died prior to story)

Daphne Ballwin, his second wife

Carl Keetley, Anita’s brother, a gambler

Ethyl Worley, Gerald’s secretary

Carlotta Hanford, Daphne’s personal secretary

Wilmont Mariville, the Ballwin’s butler/chauffeur

Dr. George L. Quay, a dentist

Ruth Otis, Dr. Quay’s nurse

Bertha Cool, P.I.

Donald Lam, P.I.

Jim Fordney, Cool & Lam’s operative

Detective Frank Sellers

Locale: not specified 

Synopsis: A woman claiming to be Beatrice Ballwin comes to the office of Bertha Cool and Donald Lam. She is worried a poisoning attempt will be made on her uncle, real estate developer Gerald Ballwin, and is looking for them to prevent it. Lam replies they cannot prevent a determined poisoner, but they take the case. Lam quickly determines she is not really who she says she is, but is Carlotta Hanford, personal secretary to Gerald’s wife, Daphne Ballwin.

Lam visits Ballwin’s sales office under the guise of purchasing a building lot, and is shown around by Carl Keetley, Ballwin’s brother-in-law (brother of Anita, Ballwin’s first wife). Keetley, a gambler, is not an employee, but hangs around the real estate office to borrow money from Ballwin.

Lam then wants to buy some time for Gerald by putting his wife (Lam’s suspect) in “psychological handcuffs”. He visits Daphne in the guise of an advertising agent for a brand of anchovy paste. He finds her to be a social climber who desperately wants social publicity, and amuses herself by tormenting her butler/chauffeur Wilmont Mariville. Lam charms her into agreeing to try samples of the paste with vague promises of a nationwide advertising campaign. Lam reasons this potential publicity will cause her to hold off on any murder attempts. 

Lam suspects Daphne as the potential poisoner, and puts operative Jim Fordney on her tail. He finds that she pays frequent visits to her dentist, Dr. George L. Quay, and intimidates his nurse, Ruth Otis. Lam pumps Otis for details, and finds Daphne is deep in an affair with Dr. Quay.

Daphne hosts a dinner party and has butler Mariville prepare the hors d’oeuvres - anchovy paste on crackers. She feeds one to Gerald, who immediately becomes poisoned from arsenic and hospitalized. Soon after, Daphne eats some of the crackers and is herself poisoned.

Review: As with most murder mysteries, I was expecting a murder right off, but no murder occurs until fully 2/3 of the way through so we are kept hanging (forgive choice of word) a long time - Gerald is poisoned - is he going to die?  Daphne is poisoned - is she going to die?. 

The interesting character is Carl Keetley. He is on the edge of everything that happens. At first he seems a lounge lizard-type bounder, always hitting up the relations for money. Later we find him in an office of his own, suspiciously near Dr. Quay’s office - whose lover/patient is wife #2 to Gerald, whose wife #1 was Carl’s sister. It takes a little concentration to keep the relationships straight. Keetley uses this office to develop a machine (described in great detail) which allows him to predict the winner of horse races. Once murder occurs, Sellers and Lam visit him, but they seem more interested in the machine than in solving the murder.

I always enjoy the sarcastic trash-talking between Lam, Cool, and Sellers. Lam gets into that so much more than Perry Mason.

Gardner explains the title in his author’s note in the preface: "There are many people who do not know that from time immemorial Society has decreed there shall be thirteen steps to the gallows. There may be, therefore, readers who miss the significance of the title of this story. In California, as in many other states, executions invariably take place on Friday."

To add to the creepiness of the thirteen steps mentioned, here is a photo of a mausoleum near me. As with many such mausoleums, count the steps - thirteen. Someone has added some halloween jack o'lanterns to make it a bit more festive.

Forest Glade Cemetery, Somersworth NH

The Bigger They Come by A. A. Fair (1939)

 

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About the author: A. A. Fair is a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Major characters:

• Morgan Birks, about to be served divorce papers
• Sandra Birks, his wife
• B. Lee Thoms, "Bleatie", Sandra's brother
• Alma Hunter, Sandra's friend
• Sally Durke, Morgan's girlfriend
• Dr. Archie Holomon, one of Sandra's men
• William Cunweather, "The Chief", gang leader
• Bertha Cool, private investigator
• Donald Lam, private investigator
• Elsie Briand, their secretary

Locale: California and Arizona

Synopsis: In this first Cool & Lam story, pint-size Donald Lam is hired by oversize Bertha Cool as her operative. Alma Hunter hires Cool to find Morgan Birks, on behalf of his wife Sandra Birks, and serve divorce papers on him. Birks has been involved in running a slot-machine racket, and is rumored to have skimmed off some of the profits.

Sandra is driving her brother, B. Lee Thoms, and is involved in a car accident. B. Lee, a.k.a. "Bleatie", suffers a broken nose. He claims he can lead Lam to Morgan. Lam meets with him. Morgan reveals the name of Morgan's girlfriend: Sally Durke. Lam tracks down Sally in hopes of flushing out Morgan.

Lam has several adventures including freqeuent make-out sessions with Alma Hunter, and being kidnapped and roughed up by a gang of thugs, led by "The Chief", William Cunweather, whose unnamed wife is his chief.

Alma has bruises on her neck from an unknown assailant, so Lam provides her a gun for her protection. He teaches her to shoot by having her point the empty gun at him and pull the trigger(!). The assailant returns, and Alma shoots him - in the back. 

Lam goes to Arizona and confesses to the shooting himself, setting himself up for an extradition fight and a court appearance. Lam uses his legal training to take advantage of a loophole in the law which may allow a man to murder someone and walk away free.

Review: This story of constant conflict and love interest action shows the genesis of Gardner's career writing for the serialized pulps - a variety of things is always happening in each chapter. The Cool-Lam books are more free-wheeling and fun than the Perry Masons, and Lam's legal background gives him the ability to toss in a court appearance that Gardner always does so well. The legal loophole is interesting, and one wonders whether it existed in reality, and whether Gardner's exposé of it resulted in its being patched up.

Don't learn gun shooting by following Lam's training method.

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

Bats Fly At Dusk by A. A. Fair (1942)

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Major characters:

• Rodney Kosling - a blind street vendor
• Josephine Dell - secretary to Marlow Milburs, accident victim
• Harlow Milburs - deceased, historical author
• Christopher Milburs - his nephew, a Vermont farmer
• Nettie Cranning - Harlow's housekeeper
• Eva Hanberry - Nettie's daughter
• Paul Hanberry - Eva's husband
• Myrna Jackson - Josephine's roommate
• Jerry Bollman - a witness and wheeler-dealer
• Bertha Cool - detective
• Donald Lam - detective

Locale: Los Angeles, CA

Synopsis: Blind street vendor Rodney Kosling has struck up an acquaintance with an anonymous woman, who passes by him each day. Then she is struck by a car - but not seriously injured - and seems to disappear. Kosling hires Bertha Cool to locate her. Bertha finds the woman is secretary Josephine Dell, and is no longer passing down the street as her employer, Harlow Milburs, has died; ending her job in that area.

A witness to the accidenty, Jerry Bollman, makes overtures to Bertha that he has information which can reap a big insurance settlement from the accident.

Christopher Milburs, a Vermont farmer and only relative of the late Harlow, comes to town to handle his estate. Things are fishy, a suspect will is found and it could be a forgery perpetrated by housekeeper Nettie Cranning and her relatives.

Bertha goes to see Rodney Kosling and enters his home - which has no lights, he doesn't need them. She finds his pet bat flying around and the body of Jerry Bollman on the floor.

Bertha's partner, Donald Lam, is in the Navy but contributes to the investigation by frequent telegrams.

Review: This is one of the early Cool/Lam books and is a nice tight, cohesive read. There is a small cast of characters, and few of the red herrings, complications, and random walk-on walk-off cameos common in the later books. Bertha works hand in hand with the police, not as an adversary. The book has several unique aspects: the well developed character of the blind man and his explanations of how he manages his life, the interplay with the bat, and the appearance of Donald Lam only by telegram.

Bachelors Get Lonely by A. A. Fair (1961)

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About the author: A. A. Fair is a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Major characters:

• Montrose L. Carson, a property appraiser
• Irene Addis, employee of Montrose Carson
• Herbert Jason Dowling, a property appraise, Carson's competitor
• Bernice Clinton, employee of Herbert J. Dowling
• Donald Lam, investigator
• Bertha Cool, his partner
• Elsie Brand, his secretary

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis:

Appraiser Montrose Carson hires Cool & Lam to find out who is the leak in his office. Whenever he prepares to close on a deal, his competitor Herbert J. Dowling beats him to it at the last moment with a better price. Bertha Cool cooks up a scheme to reveal who the leaker is, by putting up a fake property deal with Donald Lam as the "seller". To help create a realistic identity, Lam moves into a bachelor apartment and secretary Elsie Brand poses as his girlfriend. Dowling's employee, Bernice Clinton, approaches Lam with a better (than Carson's) offer; and the details reveal Irene Addis as the leaker in Carson's office.

Lam follows Carson to a motel, where Carson meets a woman. After she leaves, Lam looks in the window to see Carson dead on the floor, and a bullet hole in the window.

Review:

With A. A. Fair you are always guaranteed skulking around looking in windows, and secret meetings at cheap motels, with every woman in the cast throwing herself at Donald Lam; and this one is no different. It is a fun romp with a clever trap set by Bertha Cool to find the leaker. The repartée between Lam and Elsie Brand is always enjoyable. I always find A. A. Fair works to be best taken at either one or at most two sittings, as everybody assumes various alias' throughout, and it's hard to keep it all straight over more than two days!

Kept Women Can't Quit by A. A. Fair (1960)

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About the author: A. A. Fair is a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Major characters:

Hazel Downer, a.k.a. Hazel Clune - the femme fatale, Standley's "kept woman"
Standley Downer - her common-law husband
Evelyn Ellis, photo model; a.k.a. Beverly Kettle when in San Francisco
Dover C. Inman, owner of the Full Dinner Pail drive in; not to be confused with...
Carl Dover Christopher, president of Christopher, Crowder, and Doyle in Chicago
Jasper Diggs Calhoun, public relations man
Herbert Baxley, the red-headed two-time loser
Bernice Glenn, hotel telephone operator
Ernestine Hamilton, roommate of Bernice Glenn, a wannabee private eye
George Biggs Gridley, non-person, false name created by Donald Lam

Donald Lam, narrator/investigator
Bertha Cool, investigator
Elsie Brand, secretary
Sergeant Frank Sellers

Locale: Los Angeles / San Francisco

Synopsis: Sergeant Frank Sellers is telling investigator/narrator Donald Lam about an unsolved case: An armored car was relieved of $100,000 in $1000 bills while the guards are on coffee break at a drive-in joint. The police have recovered half the cash, but $50,000 is still missing. Herbert Baxley was seen lurking in the vicinity at the time of the theft, and the police suspect him and Hazel Downer (the "kept woman").

Hazel Downer subsequently shows up at the offices of Cool & Lam, asking for help in locating her "husband" (the legality of the marriage seems a bit sketchy), Standley Downer. She claims he has left with $60k of her money, of course in $1000 bills.

Lam goes to San Francisco in search of Downer. He locates an apartment just vacated by Evelyn Ellis, who is Downer's new squeeze. He installs his secretary Elsie Brand in the apartment to observe. He finds Ellis left a locked trunk in the garage. Lam purchases a similar trunk, performs a switch, and winds up with her trunk. He finds $52k in her trunk, which he sends back to his office. Standley is then found - dead - with Lam's trunk all taken apart.

Lam strikes up a friendship with Ernestine Hamilton, roommate of Bernice Glenn, telephone operator at the hotel where everything is happening. Ernestine is a wannabee private eye, so he puts her to work to pump Bernice for hotel dirt.

Review: As in all Cool/Lam stories, this one starts out at full speed and does not let up for a second; which I why I find them easiest to consume in one, maybe two at most, sittings.

By the time of the trunk swap episode, we are already losing track of the various stashes of $1000 bills floating around. Little attention is paid to the murder - everyone is after the money instead.

The episode of Lam enlisting Ernestine Hamilton as an amateur P.I. is different, and enjoyable to see him establish a platonic friendship with a woman.

Gardner's heritage as a pay-by-the-word pulp writer always shows through, with lots of incidental characters and conversations, and of course, characters getting unnecessary middle names, and businesses getting long complex partnership names; in order to get the word count up easily.

One caution: terms used for persons of Japanese ancestry reflect the bias of the times.

Give 'Em the Ax by A. A. Fair (1944)

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About the author: A. A. Fair is a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Major characters:

Bertha Cool, Private eye

Donald Lam, Private eye

Miss Georgia Rushe, their client

Ellery Crail, head of the Crail Venetian Blind Co.

Irma Begley (now Irma Crail), his wife

Pittman Rimley, owner of several night clubs

Rufus Stanberry, building owner

Archie Stanberry, his nephew

Philip Cullingdon, lost an accident settlement to Irma Begley

Billy Prue, cigarette girl at the Rimley Rendezvous club

Esther Witson, witness to car accident

Colgate & Glimson, attorneys

Locale: not stated

Synopsis: Private Eyes Bertha Cool and Donald Lam are hired by Miss Georgia Rushe. She had been having an affair with Ellery Crail, who was married. His (unnamed) wife died, and before Rushe could grab him, he married wife #2, Irma (Begley) Crail, whom he met following a minor car accident. Rushe hires Cool & Lam to try to break them up so she can get him.

Lam discovers Irma has a history of staging little car accidents to collect insurance money. While following her to a night club (Rimley's Rendezvous), he finds she is cozy with Rufus Stanberry, the building owner. Lam gets information from the cigarette girl, Billy Prue; who returns to her apartment to find Stanberry dead there.

Review: Erle Stanley Gardner's writings as A. A. Fair are fast paced, without the slow plodding courtroom scenes of the Perry Masons, and he has a lot more fun with Donald Lam. The long involvement and complex discussions of minor car accident details detracts from the action - but provides an opportunity for an almost-courtroom scene when a deposition is taken from Bertha Cool in her office, and we see her unusually flustered. 

The writing is certainly colorful, check these eyebrow-raising quotes:

• [while approaching a rundown apartment building]: One look at the place and you could smell the psychic stench of dejected spirits, the physical odors of ancient cooking, the irritating fumes of defective gas heaters.
• The second floor was silent as a deserted courtroom after the defendant has been sentenced to death and the judge has gathered his papers and gone out to play golf.

I always find the A. A. Fair books to be a good one-session read.