Eyes in the Wall by Carolyn Wells, 1934

 

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This is Fleming Stone #37.

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major Characters:

*Justin Leonard, a lawyer
Myrtle Leonard, his touchy-feely wife
Nathaniel Bancroft, millionaire portrait subject
*Eleanor Bancroft, his daughter
Ellis Kane, a painter
Ann Murdock, a painter
Alonzo "Lonny" Abbott, writer
Sammy "Pinky" St. Clair, a painter
*Mark Mason, art critic, the victim
Emily Mason, Mark's mother
Lily Dana, Mason's fiancée
Ellen Talcott, Lily's chaperone/companion
Hal Deming, next in line for Lily Dana
Fleming Stone, private investigator

*on the portrait selection committee

Locale: New York City

Synopsis: Millionaire Nathaniel Bancroft is going to sit for his portrait, and a committee has been formed to select a painter for the lucrative commission. The committee consists of Nathaniel's daughter Eleanor Bancroft, lawyer Justin Leonard, and art critic Mark Mason. The painters being considered are traditionalist Ellis Kane, modernist Ann Murdock, and bohemian "Pinky" St. Clair. At a gathering at Kane's studio, the principals are seated (mostly) at a round table, looking over Kane's collection of miniature paintings:

Suddenly Mason cries out that someone has stepped on his foot, although no one saw this happen. He turns ill immediately and soon is dead. There is no apparent cause, but an autopsy shows poisoning by strophanthin, a cardiac stimulant.

Review: This was a very good title. It was interesting how the three artists under consideration each had a different "school". 

One very refreshing aspect: Fleming Stone appears early in the book and actually does the detecting work himself. 

We could have used a sketch of the table arrangement, so I made one myself. It gets a bit tedious when Stone asks everyone to itemize the order around the table (they all agreed, incidentally), and Wells could have saved at least a dozen pages by providing an illustration and stipulating the arrangement.

There is are several lively exchanges between overbearing Mrs. Mason and the doctors and medical examiner, as she has her own ideas about proper procedures with dead bodies. 

The part I enjoyed most was near the end, when the "eyes in the wall" came into play. Are you familiar with the old trope in the 1930's-1940's movies, in which a portrait on the wall has the eyes cut out and able to be slid down, so someone in the adjacent room can look through the eye openings and spy? Well, here it is! What fun! Nero Wolfe has a similar trick in his office with a painting of a waterfall, but that is a bit less outrageous than the old cut-out-eyes-in-the-portrait trick.

Don't wait around for Nathanial Bancroft to appear - he never does.

Wheels Within Wheels by Carolyn Wells, 1923

 

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This is Pennington Wise #8. The title is taken from Ezekiel's vision, as recorded in Ezekiel 1:16 of the Old Testament; in which he saw a wheel turning inside another wheel. This expression has come to describe a complex, many-layered mechanism or situation.

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Ralph Howland, millionaire businessman
• Mary Howland, his fragile wife
• Leonard Swift, his cousin and heir
• Ida Holmes Campbell, or is she the missing Angela Howland?
• Rob and Sally Peters, house guests
• Conrad Stryker, the village "half-wit" and peeping tom
• John Stryker, Conrad's father, the undertaker

The Howlands's staff:

• Edith Mills, the short-skirted silk-stockinged blonde stenographer
• Austin Magee, the secretary and business manager
• Amy Lane, a no-nonsense nurse
• Etta, Mary's maid
• Martin, the butler
• Charles, the second man (assistant butler)

The officials:

• Dr. Avery, G.P.
• Dr. Mason, medical examiner
• Police Chief Weldon
• Detective O'Brien
• Detective Green
• James Esterbrook, attorney

Locale: Connecticut

Synopsis:  Millionaire Ralph Howland and his wife Mary have a summer home in Connecticut (in addition to their winter home in New York City, a mountain retreat, and a seaside cottage). Sixteen years ago their only child, Angela, then five years old, died from sleeping sickness (encephalitis lethargica) and Mary has never been quite herself again. Also living there: Ralph's cousin and heir Leonard Swift, and house guests Rob and Sally Peters who are trying to get Ralph to buy into a mining scheme. 

The Howlands have quite a retinue: Slinky stenographer Edith Mills, secretary/business manager Austin Magee, nurse Amy Lane, as well as the usual maids and butlers.

Ralph's will has an unusual clause. Leonard Swift is his residual legatee, unless daughter Angela can be found, in which case she inherits instead. But Angela is dead and buried.

One morning there is a knock at the servant's entrance. It is Conrad Stryker, the village "half-wit". He reports he can see through the library window that Ralph Howland is dead. The staff investigate, and sure enough, he is. Conrad is anxious they call his father, undertaker John Stryker, right away.

Doctors and police arrive, and are stymied that there is no apparent cause of death evident. In the midst of this, a young lady appears at the door looking for Ralph. It is Ida Holmes Campbell, and she claims she is really his long-thought-dead daughter Angela - who would now be 21. The cemetery reveals Angela's coffin was exhumed and found to be empty. Now if this is really Angela, she inherits; not Leonard Swift. Leonard is not too happy.

Review: This would be a great Halloween read, with empty coffins being moved around, buried, and exhumed, and lots of creepy funeral home skulduggery.

There are two parallel mysteries here: who murdered Ralph Howland (if indeed, it was murder), and is Ida Campbell the long-lost Angela? Both solutions are withheld until the very end.

Things are at an impasse until, true to formula, Pennington Wise arrives with his muse Zizi, who flits around like a wraith, extracting valuable clues. Zizi is always enjoyable, especially her saucy repartée with "Penny". 

I had expected the mining deal to be part of the motive of all this, but that story line was dropped early on and not mentioned again.

Another odd aspect was the detailed description of the house layout given at the beginning. I expected this to be important somehow, but it wasn't. I had sketched it out anyway. No idea where all those servants live, perhaps on an unmentioned third floor.

The Visiting Villain by Carolyn Wells, 1934

 

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About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters (Dunbar family in bold):

Bruce Dunbar, the millionaire

Anna Forrest, Bruce's niece

Jake Wood, Anna's boyfriend

Doris Ralston, Bruce's niece

Steve Ralston, Doris' husband

Barbara Corbin, Bruce's niece, a widow

Clive Rankin, Barbara's boyfriend

Emory Dunbar, Bruce's nephew

The house staff:

Philip Crowe, valet

---- Hatton, butler

Eliza Hatton, Hatton's wife, the cook

Hester Hatton, parlormaid

Olga, chambermaid

Streamline, the cobra

Martin Saunders, family attorney (drew the 'Anna will')

Samuel Sutton, attorney (drew the 'Emory will')

Harvey Pennock, attorney (drew the 'Doris' will)

John Hale, attorney (drew the 'Barbara' will)

Fleming Stone, detective

Locale: unspecified

Synopsis: Millionaire Bruce Dunbar has no immediate family, just a nephew (Emory Dunbar) and three nieces (Anna Forrest, Doris Ralston, and Barbara Corbin). None of them care for him particularly, but attend dinner at his mansion every Saturday night to stay in his good graces, and hopefully gain a nice inheritance.

Dunbar keeps a pet Cobra named Streamline, whose venomous bite can kill. He is usually kept in his cage but is let out occasionally for carefully supervised exercise.

One morning, valet Philip Crowe goes in to wake Dunbar, but finds him dead. Streamline is coiled up in his cage, but the door is open. Crowe has bite marks on his neck, and it is assumed Streamline did the deed. Niece Anna calls in detective Fleming Stone. The doctors arrive. Stone and the doctors determine that if it is a snake bite that killed him, it was not Streamline. The family immediately suggests a stranger (the visiting villain of the title) came in with a different snake which killed him.

The family is only minimally concerned about Dunbar's death, being more interested in getting their grasping hands on his money. A search for Dunbar's will reveals no less than four of them ... each one naming one of the relatives as the legatee ... and each one drawn by a different attorney.

Review: Oh, what fun! The body is still warm and the relatives are turning the house upside down looking for wills. Four competing wills, by four competing attorneys, are found! If nothing else, this book will certainly familiarize you with will and probate law, or at least as it stood in 1934. 

Not only is their enmity between Bruce Dunbar and his relations, all the relations are shooting eye-daggers at each other! 

The fun consists of all the running around trying to figure out which will was signed last. 

This book is unusual in the Fleming Stone series, in that Stone makes his appearance early in the book; and spends a significant amount of time flirting with Barbara in the process.

The Room With the Tassels by Carolyn Wells (1918)

 

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Rudolph Braye
• Eve Carnforth
• Professor Hardwick
• Milly Landon
• Wynne Landon, her husband
• Gifford Bruce
• Vernie Reid, Gifford's 16-year old niece
• Norma Cameron, a sensitive
• John Tracy, a minister
• Elijah Stebbins, owner of Black Aspens
• Hester, housekeeper
• Jed Thorpe, manservant
• Dan Peterson, an ineffective detective
• Pennington Wise
• Zizi, Pennington's 15-year old muse

Locale: Vermont

Synopsis: A group of New York City friends (first seven in above list) have a conversation about whether ghosts are real. They decide to find a supposedly-haunted house and see for themselves. They locate a large old mansion in Vermont called Black Aspens - locally referred to as the Old Montgomery mansion. They arrange to rent the house for several weeks, and invite Norma Cameron, a 'sensitive' who can supposedly sense spirits, and a minister John Tracy.

The owner, Elijah Stebbins, shows them a room with ornate draperies with tassels, in which a long-ago murder occurred. The old owner, Montgomery himself, was poisoned by his wife with prussic acid. The only "ha'nt" still occurring is that the candlestick she carried seems to change locations in the house all by itself.

The friends try sleeping in different rooms in different combinations. Nothing significant occurs except the candlestick changes rooms, until young Vernie Reid sleeps in the Tassel room, and is visited by a spectre. The spectre holds two cups and holds up four fingers. Vernie interprets this to mean two will die at 4:00.

Everyone is alert at 4:00 AM but nothing happens. When they gather for afternoon tea at 4:00 PM, Gifford Bruce and Vernie Read suddenly collapse - dead. The bodies are moved to bedrooms and the doctor called. Upon arrival, he finds Bruce's body, but the body of Vernie has disappeared.

Review: (Some spoilers ahead): Unlike some fiction of the time (Mary Roberts Rinehart comes to mind), spiritualism is not treated as a real thing here. Wells gives the feeling that you know and she knows it is all fakery and the characters know it, and they are just fooling around for the fun of it. 

I figured out aspect of the mystery right away - how the secret entrance to the house worked. It was called out in detail twice which led me to suspect it immediately.

Wells fooled me in another way, though. As soon as the body of Vernie disappeared I figured she was not really dead, and was part of the plot. I was wrong. 

One-dimensional detective Dan Peterson didn't add anything to the story, and just serves as a foil. Wells' usual formula is to have her star detective - Wise or Fleming Stone - show up at the last possible moment to amaze the befuddled one. Zizi is another matter. She is always delightful as she flits about and sees things no one else notices. And she is only fifteen!

The Tannahill Tangle by Carolyn Wells (1928)

 

This is Fleming Stone #25.

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters: (ages listed, as the age groupings are a significant plot point.)

• Patterson "Pat" Grant, our narrator, age 27
• Captain Charley Kipp, age 50
• Bert Gilray, the groom
• Alexandra "Sannie" Crane, the bride, age 21
• Jim Tannahill, uncle of Sannie, age 54
• Muriel Tannahill, his trophy wife, age 25
• Ellis Ellison, the Apollo god type
• Kathleen Ellison, his cougar wife
• Sheridan "Sherry" Masters, family lawyer
• Violet Lane, maid of honor
• Miss Amanda "Mandy" Folsom, Muriel's elderly spinster cousin
• Anne Alden, "The Girl in Blue"
• Detective Dawlish
• Fleming Stone, private detective

Locale: the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts

Synopsis: We join Patterson "Pat" Grant (27), narrator, as he meets up with Captain Charley Kipp (50) on their way by train from New York City to the Massachusetts mansion of Jim Tannahill (54) and his much younger trophy wife Muriel Tannahill (25).

The occasion is an engagement party for Jim's niece/ward, Alexandra "Sannie" Crane (21) to Pat Grant's old buddy, Bert Gilray.  As they arrive, there is much raised-eyebrow anxiety about the Ellisons who will be attending: Ellis Ellison, a young god-like type, and his much older cougar wife, Kathleen Ellison. 

Muriel's cousin, elderly spinster Amanda "Mandy" Folsom reveals the drama everyone knows about - a love quadrangle: Jim Tannahill with Kathleen Ellison, and Muriel Tannahill with Ellis Ellison. These matchings bring together couples of similar ages; and they make no attempt to hide it. Pat questions why they do not all divorce and remarry all around, but being Roman Catholic, it is prohibited by their religion. Mandy has some heavy religion herself, and proclaims herself to be God's agent in bringing about retribution for these sinful relationships. 

The group gathers to admire a box of precious jewels which will pass from Jim to Sannie upon her marriage. As they gather for cocktails, the Tannahills and Ellisons cannot be found. The butler forces the locked door of the library to find Jim and Kathleen both shot dead, with Ellis and Muriel engaged in a tête-à-tête in an upstairs alcove. The authorities arrive, led by Detective Dawlish. With the room locked, Ellis and Muriel are the top suspects, but even their stories do not agree.

On top of the disruption of the murder, an unknown woman is found sleeping in Grant's bed. She claims she has lost her memory* and doesn't even know her name - so she is referred to as "The girl in blue". Then she disappears as quickly as she appeared. As the investigation grinds to a standstill, Fleming Stone arrives, and sees things the others all missed.

Review: This has a well done introduction, as Pat and Kipp travel on the train together and Kipp provides thumbnail sketches of all the characters to Pat, which introduces them to the reader as well. 

This was the best Fleming Stone story I have read thus far - even though he, as usual, only shows up late in the book (page 216!). The story is not dated at all, and could easily be present day. Wells had fun writing this one. In the beginning, the characters are all agog over "The Casey Case", a popular detective novel. Grant declares himself an expert on deduction, on the basis of having read so many mystery stories!

The locked room aspect is revealed as a clever but simple twist.

*The text refers to the loss of memory (which we know as "amnesia") as "aphasia", which is a different condition (word selection and speech difficulty). Perhaps the meaning of the term has changed over time.

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The Sixth Commandment by Carolyn Wells (1927)

 

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About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Ralph Mackenzie, wealthy widower, owner of Warlock House
• Guy Mackenzie, his son
• Fairy Lovell, a.k.a. Goldie Glenn, Guy's soon-to-be fiancée
• Sylvia Field, adopted daughter of Ralph's late wife
• Bob Arnold, a private detective
• Christopher "Kit" Cox, a private detective
• Jack Mullins, mystery writer
• Dorothy Reed, wife of one of Guy's college chums
• Ezra & Abbie Gerson, estate workers
• Blackie Blake, a dancer, a.k.a. Terrell, a reporter

Locale: Long Island, New York

Synopsis: Wealthy widower Ralph Mackenzie owns a mansion on New York's Long Island. He lives there with his son, Guy Mackenzie, and his 'niece', Sylvia Field. Sylvia is not actually related - she is the adopted daughter of his late wife. Guy and Sylvia have always been close, and Sylvia had hoped for an eventual marriage.

Guy takes a girlfriend, pouty, self-centered looker Fairy Lovell. He plans to bring her back to Warlock House to introduce her to the family and announce their engagement. Ralph suggests they go all-out, and organizes a large party for the occasion. Guy invites all his old college buddies from their college literary club and their wives. Among them are Bob Arnold, now a private detective; and Jack Mullins, a mystery novelist.

Fairy arrives at the party to great acclaim of her beauty. However, her selfish ways manage to annoy everyone, especially Ralph. To top it off, she surprises the crowd by performing a wild, suggestive dance while wearing only revealing lingerie. Ralph is shocked and changes his mind and forbids Guy from marrying her.

The party goers retire for the night, and in the morning Fairy is found dead in her bed. The police arrive, and an investigation shows she is not the person Guy thought, but rather a (gasp!) cabaret dancer. They track down her mother, and she is not the person they thought either.

Review: Having read of bunch of Wells' Fleming Stone series, this non-series novel was a nice change as Stone - like Philo Vance - gets tiring after a while. This is a tight mystery, once you get past the men-worshipping-Fairy-dancing episodes. 

Similar to the Stone series, one investigator (Bob Arnold) starts off collecting facts but eventually gets bogged down, and a second investigator (Christopher 'Kit' Cox) comes in to solve the murder. Cox is a much more enjoyable character than the pedantic Stone. Both investigators are Guy's former classmates, and the police have only minor periodic appearances. 

The murder method and the murderer were both surprises, and quite believable. There is a sub-plot involving some stolen pearls, and this is threaded throughout the story, and also comes to a unique, interesting solution. Cox is focused and gets to the solution in a straight forward manner. 

The Beautiful Derelict by Carolyn Wells (1935)

 

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This is Fleming Stone #39.

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Fleming Stone, detective
• Barry Wayne, yacht owner
• Daniel Wayne, Barry's father
• Patrick Wayne, Berry's uncle (Daniel's brother)
• Elkins Van Zandt, yacht guest, lawyer
• Jane Holt, Barry's fiancée
• Samfari Wing, claiming to be Daniel's other son
• U.S. Attorney Demarest

Locale: primarily Nantucket Island, Massachusetts

Synopsis: Fleming Stone is aboard the S. S. Nokomis bound from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to New York City. Captain Gregg sights a 40-foot yacht, The Hotspur, drifting, and sends some men, including Stone, to assist.

The men find two dead men aboard the yacht: Barry Wayne, below in the engine room, dead from a head wound; and Elkins Van Zandt on deck, dead from no obvious cause. There is no one else aboard.

The yacht is towed to port in New London, CT, and turned over to the Coast Guard. 

It is found that Barry Wayne is the owner of the yacht, and son of Daniel Wayne. Daniel, his brother Patrick Wayne, and Barry live on Nantucket Island (off Cape Cod, Massachusetts). Barry had planned to go sailing with his fiancée, Jane Holt, but her father protested against the two of them going alone, so Elkins Van Zandt went along instead.

Autopsies are performed to find Barry dead of his head wound, as expected, and Van Zandt dead from cancerious stomach ulcers. The mystery is: what happened? Is this a murder case, or accident; and was there anyone else involved? Then a mysterious person, Samfari Wing, appears on the scene and claims he is Daniel's other son.

Review: For once, we get our money's worth of Fleming Stone! Instead of appearing near the end of the novel as is his wont, he appears in the first sentence! This is an enjoyable novel, with lots of action and Fleming Stone in an active role throughout. Fleming Stone improves with age - so seeking out the later books in the series is recommended.

The third - and final - death occurs in a locked room, so the reader gets two separate enigmas to figure out. The method of entry to the locked room is telegraphed by the author as Fleming Stone considers the unique construction of the house, and an alert reader will have an inkling of how it was done.

The writing is lively, and the best parts are when the family members get testy with the coroner's interviews:

Coroner: "I have an odd idea, Mr. Wayne, that the tragic death last night was the work of a woman, rather than that of a man."

There was a silent pause.

"Did you hear me, Mr. Wayne?"

"Certainly," Pat replied, "I am not at all deaf."

"Then why did you not answer?"

"You didn't ask me any question."

"I made an observation."

"Am I supposed to comment on all your observations? Very well, then, I do not agree with you. I think [the victim]  was stabbed to death by a man."

"And how did your hypothetical man enter the locked room?"

"The same way your hypothetical woman did!"

Prillilgirl by Carolyn Wells (1924)

 

photo: Robert Erwin books

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Guy Thornike, the shy, introverted actor
• Corinne Deane, a.k.a. Prillilgirl
• Lora Lamb, Guy's housekeeper
• Mallory Vane, playwright
• Roland Ross, Vane's relative
• Pete Jessup, Mallory's artist roommate
• Dan Larkin, competing theatrical manager
• Jeffreys. an actor
• Agatha Barr, an agressive actress
• James Manning, a fictitious person
• McGee, detective

Locale: New York City

Synopsis: Guy Thorndike is an accomplished, wealthy actor, looking for his next big dramatic role. One day, Corinne Deane (Prillilgirl), a naive young woman of 19, appears at his home. He thinks she is just a fan looking for a photo, but she appeals to him to marry her. She explains how a marriage of convenience would benefit them both. Guy considers her proposal and accepts, and they are quickly married. Housekeeper Lora Lamb assumes the mother role for them both.

Mallory Vane has written a play and is looking for a buyer. Guy Thorndike had suggested a role in the play, with an eye to playing it himself. Dan Larkin is also interested in the play, and would cast his favorite Jeffreys and Agatha Barr. Agatha appeals to Prillilgirl to get Guy to give in on the play, but Prillilgirl proves perfectly capable of sticking up for herself and Guy.

Mallory Vane invites Prillilgirl to his place and begins to make advances to her; now two men - he and Larkin - have their eyes on Prillilgirl. Artist Pete Jessup (Mallory's roommate) arrives and saves her from their clutches. Vane invites her back - under false pretenses - and while she is present and hiding, Vane is stabbed with his ornamental dagger which he has adapted into a pen.

Review: Well, this was a surprise! I was expecting the usual country-house stuffy crusty characters, but Guy and Prillilgirl are quite the change. He is a dual personality, a shy introvert in real life, a dramatic actor on the stage. She is a young naive farm girl, unaware that ladies must not go to carabets or other men's apartments alone; yet she knows how to stick up for herself in the face of nasty antagonists like Agatha Barr and lechers like Mallory Vane.

The book follows the usual Wells format - the local investigator (McGee) does all the legwork and gathers up the clues, then Fleming Stone pops in at the end for his "and-now-the-envelope-please" moment. This time, however, McGee is a pretty productive detective instead of the usual bumbler.

I did get a chuckle that following their civil ceremony, she asks Guy for a kiss to consummate their marriage! It is not recorded whether he gave in. After all, this *was* 1924!

The ending has a couple of curious twists which I did not see coming - although Twist #1 laid the groundwork for Twist #2.

All at Sea by Carolyn Wells (1927)

 

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About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

Garrett Folsom, big city lawyer

Anastasia Folsom, his sister

Roger Neville, his partner

John Ross, his valet

Ned Barron, the "copper king"

Madeline Barron, his wife

Angelica Fair, their guest

Croydon Sears

Robin Sears, his son

Carmelita Valdon

"The Duchess",  Helen Barnaby

Titus Riggs, architect

Locale: Ocean Town, New Jersey

Synopsis: The society principals are enjoying the beach at Ocean Town, New Jersey. Ropes are provided for the bathers to hold onto, so as not to be knocked down by the high surf. Garrett Folsom is knocked down and lets go, and when he comes up, he is dead. Those closest to him on the rope were Carmelita Valdon, "The Duchess" Helen Barnaby. Roger Neville, and Nad Barron.

One of the bathers finds a dagger in the surf, another locates a matching scabbard. 

Garret's sister, Anastasia Folsom, arrives and immediately takes charge of the investigation in her domineering, bull-in-a-china-shop way. She enlists architect Titus Riggs as a detective. He finds an auction house on the boardwalk had sold several such daggers the night before. He finds that Garrett had a little side business of blackmailing people. After Titus gathers many facts, Fleming Stone arrives on the scene.

Review: Wells novels are usually pleasant journeys into a genteel yesteryear, but this one disappoints on several levels. 

What could have been an interesting mystery was rather ruined by the vile character of Anastasia, who rolls over everyone and treats everyone, especially servants, like dirt.

Besides that, the characters are a bit - creepy. Anastasia is repeatedly referred to as 'manly', and physically described as such. Meanwhile, Garrett has a collection of a half-dozen "French dolls", which he carries with him everywhere, and talks to as he fondles them. Then it turns out the dolls are each replicas of various women he has loved in the past. 

Fleming Stone does not get a chance to make his usual dénouement. He is no sooner interviewing some of the principals, when in walks the murderer and confesses, describing how it was done! Guess Fleming didn't need to make the trip after all.

Anybody But Anne by Carolyn Wells (1913)

 

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About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Raymond Sturgis, our narrator
• Anne Mansfield Van Wyck
• David Van Wyck, her husband
• Morland Van Wyck, David's son by previous marriage
• Barbara Van Wyck, David's daughter by previous marriage
• Barclay Lasseter, David's secretary
• Beth Fordyce, a mystic
• Mrs. Stelton, a widow
• Condon "Connie" Archer
• Mrs. Carstairs, the creepy housekeeper
• -- Carstairs, her son, a valet
• The library committee: Millar, Brandt, and Garson
• Markham, local detective
• Fleming Stone, the master detective

Locale: The Berkshires (western Massachusetts)

Synopsis: Raymond Sturgis sets out to visit his school-days sweetheart, Anne Mansfield - now Anne Mansfield Van Wyck; married to brusk David Van Wyck. They live in a U-shaped mansion, a main house with two attached wings. One wing is David's study. Raymond finds that he is not the only one enchanted with Anne, she is also desired by Condon "Connie" Archer, and even her own stepson, Morland Van Wyck.

David goes in for sudden impulses, the latest is becoming a Philanthropist. He wants to give his entire fortune to the community to build a library. The family is aghast, it will leave them penniless. Against their wishes, David sets up a meeting to make the donation - in his study, with the library committee of Millar, Brandt, and Garson. The next morning, Van Wyck does not show for breakfast. Then he is found locked in his study, dead from an apparent stab wound. The room is locked tight, and there is no weapon in evidence. The family heirloom, the priceless Van Wyck pearls, are missing. The deed giving the fortune to the library is missing also.

Review: As soon as the book describes the house's unique architecture in detail, we can tell we are being set up for a locked-room mystery. The house has two wings, but they are only attached to the main house at narrow points, only wide enough for connecting doors:

My first thought was some hanky-panky would occur at one of the inside corners, where you could see out one window and into another, but no. The layout does play a part in the crime, and it is well described in advance, giving the reader broad hints to "watch here!"

It is a bit amusing to see various suitors lined up to be the next husband for Anne, even before the body cools off. Five men, by my count, are in love with Anne and waiting to be next.

Mystic Beth Fordyce and Housekeeper Mrs. Carstairs are both rather etherial. They never walk anywhere, but just "glide" through the house.

We have three detectives to deal with: The amateur (Raymond Sturgis), the local (Markham), and the prima donna (Fleming Stone). Stone makes a cameo appearance early in the book - unusual for a Carolyn Wells. 

Overall, a fine period locked-room mystery with lots of family drama.

Faulkner's Folly by Carolyn Wells (1917)

 

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• The late James Faulkner, builder of Faulkner's Folly
• Beatrice Faulkner, his widow
• Eric Stannard, artist, dying as story opens
• Joyce Stannard, his wife
• Barry Stannard, his son by previous marriage
• Natalie Vernon, the voluptuous live-in model
• Blake, the footman
• Annette, the maid
• Eugene Courteney, neighbor
• Mr. Wadsworth, widower
• Mr. & Mrs. Truxton, jewel collectors
• Coroner Lamson
• Detective Bobsy Roberts
• Orienta, a clairvoyant
• Alan Ford, professional detective

Locale: Long Island, NY

Synopsis: James Faulkner had built an opulent mansion. He ran out of money in the process, and so it became known as Faulkner's Folly. He passed away two years ago, and his widow, Beatrice Faulkner, has sold the mansion to Eric and Joyce Stannard.

Eric Stannard is an artist and employs Natalie Vernon, a cute young blonde thing as his live-in model; much to the annoyance of wife Joyce. Stannard was also working on a portrait of Beatrice Faulkner, which was part of the purchase price of the house. She is visiting to pose as usual, and comes down the grand staircase to find excitement in the studio: Eric is found stabbed to death in his chair, with wife Joyce and model Natalie standing behind him looking at each other.

Not only is he dead, but his priceless emerald collection is missing. Local detective Robert "Bobsy" Roberts investigates, but cannot figure out which woman is guilty. A local clarivoyant, Orienta, offers her services. After demonstrating her prowess of reading notes inside sealed envelopes in the dark, she proceeds to describe the murder - and murderer - in great detail. To the shock of the family, she exonerates Joyce and Natalie, and reveals the murderer is a man, and describes him, but cannot put a name to him.

The family becomes frustrated with Bobsy's lack of progress, and hires professional detective Alan Ford. After briefly interviewing the principals, he reveals the murderer.

Review: This Carolyn Wells follows the usual Fleming Stone formula of the ace detective (but this time, Alan Ford) showing up in the final chapter to take a quick sniff around and then reveal everything which should have been obvious to the locals. This is an excellent plot, and there are several parallel mysteries:

• Who killed Eric?
• How did the murderer enter/exit the room?
• Where did the emeralds go?
• How does Orienta read sealed notes in the dark?

The plot is complicated by four love connections which are gradually revealed. All four mysteries noted above are solved. I was beginning to suspect some fair play issues, but there are none. All the hints were revealed. 

A crime scene map is provided which is valuable in understanding the setup.

The Maxwell Mystery by Carolyn Wells (1913)

 

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About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books, including 61 Fleming Stone detective stories. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Peter King, our narrator
• Irene Gardiner
• Philip Maxell, the host
• Mildred Leslie, his girlfriend
• Edith (Leslie) Whiting, Mildred's sister
• Tom Whiting, her husband
• Miss Miranda Maxwell, Philip's maiden aunt
• *Mr. Alexander Maxwell, Philip's uncle; brother of Miranda
• Gilbert Crane
• Clarence, Earl of Clarendon
• Mr. Hunt, society detective
• Fleming Stone, investigator

*Note: In the story "Mr. Maxwell" always refers to the elder, Alexander Maxwell.

Locale: New Jersey

Synopsis: Peter King, our narrator, is invited to a gathering at Philip Maxwell's country mansion, "Maxwell's Chimneys'. This is also the home of his aunt (Miss Miranda Maxwell) and deaf uncle, (Mr. Alexander Maxwell). The occasion is the expected engagement announcement of Philip to Mildred Leslie. During the train ride to the New Jersey mansion, Peter becomes enchanted with Irene Gardiner, on her way to it also. 

They arrive and join the other guests: Clarence, Earl of Clarendon; Gilbert Crane, Edith Whiting (née Leslie, Mildred's sister) and her husband Tom Whitney. Soon after all are present, Philip and Mildred retire to the library, where the guests believe he is proposing. Not so. Philip is shot dead, and Mildred found unconscious with a minor wound, with a gun in her hand.

Peter enlists the aid of Mr. Hunt, a "society detective" (whatever that is). Together they try to piece together what happened. Mildred revives and reveals they were both shot by an intruder. Peter and Hunt seek out clues which tend to point at the Earl. After coming to a dead end, Fleming Stone is consulted and provides the denouément.

Review: Just one chapter in, and already the formula is revealed:

1. A murder will occur at the country house
2. Peter King will be the amateur investigator
3. Little progress will be made other than collection the clues
4. Fleming Stone will appear at the end and provide the solution

This is your generic country house murder, with a lot of padding in the middle. Peter and Hunt mess around with clues, neither quite knowing what they are doing. The story takes a long diversion midway with a chase after the supposed intruder, whom they find, but which does not produce a suspect. Finally, as in the other Fleming Stone stories, he pops in (page 273 of 302!), takes a quick look around, and announces the solution. 

I had hoped the chase after the mysterious intruder would have supplied a solution, but no. The expected love interest of Peter and Irene fades away also. Overall, formulaic, but a nice look at country house and society customs of a century ago.

The Clue by Carolyn Wells (1909)

 

About the author: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was married to Hadwin Houghton, the heir of the Houghton-Mifflin publishing empire. Like Mary Roberts Rinehart, being in a publishing family created an easy pipeline for getting her works into print. She wrote a total of more than 170 books, including 61 Fleming Stone detective stories. See this Wikipedia article.

Major characters:

• Madeleine Van Norman, 22
• Schulyer Carleton, her fiancé
• Cecily Dupuy, her secretary
• Marie, her French maid
• James Harris, her butler
• Tom Willard, her distant cousin
• Mrs. Markham, housekeeper
• Dorothy Burt. companion to Schuyler Carleton's mother
• Miss Elizabeth Morton, a take-charge type
• Robert Fessenden, best man, lawyer, amateur detective
• Fleming Stone, last-minute detective

Locale: New Jersey

Synopsis:

At age 22, Madeleine Van Norman has already inherited the vast Van Norman mansion, and is poised to marry very proper choice Schulyer Carleton. When she does, according to terms of  her late uncle Richard Van Norman's will, she will inherit his fortune - however, if she dies unmarried (just hours left!), the fortune instead goes to her distant cousin Tom Willard, who had been in love with her for years. So what does he love more - her or her money?

It is a moot question. She never makes it to her wedding, and is found stabbed to death the night before. Now Tom Willard inherits Richard's fortune. Next, the lawyer reads Madeleine's will! Surprise, she has left the mansion and grounds to Miss Elizabeth Morton; and she is not even related. 

The only person who seems to have had opportunity to do the crime is the groom, Schulyer Carleton; but he lacks a motive. The person with the big fat motive, Tom Willard, was not present and thus lacks opportunity. 

Review: 

When a book starts out by describing the terms of a will (page 12), it becomes obvious a murder is in the making! The terms of the two wills are complex and worthy of a Perry Mason plot. 

The ladies make a habit of fainting when asked tough questions. Of course, if I were as tightly corseted as these 1909 ladies, I would also.

This follows a standard Wells pattern: the amateur detective (Robert Fessenden) flails around for most of the book exploring different motive theories, and near the end, Fleming Stone pops in (at page 313!), takes a look around, and quickly pulls off the denouément. This reminds me of my dentist visits where the hygenist does 99.9% of the work, then the dentist pops in for a quick little peek at the end (which adds an additional charge to the bill, of course!) 

The solution requires the reader to suspend disbelief on a couple of fronts. First, the murderer has a secret Santa Claus-type method of entering/exiting the house which is about as believable. Second, the murderer confesses, promptly stabs himself with the murder weapon, then casually dictates his will to his lawyer before popping off!

Overall, a nice period mystery until the strange solution is revealed.