The Portcullis Room by Valentine Willliams (1933)

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About the author: Valentine Williams (1883–1946) was an English journalist and writer of popular fiction. Williams was awarded the Military Cross as a soldier and wrote two autobiographical books about his war-time experiences. In the aftermath of war, he travelled widely as a reporter.  It was during this period that he began writing thrillers and around 1926 he gave up his post at the Daily Mail to pursue a full-time career as an author. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

The new arrivals:

• Stephen Garrison, wealthy American
• Philip Verity, Stephen's European manager
• Mrs. Dean
• Phyllis Dean, her daughter, Stephen's girlfriend
• Captain Donald McKenzie, captain of the Ariel

Residents and locals:

• "Toray" McReay, the laird (lord) of the castle
• Flora McReay, his daughter
• Andrew Jamieson, "The Factor" (McReay's financial agent)
• Old Duncan, major-domo of the castle

The bad guys:

• Vicomte Raoul d'Arenne
• Oscar Berg, head of a gambling ring
• Major Carlos Mansard
• Nick Boldini

Long dead prior to the story, but important to it:

• Hugh MacNeil, enemy of the Torays
• Ronald McReay, son of Toray, killed in the war

Locale: Hebrides Islands, off Scotland

Synopsis: Wealthy American Stephen Garrison has a whim to buy a Scottish castle. He and his accountant, Philip Verity; girlfriend Phyllis Dean, and her mother Mrs. Dean arrive at Castle Toray by boat. Toray McReay, laird (lord) of the castle welcomes him - the place is way too big for him to deal with any more. His daughter, Flora McReay, is not quite so sold on the idea of selling.

Toray's son, Ronald McReay, was killed in the war. But he did manage to pass a pile of worthless checks while gambling, and now snarky Vicomte Rauol d'Arenne shows up to collect from his father, bringing along his tough guys Oscar Berg, Major Carlos Mansard, and Nick Boldini. Stephen remembers the Vicomte, they had come to blows a few years earlier.

The castle has a big bedroom called the Portcullis Room, as it was situated above the old portcullis (long gone) which shut the castle off from the sea. Generations ago, an enemy of the McReay's, Hugh MacNeil, sought shelter from a storm and they put him up for the night in the Portcullis Room. Come morning, he is found stabbed to death, his blood permanently staining the floor. His ghost is said to walk the castle every year on the anniversary of his death (Sept. 29), which happens to be Michaelmas.

Here is it Michaelmas again. Vicomte d'Arenne is put up in the Portcullis Room. He is then found stabbed with McReay's dirk (dagger), lying on the very spot where High MacNeil died.

Tidal conditions and storms delay arrival of authorities. First, Oscar Berg takes on an investigation. Then the laird appoints Philip Verity to take over. Meanwhile, things are not going well between Garrison and Phyllis, as he has his eye on Flora.

Review:

What's not to like about a stormy night in a dark old castle on an island, replete with a scary history, and secret passages? Once you have the cast figured out (see list above), it moves right along. It is a bit predictable as you just know who is going to get it, how, and where. It is interesting how one of the "bad guys" (Oscar Berg) takes the role as the initial investigator, serving a good purpose nonetheless.

I had to look up definitions a few times - to save you the trouble:

• a dirk is a ornate jeweled dagger
• a factor is a financial agent
• a laird is a lord, as in lord of the castle

We also see the "ugly American" theme present, when the Americans arrive with unlimited money to just buy up a castle sight unseen just because they don't have one.

Dialects (English with a Gaelic accent, and Italian) are rendered in phonetics and difficult to read and understand.

Mysterious Miss Morrisot by Valentine Williams (1930)

Also published as Mannequin

Valentine Williams

About the author: Valentine Williams (1883–1946) was an English journalist and writer of popular fiction. Williams was awarded the Military Cross as a soldier and wrote two autobiographical books about his war-time experiences. In the aftermath of war, he travelled widely as a reporter.  It was during this period that he began writing thrillers and around 1926 he gave up his post at the Daily Mail to pursue a full-time career as an author. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Miss Jacqueline "Jack" Morrisot, executive for The Great Victor
• The Great Victor, famous clothing designer
• Oliver Royce, laid-off journalist, our protagonist
• Mousie Hersent, a past-her-prime high-mileage widow
• Don Luis "Neque" Ribeira, a wealthy Argentine
• Doña Isabella, Ribeira claims she is his sister
• Esteban Pinedo, Doña Isabella's husband
• Harvey Nolan, wealthy American idler
• Harriet Bronstein
• Henri Laurent, murderer
• Inspector Dufour

Locale: Cannes and Paris, France

Synopsis: As the story opens, we learn that Jacqueline "Jack" Morrisot, as a child, witnessed her mother's murder by Henri Laurent, who is believed to have drowned shortly afterwards. The whereabouts of Jacqueline's father is not known, the only clue a letter she has signed "Vin."

Fast forward many years. Jacqueline is an executive assistant to famous dress designer 'The Great Victor'. Oliver Royce, our protagonist, loses his journalist job in a buyout; takes his savings to rub elbows with the wealthy at Cannes. He meets and becomes fascinated with Jacqueline.

Quickly running out of savings, Oliver grudgingly accepts lodging with wealthy widow Mousie Hersent, and reluctantly takes the role of a gigolo - escorting her to society events. Jacqueline finds out and insults Mousie Hersent, which results in her (Jacqueline) losing her job. Oliver quits the gigolo gig in disgust.

Jacqueline is approached by wealthy Argentine Don Luis "Neque" Ribeira, who offers her a position as traveling companion to himself and his sister, Doña Isabella; and they drop from sight. Meanwhile, Oliver finds work as a steward aboard the luxury yacht of bored-stiff idler Harvey Nolan. Oliver and Harvey become friends in spite of their employer/servant relationship; with Harvey providing the resources for Oliver to find Jacqueline.


Review:

This is a thriller, with two mysteries woven in: Is murderer Henri Laurent still alive, and where is he? And where is Jacqueline's father?

I was immediately struck by deja vu with the writer-gigolo theme. The 1950 film Sunset Boulevard casts the identical triangle of lead roles:

• Down-on-his-luck writer turned gigolo: Oliver Royce (Sunset Boulevard's Joe Gillis)
• Wealthy widow: Mrs. Hersent (Sunset Boulevard's Norma Desmond)
• Rebuffed love interest: Jacqueline Morrisot (Sunset Boulevard's Betty Schaefer)

It gets a bit dizzy with the characters constantly zooming between Paris and Cannes. Once they get to Mousie Hersent's Paris home, Les Charmettes, the action picks up and becomes an exciting thriller as the parties all converge.

Inspector Dufour has a minor role, primarily at the cleanup.

Readers who enjoy the knight-errant stories of Leslie Charteris' The Saint will enjoy this book, as it moves from the glittery gaming tables of Cannes to a damsel-rescue in Paris. 

The Clue of the Rising Moon by Valentine Williams (1935)

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Valentine Williams

About the author: Valentine Williams (1883–1946) was an English journalist and writer of popular fiction. Williams was awarded the Military Cross as a soldier and wrote two autobiographical books about his war-time experiences. In the aftermath of war, he travelled widely as a reporter.  It was during this period that he began writing thrillers and around 1926 he gave up his post at the Daily Mail to pursue a full-time career as an author. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

At the lake house:

1. Victor Haversley, rich Illinois brewer
2. Graziella Haversley, his wife
3. Miss Barbara Ingersoll, his secretary
4. Dave Jarvis, engaged to Sara Carruthers
5. Sara Carruthers, engaged to Dave Jarvis, Edith Lunsden's niece
6. Peter Blakeney, playwright, our narrator
7. Charles Lumsden, owner of the camp and host
8. Edith Lumsden, his wife
9. Dickie Lumsden, their teenage son
10. Cynthia Lumsden, their teenage daughter
11. Buster Leighton
12. Myrtle Fletcher
13. Dr. Oscar Bracegirdle, retired physician
14. Miss Janet Ryder

and...

• Jake Harper, local hillbilly farmer
• Fritz Waters, Graziella's old flame
• Eben Hicks, an old hunter
• Ed Wharton, a New York gunman
• George Martin, escaped convict
• Hank Wells, sheriff
• Detective Sergeant Trevor Dene of Scotland Yard

Locale: Wolf Lake, in the Adirondack mountains of New York

Synopsis: Charles and Edith Lumsden have a sprawling lakeside "camp" in the Adirondacks, consisting of several individual cottages as well as their main house. Wealthy Victor and Graziella Haversley are there, and their marriage is already on the rocks. Graziella seems quite interested in old flame Fritz Waters who is hanging around.

Playwright Peter Blakeney (our narrator) has the guests stage a reading of his latest play. He wants to test his theory that Graziella and Waters are lovers, and assigns them the lovers' roles. When the big kiss moment comes, Victor is enraged, argues with Graziella, and injures her. Fritz threatens to kill him. He's not the only one out for Victor - he has enemies from the labor unions who represent workers at his brewery.

A shot is heard at 11 PM, and Victor is found dead in the "Trapper's Cabin". He is initially thought a suicide. Sheriff Hank Wells and Detective Sergeant Trevor Dene find the scene was "tidied up" after the shot, therefore it must be murder. Motives abound - an estranged wife, her lover bent on revenge, labor unionists, and a couple of random toughs - an escaped convict and a shadowy gunman.

Review:

It is a bit odd to have a Scotland Yard detective at a New York wilderness camp, but it does work out. We have the isolated camp populated with drama, and the added complexity that the village (and the sheriff) are only accessible by boat - although there is a road to the village as well; but the boat is the preferred mode of travel. 

The solution rests in building a timeline of the crime and verifying alibis one by one. This gets a bit tedious but it does slowly narrow the suspect pool. Measuring the oil remaining in the oil lamp is a bit of fine-combing of clues, the sort that would be put to use later by Erle Stanley Gardner and his routine examination of candles and lamps in his stories. 

A map of the camp would have been helpful. Perhaps the original has one, but my Collier reprint does not. Here is a sketch made from the text which seems to fit:

click to enlarge

Overall, a good mystery to take to your camp on the lake!

Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon (1937)

About the author: J. Jefferson Farjeon worked for Amalgamated Press in London before going freelance. One of Farjeon's best known works was a 1925 play, Number 17, which was made into a number of films, including Number Seventeen (1932) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and joined the UK Penguin Crime series as a novel in 1939. He also wrote the screenplay for Michael Powell's My Friend the King (1932) and provided the story for Bernard Vorhaus's The Ghost Camera (1933). Farjeon's crime novels were admired by Dorothy L. Sayers, who called him "unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures." (from a Wikipedia article). 

Major characters:

Train passengers:

• Mr. Edward Maltby, of the Royal Psychical Society
• Robert Thomson, a clerk
• David Carrington
• Lydia Carrington, David's sister
• Jessie Noyes, the blonde chorus girl
• Mr. Hopkins, "the elderly bore"

Smith, the local cockney
William Strange, owner of the house
Nora Strange, his daughter
Charles Shaw, their house-sitter

Locale: near Hennersby, England

Synopsis: Six passengers share a compartment on the local train, which becomes snowbound on Christmas Eve. They decide to risk walking out. They trudge through the snowstorm, and decide to seek shelter in a nearby house. The door is unlocked, so they go in to find no one home, but the fire going and tea on the stove. While they are warming up, they notice a knife on the floor and decide to leave it as is. 

Mr. Hopkins had followed later and became lost in the snow. The group pulls him in, and he tells that he saw a dead man (W. T. Barling) in the next train compartment.

They are soon joined by a local Cockney, Mr. Smith, who is a bit crude and disreputable.

While investigating a mound in the snow nearby (is it a body?) they find William Strange and Nora Strange - owners of the house - their car was stuck in a ditch neaby.

All stay in the house for Christmas - suspicious of each other - and eventually learn the fate of some earlier residents.

Review: This is a good Christmas read. A lot of emphasis is placed on following and interpreting tracks in the snow, and the order of departure from the train and arrival at the house, but these points, like the knife on the floor, are not relevant to the story. In fact, two of the murders occurred long ago and are only revealed now.

One aspect I found most interesting was when Edward Maltby, somewhat of a psychic, discusses how touching artifacts from the past can lead to a connection. I have always enjoyed the ability to touch items from the past - whether it a book with a long-ago gift inscription, or the piece of a Japanese airplane my father brought home as a war souvenir - and imagining how another person had touched these same objects long ago.

Another refreshing aspect - there is no detective in the story. The housebound passengers are left to resolve events all by themselves. There is even a bit of love story worked in as well. I will now have to check for other Farjeon books - I see there is another railway mystery "The Z Murders".

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

Holiday Homicide by Rufus King (1940)

About the author: Rufus King was an American author of Whodunit crime novels. He created two series of detective stories: the first one with Reginald De Puyster, a sophisticated detective similar to Philo Vance, and the second one with his more famous character, the Lieutenant Valcour. (from Goodreads). Also see this article.

Major characters:

• Myron Jettwick, nut collector, dead as the story opens
• Miss Emma Jettwick, his sister
• Helen Jettwick, his widowed sister-in-law AND ex-wife (see note below).
• Bruce Jettwick, a.k.a. Bruce Lane, 'The Unknown Troubador' of radio fame; Helen's son
• Jepson "Spider" McRoss, Myron's secretary
• Wallace Emberry, Myron's lawyer
• Cotton Moon, detective
• Bert Stanley, Moon's assistant, our narrator

Note: Helen Jettwick's first marriage was to Alfred Jettwick. They had a son, Bruce. Alfred was run over by a taxi and died prior to the story. Helen then married Alfred's brother, Myron. This marriage ended in divorce. Helen is unattached in this story.

Locale: New York City and Tortuagas (Florida).

Synopsis: Detective Cotton Moon and his sidekick (and our narrator) Bert Stanley are aboard his boat, Coquilla, docked at Wharf House in Manhattan. The boat in the adjacent dock is Myron Jettwick's Trade Wind. Myron has just been found shot. Myron's sister, Miss Emma Jettwick, hires Moon to find the killer, even before the body has cooled.

Circumstantial evidence points to Bruce Jettwick, last to see him alive. Bruce is Myron's nephew - although for a while he was his stepson (see note above). Bruce has a radio show, "The Unknown Troubador" under the name Bruce Lane.

The trouble seems to stem from the acrimonious breakup of Myron and Helen's marriage (her second). Myron had invited all the parties in the divorce on a pleasant everybody-kiss-and-make-up cruise, but the murder occurred before they could sail. 

Moon decides to make the cruise happen after all, and all parties set forth for Tortuagas (an island in the Florida keys). This brings things to a head when an additional murder occurs.

Review: Bev Hankins, in this review on My Reader's Block, pointed out the similarities of Cotton Moon / Bert Stanley to Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin. So as I read, I looked for some similarities ... let's see:

Similarities:

• Both narrators are our wise-cracking sidekicks
• Wolfe collects exotic orchids, Moon collects exotic nuts
• Both are book lovers: Moon repeatedly plugs a real book, A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes, and even works some of its text into the plot
• Both wear yellow pajamas!
• Both have reserved afternoon "executive time"; Wolfe for his orchids, Moon for his nap
• Both set in New York City
• Both hire additional P.I.'s rather than do routine legwork themselves
• Both manipulate apparent evidence to mislead the authorities
• Both narrators occasionally speak directly to the reader, posing rhetorical questions

Differences:

• Moon is much calmer, and does not exhibit explosive anger like Wolfe
• Bert Stanley makes up snarky nicknames for people based on their personal appearance, rather lowbrow behavior only since duplicated by Donald Trump

This is the sixth Rufus King I have read, and I am surprised how the writing style varies in each. This one mirrors Rex Stout, with the wise-cracking sidekick narrator who doesn't take things too seriously. An enjoyable book, although the denouement is quite convoluted. Still, a good read especially for those who enjoy Rex Stout.

The Case of the Dowager's Etchings by Rufus King (1944)

photo: The Passing Tramp

About the author: Rufus King was an American author of Whodunit crime novels. He created two series of detective stories: the first one with Reginald De Puyster, a sophisticated detective similar to Philo Vance, and the second one with his more famous character, the Lieutenant Valcour. (from Goodreads). Also see this article.

Major characters:

• Carrie Giles, owner of River Rest
• Kent Giles, her grandson
• Michael Hopkins, her handyman/chauffeur, and his wife Ella
• Joel, her gardener
• Leila, the "not quite bright" maid - and Joel's niece
• Dawn Davis, a reporter
• Russell Stedman, country prosecutor

The boarders:

• Effie Ashley
• Dugald Smith
• Fergus Wade, Dugald's "nephew"
• Jefferson Parling

Locale: New York state

Synopsis: World War II is underway and many people working in war-related factories are in need of housing. Widowed Carrie Giles has a big house, River Rest, with four vacant rooms which she decides to rent for workforce housing. Assuming all war workers are men, she is surprised when a woman, Effie Ashley, applies.

Carrie is a bit paranoid and imagines things about her new boarders. Could Effie Ashley be a spy? Is that a badge attached to Jefferson Parling's wallet? Her paranoia increases when she sees solider grandson Kent Giles, home on leave, sharing an intimate moment with Effie out on the lawn late at night - the day before he arrives by train. The next morning, the dead body of a stranger is found at the spot. Could Kent really be a killer? She begins to cover up what she assumes is his crime.

Carrie had a hobby of producing etchings when she was young, and the equipment is all up in her attic. After seeing one of her etchings on the wall, the boarders all seem too inquisitive about the setup.

Review: Carrie is a fun character - a bit naive perhaps, but there is a war on now. It is interesting seeing her get over her head as boarders fill her house, and sad as she sees her old way of life slowly fading away; and her elegant home slowly deteriorate. The boarders make the story - none of them are red herrings, they all play a part in the plot, and none of them are what they appear. There are clues dropped in here and there about the intrigue which is occurring behind the scenes, and the reader will have an inkling of what is going on. There is a unique denouement, which is presented by one of the "bad guys", not the detective! Of the six Rufus Kings on my shelf, this one is the best.

The Steps to Murder by Rufus King (1960)

This is a collection of seven short stories previously published in The Saint Detective Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. The stories, mostly set in Florida, include:

The Steps to Murder: Mabel Gervais is a ruthless ladder-climber who will stop at nothing to gain the post of ambassador. She steps on various people on her way up, and the final obstacle is her own husband.

The Patron Saint of the Impossible: Elise Hoffman and her husband (no first name given) live in Halcyon, Florida, along with their niece Candice. Candice plans to run off and marry their neighbor, Raul; of which Hoffman objects. Elise comes home to find Hoffman dead, Candice hospitalized, and Raul missing. Is he the killer? Neighbor Monsignor Lavigny figures it out for the police.

Murder on Her Mind: Psychologist Helmut Seibermann has a comfortable practice in Florida. Enter two sisters: Carlotta Zaleski and Florence Pike. Each inherited half of a sizable estate, and now Carlotta has burned through her half and has her eyes set on getting Florence's half. She cooks up a scheme to use Seibermann to get it... whoever dies last, wins.

A Little Cloud ... Like a Man's Hand: An accountant, Mr. Burd, was quite an amateur chef. While he was out, another accountant, Miss Ott, stops in his office and finds some notes about an embezzlement plan. Sure enough, lots of money is missing. But who is the embezzler?

Rendezvous with Death: Lily Verta was on her way to being a spinster. She gets a surprise medical diagnosis she has but a few months to live. She meets up with Duke Hart, jumps into marriage, and tries to cram a lot of living into her remaining time. Someone has plans to do away with her even faster.

A Borderline Case: Jackson, a Florida bank manager, embezzles $230,000. He is found out by another employee, Parker. There's only one thing to do: kill Parker. The complication is that Jackson is afraid of being caught and executed. He finds Rhode Island has no death penalty, and has the idea to perform the killing there. Now he just has to lure Parker all the way to Rhode Island.

The Tigress of the Chateau Plage: Madame Dufour owns a luxury hotel. An old acquaintance, Mr. Henri Pazz, arrives from Canada and Madame gets him placed in a certain room. Pazz turns out to be a blackmailer, and there is only way to deal with a blackmailer.


Review:

The Steps to Murder is about a woman so nasty you can't look away, but the karma at the end is satisfying. The Patron Saint of the Impossible uses a trick similar to the famous trick in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and any Christie fan will see through it immediately. Murder on Her Mind I found hard to follow, only a few characters but hopelessly tangled up.

A Little Cloud ... Like a Man's Hand, Rendezvous with Death, Borderline Case, and The Tigress of the Chateau Plage are all nice tight stories, and far surpass the first three.