Bells for the Dead by Kathleen Moore Knight (1942)

 

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About the author: Kathleen Moore Knight (1890-1984) is one of my absolute favorite authors. She wrote 38 mystery novels, all published by the Crime Club; with a few under the pseudonym of Alan Amos. See my post All I Know about Kathleen Moore Knight, as well as this Wikipedia article and her booklist  on Fantastic Fiction.   

The dust jacket describes it thus: A malign influence breeds murder and horror in a unique matriarchy.

Major characters:

Joan Thorntree, the newlywed
Jeremy "Jerry" Thorntree, her husband 

 

Dick Thorntree, Jeremy's brother
Michaela Thorntree, Dick's wife
Peter Thorntree, their infant son
Armando Rey, Michaela's brother

Lisabeta "Lisa" Rey, Michaela's sister (twins) 

Carla Thorntree, Jeremy's second cousin

Madame Thorntree, Jeremy and Dick's grandmother
Señora Ynez Pidal, Madame's companion 

 

Blake Farland, general manager of the Thorntree coffee business

Elena Farland, his wife

Locale: Guatemala

Synopsis: World War II is in progress as Joan Thorntree, our protagonist, has married Jeremy Thorntree in New York after a brief romance, and he brings her to Guatemala to Casa Serena, the lavish family estate; a magnificent, isolated castle perched high above the water.

Joan is immediately resented by Madame Thorntree, who considers herself the one to choose a bride for Jeremy; as well as companion Señora Ynez Pidal who really runs the place. Madame tells Joan she will cut them (Jeremy/Joan) out of her will and instead name Carla Thorntree as heir.

At night, the sound of bells is heard coming from the water. The servants are frantic, they know the legend that the bells foretell a death.

The next day, Joan is sunbathing and hears a scream, and sees Carla fall to her death from the high patio. Joan rushes to the edge and peers over, breaking her fingernails and getting her hands dirty - circumstantial evidence that she pushed Carla over - her motive being the inheritance.

The bells sound again.

Review: Last night I dreamt I went to Casa Serena again. Oh, this SO Rebecca! Coming out just two years after the famous film, the influence is clear.  As in the book/film, the naive new bride jumps into a spontaneous marriage, and comes home with her spineless husband to her magnificient sight-unseen estate (Casa Serena); only to the resentment of everyone in the family - who all just want to get rid of her by framing her for a convenient murder! And even her name is Joan (the role is played by Joan Fontaine in the 1940 film). The creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers is replaced by creepy Señora Ynez Pidal, who sneaks around, complete with high-necked black dress.

The story glides along with the reader taking in the scenery when it takes a sudden, jarring turn about 3/4 in - when you are starting to wonder 'so where's the detective, anyway?' The reader expects old Madame Thorntree, confined to her bed, to be the next one to go the way of the bells ... but surprise, she gets a shot of adrenaline and turns into the energetic investigator! Her actions and speech even mimic Elisha Macomber of the Pernberthy Island series. She is still confined to bed, but teams up with Joan to set a trap for the murderer.

The Anodyne Necklace by Martha Grimes (1983)

 

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About the author: This is #3 of 25 books featuring Richard Jury. See this Wikipedia article for biography and list of the 25 Richard Jury books. Click this Martha Grimes label to see all my reviews of this series.

Major characters:

• Sir Miles Bodenheim, titled, and damn proud of it
• Sylvia Bodenheim, his wife, and damn proud of it
• Derek Bodenheim, their son, and damn proud of it
• Julia Bodenheim, their daughter, the only normal one
• Augusta Craigie, cat collector
• Ernestine Craigie, bird watcher
• Emily Louise Perk, age 10, going on 30
• Polly Praed, mystery writer
• Mary O'Brien, pub owner
• Katie O'Brien, her violin-playing daughter
• Cora Binns, the first victim
• Freddie Mainwaring, estate agent
• Ramona Wey, Mainwaring's Other Woman
• Supt. Richard Jury
• Melrose Plant
• Sgt. Wiggins
• Peter Gere, constable

Locale: Littlebourne village, near London

Synopsis: In the village of Littlebourne there is a swampy section, Horndean Wood, which is home to lots of birds - attracting the Royal Bird Watchers, led by Ernestine Craigie. One day she finds, not a bird, but a body of a young woman - later identified as Cora Binns of London. The body has had the fingers separated from the left hand.

At the same time, a 16 year old girl from Littlebourne, Katie O'Brien, is busking in the London subway with her violin, and hit from behind; leaving her in a coma.

Superintendent Richard Jury comes in to assist constable Peter Gere. The two incidents have a few curious connections, leading back to a year-old burglary of an emerald necklace from a local estate. Jury and his friend Melrose Plant make the acquaintance of 10 year old Emily Louise Perk, who knows all and sees all. A prime intelligence source is The Anodyne Necklace Pub, owned by Katie's mother Mary O'Brien. The locals gather for a long running role-playing game, Wizards and Warlords.

Review: I am working my way through the series, and in this #3 Melrose Plant and Richard Jury are complementary in their ability to ferret out information - Melrose uses his (formerly) titled experience to deal with the high-and-mighty while Jury sits in the pub with the locals. Melrose also knows how to deal with the other end of the spectrum (the Cripps family).

10-year old Emily Louise Perk is a star character, and has Jury and Plant eating out of her hand as she "sells" them information bit by bit.

The parsimonious Bodenheim family is amusing in their grasping onto every pence of their peerage, the exact opposite of the dirty, cringeworthy, but generous slum-living Cripps family.

The Wizards and Warlords game story line shows the influence of the game of the (1983) time, Dungeons and Dragons. (What did people DO before video games? Play Dungeons and Dragons).

Aunt Agatha only makes a brief cameo at the beginning, which was OK, I can only take her in small quantities.

My favorite sentence: "There was a knocking, like doom, at the door."

White Face by Edgar Wallace (1930)

 

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About the author: Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was a prolific British crime writer, journalist and playwright, who wrote 175 novels, 24 plays, and countless articles in newspapers and journals (Goodreads). In terms of production, by cranking out one novel per month, he was the British equivalent of Erle Stanley Gardner. See this Wikipedia article.

Edgar Wallace

Major characters:

• White Face, an anonymous criminal
• Michael Quigley, crime reporter
• Janice Harman, volunteer nurse
• Dr. Thomas Mardorf, clinic doctor
• Donald Bateman, of South Africa
• Harry Lamborn, a thief
• Louis and Inez Landor 
• Dr. Rudd, police surgeon 
• Gregory Wicks, taxi driver
• Detective Sergeant Elk
• Inspector "Sympathetic" Mason
• Lorna Weston,

Locale: The Tidal Basin, London

Synopsis: Dr. Mardorf runs a charity children's clinic in the run-down Tidal Basin area of London, and Janice Harman has been his volunteer nurse. Janice is comfortably wealthy from an inheritance, and is the girlfriend of crime reporter Michael Quigley.

Quigley has been following the story of White Face, a thief operating in London. So called due to the white mask over his face, he enters night clubs and steals valuable necklaces right off society ladies.

Janice has been corresponding with Donald Bateman, supposedly a farmer in South Africa. He has written to her hinting for money with which to buy an adjoining property. She intends to marry him, but finds he is an ex-convict confidence man. 

Bateman is accosted on the street, and stabbed. After he falls, thief Harry Lamborn goes through his pockets, taking his money and watch; but throwing them over a fence as the law approaches. A knife scabbard (but not the knife) is found under the body, it is traced to Louis Landor, and it found that his wife Inez Landor was married to Bateman - and as she believed he was dead, now finds herself in a bigamous marriage.

Review: This is a fun title by Edgar Wallace. It paints a clear picture of the seamy side of London, a sketchy alley called Gallows Court - where policemen dare not walk alone. It is the perfect setting for Dr. Mardorf's charity clinic. 

The taxi driver Gregory Wicks is an interesting character with several things to hide. As a matter of fact, pretty much everyone - with the exception of the police - has things to hide. But all is revealed.

The ending in the remote deserted farmhouse comes as a big surprise, when the identity of White Face is revealed to the reader.

I did expect some closure with reporter Quigley and Janice Harman, but, sadly, nothing was said. The story ends with the capture of White Face.

Temple Tower by H. C. McNeile (1928)

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This is #6 of 10 Bulldog Drummond novels written by McNeile. After his death, the series was continued by Gerard Fairlie.

About the author: Herman Cyril McNeile, MC (1888 -1937), commonly known as Cyril McNeile and publishing under the name H. C. McNeile or the pseudonym Sapper, was a British soldier and author. In 1920 he published Bulldog Drummond, whose eponymous hero became his best-known creation. The character was based on McNeile himself, on his friend Gerard Fairlie and on English gentlemen generally. McNeile wrote ten Bulldog Drummond novels, after his death the series was continued by Fairlie. (Wikipedia article)

Major characters:

• Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond
• Peter Darrell, our narrator
• Mr. Spragge, of Spragge's Farm
• Jean Marillard, a.k.a. "le Rossignol / the Nightingale"
• Mr. Granger, resident of Temple Tower
• Gaspard, Mr. Granger's servant, a.k.a. "le Crapeau / the Toad"
• Miss Patricia Verney, Granger's newly hired secretary
• Tom "Freckles" Scott, Miss Verney's boyfriend
• le Bossu Masqué, a.k.a. The Silent Strangler
• Paul and Madame Vandali
• Jean Picot, the Vandali's chauffeur
• Victor Mathews, New York City Police

Locale: the moors of England

Synopsis:  Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, a gentleman adventurer (in the mold of The Saint) and his friend, Peter Darrell (our narrator), have just seen their wives off for a holiday in France. They are looking forward to a visit themselves as they head across the moors to Hugh's home. 

No sooner do they arrive, then they observe mysterious red and blue flashing signal lights from a neighboring farm of Mr. Spragge. The only other person on the moors is Mr. Granger. Since the lights are not for Hugh, they must be meant for Granger. Granger's home is Temple Tower, a former convent. Granger has supplemented the walls surrounding it with a large hound, glass and other fortifications. 

Hugh is trying to find a way to investigate when he encounters a young woman, Miss Patricia Verney, and her boyfriend, Tom "Freckles" Scott, en route to Temple Tower. She has just answered a job posting as Granger's secretary; and Hugh enlists Tom to assist in spying on the Temple Tower.

Some new suspicious people arrive on the scene: Paul and Madame Vandali, and their chauffeur Jean Picot.

First, Hugh, Peter, and Tom spy on Spragge's farm, and find a man (Jean Marillard) making a rope ladder. Later they spy on Temple Tower to find the ladder has been used to breach the wall. A New York policeman, Victor Mathews, finds them and enlists their aid. Matthews fills them in on the back story, in which a mysterious killer, le Bossu Masqué, also known as The Silent Strangler, was involved.

Review: This is the first Bulldog Drummond story I have read, and it wasn't quite what I expected - yet better than expected. Drummond is a gentleman adventurer (the 'Captain' is his former military rank) quite similar to Simon Templar / The Saint. As in The Saint, there is even a beautiful blonde named Patricia in the adventure (although she is not cast as Drummond's girlfriend).

Mysterious happenings abound, as it common in the era. We have mysterious lights in the night, a large hound on the moor (sound familiar?), a hunchback, a walled mansion, a secret passage, and mechanical traps. 

I did guess correctly the identity of the criminal mastermind, le Bossu Masqué, but it did not detract from the adventure. This one is a good read for the dark, stormy night.

Caution: one instance of the n-word.

 

The Case of the Smoking Chimney by Erle Stanley Gardner (1943)

 

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This is Gramps Wiggins #2, not a Perry Mason title. The only other Gramps Wiggins title is The Case of the Turning Tide.

Major characters:

• Ralph G. Pressman, oil speculator, a.k.a. Jack P. Reedley
• Sophie Pressman, his cheating wife
• Jane Graven, his secretary
• Harvey L. Stanwood, his gambling bookkeeper
• Eva Raymond, Harvey's girlfriend
• Everett True, editor of The Petrie Herald
• George Karper, Pressman's business partner
• Hugh Sonders, rancher
• Pellman Baxter, Sophie Pressman's man on the side
• Frank Duryea, District Attorney
• Milred Duryea, his wife
• Gramps Wiggins, Milred's grandfather

Locale: California hill country

Synopsis: Long ago, a property owner divided up his large holdings in the hills, but inserted a clause in the deeds retaining oil rights. No one paid much attention, now the properties are all ranches. Ralph G. Pressman has bought up the oil rights and is beginning to move onto the properties, and the ranchers don't like it. They organize under Hugh Sonders, with the intent to have all the ranchers chip into a fund to buy the rights back from Pressman.

Meanwhile, Pressman's wife, Sophie Pressman, is having an affair with Pellman Baxter. Pressman suspects, and hires a detective agency to get the dirt. They get compromising photos and deliver them to Pressman's secretary, Jane Graven, but Sophie manages to steal them from Jane's desk.

Pressman wants to know what the ranchers' plans are, so he moves into a dilapidated chicken farm, posing as Jack P. Reedley, and waits for Sonders to show up with his appeal. Sonders and local editor Everett True come out to the chicken farm but Reedley won't open the door. Later, they return and find Reedley dead on the floor, a gun in his hand, an oil lamp still lit (the lamp's chimney is the chimney of the title).

D.A. Frank Duryea is notified of the death at the same time his wife's crusty hermit grandfather, Gramps Wiggins, shows up with his homemade trailer. Together they go to the scene. Gramps uses his old-time knowledge of oil lamps to help find the killer.

Review: This second Gramps Wiggins novel is vastly superior to the first. Gardner has given up on his experimental attempt at relating a strict chronological order of events and instead uses his familiar parallel-action plotting strategies of the Perry Mason novels. For example, the first six chapters are all in a parallel format, each introducing one of the six main characters, detailing what they are doing at the same exact moment the story begins. It is effective in setting the scene and introducing the characters.

Gardner uses one of his favorite plot devices: interpreting clues left by candles, lanterns, lamps, etc.

Gramps is still a hard-drinking no-nonsense hermit, but the comedic side of him is gone. He works around the edges of the investigation, in a more careful and deliberate manner than in the first novel. 

It is regrettable there were no further Gramps novels, but similar characters exist in his pulp-era short stories which are always fun to seek out if you are looking for some desert flavor.

Cliff Hanger by Philip R. Craig (#4 - 1993)

 

This is Martha's Vineyard #4.

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• J. W. Jackson, retired Boston cop
• Zeolinda Madieras, his girlfriend
• Dan Wiggins, a.k.a. "Iowa"
• Geraldine Miles, Iowa's niece
• Lloyd Cramer, Geraldine's abusive boyfriend
• John Skye, professor
• Billy Jo Skye, his sister? cousin? in Colorado - it's unclear.
• Bernadette Orwell, John Skye's former student
• Gordon Berkeley Orwell, Bernardette's brother

Locale: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts; and Colorado

Synopsis: J. W. Jackson's girlfriend, Zeolinda "Zee" Madieras, is off to New Hampshire for a month long conference, so J. W. is on his own on Martha's Vineyard. First, Geraldine Miles, niece of local Dan "Iowa" Wiggins, is staying on the island to escape her abusive boyfriend, Lloyd Cramer of Iowa. Lloyd hunts her down, asks for forgiveness, and not receiving any, beats her up.

J. W. briefly meets Bernadette Orwell, a former student of professor John Skye, while she is on the island with a class. Soon after she returns to the mainland, she dies from a drug overdose. Her journal hinted at an affair with John Skye, which causes her brother, Gordon Berkeley Orwell, to seek out John Skye for revenge. However, not knowing Skye is really at the family ranch in Colorado, he mistakes caretaker J.W. for Skye, and attempts to kill him several times. J. W. heads to Colorado to warn Skye that Orwell is after him. During his visit to Colorado, he becomes enamored with Skye's (sister? cousin?) Billy Jo Skye. Orwell arrives and plays cat-and-mouse with J.W. and the Skyes.

Review: This is the best Craig mystery I have read thus far. I was not too excited initially reading the book blurb, as it puts J.W. way out of his element in Colorado. Usually when the series protagonist is off somewhere else, the story line suffers; but not here.  J.W. is faced with two badly-obsessive guys: Lloyd Cramer and Gordon Berkeley Orwell. Either one alone would have made a good adventure, but we get two at once. The cat-and-mouse chase between Orwell and J.W. is well done, and depicts Orwell as a dangerous man to have after you. The tension is great. 

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (1930)

 

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Major characters:

• Len Clement, vicar and narrator
• Griselda Clement, his wife
• Dennis Clement, their nephew
• Mary, their maid/cook
• Colonel Lucius Protheroe, magistrate
• Anne Protheroe, his wife
• Lettice Protheroe, their daughter
• Lawrence Redding, artist
• Mrs. Estelle Lestrange, a woman of mystery
• Dr. Stone, archeologist
• Gladys Cram, his secretary
• Miss Jane Marple
• Inspector Slack

Locale: Village of St. Mary Mead, England

Synopsis: Our narrator, the Vicar Len Clement, is called away to visit a dying parishoner. When he arrives, the parishoner is fine and the phone call apparently a hoax. When he returns to the vicarage, he finds artist Lawrence Redding rushing out in a state of excitement, and local magistrate and churchwarden Colonel Lucius Protheroe shot dead in the vicar's study. 

Redding had been painting portraits in a small studio on the vicarage grounds. One is of the colonel's daughter, Lettice Protheroe (in her bathing suit, quite scandalous); the other of the vicar's wife, Griselda Clement. The vicar finds Redding had been having an affair with the colonel's wife, Anne.

Redding immediately confesses to the killing. Then Anne confesses to it as well. The authorities believe neither one. Miss Jane Marple, who lives next to vicarage and observes all, states there are exactly seven people in the village who had motive to do away with the colonel, but will not reveal her list.

Review: - Miss Marple #1 brings us to a quiet little village where everyone knows everything. My edition has three separate little maps (the village, the vicarage grounds, and the study) so it is easy to envision the locale. 

My eyes start to glaze over when mysteries feature someone changing the time on a clock, as it brings in two separate timelines of events to try to understand. Various mysterious events occur, yet all are neatly tied in at the end.

Some of the occurrences stretch belief a bit - such as a phone call to the police being connected to a wrong number - which just happened to be Miss Marple's - and the caller blurting out events to her without realizing it is not the police at the other end. 

The distracting event (I won't reveal more) involving carrying around a large rock seemed a bit far-fetched, but it is an entertainment.

Regarding Miss Marple's list of seven suspects (which she reveals at the end), I was making my own list as I went along and only had four of the same ones!

I look forward to more of the Miss Marples.

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