Never Cross a Vampire

 Never Cross a Vampire (1980) by Stuart Kaminsky

Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters has a double-feature in store for him in his fifth recorded case. First up is Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi. Someone has been sending America's favorite vampire threatening messages and nasty little packages. Lugosi hires the Hollywood private eye to look into the case. Peters meets a whole group of vampire-wannabes who seem to dote on Hollywood's Count, but does one of them think they can replace Lugosi as the king of vampires? Before Peters can get very far into the suspects and motives behind the poison pen, he's asked to take on a second case. This time it's the murder of an agent and the prime suspect is William Faulkner, a southern author who has decided to try his hand at screenwriting.

The case looks pretty black against Faulkner. Not only did the dying man identify him as the culprit, but the man's wife also claimed to have been present and fingered the author as well. The curious thing is...when Peters interviews her and shows her a picture from his wallet (asking her, "Is this the man?"), she identifies the man as Faulkner. But it's not--it's Harry James [Peters doesn't say so, but I'm guessing this is a reference to the musician/band leader]. So something is definitely fishy. And then the two cases seem to intertwine and Peters has to figure out if they really are related. And he better do it before the killer decides to add Peters to the body count.

The Kaminsky novels are fun and high in nostalgia for those of us who grew up with the old black and white movies playing every Saturday and Sunday afternoon (when there wasn't a bazillion channels/streaming services/what-have-you). He's got old Hollywood down to a T (or should that be down to an H?). It's also good for those who like their private eyes more soft- than hard-boiled. I mentioned in my last review that Peters doesn't really fit the 1930s/40s tough guy detective bill--he gets beat up (quite often by his own brother, police Lieutenant Phil Pevsner), shot at, and framed for murders more often than most private eyes do in an entire series. And--as with his adventure with Errol Flynn, it's the Hollywood star who saves his bacon when the bad guy is ready to write "The End" on Peters' life story. Lugosi, in full Dracula kit, scares the bejeebers out of the culprit and Peters lives to face another day.

I wasn't quite sure how I liked the meshing of the two stories, but Kaminsky did manage to bring it off in a fairly satisfactory way. I spotted what was going on with Faulkner, though I didn't quite get the culprit right. ★★★ and 1/2 stars for a fun romp.

First line: A pudgy vampire with a soiled black cape sat on a coffin across from me sipping a bottle of Hires Root Beer through a soggy straw.

Last line: I tucked the envelope back in my jacket, crawled into the dental chair, adjusted my back so I wouldn't lie on the sore spot, and fell asleep to the lullaby of traffic, battles, and dead dreams that floated up from Hoover Street, penetrated the walls, and surrounded me with a familiar blanket.
********************

Deaths = 4 (three shot; one fell from height)

Murder Every Monday: Treasure Chest of Murder

 

Kate at Cross Examining Crime hosts a fun mystery cover game on Instagram called Murder Every Monday. Our assignment, should we choose to accept it, is to display book covers and titles from books you own that meet prompts which she posts well in advance (see link). I've been participating for quite some time on Instagram and I have decided to post here as well.

 

Today's theme is covers with a trunk or chest. Click on pictures for a larger view.

The Hollow Chest ~Phoebe Atwood Taylor (as Alice Tilton)

Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk ~Carolyn Keene

Cain's Jawbone ~Torquemada

Murder Without Clues ~Eleanor Pierson

The Mystery of the Talking Skull ~Robert Arthur

The Body Missed the Boat ~Jack Iams

Poirot Loses a Client ~Agatha Christie

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes [Confidential] ~Marvin Kaye (ed)

The Footprints on the Ceiling ~Clayton Rawson

The Cellar at No. 5 ~Shelley Smith

The Saint on the Spanish Main ~Leslie Charteris

Panic in Paradise ~Alan Amos

1970 Club

  Twice a year Stuck in a Book and Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings sponsor a group book club where those who would like to read books from the declared year. This October, the chosen year is 1970--which will take me into Silver Age mystery territory (1960-1989). As I prepare for next week's reading, I thought I'd take a look at what 1970 books I've already read and list those that are on the TBR mountain range and could be used for the event.

Here are the books from 1970 that I've read and reviewed previously on the Block
Running Blind by Desmond Bagley
The Sound of Murder by John & Emory Bonett
Death on Allhallowe'en by Leo Bruce
A Coffin from the Past by Gwendolyn Butler
Deadly Pattern by Douglas Clark
Sweet Poison by Douglas Clark
No Case for the Police by V. C. Clinton-Baddeley
The Great Dinosaur Robbery by David Forrest
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Many Deadly Returns by Patricia Moyes
Preach No More by Richard Lockridge
Twice Retired by Richard Lockridge
Ringworld by Larry Niven
A Guilty Thing Surprised by Ruth Rendell
Murder at the Savoy by by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
The Girl in Blue by P. G. Wodehouse

And once again, most of my reading is in mysteries. There are a few more non-mysteries among the books I read pre-blogging:
The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov (ed)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Deadly Meeting by Robert Bernard
Spock Must Die! by James Blish
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
To Kill a Cat by W. J. Burley
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
Poetic Justice by Amanda Cross
The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
Lore of the Great Turtle by Dirk Gringhuis
The Secret Woman by Victoria Holt
The Mysterious Mannequin by Carolyn Keene
Wobble to Death by Peter Lovesey
Beyond This Point Are Monsters by Margaret Millar
The Tower of Glass by Robert Silverberg
Out of Their Minds by Clifford Simak
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
And Improbable Fiction by Sara Woods
Knives Have Edges by Sara Woods

Now, let's see what's sitting on the TBR pile waiting to be read for the 1970 Club:
The Secret of the Crooked Cat by William Arden
Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie
Do Not Fold, Spindle, Or Mutilate by Doris Miles Disney
All Grass Isn't Green by A. A. Fair
Murder Pluperfect by Kenneth Giles
Something in the Air by John Alexander Graham
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes by Hugh Greene (ed)
Gently with the Innocents by Alan Hunter
Death at the Chase by Michael Innes
Trixie Belden & the Mystery of the Missing Heiress by Kathryn Kenny
Troubled Journey by Richard Lockridge
When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh
Find a Crooked Sixpence by Estelle Thompson
The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon by Nick West
Dead in the Morning by Margaret Yorke

The Lost Girls of Paris (spoilers at the end)

 The Lost Girls of Paris (2019) by Pam Jenoff

1946, Manhattan

Grace Healey is trying to rebuild her life life after losing her husband during the war. She works for a man who is helping immigrants rebuild their lives after coming to the United States during or after the war. She is late to work one morning and find it necessary to go through Grand Central Station to avoid a traffic jam resulting from an accident. The Station has haunting memories for her--it's where she waited in vain for her husband to arrive for a quick trip home before shipping out. An accident prevented her young soldier from ever leaving the States. When she sits down to get her bearings, she finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she the suitcase. Among an odd collection of items, including a pair of baby shoes, she finds a bundle of photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station. She notices the name Trigg on the suitcase as she shoves it back under the bench. She's shocked later to read that Eleanor Trigg was killed in an auto accident earlier that day. When she returns to the Station, the suitcase is gone. Something about the faces in those photographs speaks to her and Grace decides to investigate.

1943-1944, London & France

When male agents in France begin to go missing at an alarming rate, Eleanor Trigg, confidential secretary to the Director of SOE (Special Operations Executive), suggests a force of female agents--young women are more plentiful in the occupied nation and it would be less likely that agents would be spotted. The Director makes her the head of the women's division and she supervises the training and deployment. Things go well until the Allied forces prepare for D-Day...and suddenly the largest ring of agents goes silent. Eleanor had suspected something was going wrong with the radio transmissions, but had been denied clearance to go to France herself and investigate. Twelve of Eleanor's agents go missing without a trace. 

Both Eleanor and Grace work to find out the truth behind the women's disappearance. And both are shocked to find betrayal at the heart of the answer. And having discovered the truth after Eleanor's death, Grace determines to find justice for the women who never made it home.

My take: First up, the good. I enjoyed Jenoff's prose. I found myself reading through this effortlessly and thoroughly enjoying her writing. I loved the build-up--both to Grace's involvement in the story and Eleanor setting up the women's division of SOE. I liked watching Grace and Eleanor try to figure out what went wrong with the mission. The relationship between Grace and Mark worked well and I do like that Marie decided she still needed to sort some things out personally before getting serious with him (instead of a nice tidy wrap-up to their romance and off into the sunset together). And I could tell that Jenoff did her research on this period of the war. 

But...SPOILERS!

Marie--the one agent of the twelve who actually makes it out of France (though we don't know it till the end)--seriously? She sticks to none of her training. None. When in danger, she's supposed to destroy her radio. She doesn't. When capture is ensured if she doesn't get the heck away from her "cover" apartment (and out of France all together), she stays put. When captured, the last thing she's supposed to do is give up her second code "check", she does. When her superior (also the man she loves after a very brief period) reminds her of her duty (not to do what the Germans tell her to do), she gives in to "save" him. Anyone with a smidgen of sense knows that as soon as she gives in, the Germans will kill them both because they'll have no more use for them. It's a miracle that she doesn't die.

Marie started out great. I like her character a lot. Until she got to France--where she fell in love and all her training went out the window. 

The story was pretty solid. The setting was great. The mystery and intrigue well done. I just wish Marie hadn't messed things up so royally in France. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: If not for the second-worst mistake of Grace Healey's life, she never would have found the suitcase.

Last line: She crossed the avenue toward Grand Central, unencumbered and unafraid, and started through the doors of the station, headed for the life that awaited her.
********************

Deaths = 10 (three hit by car; one bled to death; three boat sank; one shot; one poisoned; one blew up)

The Queen's Awards 8th Series

 The Queen's Awards 8th Series (1953) by Ellery Queen (ed)

This collection contains the winners of the Eighth Annual Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine "Detective" Short-Story Contest (quotations mine). These are supposedly the "blue ribbon mysteries of the season." And I have to say that these are the sorriest bunch of short stories I've read from any Queen collection. There are crimes involved in nearly all of these, but a large portion are not anything that I would call detective. For one thing, the word "detective" sortof implies that there will actually be a detective detecting. And there are definitely not nearly as many detectives as there are stories in the collection. The best of the bunch are "Miss Paisley's Cat," "High Court," and "Heaven Can Wait"--but that isn't saying a whole lot. ★★ for the collection--just. 

"My Brother Down There" by Steve Frazee: The story of a sheriff, his posse, and a trigger-happy civilian on a manhunt for four dangerous escaped criminals in the Rocky Mountains. [two shot]

"Miss Paisley's Cat" by Roy Vickers: When the angry bookie downstairs kills her beloved cat, the elderly Miss Paisley wants to kill him. And when he's found dead the next day she's sure she did. But the police won't believe her. [one stabbed]

"If a Body..." by A. H. Z. Carr: A disgruntled husband who believes his wife has played him false, decides to get rid of all his troubles at once... [one shot]

"The Betrayers" by Stanley Ellin: A man falls in love with his next door neighbor and when he thinks her abusive husband has killed her, he's willing to risk everything to avenger her. [one stabbed]

"The Quality of Mercy" by Eleazar Lipsky: When a distraught father nearly kills the nun he believes is keeping him from his daughter, the nun's mercy is much different than the court's.

"The Stroke of Thirteen" by Lillian de la Torre: Dr. Samuel Johnson works to clear a man who has been found guilty of treason. The soldier's only alibi? A clock that struck thirteen.... [one hanged]

"Laugh It Off" by Charlotte Armstrong: A young woman has a reputation for making up suspenseful events. When George meets her for the first time, she swears that a man is following her and out to kill her. Her other friends tell him to ignore it--that it's how she gets her laughs, but she seems so very scared. Is it for real this time? 

"All of God's Children Got Shoes" by Howard Schoenfeld: A couple of tramps making their way south in the boxcars. One of them wants a pair of shoes--really bad.

"High Court" by Thomas Kyd: One of the passengers on an overnight flight to England is killed. An overbearing, snobbish man appoints himself the investigator. To his credit, he does find an interesting way to flush out the killer.  [one hit on head]

"Born Killer" by Dorothy Salisbury Davis: A dark story that explains a young man's fondness for suicide missions.. [one natural; one shot]

"On the Brink" by James Yaffe: Miss Hannah Aaronson has always been fond of her nephew. When he has a falling out with his father that turns bad enough for murder will she be able to save him from himself? [one natural]

"The Town Without a Straight Man" by Will Stanton: A small town's penchant for telling tall tales isn't quite as benign as it may seem.

"Mrrrar!" by Edgar Pangborn: Told from Timmy the cat's perspective...Timmy is the only witness to murder. But who is he going to tell? 

"The Silver Spurs" by E. C. Witham: A desperately pathetic story of a woman who drives her husband to drink...and possibly to murder. [one shot; one stabbed]

"The Panther" by Browning Norton: Some dark thing is stealing chickens and lambs at night. When the village remembers that a panther got loose from a traveling circus some time back, they believe they know what's getting their livestock. Bill and Bob Coulter determine to bring the panther down. [one shot]

"Heaven Can Wait" by G. B. Gilford: A mystery writer is murdered--stabbed in the back--and when he gets to the Pearly Gates, he wants to know who did it. When (to his surprise) they can't tell him, he's miserable. He just has to know and won't be happy till he does--well, Heaven can't have any misery hanging about, so he's sent back to earth to solve his own murder. [one stabbed]

First line (1st story): Now there were three left.

Last line (last story): "Didn't you know that all mystery writers go to Heaven?"

Murder Every Monday: Twins!

 

Kate at Cross Examining Crime hosts a fun mystery cover game on Instagram called Murder Every Monday. Our assignment, should we choose to accept it, is to display book covers and titles from books you own that meet prompts which she posts well in advance (see link). I've been participating for quite some time on Instagram and I have decided to post here as well.

 

Today's theme is two crime fiction novels with the same title but by different authors. Click on pictures for a larger view.

Murder by the Book by Norma Schier

Murder by the Book by Frances & Richard Lockridge

The Perfect Crime by Ellery Queen

The Perfect Crime by Israel Zangwill

Murder by Prescription by Jonathan Stagge

Murder by Prescription by Bill Pomidor

Last Seen Wearing by Hillary Waugh

Last Seen Wearing by Colin Dexter

Sweet Poison by Douglas Clark

Sweet Poison by David Roberts

Murder by the Book by Martin Edwards (ed)

Murder by the Book by Rex Stout

Close But No Cigar:

The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux and The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts Rinehart

One Foot in the Grave by Peter Dickinson and Foot in the Grave by E. X. Ferrars

Where There's a Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Death Is Relative (whose alternate title is Where There's a Will) by Edward Phillips [If only I had the alternate title edition]

The Final Deduction

 The Final Deduction (1961) by Rex Stout

Just as I did ten years ago, I listened to this one as a book on CD during my road trip this past week. And I've mentioned before how much harder it is for me to do a full review when I listen. I just sit back and enjoy the performance. I mentioned in my previous review (which I'm shamelessly re-using below)  that Michael Prichard does an excellent job bringing Nero Wolfe and, especially, Archie Goodwin to life. This time around my son joined me on the trip up to my parents' house and he and I had enormous fun listening to Archie's wise-cracking run-down of Wolfe's latest case. I also realized during this listening session that if Archie had just stuck with his first deduction he might have beaten Nero to the punch in figuring out where the suitcase full of cash was stashed. 

The story opens with Archie losing a little bet with himself. Althea Vail, wealthy, society lady, arrives at the old brownstone with no appointment and asks to see Nero Wolfe--preferring not to tell Archie what about, but to tell Wolfe himself. Archie is convinced she's come to ask the world's best brain to ask him to tail her most current husband--that's what so often happens when an older woman (with money) marries a younger man (without). But Archie is wrong. Mrs. Vail has come because her husband, Jimmy Vail, disappeared over the weekend and she has received a ransom note. She doesn't want Wolfe to investigate the kidnappers or try to find her husband. What she wants is for him to ensure that her husband is returned, alive and unharmed, once she pays the ransom.

She refuses to share much detail with Wolfe--having been told by "Mr. Knapp" that she and her Jimmy would regret it if she talked to anyone--so, the great detective has few options. He decides to place an ad in The Gazette where Lon Cohen owes him favors (and any other papers who can make it happen before the ransom must be delivered):

If her property is not returned to her, or if it is damaged beyond repair, I have engaged to devote my time, energy, and talent, for as long as may be required, to ensure just and fitting requital; and she has determined to support me to the full extent of her resources. If you do not know enough of me to be aware of the significance of this engagement to your future, I advise you to inform yourself regarding my competence and my tenacity.

my hard copy

He also makes it clear that Mrs. Vail has not revealed any details in an effort to save Jimmy's life and then they all settle down to see what happens. Vail miraculously returns--tired, but safe and sound with instructions not to go to the authorities for 48 hours. It looks like Wolfe has earned a hefty fee ($60,000) for very little work. But that same day, the body of Mrs. Vail's secretary is found--run over by her own car--in the same location where the handover of the ransom money took place. Then Jimmy Vail is found dead in his own library, apparently killed by Benjamin Franklin. That is to say...a heavy bronze statue of the historical statesman (whose base was unsteady) toppled over and killed him in what seems to be an accident.

When Mrs. Vail's son comes to Wolfe wanting to hire him to find the ransom money (his mother has promised him the cash if he can locate it), the genius, satisfied with his recent fee, plans to turn him down. But Archie, true to form, goads his boss into action by threatening to take some of his leave time to do the legwork on his own and snag the hefty commission for himself. Wolfe can't do without Archie and takes the case--of course, he can't get involved with out solving the other crimes as well and it takes a rather ingenious "final deduction" to collar the criminal.

My son and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on our six-hour (round-trip) journey to and from my parents' house. It was absorbing and interesting. And, despite guessing half the solution, I'm giving it ★★★★ for the entertaining reading/performance and the final twist that Stout gives the case. I'm tempted to give it just a little bit more for the added bonus of sharing the good time with my son.

First line: "Your name please?"

Last line: If you offered him ten thousand bucks to detect who swiped your hat at a cocktail party yesterday he wouldn't even bother to glare at you.

*************************

Deaths = 2 (one run over by car; one crushed by statue)

Coronation Year

 Coronation Year (2023) by Jennifer Robson

It is 1953 and the year that the United Kingdom will see a new queen crowned. London is preparing to celebrate. Hundreds of visitors are expected and Edie Howard, owner of the Blue Lion Hotel, hopes that enough of them will want to stay at her establishment to help get the hotel back on its feet. The hotel has been in her family for generations and she doesn't want to see it fail. When she learns that the queen's route will bring her royal procession within feet of the hotel's front door, she's certain that her luck is about to change. Especially since she'll be able to charge well above the usual rates for guests to be so close to Queen Elizabeth II.

Edie isn't the only one hoping for a change in luck. James Geddes is a decorated war hero and a talented artist, but he needs a big break to make his mark in the art world. He gets his chance when a company on the processional route commissions a large painting to commemorate the day. This brings Jamie (as he's known) to the Blue Lion. A room fronting onto the street will give him the perfect view to help him create his masterpiece. Edie manages to provide a room with both a perfect view as well as a skylight to give the perfect lighting for an artist at work.

And then there is Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer, who has tried to break into the photography business. When an advertisement for "Photographer Wanted" appears in the London magazine Picture Weekly, she has little hope that they will want a girl from Italy with no professional experience. But the editor is impressed by the raw talent displayed in the portfolio of photos she sends and she finds herself in London. Her parents, lost to the Nazi concentration camps, were friends of Edie's family, so when Stella writes to ask for a room Edie is more than happy to give the girl a place to stay while she finds her feet. She's also going to be in the perfect spot to take pictures of the queen's procession.

But then...just when things are looking good at Blue Lion, a determined man tries to talk Edie into selling her hotel. And after she repeatedly turns him down anonymous threats centered on Coronation Day and the Blue Lion begin to appear. Someone wants Edie and her regular guests out of the hotel--but is it the thwarted buyer or someone else. Edie, Jamie, and Stella wind up risking their lives in their efforts to get to the bottom of the threats and save Coronation Day for the Queen...and for the hotel. 

This is a lovely look at the 1950s when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. Terrific historical detail with a cast of engaging characters. I enjoyed meeting Edie, Jamie, and Stella as well as the regular guests in the hotel and the staff. And I wouldn't mind reading another story that featured them. The only real disappointment was the mystery portion of the story. It wasn't nearly strong as the basic story and historical details nor were there many clues to be had or much detection going on. If the mystery had been as well done as the rest of the story then this would have been a five-star outing with no questions asked. ★★★★

First line: A gale from the east had swept across the city late the evening before, scouring away the worst of the smog, and the rare sight of London's night sky had inspired Edie to open her curtains and raise the fraying blackout blind.

Last line: "I can't imagine anything better," she said, and she looped her arm through his, and together they stepped into the welcoming light of their bright and beckoning future.
******************

Deaths = 4 (two in concentration camp; two natural)

October Reading by the Numbers Reviews

 

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October Virtual Mount TBR Reviews

 

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October Mount TBR Reviews

 

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October Vintage Scavenger Hunt Reviews

 

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Murder Every Monday: A Toast to Murder

 

Kate at Cross Examining Crime hosts a fun mystery cover game on Instagram called Murder Every Monday. Our assignment, should we choose to accept it, is to display book covers and titles from books you own that meet prompts which she posts well in advance (see link). I've been participating for quite some time on Instagram and I have decided to post here as well.

 

Today's theme is covers or titles with drinks. Click on pictures for a larger view.

 

 

 

The Harlequin Tea Set ~Agatha Christie

Cocktails & the Killer ~Peter Cheyney

A Taste for Cognac ~Brett Halliday

Death in the Clouds ~Agatha Christie

The House without the Door ~Elizabeth Daly

Alive & Screaming ~Alfred Hitchcock 

The Black Seraphim ~Michael Gilbert

Service for Two ~Kate Kingsbury

Happy Returns ~Manning Coles

A Genteel Little Murder ~Philip Daniels

Malice Domestic ~Carolyn G. Hart (ed)

Rutland Place ~Anne Perry

Slight Mourning ~Catherine Aird

An English Murder ~Cyril Hare (aka The Christmas Murder)

Death on Demand ~Carolyn G. Hart

Mrs. Malory & the Fatal Legacy ~Hazel Holt

Death of a Mystery Writer ~Robert Barnard

Show Business Is Murder ~Carol-Lynn Rossell Waugh, Martin H. Greenberg & Isaac Asimov (eds)

 

 

The Silver Anniversary Murder ~Lee Harris

Murder at the Savoy ~ Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

Till Death Do Us Part ~John Dickson Carr

Unhappy Returns ~Elizabeth Lemarchand

A Deadly Sickness ~John Penn

The Litmore Snatch ~Henry Wade

Cocaine Blues ~Kerry Greenwood

Hangman's Holiday ~Dorothy L. Sayers

Getting Away with Murder? ~Anne Morice

 

 

Say Yes to Murder ~W. T. Ballard

Murder for the Asking ~George Harmon Coxe

Dorothy & Agatha ~Gaylord Larsen

The Deadly Truth ~Helen McCloy

Bury Me Deep ~Harold Q. Masur

Murder After Hours ~Agatha Christie (aka The Hollow)

A File on Death ~Kenneth Giles

Strong Poison ~Dorothy L. Sayers

Murder on the Left Bank ~Elliot Paul

To Spite Her Face ~Hildegarde Dolson

Champagne for One ~Nero Wolfe

Montengrin Gold ~Brian Ball

Cold Light of Day ~Emma Page

No Vacation from Murder ~Elizabeth LeMarchand

Knocked for a Loop ~Craig Rice

The Black Coat ~Constance & Gwenyth Little 

Premedicated Murder ~Douglas Clark

Mr. & Mrs. North & a Pinch of Poison ~Frances & Richard Lockridge

Headlined for Murder ~Edwin Lanham

A Friendly Game of Murder ~J. J. Murphy

The Final Ring ~Marcia Blair

The Squealer ~Edgar Wallace

The Frightened Wife ~Mary Roberts Rinehart

Cyanide with Christie ~Katherine Bolger Hyde

Drink to Yesterday ~Manning Coles

Dangerous Ground ~Francis Sill Wickware (a drink for a kitty)

The Man with a Load of Mischief ~Martha Grimes

Wycliffe & the Guild of Nine

 Wycliffe & the Guild of Nine (2000) by W. J. Burley

Francine Lemarque is the newest member of the Guild of Nine, an artist's colony housed in the disused mining buildings on moor west of St. Ives. The small community is owned by Archer and his wife Lina who have differing ideas about how things work. Archer put the guild together based on astrology and numerology. The number nine is extremely important to him and so it's important to have nine members at all times (at the moment, they're one short). Lina wants to get the Guild turning a better profit and is hoping to expand their artistic offerings.

This is where Francine comes in. Francine is the recent recipient of a large legacy and is thinking seriously of investing in the Guild. But rather than just hand over the cash, she's been asking a lot of questions. Some of them very awkward. And before she can get answers and make a decision, she is found dead--the victim of a blocked vent on a heater. 

When Chief Superintendent Wycliffe learns the victim's identity, he's surprised. He knew Francine from an early case. She had shot and killed her natural father--a man who wasn't even close to being beloved by much of anyone. He'd always wondered what became of her upon her release. Now he wonders if the earlier case has any bearing on her death--or is it truly connected to her questions about the Guild. He and his team find both connections to the past and some present-day secrets that members of the Guild would just as soon not have had known. More deaths follow and Wycliffe finally finds the thread that leads him to the killer.

An enjoyable entry (and the last!) in the Wycliffe series. It had been a while since I read any of these mysteries and it was good to visit with Wycliffe again. He's a good solid copper who relies on his wits to solve the mysteries--well, his wits and his excellent team. There are several members who are specialists (in following the money, making connections between apparently disconnected items, putting witnesses at their ease, etc.) and they all work together to get to the solution. This mystery has several well-placed red herrings which may or may not distract the reader. I have to say that I spotted the killer, but only because I managed to latch onto one of the clues and wouldn't let anything put me off. ★★★

First line: Archer's Guild of Nine was a craft colony on the site of a disused mine on the seaward slope of the moor, west of St. Ives.

Last line: "Odd, your attitude to that girl, considering that in her short life she caused so many people so much grief."
*******************

Deaths = 8 (one shot; one gassed; three natural; two strangled; one hit by car)

Seven Keys to Baldpate

 Seven Keys to Baldpate (1913) by Earl Derr Biggers

William Magee is a well-known pulp writer who wants to prove to his critics that he can write a serious novel. Of course, to write a serious novel one must barricade oneself away--away from friends and family, away from parties and plays, away from anything that might distract the "great author" from deep thoughts and serious plots. While brainstorming places to go for such intense authorial endeavors, his friend Hal Bentley finally suggest Baldpate Inn, owned by his father, It's a summer resort that stands empty in mid-winter. There will be no staff and no guests to interrupt a man playing with fictional realities. 

So off Magee goes to Baldpate--no running water, no heat (save for the fireplace in his room), and no food (save for canned goods and the occasional meal sent up by the caretaker's wife)--for a period of quiet contemplation. Or at least that's what he expects. He's barely gotten settled in his room, when the first of a parade of visitors arrives--each with what they believe to be the only key to the inn. There's the first man who hides a package in the lobby safe and who makes a phone call to someone called Andy. There's a pretty girl and her mother. And the crooked mayor of a nearby city with his hired strong man in tow. And a professor of Comparative Literature who may not be what he seems. And a professional hermit. And a dark figure who wrestles with the mayor and his sidekick. And a second mysterious pretty girl. And they all want the package in the safe--even if they all won't say so. Magee finds himself with a dilemma when both of the pretty girls ask for his help in getting the package. But his loyalties are with the first one--a young woman who stole his heart as soon as he saw her crying at the railway station. But will he be aiding the cause of justice or helping a lovely thief? Only time will tell.

This was an extraordinarily fun outing from the author of the Charlie Chan mystery series. With everyone popping in and out of the inn, with the addition of a hermit who becomes the chef for the group at Baldpate, with Magee as the befuddled hero, the plot reads as though Biggers planned for the story to be filmed. And...it was...six times from 1917 (silent) to 1947. I sampled two of the movies and they, too, were fun but came with slightly different endings from the book and each other. And I'm not sure which ending I like best. The book is straight forward. There's a crime and a solution and our hero wins out in the end. The films are less so. In the first, Magee is writing his book to fulfill a bet. Everybody that shows up and everything that happens is just part of a plot by the man with whom Magee has made the bet to prevent Magee from winning. In the second, everything that happens at the house is really just the plot of the story Magee is writing. When we reach the end none of it "really" happened, except on the page. The lead-up to those twists is very good in each film and the endings are both a surprise and satisfying all in one.

The book is just one wild ride full of humor and outrageous shenanigans. If you're looking for an intricate, well-clued puzzle, then this isn't it. But if you're looking for a good time and a fun read, then this just might fit the bill. ★★★★

First line: A young woman was crying bitterly in the waiting-room of the railway station at Upper Asquewan Falls, New York.

Last line: "Why. darling," he explained gently, "this is it."
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Deaths = one shot