Murder Every Monday: The Hairy Details

 

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). 

Today's theme is books with a person with facial hair (mustache, beard, etc.) on the cover.

If my collection is anything to go by, cover artists prefer to put women on the cover. And if they do put a man on the cover, more than 50% of the time he will be clean shaven. If he must have facial hair, then a mustache is probably okay. But there are few bearded gents out there...even the villains seem to avoid covering their chins.

And as I make that pronouncement about beards, here I am leading off with one. LOL

Two Bronze Pennies ~Chris Nickson

The Melting Clock ~Stuart M. Kaminsky

Murder at the Masque ~Amy Myers

Sheiks & Adders ~Michael Innes

Murder at Government House ~Elspeth Huxley

Poetic Justice ~Amanda Cross

On the Edge ~Peter Lovesey

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes ~Hugh Greene, ed

Rumpole's Last Case ~John Mortimer

Five Red Herrings ~Dorothy L. Sayers

The Man Who Knew Too Much ~G. K. Chesterton

Postscript to Poison ~Dorothy Bowers

Murder on the Orient Express ~Agatha Christie

Death for a Dietitian ~E. X. Giroux

No Coffin for the Corpse ~Clayton Rawson [look at all that facial hair on that bunny!]

Cradle of Crime ~John Buxton Hilton    

Midnight Ferry to Venice ~Ben Healey

Tragedy of Z ~Ellery Queen (as Barnaby Ross)

Saint Overboard ~Leslie Charteris

The Battles of Jericho ~Hugh Pentecost

A Parade of Cockeyed Creatures ~George Baxt

The Ghost & Mrs. Jeffries ~Emily Brightwell

The Canary Murder Case ~S. S. Van Dine

The Affair of the Mutilated Mink Coat ~James Anderson

The Cannibal Who Overate ~Hugh Pentecost

The White Dress ~Mignon G. Eberhart

The D. A. Goes to Trial ~Erle Stanley Gardner

The Murder at the Mill

 The Murder at the Mill (2020) by Irina Shapiro

December 1866, England. It's been about six months since (Lord) Captain Jason Redmond first came to England to wrap up his grandfather's estate. Instead of heading back to America where he was born and raised, he's been settling into his new role as lord of the manor...and surgeon in support of the local police. As Christmas approaches, there are two unwelcome surprises among the festive events: another dead body and his former fiancee, Cecilia. Cecilia had immediately turned to his best friend for comfort when rumors that Redmond had been killed during the Civil War had reached her. By the time he'd been released from the Andersonville prison and made his way home, she was married and expecting her first child. And now, here she is on his doorstep.*

And the dead body? The father of his newest scullery maid is found dead...tied to the water wheel of his family's abandoned mill. Given the body's state (naked) and prominent placement, it's obvious that someone not only wanted Frank Darrow dead but they wanted him humiliated in death as well. Who hated the man that much? He wasn't a pleasant man by all accounts, but there's no evidence that he had done anything to warrant the kind of hatred that would kill in such a manner. Newly-appointed Inspector Daniel Haze soon links Darrow to a series of burglaries in the area, but even if the man had had a falling out with his fellow thieves they would hardly have gone to the trouble of stripping him naked and tying his dead body to the wheel. Haze and Redmond soon learn that there are hidden depths to the drowned man and a shocking motive for his death.

*Okay...so, I've just started this and I've got a prediction for the storyline. Cecilia will immediately set her cap for Jason again--thinking that he couldn't possibly have gotten over her. She's actually more interested in his title than him. Kate (the vicar's daughter whom Jason has feelings for) will misunderstand the situation and there will be trouble in that particular paradise. Either in this book, or the next, Cecilia will be booted out permanently and Jason and Kate will be brought closer together by the temporary set-back. I'm going to go ahead and publish this now so my followers can hold me accountable in case I'm wrong. 😊

So...I was bang on target with the whole Cecilia thing. Very predictable. And--can I just say--a very pointless sidetrack to the main story. Yes, it did bring Jason and Kate together. But, honestly, I don't think that should have happened yet. Those two have barely had any time to get to know each other--especially since Kate won't allow Jason to court her openly because of her father. And then to have the dear old vicar give his blessing (albeit somewhat begrudgingly) at the end. The man surely has to wonder how on earth Lord Redmond could possibly love his daughter when they've never (to his knowledge) had a chance to be together. 

This isn't my favorite of the series so far. Primarily because of the motive of the murder--which I can't discuss without letting the whole cat out of the bag. But it's one of the plots that I just really don't do well with. We'll leave it at that. And then when you throw in Cecilia. Well, ick. But that's all personal. The plot itself is solid and every bit as good as the last one. The writing and the character development are also on par with previous installments. So, despite my wanting to rate this lower on purely personal grounds, I'll give it the same ★★★ that I gave to the second in the series.

First line (Prologue): The moon hung low in the nighttime sky, its fat belly skimming the tops of the elms that stood like a row of silent sentinels in the distance.

First line (1st Chapter): Inspector Daniel Haze shivered, as much from the bitter cold as from the sight that ad greeted him when he'd arrived at the mill.

Last line: "Let's go then," Jason said, steeling himself for a new investigation.

And...one final note: Shapiro writes these in serial fashion. Rather than ending each book with the end of the current investigation, the last chapter wraps things up and then gives us a taste of the next installment.
*********************

Deaths = 4 (one drowned; two cholera; one bled to death)

The Case of the Hijacked Moon

 The Case of the Hijacked Moon (1981) by Thomas Brace Haughey

The Hijacked Moon is the fifth of Haughey's Christian-themed pastiche of the Sherlock Holmes style. Geoffrey Weston is the grandson of Mycroft Holmes and, like his great-uncle Sherlock, has set himself up as a consulting detective in Baker Street (not at 221B, however). His side-kick John Taylor is more of a true partner in detecting than John Watson was. He may be admiring of Weston's abilities, but Taylor is just as capable--performing laboratory tests, developing photos, and helping Weston look for clues at the crime scenes. The Christian themes are very strong--Weston and Taylor pray before setting out on a case and Weston challenges several of suspect's philosophies and counters with lessons from the gospel.

This outing initially finds Weston and Taylor investigating the fiery death of a Scotsman who had sent an appeal for Weston to help him find his missing inheritance--but not money and not jewels; a whole island has gone missing. Unfortunately, the letter was buried under a stack of papers (Weston's mess in his Baker Street digs rivals that of his illustrious great-uncle) and it comes to light too late to prevent Angus Murdoch's death in a house fire. When a Scotland Yard Inspector appears to spontaneously combust while escorting a neo-Nazi into the Yard, Weston suspects a connection. But things only get more complicated--not only is an island missing, but so is a cargo carrier and a NATO missile. What started as a matter of inheritance has turned into a national and, possibly, world-wide emergency. Can Weston prevent the onset of WWIII?

As a well-worn phrase puts it: Well, that escalated quickly. One minute we're wondering how an entire island can just disappear and the next we're hoping Armageddon isn't getting ready to commence. But Weston, true to his Holmesian roots, manages to save the day and it's clear we're not quite ready for the Book of Revelations just yet. This later entry in the series doesn't have the solid mystery set-up that the first book of the series (The Case of the Invisible Thief) did. It's really quite obvious who the bad guys are, it's just a matter of figuring out how they managed to get two people to go up in flames without shooting anything at them or any other visible means of ignition. So, I guess this is a howdunnit rather than a who dunnit. I gave this ★★★ back in the mists of time when I read it from the youth library at church. I'm not going to argue with my younger self.

First line: I stole a glance out the window and surveyed the activity along Baker Street.

Last line: "Ah," Weston grinned, "I thought you'd never ask."
***********************

Deaths = (one natural; two burned to death)

Murder at the Abbey

 Murder at the Abbey (2020) by Irina Shapiro

In this second book of the Redmond and Haze mystery series, a beautiful young woman is found dead in the ruins of what the locals consider to be a haunted abbey. It took a great deal of courage for the local tavern owner, out with an early morning delivery to investigate the strange white object lying on the grass. Elizabeth Barrett had gone early to the abbey to paint. But her session was cut short and she was lying on her back...

...her fair hair spread about her head like a golden halo. At first Davy thought she was asleep, but as he drew closer, he noticed her eyes were open, her gaze seemingly fixed on the lone bird wheeling above the stone arch. Her arms were outstretched, and a paintbrush was held loosely in her right hand, her elegant fingers still wrapped around the polished wood.

Constable Haze is called to the scene as is (Lord) Captain Redmond. The captain serving in the capacity of police surgeon. He soon discovers that the death is not as peaceful as it appears. Elizabeth Barrett was poisoned with cyanide. Someone who knew her well must have administered it.

But as Haze works through the investigation, it seems that everyone liked Elizabeth. Her husband adored her. Her sister talks about her in glowing terms. Her art tutor speaks of her great talent and her friends in the art world also believe she was very good. But someone wanted her dead...is it possible she had a secret. Perhaps an affair with the tutor...or a fellow artist? And if so, perhaps her husband found out? She's found to be with child--was it his? Or perhaps his brother didn't want an heir to decrease his chances of eventually scooping the pot? Or maybe there's a motive the investigation just hasn't brought to light yet?

I enjoyed the second in this series. I enjoyed watching the recurring characters settle in with each--the continuing relationship between the constable and the captain. The growing relationship between Redmond and the vicar's daughter. It was nice to get more insight into the more periphery characters. But the mystery isn't quite as mystifying as the debut in the series. Though Shapiro tries to give us plenty of suspects, there really wasn't much in the way of good, solid motives running around for the red herrings. Once we learned a certain tidbit about a certain person, it was pretty clear to me who did it and what the motive was. I think Shapiro is still finding her footing in the mystery genre and I have every hope that future installments will be have a bit more challenge in the mysteries. ★★★ 

First line (Prologue): The morning was cool and fresh, the cloudless sky promising the kind of day that made Davy happiest.

First line (1st Chapter): Daniel Haze lifted his hand in greeting when he saw the tall figure of Jason Redmond striding across the grassy expanse of the abbey grounds.

"Jason, all of us are where we are in life because of an accident of birth." (Daniel Haze; p. 69)

Last line: "I have a feeling we're about to find out," Jason replied as he followed Daniel out into the night.
********************

Deaths = 4 (two natural; two poisoned)

Murder in the Crypt

 Murder in the Crypt (2020) by Irina Shapiro

Captain Jason Redmond, has come to England to claim his inheritance--which comes with a country estate and the unaccustomed title of "Lord." He and his ward, Micah, have come from America where they both served in the Union Army during the Civil War (as surgeon and drummer boy, respectively), and where they both survived as prisoners of war in the Andersonville prison. Micah's father and brother weren't so lucky. So, Redmond promised the dying man that he'd take care of the boy until he could reunite him with his sister, Mary. Only Mary was nowhere to be found at the family's burned-out home when the war was over and they were released from prison. Redmond set an inquiry agent on the trail to find out if she is alive or dead.

Redmond's parents are also gone--killed in a train accident. So, when word comes that Redmond's grandfather had died back in England, leaving him as the heir, he and Micah travel to set his affairs in order with plans to return to the States. But the very night that they arrive in Birch Hill, a young man's body is found stuffed in the tomb of a medieval knight within the crypt of the local church. Since there had never been a murder until these outsiders arrived, the local constable comes calling to ask Redmond to give an account of himself. Constable Daniel Haze immediately realizes his mistake and when he learns that the new lord of the manor was a surgeon in the States, he asks him to examine the body. It isn't long before Redmond is settling into the ancestral home and helping his new friend Constable Haze track down a ruthless killer--a killer who won't hesitate to kill their own kin or the strange new lord if anyone gets in their way.

The clues lead the two men to believe that the young man, Alexander MacDougal, had ties to Chadwick Manor, another home of landed gentry in the area. But they still don't know why he was killed. Did he know secrets about the family? Was it blackmail? Or is there a greater tie?

This is Shapiro's first attempt at a historical mystery and she does quite well with it. Her previous work apparently involved time travel, so she's quite comfortable writing about other time periods. She gives us some very appealing recurring characters in Redmond, Micah, and Daniel, as well as the Dodsons (butler and cook that Redmond has inherited along with the estate) and the Talbots (the Reverend and his daughter, Katherine). Shapiro also handles her maiden mystery plot quite nicely. Plenty of suspects and a whacking good motive. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and look forward to future installments. ★★★ and 1/2.

First line: The waning light of a summer afternoon enveloped the valley in a golden haze.

Last line: A new case was about to begin.
**********************

Deaths =  7 (two train accident; one stabbed; four natural; one hit by a carriage; one shot)

Murder & Other Acts of Literature

 Murder & Other Acts of Literature: Twenty-Four Unforgettable & Chilling Stories by Some of the World's Best-Loved, Most Celebrated Writers (1997) by Michele Slung, ed.

Not your usual murder mystery collection--not least because none of the authors included are known for their crime fiction. Slung has put together a collection of "crime" stories by authors more comfortable on the fiction shelves than in they mystery section. And, honestly, it shows. There are few genuine mysteries here--Paul Theroux comes closest with A. A. Milne of Winnie-the-Pooh fame a close second. Nearly all of the other stories are more concerned with examining social conventions or personal relationships or psychological consequences than they are with the actual crime or the detection thereof. So, if you're looking for mystery puzzles, these stories are not for you. And, mostly, they're not for me, either. The writing is excellent, as one would expect from writers of this caliber. The themes are interesting. But this is definitely not what I'm looking for when I sit down for a good mystery.  The best of the bunch are the previously mentioned Theroux and Milne stories ("The Johore Murders" and In Vino Veritas"). I also recommend "By a Person Unknown," "The Widow & the Parrot: A True Story," and "The Portobello Road." ★★★

"Montraldo" by John Cheever: A man steals a diamond ring from Tiffany's and uses the proceeds to go to Italy. There he witnesses a strange relationship between an elderly Italian woman and her servant--who is emboldened to treat her badly. [one fell & hit head]

"The Hitch-Hikers" by Eudora Welty: A traveling salesman by the name of Harris picks up two hitchhikers--one of which has a guitar. The two try to steal his car and one winds up dead.[one hit on head]

"Success or Failure" by T. H. White: A childless couple imagine themselves a son. But when their fantasies take an unexpected turn, the proud father can't bear what his wife has imagined. [one hit on head]

"By a Person Unknown" by Naguib Mahfouz: Police office Muhsin feels his reputation is at stake when a killer repeatedly gets away with murder--strangling people indiscriminately and leaving no clues behind. But he should be worried about more than his reputation. [many strangled--but only 2 named]

"How Did I Get Away With Killing One of the Biggest Lawyers in the State? It Was Easy." by Alice Walker: A young black woman tells how she got away with shooting the lawyer who seduced her. [one shot]

"The Hotel of the Idle Moon" by William Trevor: A couple looking for an easy target impose themselves on the elderly Sir Giles Marston, his wife, and elderly butler. Soon they've taken over the place. [2 natural--apparently]

"Aaron Trowe" by Anthony Trollope: Aaron Trowe was a convicted killer in Bermuda who managed to break jail and escape capture (even though he never left the island). But then he messes with the wrong woman...[one drowned]

"The Fat Man" by Isak Dinesen: A young girl is murdered and the only clue to her killer is the fact that she was last seen in the company of a fat man. A college student who moonlights as a bartender comes up with a plan to find out if one of the regulars in the bar is the fat man in question.

"Mr. Loveday's Outing" by Evelyn Waugh: A young woman visits her father, an inmate at an asylum, and takes pity on the fellow inmate who is serving as her father's secretary. He seems to be completely cured and so she lobbies to have him released. There's something he's wanted to to do ever since he was sent to the asylum--and as soon as he does it, he comes right back.

"The Johore Murders" by Paul Theroux: The closest to a traditional mystery story to be found in this collection. An embassy official gets to the bottom of the murders of two expatriots--one British and one American--when the local Malaysian police can't.[2 stabbed]

"A Journey" by Edith Wharton: A young woman is traveling home by train with her terminally ill husband. But will they both make it to the last stop?

"Miss Forbes' Summer of Happiness" by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez: Two young boys are left in the charge of a strict German governess. But they soon learn that she holds herself to a much lower standard and they plot to poison her. But someone else beats them to it. [one stabbed]

"The Macbeth Murder Mystery" by James Thurber: Just read this in the last collection--so here's an encore. A crime fiction fiend mistakenly picks up Shakespeare's Macbeth and decides that William has pulled the wool over his audience's eyes. She knows who really killed the king. [2 stabbed]

"A Double Tragedy: An Actor's Story" by Louisa May Alcott: A story of jealousy and revenge among the Shakespearean actors who play star-crossed lovers. [one fell from height; one stabbed]

"Un Crime Maternel" by Fay Weldon: A woman tries to convince the psychiatrist sent to evaluate her mental competency that she is neither insane nor truly guilty of the crime of murder. [one poisoned]

"Mary Postgate" by Rudyard Kipling: Mary Postgate, always thought to be like Winnie-the-Pooh (a bear with little brain), manages to do her bit for the World War I homefront. [one airplane crash]

"The Walker" by Patrick O'Brien: A man plays avenging angel in the murder of a priest. [two fell from height]

"Country Lovers" by Nadine Gordimer: A young black girl and a young white boy grow up together in South Africa during apartheid. Tragedy strikes when she becomes pregnant and marries someone else. [one beaten]

"Monk" by William Faulkner: Our narrator tries to piece together the life and death of the man named Monk, who went to prison for murder. [two natural; one hanged; two shot]

"The Widow & the Parrot: A True Story" by Virginia Woolf: The poor Mrs. Gage inherits a cottage and a parrot named James from her miserly brother. She learns that it pays to be kind to animals. [three natural]

"My Maiden Brief" by W. S. Gilbert: A humorous look at our narrator's first, last, and only brief as a solicitor at the Old Bailey.

"An Act of Vengeance" by Isabelle Allende: A lesson in vengeance--be careful when vowing to avenge someone. It may lead to your own destruction. [one crushed by horses; one shot; one stabbed]

"In Vino Veritas" by A. A. Milne: A writer of mystery stories and his friend, a police inspector find themselves discussing what seemed to be the perfect murder by poison. But is the murderer finished? [two poisoned; one hit by underground train]

"The Portobello Road" by Muriel Spark: A ghost story told by the ghost herself. A group of four friends who grew up together go there separate ways, despite one of them insisting that they "must stick together." Our narrator is entrusted with a secret--but when she decides that she can't keep it any longer, she's killed. She haunts her killer on the Portobello Road. (one suffocated)

First line (1st story): The first time I robbed Tiffany's it was raining.

Last line (last story): For my part, I consider it quite a jolly snap, but I don't think we were any of us so lovely as we look in it, gazing blatantly over the ripe cornfields, Skinny with his humorous expression, I secure in my difference from the rest, Kathleen with her head prettily perched on her hands, each reflecting fearlessly in the face of George's camera the glory of the world, as if it would never pass.

Murder by the Book

 Murder by the Book (1995) by Cynthia Manson (ed)

Manson has collected a selection of literary-inspired mysteries to delight mystery fans who just plain love books. We have writers who commit crimes and writers who are victims. We have murderers and criminals who use fiction as inspiration for real-life activities. We have treasure hunts based on Treasure Island and Munster's Cosmographia. And we have sleuths who solve cases based on their knowledge of everything from Jane Austen to Charles Dickens to Dashiell Hammett. If there's a connection writing or books, then these authors have made it.

As with most short story collections, this is a mixed bag. I've read the Sayers before and I happily reread it every time it shows up in a collection. Bill Pronzini, Michelle Knowlden, Edward D. Hoch, Margaret Maron, John Nelson, Michael Innes, Joseph Hanson, William Brittain, and Robert Barr all produce winners as well. I absolutely could have done without Bill James and Julian Symons--their offerings are brutal and bizarre, respectively. The rest are okay--but I doubt I'll remember much about them once this review is finished. ★★★ and 1/4

"Body Language" by Bill James: When one of the students in a crime writing class is shot by her husband, instead of calling the cops the instructor takes the time to analyze the culprit and his motive. (2 shot)

"Once a Writer..." by Robert Cenedella: A writer comes up with the perfect plan to murder his nagging wife. But will he be able to follow through with it...or will his writing get in the way?

"The Private Eye Who Collected Pulps" by Bill Pronzini: When Thomas Murray, the "King of the Pop Culture Collectors," is found killed in his "Pulp Magazine Room" the officer in charge knows who to call in to help. Murray left a dying clue using three of his pulp magazines--but only our nameless private eye can figure it out. (one stabbed; one natural)

"The Jane Austen Murder" by Michelle Knowlden: Aunt Helena drags her niece, a private detective, off to solve the murder of  a leading member of the Jane Austen Literary Club--even though Aunt Helena seems to want to solve it herself. But our hypochondriac P.I. nabs the killer, much to Helena's chagrin.(one hit on head)

"The Macbeth Murder Mystery" by James Thurber: A crime fiction fiend mistakenly picks up Shakespeare's Macbeth and decides that William has pulled the wool over his audience's eyes. She knows who really killed the king. (2 stabbed)

"The Spy at the Crime Writers' Congress" by Edward D. Hoch: A newly retired member of British Intelligence has one last job to perform--give a talk about code-breaking at a Crime Writer's Conference. He soon finds himself mixed up on one more round of spying intrigue. (3 bombs)

"Lieutenant Harold & the Treasure Island Treasure" by Margaret Maron: James Hawkins loved Treasure Island and he loved making treasure maps for his niece when she was growing up. He planned to make one last treasure map leading to her inheritance, but died before he had a chance to finish it. Lieutenant Harold is called in by a mutual friend to help Jemima find one last treasure. (one natural)

"Magwich Returns" by John Nelson: Officer Allan Hyath and his partner investigate the apparent suicide of a Charles Dickens fanatic. It will lead them to a meeting with "the third spirit." And a possible legacy. (one shot)

"The Hit" by Michael Z. Lewin: A mystery reader on a train finds a unique way to get rid of the unwanted attentions of a strange man.

"The Secret in the Woodpile" by Michael Innes: Who would want to kill a psychiatrist who apparently had no enemies. Maybe a poet with a deep, dark secret? (one shot)

"A Woman's Voice" by Joseph Hanson: Hack Bohannon investigates the murder of a writer who once hired him to find his estranged daughter. A man has been arrested on suspicion, but Bohannon tracks down a clue (the sound of a woman's voice) that may prove him innocent. (one hit on head)

"Something Ventured" by Carl Martin: A one-time thief turned writer convinces his writing group to put his brilliant idea for one more heist into practice. They think they've gotten away with with it.... (one natural)

"In the Bluebell Wood" by Julian Symon: A bizarre story about a man who confuses real life with the tales of King Arthur. Not really a mystery at all, but it's part of the collection so I guess it counts as one.. (one car accident; one stabbed)

"Willie's Last Trip" by Donald Olson: A man decides he's had enough of Willie lording his wealth over him and determines that Willie's trip to Mexico will be his last. (one hit on head)

"The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head" by Dorothy L. Sayers: Lord Peter Wimsey and his nephew find an old pirate treasure. One of my favorite Lord Peter short stories--I love the interaction between LPW and "Pickled Gherkins."(one natural) 

"The Man Who Read Dashiell Hammett" by William Brittain: A retiree who stocks books at the local library (and, incidentally, is devoted to reading mysteries) helps the library's director earn the donation of a prize mystery collection. It pays to know your Hammett. (one natural)

"Lord Chizelrigg's Missing Fortune" by Robert Barr: The newest Lord Chizelrigg is land rich, but lacks the funds to support his inheritance...unless Monsieur Valmont can help him decipher the late Lord Chizelrigg's literary clue to where he hid his gold. (one natural)

"The Copper Peacock" by Ruth Rendell: A writer takes refuges in his friend's empty apartment to try and get his latest book finished. He becomes enamored of the friend's cleaning lady...until she gives him a hideous copper peacock bookmark. (one beaten)

"The World According to Uncle Albert" by Penelope Wallace: Uncle Albert is a devotee of "The Master" (Sherlock Holmes) and likes to think he can spot clues just like his idol. When a member of his houseparty steals the family jewels, he's sure he can track down the criminal. (one natural)

"With a Smile for the Ending" by Lawrence  Block: Young Irishman, Tim Riordan, becomes the companion to a dying writer--a man whose work he has long admired. When the writer gets him involved in tracking down information about the death of a young woman, he's not so sure he likes what his favorite author plans to do with the information. (one drowned; one hit on head; one natural)

First line (1st story): One Tuesday afternoon, when Professor Cameron Phelps was nearing the end of his lecture to a Contemporary Fiction class on The Detective Story in Modern Novel and Film, a man he certainly recognized from drinks parties given by the English Society a while back suddenly appeared in the doorway near him, stood for a moment scanning the undergraduates, then stepped forward, pointing some sort of handgun at Geraldine Marques,sitting two student in on the third row, and shot her through the head, shot her twice.

Last lines (last story): I discovered that I did not like it all, and then I did cry. For Rachel Avery, for Joseph Cameron Bane. For me.

The Talk Show Murders

 The Talk Show Murders (1982) by Steve Allen

This is the first mystery novel by Steve Allen who was a modern Renaissance man--comedia, author, song writer, father of the talk show, frequent game show panelist (especially on What's My Line?), variety show host and participant. Unlike later mysteries which feature Steve and his wife, Jayne Meadows, as the central amateur detectives, this one has Steve as a peripheral character, no Jayne, and the sleuth is a private investigator by the name of Roger Dale. Roger is a kind of modern Renaissance man himself--he knows a little about just about everything (and sometimes more than a little) and is willing to give lectures on any subject at the drop of a hat. Roger has also had a few spectacular cases that has made him appear as good as Sam Spade, and Nick Charles and all the rest.

When a rock star with a history with the ladies dies on Toni Tennille's talk show in front of a live studio audience. Roger Dale is a bit interested, but nobody comes knocking and offering him a fee to investigate so he's ready to move on with his life. But then Johnny Carson invites Roger and an FBI agent by the name of J. Duffy Griswold to come on his show and discuss the murder that has Hollywood talking and Roger must bone up on all the details to hold his own with the feds. Also in the line-up is Sonny Pearson, a singer being groomed to be the next Donny Osmond. Except Sonny isn't the clean-cut, boy next door. He also likes the ladies and he likes them on the young side. Or he did...because he is the next to die on live television. This time under the noses of two detectives.

That makes it personal for Roger. Just when Johnny had built him up as this super sleuth, a man falls dead right beside him on the stage. Now his reputation is on the line. And as more murders occur on other talk shows, it becomes imperative to catch the killer before he wipes out half of Hollywood.

The first Steve Allen mystery I read featured him a heck of a lot more than this one did. And I found it more enjoyable when Allen was actually putting his words into his own mouth. Roger is good, but so many of his lines sound more like Steve Allen. It also isn't difficult to figure out who the murderer is. After all, I don't think anybody is going to believe that Allen was going to pin the murder on any of those talk show hosts or actual celebrities of the late seventies/early eighties. That didn't really leave a lot of suspects hanging around. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book--because I did. It was funny and nostalgic. I loved seeing all those talk show hosts from my younger years on the page. I'd forgotten that Toni Tennille had hosted a talk show (I only remembered the Captain & Tennille Variety Show). And the ending was great--all the suspects (and all the talk show hosts) gathered on the Merv Griffin Show for a wrap-up scene that would do Hercule Poirot proud. Roger doesn't quite accuse everyone in turn, but he does point the finger in a few directions before culprit is finally identified and caught. Light entertainment, but well worth it. ★★★

First line (sortof Preface): I sit in the hot, carcinogenic southern California sunshine, beside my swimming pool on a low hillside in the Royal Oaks section of Los Angeles, from which I can easily overlook the mortgage.

First line (1st Chapter): The arrival of young Elmo Fensetter was in some respects, like that of an Arab prince.

Whenever Roger wished to concentrate on a case he had a blowup [of a psychological form] made and kept it where he could see it constantly so that his subconscious--which he firmly believed to be smarter than he was--could be constantly fed with data and whir away upon it while his conscious mind met everyday demands. (p. 46)

Last line: After all, after a climax like that, what do you do for an encore?
*****************

Deaths =  5 (three poisoned; two stabbed)

Landscape of Lies

 Landscape of Lies (1989) by Peter Watson

Isobel Sadler wakes up one night with the distinct impression that someone is in her house. She's right. And he's downstairs trying to steal a painting. She manages to scare him off and is left with questions. Why on earth was the man in the motorcycle helmet trying to steal the painting hanging in the downstairs hall? After she inherited the house and its contents from her father, she had gradually had to sell all the really valuable items to support the family farm. The Chinese porcelain, Japanese lacquer, and jade carvings that her father had brought home from his previous life as a diplomat were long gone. The painting wasn't worth anything. It was ugly and not particularly well-painted. All it held was sentimental value because it had been in her family for years and years. But what if she were wrong? Somebody obviously thought it was worth stealing.

So, she takes the painting to Michael Whiting, an art dealer recommended by a friend of her father's. He verifies that as a painting, it isn't worth much. A few hundred pounds, maybe. Definitely not more. It's what she expected and he seems surprised that she didn't think it a priceless treasure. Then she tells him the rest of the story--not long before the attempted theft, she had attended an estate sale which included letters and papers relating to the only famous (or, rather, infamous) person in her family tree. Sir William "Bad Bill" Sadler who helped oversee the dissolution of the monasteries in the 15th century. She wanted to acquire them for the family history and didn't expect anyone else to be interested. But someone was. A man named Molyneaux outbid her (on behalf of a client) and then chatted her up afterward--wanting to know if she was a dealer. When she told him of her family interest, he offered to see if the client would consent to photocopies and said he'd be in touch. He appeared at her house three days before the break-in--no photocopies yet, but "just in the area for an estate sale." Molyneaux was very tall. So was the burglar. Coincidence.

Michael isn't clear on what she wants of him. But she tells him that Edward Ryan (the man who recommended him) said he liked a gamble. She wants him to research the painting to see if there is any secret to it that would warrant a theft. And if the research leads to anything lucrative, she'll share the proceeds with him fifty-fifty. He agrees...and has no idea that the research will take the two of them through the myths and religious legends of early Britain in search of hidden monastic treasures and pit them against a man who will stop at nothing to have the treasure for himself. 

So...this starts well. The set-up is good. I really liked the idea of the hidden secrets in the old painting. The whole opening rocks--I like the way Isobel and Michael interact and work together in the early stages of the investigation. But then....the middle part drags and was really quite tedious with all the miscues & running round in circles and then sudden life-threatening events. The earlier danger made the final scenes with our villain lose a bit of their punch. And speaking of final scenes: the ending was too abrupt (especially after the middle dragged on so) and it was especially annoying that the discovery of the treasures was tacked on as a flashback in the epilogue. Seriously? The whole book is aiming towards the solution of the clues in the painting and the discovery of the treasure and when it happens it's regulated to a scene that seems more of an afterthought? Oh...and one final thing. Michael shoving bloody into every exclamation and adjective got to be absobloodylutely annoying. ★★ and 1/2 

1st line: The moment Isobel awoke she knew there was someone else in the house.

Last lines: Isobel smiled. "I wouldn't bet on it."
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Deaths = two natural; one drowned

Warped Factors: A Neurotic's Guide to the Universe

 Warped Factors: A Neurotic's Guide to the Universe (1998) by Walter Koenig

Synopsis (from the book flap): This is Koenig's story--from growing up as the neurotic child of Russian immigrants in 1940s Manhattan through his rise to Star Trek fame as Pavel Chekov, Russian navigator of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and beyond. Not a typical Hollywood memoir, Warped Factors is anything but aloof. Koenig's very human narrative is full of the kind of insecurities and quirks anyone can relate to. With wry wit, striking candor, and a true gift for storytelling, Koenig takes us on a sometimes bumpy, but often hilarious trip through his galaxy....Of course, this amusing memoir will take us behind the scenes of Star Trek, with fresh perspectives not only on the cast members themselves but also on the development and evolution of the megalithic sci-fi legend....Finally, Koenig offers candid reflections not only on the Star Trek years but on his life and career since. Most notable are his well-received stints on stage and his role as the insidious Alfred Bester on television's Bablyon 5.

I've now read all available biographies/autobiographies/memoirs about or by every member of the Classic Trek except for James Doohan. I still need to get myself a copy of Beam Me Up, Scotty. Unfortunately, Koenig's memoir is the least engaging yet. He spends a great deal of time talking about his "other shoe" moments...moments waiting for the ill-fated other shoe to drop. When he just tells his story, he can be quite entertaining, but there are too many moments where he steps out of narrative mode to mention something and then say "more on that later." Or to tell us for the upmpteenth time how he was waiting for things to turn bad. Or to tell us how he totally misinterpreted someone's motives because of his own insecurities and hang-ups. Yes--I realize that he gave us a big clue to his nature in the subtitle but we didn't need to be hit repeatedly over the head with the idea of how neurotic he is. We get it. 

In many ways, his memoir is the most down-to-earth of those I've read, so it definitely earns points there. And when he allows himself to just tell the stories he does show the wry wit mentioned in the burb above. I would have enjoyed more of that and less waiting about for the other shoe to drop. But, after all, it's his story and I'm sure he needed to get that off his chest. 

An interesting addition to the Star Trek lore I have already read--and a book for fans. ★★★

Murder Every Monday: If You Can't See Me, How Did You Find Me?

 

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). 

Today's theme is books with a character that is blind. This was a tough one. I know that I've read (and own) more books with blind characters, but I can't seem to think of them. I've hunted down every one of them that I've reviewed, but there were others read before blogging that are going to be missed.

Most of these have a blind detective--if only briefly. The John Creasey book finds Inspector West temporarily blinded by a former "client" bent on revenge. Kendrick and Bramah both feature very talented blind detectives. Christie features a blind woman who has a corpse foisted upon her and Dalton features blind victim.

Best Max Carrados Detective Stories ~Ernest Bramah

The Murderer Who Wanted More ~Baynard Kendrick

One by One They Disappeared ~Moray Dalton

The Blind Spot ~John Creasey

The Clocks ~Agatha Christie

Odor of Violets ~Baynard Kendrick

Murder Among Friends

 Murder Among Friends (1942) by Lange Lewis (Jane de Lange Lewis)

Kathryn "Kate" Farr returns to the coeducational college where just a few years ago she was a student. She has come to replace the medical school dean's secretary, Garnet Dillon, who left most abruptly, leaving a very short note behind. Kate is told by the Dean that she will find the work of an academic secretary to be different from that of the business office. There will be far less dictation and far more phone calls. Far more interaction with all sorts--from professors to students to other staff. And "all sorts of odd jobs. Odd, odd jobs..." But even that warning couldn't prepare her for the oddest job of all...discovering the body of her predecessor in the school's morgue. 

When her old friend, medical student John Greenwood, takes her on a tour of medical building they visit the labs and wander the corridors containing the professors' offices. They end the tour at the morgue where he introduces her Mr. Griswold ("Grizz"), the man in charge, and she sees a body on a table. She feels a bit out of sorts and looks away to see another body. A body of a young woman who seems to match the description of Garnet Dillon. 

Lt. Richard Tuck is an old friend of Dean Ulysses Calder and so the dean call on Tuck to come and look into things. When Tuck realizes that the woman's purse is missing, he begins to wonder if she was the latest victim of Black Overcoat, a psychotic killer who has already claimed five victims using a different murder method each time. He seems to have a preference for weapons--knives and bludgeons of all sorts, but this time the victim has been poisoned. Poisoned with digitalis, a drug that would be well-known to a school full of medical students and professors. So maybe this murder is more personal. Or maybe Black Overcoat originates from the college and had to get rid of Garnet for safety's sake. Only time and a thorough investigation will tell.

I seem to be the outlier among my friends in the Golden Age blogging world. Brad, Kate, John,  Moira, & the Puzzle Doctor all seem more excited about this one than I am. Than I should be--after all, this is one of those academic mysteries that I love. And I did enjoy that aspect of it. In fact, I actually enjoyed the book right up to the very end. I can't tell you straight up why the ending bothers me so much without spoiling things. If you really want to know, I'm going to code it all up in ROT13 and you can copy and paste in the link and decode it. 

Urer'f gur guvat. Gur zheqre vfa'g ernyyl n zheqre. V zrna, Wbuaal qbrfa'g xvyy Tnearg orpnhfr ur ungrf ure be jvyy cebsvg ol vg be gb trg eriratr be nal bs gur fgnaqneq zheqre ernfbaf. Vg'f rhgunanfvn. Fur'f tbg pnapre naq, nppbeqvat gb uvz, ercrngrqyl zragvbaf gung fur'q xvyy urefrys vs fur qvqa'g oryvrir vg jnf n fva naq jbhyq xrrc ure sebz rgreany yvsr. Wbuaal qbrfa'g ernyyl oryvrir va n crefbany urnira be uryy, fb boivbhfyl vg'f bxnl sbe uvz. Ur qbrf yvxr ure. Naq ure svnapr vf uvf orfg sevraq naq Wbuaal qrpvqrf vg'f orggre nyy nebhaq vs arvgure Tneargg abe Xheg unir gb tb guebhtu gur uryyvfu zbaguf bs pnapre. Fb, ur tvirf ure gur avpr qbfrf bs qvtvgnyvf gung jvyy rnfr ure bhg bs gur jbeyq zhpu zber tragyl guna yrhxrzvn jbhyq.

Yg. Ghpx fhfcrpgf uvz, ohg qrpvqrf gb yrg gur qrngu fyvqr nf fhvpvqr. Fb, vs ure cnegvphyne eryvtvba unf n fgvtzn nggnpurq gb fhvpvqr, gura fur'f abg tbvat gb or ohevrq jvgu shyy Puevfgvna ubabef naljnl. Gur jubyr guvat whfg yrnirf n onq synibe va zl zbhgu. 

V ubarfgyl guvax V jbhyq unir orra zber fngvfsvrq jvgu gur raqvat vs gur "juvgr fyht," Flqarl Ivarf, jbhyq unir jbhaq hc orvat abg bayl Tnearg'f xvyyre, ohg Oynpx Birepbng nf jryy. Vg frrzf n ovg qvfratrahbhf gb unir Oynpx Birepbng pnfg nf fhpu na rabezbhf erq ureevat.

But--that quibble about the ending aside, I do like Lewis's way with characterization. She makes these quirky academics come to life and I can see the university setting and types very vividly. Kate is ideal for our point of view character (especially for me since I, too, am a support staff member). She gives us the outsider's evaluation of the cast of suspects. And, since she wasn't on the spot when Garnet was killed, we feel like we can trust her to give us the truth--as far as she knows it.

The Birthday Murder remains my favorite by Lewis, but this one would have given it a better run for its money if the ending had been more satisfying to this reader. Based on my fellow GAD bloggers' reactions, your mileage may vary. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Walking again down University Avenue was like being a ghost.

Detective Richard Tuck sat and listened. While he followed perfectly the minutest ramifications of Gufferty's main thesis, and while a certain corner of his mind absently noted nine errors in grammar ranging from a mild one of a split infinitive to some staggering confusions of tense, his large deliberate hand drew doodles on a scratch pad. (p. 33)

That's sunny Southern California for you, she thought. The February night goes right through you and comes out the other side, but your breathe doesn't freeze. It must be by special arrangement with the Chamber of Commerce. (p. 92)

Last line: Then she walked quickly toward his room.
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Deaths = 5 (two hit; two natural; one poisoned--others unnamed)

Book Challenge by Erin 23.0

 

Book Challenge by Erin 23.0 

First and foremost, have fun. Don't stress. No one is being judged, graded, or penalized. Even if you finish only one book the entire challenge, if you enjoy it and it's an accomplishment for you, then that's awesome.

This round of the challenge runs from July 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025. You submit your book list prior to beginning the challenge. Exchanges are accepted for the first round, but not in the bonus round (announced later). No books started before 12 a.m. on July 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on October 31 will count. (We live in different time zones--follow according to your own time zone.) Each book must be at least 200 pages long. Audio books are fine too. Read one book for each category. For full details see Erin's page on Facebook (link above). You will need to join the private group to view.

Here is my list:

Freebie: A Dying Fall by June Thomson (226 pages)

Made into TV Show: The Disappearing Floor by Franklin W. Dixon (218 pages) [1970s Hard Boys Season 1, Episode 5]

Dominant Cover Color (Blue): Murder Being Once Done by Ruth Rendell

Author Who's Published More Than 10 Books: The Feathered Serpent by Edgar Wallace (208 pages)

Plural Word in Title: Twelve Drummers Drumming by C. C. Benison (400 pages)

1940s: She Came Back by Patricia Wentworth (309 pages)

Body Part: The Four of Hearts by Ellery Queen (304 pages)

Set in Asia: Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo

Cat on the Cover: Cats Don't Need Coffins by D. B. Olsen [Dolores Hitchens] (220 pages)

Women in STEM: Death on the Dragon's Tongue by Margot Arnold (224 pages) [If archaeology counts as STEM]

The Three Coffins

 The Three Coffins (The Hollow Man; 1935) by John Dickson Carr

Eccentric Professor Charles Grimaud, a student of legends and the supernatural, holds court regularly at a local tavern. He and his circle of friends discuss vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and the like--debating their reality and the sources of their legends. One evening a stranger bursts into their gathering speaking in a bizarre, somewhat threatening manner. He talks of men coming up out of their graves. He says that he has come out of the grave.

Yes, I have done it. But more! I have a brother who can do much more than I can, and is very dangerous to you. I don't want your life; he does. But if he calls on you...

and later in the conversation

I have a last question for the famous professor. Some one will call on you one evening soon. I also am in danger when I associate with my brother, but I am prepared to run that risk. Some one, I repeat will call on you. Would you rather I did--or shall I send my brother?

The professor tells him to send the brother.  

And several nights later someone does call upon the professor. And apparently he did want the professor's life. For when the night is over, Professor Grimaud is dead--shot to death in a locked room by a visitor who vanishes into thin air.

When Dr. Gideon Fell is regaled with the story of the tavern scene and learns that the visitor is expected that very night, he immediately gathers Ted Rampole (teller of the tale) and Superintendent Hadley, his detective friend, and insists that they make tracks for Grimaud's house. They're just in time to be told that there has been the sound of a gunshot and that the visitor is locked in the professor's study--with the professor. They manage to gain entrance and find Grimaud mortally wounded but the visitor is nowhere to be seen. The window is open, but there is a yard full of unmarked snow and no way to go out the window to the roof or another room. 

Fell and Hadley and company have just started investigating the first impossible crime when another occurs. This time it is Pierre Fley, the man who confronted Grimaud at the tavern. And he was shot in the middle of a snow-covered street at close range. But three reliable witnesses swear there was nobody else near the stricken man and a voice came out of nowhere that said, "The second bullet is for you." Now our detectives have to figure out how the two men were connected and who wanted them both dead....oh, and, of course, the trifling little matter of how it was all done.

Carr works his locked room/impossible crime magic and comes up with a solution that I had to think about twice. There was one moment where I thought--but if X was going to do what Fell said he was going to do, then why did he need that? So, I had to go back and reread and then the light bulb went off. Oh, yeah. That's why. This is also the book that has the famous "locked room lecture" where Fell tells us straight up that he knows he's in the middle of a detective story and then goes on to explain the various ways to commit a murder in an apparently locked room. Naturally, he doesn't list the ways these two particular impossible crimes were contrived.

I have to admit that I was on the side of Hadley during this particular reading (I read this once before back in the mists of time--but it was long enough ago that all the details had dropped out of my head). I was a bit restless during the Fell lectures and just really wanted to get on with the story. But the impossible crimes are quite good and I enjoyed finding out how it was all done. [Though I have to say I could think of a better way for a certain item to have been hidden that would have been far less disastrous for the person doing the hiding...]. And other than when he was in full lecture mode, I enjoyed Dr. Fell and watching him go to work. This also has one of the better dying words clues among those I've come across. Quite good fun. ★★★★

First line: To the murder of Professor Grimaud, and later the equally incredible crime in Cagliostro Street, many fantastic terms could be applied--with reason.

"I am a mathematician, sir. I never permit myself to think." (Stuart Mills; p. 30)

In my experience with locked-room murders, getting in and getting out are two very different things. It would throw my universe off balance if I found an impossible situation worked both ways. (Superintendent Hadley; p. 46)

Last lines: "I have committed another crime, Hadley," he said. "I have guessed the truth again."
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Deaths = 7 (two shot; two hit; one natural; one suffocated; one stabbed)