Murder Rides the Campaign Train

 Murder Rides the Campaign Train (1952) by The Gordons (Mildred & Gordon Gordon)

Governor Wallace X. Martin (political party unmentioned) is on a whistle-stop campaign tour on his bid for the White House. The train is full of supporters, campaign team members, his daughter and son, and reporters. All friends--yes? If so, then why is someone trying to kill "the next President of the United States"? We start off with someone taking a potshot at the governor late one night while he sits up working on a campaign speech. Someone knocks his daughter out when she's roaming around in the dark trying to catch them red-handed. Then that same someone slips poison in the governor's coffee--fortunately he doesn't drink much and he gets medical attention in time. But how long can his luck hold out?

Evidence seems to point towards Jackie Moxas, one of his secretaries. Jackie has a huge chip on her shoulder and loathes her boss for reasons revealed to us along the way. But there's also Mr. Andrews, a rather shady fellow, who has supported the governor for many years and expects some return on his investment. He doesn't take kindly to finding out that he may be pushed out into the cold. There are others on the train who harbor secret resentments...are any of them strong enough to kill for? Dana Peck is the detective on the train and it's his job to keep the governor safe. Jackie decides Dana is a goop and needs help cracking the case. Besides, she can't sit idly by while everyone suspects her. She starts snooping around to clear her name and if she gets to show Peck how to do his job that'll be fine too. But the would-be killer may have other plans for Jackie Moxas.

A most appropriate title for this year's reading here in the United States and I have a mixed reaction to it. The Gordons do an excellent job representing the whistle-stop campaign tour of the early 1950s (at least from what I know of it). The train setting and their representation of all the members of the campaign--from the governor to his children to the secretaries to the campaign manager to the reporters along for the ride--are solid and realistic. My difficulty is with the characters themselves and perhaps this is deliberate on the part of the Gordons, though I think, since she's our narrator and given the background story we're gradually given for her, we're supposed to sympathize with Jackie. But I don't. I don't feel like I'm supposed to be "for" anyone. 

Jackie is very chip-on-her-shoulder, it's me against the world. No matter how nice anyone is to her, she doesn't believe it. Everyone has an ulterior motive; no compliment comes without an expectation; no kind word is what it seems. And she's so idiotic about her "I'm going to solve it before the 'goopy' detective." She's not good at detecting and she only helps them figure out who's behind it all by walking straight into the culprit's arms and putting herself in danger. The governor is the usual political dude--he's been willing enough to give quid pro quo to all sorts of questionable parties along the way, but now that he's aiming for the White House he suddenly decides that he needs to be squeaky clean. Like somehow he can give these questionable people the brush-off and they're going to take it? He's seems incredulous that they still expect to have some influence on his campaign. And I can't decide if his "rescue unfortunate young people who have had minor brushes with the law" thing is sincere or just part of his image polishing. Jackie, who has benefitted from a rescue, definitely thinks it's the latter. The governor's entourage is full of people who are just looking out for themselves...and some of them are looking out for the questionable parties. The closest I get to being "for" anyone is with Dana Peck, the detective head of the governor's security, and Charlie Lundigan, the most personable of the reporters. 

The mystery itself is okay. There isn't much chance of figuring out who did it based on clues that are hidden among red herrings as in a puzzle plot mystery. It's more police procedural in nature--we find out motives and clues straight up along with the characters. Readers may focus on the particular character, but there aren't many pointers before the author spills the beans on motive. Interesting setting and a well-done set-up carry this one. ★★★

First line: All that Jackie Moxas wanted out of life was a pale blue convertible, a silver mink, Johnny Johnson, and her boss to drop dead.

Last lines: "She's a fine young woman, Dana. As fine as they come."
                  Dana smile.
****************************

Deaths = 4 (three natural; one fell from train)