Thanks
to the Puzzle Doctor over at In
Search of the Classic Mystery I discovered another Reading Challenge that
didn't interfere with my "Read from the TBR" plan for 2016. It
originated at the 746 Books blog
– and it didn't provide too much trouble for dedicated readers. The challenge
was to read twenty books over the summer (technically the 1st of
June to 5th September). Last year I managed to squeeze in 39 books
over that same time period--and I have now completed my 20th book!
Here's
my list:
A Cold Day for Murder (1992) by Dana Stabenow is the first novel in a series starring Kate Shugak and it won the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original. Kate is an Aleut Indian who left her rather insular home and headed out into the world, winding up the star investigator of the Anchorage D.A.'s office. Her last case in that office was rather horrific involving abuse of a young girl by her father--resulting in emotional trauma for both Kate and the young girl; a scar and damaged voice for Kate; and Kate leaving the D.A.'s office and retreating to her Aleut roots in the far Alaskan north.
When a young national park ranger with ties to an East Coast senator disappears and then the investigator who is sent to trace him disappears as well, Kate's old boss Jack comes calling and asks for her help. She finds herself asking questions of some of her friends and family--and butting heads with her grandmother who is the real power behind the local Aleut governing body. Her loyalties will be tested and she and Jack will risk their lives before proving what happened to the missing men.
I finished this book just before heading out for a weekend at my parents, so I didn't write up my review in a timely fashion--which means this one is going to be shorter than usual.
Kate is a good heroine in the making. I was a bit disappointed in the action scenes and the the overall mystery solution. There were few clues for the reader and it made it difficult for the reader to arrive at the solution along with Kate. Most of the earnings in the star department come from the descriptions--of the Alaskan setting, of the ways of the Aleut Indians, of Kate's relationships with her family and friends (particularly her grandmother), and of Kate herself. The plot is not nearly as strong as I would expect from an Edgar winner, but it was strong enough to encourage me to keep my eye out for more books in the series. I hope that future books will make more of the mystery plot.
Overall, a good solid debut novel with interesting characters, a strong female lead, and an excellent sense of place. ★★★
Too Good to Be True (1948; aka The Dolphin Mystery AND Dead Man Friday) is the only mystery written by J. F. (Joy Ferris) Hutton. It is set in California and features Don Paulson, who, after being decommissioned by the army, finds himself at loose ends and decides to take an offer of employment as a trouble shooter and sometimes glorified errand boy from Ray Menke--one of California's most prominent businessmen. Menke Enterprises which owns two major companies and dozens of smaller concerns is the most successful operation Paulson has ever seen.
Paulson's first six weeks goes along just fine. Then Menke sends him to convince a fabulous precision instrument man by the name of Zensler to join the Menke team. He's not to take no for an answer. But "no" is all Zensler is willing to say. He does direct Paulson to another man who might be willing to work for the businessman, but when Paulson enters Abner Solex's shop he finds the man dead with his head bashed in. That's just the beginning of his troubles--Inspector Bradley doesn't seem to think he's as innocent as he claims. And then when more dead bodies--of people whose paths have crossed Paulson's--turn up, it looks like the inspector is giving him just enough rope to hang himself. Paulson is determined to figured out the clue left by the dying man and his amateur investigations take him to an exclusive nightclub, a restaurant called the Dolphin Cafe, and a secluded cabin in the woods. But it will be a tiny little clue and an old children's rhyme that will lead him to the truth.
This is a fairly straight-forward mystery. Paulson is a decent main character--reminding me of Archie Goodwin and Donald Lam...except he's no side-kick to a great detective; he's on his own when it comes to investigating. He's not quite in Goodwin's or Lam's league, but he does a fair job of detecting all on his own. The author makes a good effort at fair play and honest clueing, though I didn't get the solution before the wrap-up. There is a bit of a cheat at the end--if a certain thing hadn't happened right when Paulson was trying to convince Inspector Bradley of the culprit's guilt, they probably would would have gotten away with it. Solid mystery with interesting characters. It makes me wonder what Hutton could have done if she had written any more. ★★★
*********************
This counts for the "Skeletal Hand" category on the Golden Vintage Scavenger Hunt card.
The Red House Mystery (1922) is the one and only adult mystery novel by A. A. Milne, the author of children's stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin, and all the other inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood. According to the dedication page, he wrote the book for his father who had a great fondness for the mystery novel.
Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective stories, and feel that there are not enough of them. So, after all that you have done for me, the least I can do for you is to write you one.
Milne also wanted to write the kind of detective story that he would most like to read. And he had a few rules of his own that the perfect mystery must follow. 1. It must be written in English; that is to say--nice, plain, simple English. Nobody was to be "effecting egresses" when they could quite simply "go out." 2. No love interests for the detective. The detective should be busy detecting and not holding hands with Angela (or Jane or whoever). 3. The detective must not have more special knowledge than the average reader. 4. There must a Watson for the detective to explain things to all along the way--no great, grand summation scene where the detective reveals all the cards he's been holding to his chest or, worse yet, last-minute confession by the culprit. The detective should point out everything he's noticed (both clues and red herrings) to give Watson (and the reader) a chance to solve the crime himself.
Milne's detective is Antony Gillingham, a young man of independent means who has been something of a rolling stone--seeing the world by taking up one profession after another and succeeding at everything from a tobacconist's assistant to a valet to a waiter. He never stays at one job very long and has no trouble finding a new profession when he tires of the old one. "Instead of experience and testimonials he offered his personality and a sporting bet. He would take no wages the first month--and if he satisfied his employer--double wages the second. He always got his double wages." At the beginning of the book, he is between positions and when he finds that he has gotten off the train in Woodham, a small town near The Red House, he recalls that his friend Bill Beverley is staying there. After taking rooms at The George, he decides to drop by The Red House and look up Beverley. He arrives just in time to help discover a murder....and to discover his next profession: sleuth.
Beverley's host, Mark Ablett, had announced at breakfast that his ne'er-do-well brother Robert was arriving that very afternoon from Australia and he would meet with him at about three o'clock. His house guests left for a golf outing, leaving Mark, his cousin and right-hand man--Matthew Cayley, and his housekeeper and maid alone in the house. Robert arrives, the two brothers are overheard arguing in the office, a shot rings out, and when Cayley tries to enter the room to see what's happening he finds the door locked.
Enter Antony Gillingham. He assists Cayley in breaking in at the window and the two men discover the body of Robert Ablett, dead from a gunshot. There is no sign of the master of the house. The crime has every appearance of being a locked room mystery. But where's the gun? And was the window really open when Cayley and Gillingham arrived? And, if not, why would Cayley open it? Gillingham is all set to don his deerstalker and take up a meerscham pipe, if Bill Beverley is prepared to play Watson to his Sherlock.
Antony smoked thoughtfully for a little. Then he took his pipe out of his mouth and turned to his friend.
"Are you prepared to be the complete Watson?" he asked.
"Watson?"
"Do-you-follow-me-Watson; that one. Are you prepared to have
quite obvious things explained to you, to ask futile questions, to give
me chances of scoring off you, to make brilliant discoveries of your own
two or three days after I have made them myself? Because it all helps."
"My dear Tony," said Bill delightedly, "need you ask?"
Gillingham and Beverley have their work cut out for them--looking for clues, discovering secret passages, and observing someone depositing evidence in the estate's pond. There are motives to be examined and people to question. There are various explanations given for some of the evidence--but only one explanation will cover them all. Antony proves himself a proper Sherlock by getting to the bottom of it.
I first read this about 20 years ago or so and have since bought the featured edition to add to my pocket-size edition collection and to reread. Milne's solo foray into the mystery field is delightful--full of humor and fun banter between his "Holmes & Watson." Given that Milne sends nearly all the possible suspects on a golfing expedition, it's not terribly difficult to narrow down the field. I do remember my younger self being fairly surprised at the exact solution, but I was in the ballpark. This story is more enjoyable as a period piece and as an examination of the mystery field itself and makes for a fun, light-hearted read rather than a serious mystery to unravel. Great fun. ★★★★
************
The weird orange window panes on the front cover of this particular edition give me the "Other Color" category on the Golden Vintage Scavenger Hunt card.
The devil walks among you, for the devil is of your own making, a judgment upon you all, a terrible and dreadful chastisement!
The Devil in Bellminster (2002) by David Holland is a historical mystery novel set in the early 19th century English countryside. It takes place in the cathedral town of Bellminster. The town seems to be a quiet little world all to itself in the country, but even in the early 1800s there are petty little games of politics to be played and the lives of the innocent will be weighed against the sins of the guilty. A dark force has come among the people of the town--someone who believes they have a calling to weed out the sinful tares among the wheat. The first victim to be discovered is the sexton of the Cathedral--who would dare to kill one of God's servants? But Will Sharpton was no saint, often coming to work drunk, and perhaps the sin of drunkeness was what must be weeded out. More deaths follow and panic begins to take over the sleepy little town.
The local lord has called in a Bow Street Runner from London, but Detective Inspector Myles seems more intent on finding someone (anyone) to pin the murder on and quiet the hysteria. He views the truth as a very elastic commodity. The Reverend Tuckworth, lately the town's vicar and soon to be the Dean
of Bellminster, seems to be all that stands between the good people of
the town and the evil descending upon them. He is also the last hope of Adam Black, the developmentally backward young man that Myles has chosen for his scapegoat. If the good reverend cannot plumb the secrets of the true villain, an innocent man will hang. But Tuckworth has a secret of his own--a secret that he can't afford anyone to know. And it may be difficult to keep the secret in the face of the evil he must confront.
***********Possible spoilers in my thoughts below--although I've tried to be vague. Read at your own risk
This is a fairly solid mystery. I won't say historical mystery because therein lies my dilemma. Despite various descriptions, particularly about superstitions and religious beliefs, that were intended to make the reader believe they were in early 19th C England, there was very little that actually did make me believe it was so. It felt very much like this story could have been taking place at just about any time. And I spent way more time than necessary puzzling over the amount of a bribe mentioned in the novel--I just couldn't honestly believe that someone would have paid a gossipy old woman (probably intended to be viewed as a "witch" of sorts) four pounds during that time period for false testimony and then have her offered twice the amount to actually tell the truth (which she mysteriously turns down). I don't see a Bow Street Runner having that kind of money to throw around. Maybe I'm misjudging amounts--but Sherlock Holmes in the Victorian era was pretty generous when he paid for information and I can't remember him ever paying more than a sovereign--two at the most.
Tuckworth is an interesting character--particularly as the reader watches his struggle with his secret and his growing interest in the detecting occupation. He gets involved for all the right reasons--to make sure that justice is served and not just placated. It was very satisfying watching him learn to have faith in humanity even as he confronts the evil that men do.
I will say that the culprit should have been more obvious to me given the circumstances surrounding the murders and trends in the mystery field when religious beliefs seem to play a major role. I was hung up by the fact that I really wanted a certain person to be the murderer and it was possible...though not as likely, I admit. Just goes to show that one should not allow prejudice to dictate one's detecting. ★★★
The Poet's Funeral (2005) by John M. Daniel is a somewhat odd little book. It is narrated by Guy Mallon, one-time used bookstore owner and now indie publisher of poetry books. But each chapter begins with a eulogy given by one of the characters about the titular poet, Heidi Yamada. Heidi's book was the first Guy ever published--and the last one he ever published of hers. She was also his lover at one time. She, Guy, several of her other lovers--past and present, many of her rivals and fans, and several hundred other book-related people have all gathered in Las Vegas for the annual American Booksellers Association Convention. And everyone of them, except Heidi, will make it safely home.
Heidi has managed, throughout her sometimes stormy rocket ride to the pinnacle of poetry fame, to tick off an large number of people. And most of them are at the convention. When she is found dead in the late Elvis Presley's king-sized bed at the site of one of the many parties associated with the convention, the police (who don't want no trouble in their town) quickly sweep the incident under the carpet as an accident--a drug overdose. But Guy is convinced it's murder and goes to some trouble to find out who did it. He's threatened several times and there's someone out there willing to kill to get their hands on a certain packet of pictures that make their way into Guy's possession. But his inexperience and small stature non-withstanding, Guy is ready to take on the bad guys in order to get to the truth. And he turns one of them into a cactus pincushion when push comes to shove in the final showdown.
This book had quite a lot of potential. Guy is a likeable character. I enjoyed his interactions with his current business partner and love of his life, Carol. I thought the way he worked his way through his unresolved feelings for Heidi and negotiated his relationship with Carol was realistic. I liked him as an amateur detective. The tension between watching the characters actually interact with Heidi and then reading their eulogies (full of fake feelings and a false sense of loss) was interesting. But in the end, it didn't really come together. There weren't a heck of a lot of clues to go on--so no fair play in the mystery plot--and I didn't particularly care for the cops attitude of "nothing happened," "move along," "nothing to see here" which resulted in no tangible consequences for the murderer. Guy seems to think he'll be able to dole out a punishment of sorts through the publishing world, but it's not really justice. A fairly disappointing book with a few bright spots. ★★
The Ticking Clock (1962) is one of Frances & Richard Lockridge's stand-alone mysteries. It is a suspense-driven novel that doesn't bring in any of their series characters, even peripherally. I find these novels to be the least appealing of the Lockridge efforts. I'm less inclined to the suspense thriller anyway, but it helps when they bring in Captain Heimrich or Lt. Shapiro or Bernie Simmons for at least part of the investigation or the wrap-up. Another weakness in this novel is the lack of interaction and dialogue. Nearly all of the "conversation" (if that's what we want to call it) is an inner dialogue that Constance Dale, our heroine, has with herself. One of the strengths of the Lockridge books is in the conversations. The dialogue is always vibrant and very real and it adds a depth to the books that is sadly lacking here.
Constance Dale has come East from California to investigate her inheritance. As the nearest relative to dear old Great-Aunt Adelaide, she has been saddled with a gigantic white elephant of a house. Her house agent has tried diligently to sell the thirty-some room mansion for two years, but with no luck. So, Constance finally decides to look things over for herself and see if, at the very least, she might be able to sell some of the furniture to cover the taxes and upkeep. Then she'll head to New York City, conduct some business for her West Coast company, have a bit of a vacation, and head home.
But the best laid plans...
When Constance looks over the house, there is evidence that someone has been there. The grandfather clock is ticking away...and it's set to the right time. At first she ascribes the clock to the couple who looked over the house shortly before she arrived. Maybe they just wanted to see if it still worked. But then she comes back later that evening to see a light on in one of the rooms. A light that clicks off as soon as her car's headlights hit the house. And there's the feeling that someone is watching her during the night. And finally there's the cry that sounds an awful lot like a child. In addition to the odd happenings around the house, there is her nearest neighbor and distant cousin Jonathan who keeps popping up at the strangest times and who seems be suspicious of her. When she discovers a kidnapped child being held captive in her house, she doesn't know whom she can trust.
Most of the suspense in this story is built up through that inner conversation that Constance has. We follow her thoughts and her fears. It's not quite in the "Had I But Known" category, because Constance doesn't spend any time at all foreshadowing events like that. It's more like a more coherent stream-of-consciousness where we know all about what she's thinking the whole time. The saving grace of the book is the few conversations that are had--between Constance and Jonathan, between the kidnappers and the father of the child, between the kidnappers themselves, and the brief glimpses we get of the policemen involved (even though they aren't any of our usual Lockridge friends). I think Constance could have been just as engaging as other Lockridge heroines, but since she's so much on her own in this one we're just not given the chance to find out. ★★
********
This counts for the "Clock" category on the Silver Vintage Scavenger Hunt card--it replaces Dead Against My Principles (which will now count for "Dead Body.")
High Rhymes & Misdemeanors is the first book in Diana Killian's Poetic Death Mystery series. It features Grace Hollister, an American schoolteacher and literary scholar. Grace is spending her vacation in England's Lake District, following the footsteps of her favorite bad boys of the Romantic period (like Byron, Shelley, and Keats) when she stumbles, quite literally over the body of Peter Fox who is lying face down in a stream with a wound in his head. She's sure that he's dead, but performs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and soon has him sputtering up stream water. He has been coshed over the head and left for dead, but neither of them saw by whom and he doesn't seem to know why.
She helps the handsome antiques dealer back to the Tinker's Dam, the pub where they both are staying. When two tough-looking fellows come into the bar and nearly lose their drinks after seeing Peter alive and well, it soon becomes apparent that Peter, and by extension Grace, have landed in the middle of something sinister. Peter disappears the next morning and Grace is pursued by "Mutt and Jeff" (as Peter had dubbed them), kidnapped, and held for ransom until Peter coughs up the "gewgaws" that the thugs are after. Expect Peter has no idea what they're talking about. And Grace refuses to play damsel in distress and effects her own escape. She tracks down Peter and together they discover that the treasure being sought has something to do with Lord Byron....and someone's willing to kill to get their hands on it.
This is a fun, light, cozy mystery with plenty of literary references for those with an academic bent. There's lightly-handled romance that doesn't get in the way of the mystery and lots of action. There are also hefty doses of coincidence, but one doesn't mind because the story is good. Not a lot of clues for those who prefer a fair-play mystery, but if you like a good character-driven story, then this one is very good. The relationship between Grace and Peter is interesting and enjoyable. The interactions between the slightly-old-world British scoundrel and the head-strong, "I can take care of myself" Yankee girl makes for a humorous romance. ★★★
{I actually finished this on June 30th, but am just now getting my review up. So, this is last book of June.}
Nobody is going to that much trouble to get murdered. But if you're going to murder somebody, you expect to go to a lot of trouble. I would. [Pam North]
The Norths Meet Murder (1940) is a lovely beginning to Frances & Richard Lockridge's series which features (to varying degrees) Pam and Jerry North as the slightly "screwy," yet classy amateur sleuth husband and wife team and the sharp Lieutenant (later Captain) Bill Weigand and his faithful, often confused sidekick Detective Aloysius Mullins. This first outing is a bit more police procedural than later installments and we spend a great deal of time following Weigand and Mullins around as they hunt down clues and interview suspects. Pam and Jerry appear at the beginning and end...as well as popping up now and again throughout, but this is really Weigand's book.
The story opens with Jerry returning home from work in a rather grumpy mood to find that Pam has decided that they need to throw a party. And the empty apartment on the top floor of their building will be the perfect location "because there was so much room and she had just thought of it." She had already gone up earlier that day and checked out the space (just to be sure) and had cleared the idea with their landlady, Mrs. Buano. All she needs now is for Jerry to tell her what a fine idea it is and to go upstairs with her so she explain all the important details (like where they'll place the bar, for instance). Once he has downed enough cocktails, he is persuaded to go upstairs. But instead of visualizing the party arrangements and the expected guests, he and Pam find an unexpected guest already lounging in the bathtub. Naked. And very dead.
This brings the cops. Lots of cops
"Six cars, every which way," Mrs. North called, excitedly. "They don't pay any attention to one-way streets. Seven cars, and there's going to be a crowd."
It also brings Lieutenant Bill Weigand and Sergeant Mullins. It isn't long before the body is identified and it is discovered that the man moved within some of the same social circles as the Norths. Which gives them a bit of a motive--albeit tenuous. Weigand will sift the clues to find those that point to the true villain of the piece.
It was a great delight to read this once again. I first read it about twenty years ago or so--from the library. And have since gotten my very own copy. When the Mystery Reporter Challenge called for a book that involved a party, I decided it was time to revisit my friends, the Norths. The book is a lot of fun. The dialogue and the descriptions are breezy and delightful. Pam's apparent non sequiturs keep Jerry, Weigand, and Mullins on their toes. This time around, I was struck by how much I love Mullins and his distrust of screwy murders and even screwier witnesses. I was also struck by the racism in Mullins's treatment of a Japanese servant. I hadn't remembered that from the first reading. I'm convinced that it had a great deal to do with the fact that this book came out during World War II and I hope I'm remembering correctly that there is little of it in later books.
The police procedural nature of the book is decent--although the clues are not quite fair play. There is an interesting alibi involved and the wrap-up has a medium-sized dose of female in jeopardy when Pam realizes who the murderer must be and s/he realizes that Pam has had a "light bulb" moment. Overall, great fun and light entertainment at its best. I originally gave this five stars. This time round, I'm giving it ★★★★ and a half--with a small deduction for the small amount of racism.
************
In addition to the Mystery Reporter Challenge, this also counts for the "Cat" category on the Golden Vintage Scavenger Hunt card.
Quotes:
Mr. North came home early that Tuesday afternoon, and as soon as he came in Mrs. North realized he was in a mood. (p. 1)
[about discovering a dead body] Things happen too quickly to have feelings about them, don't they? I mean, by the time things are over, and you begin to have feelings about the kind of feelings you had. (Pam North, p. 14)
Mr. North himself was now entirely convinced that it had been the murderer who had pretended to be Western Union looking for Mr. Shavely, although he could see that Lieutenant Weigand might, quite reasonably, remain unpersuaded. The lieutenant would, Mr. North thought again, simply have to learn. (p. 32)
[about Lt. Weigand]
PN: I thought derby hats and cigars. But he's just like anybody. You wouldn't think he was."
JN: That's what he keeps Mullins for. Mullins couldn't be anything else and he guarantees Weigand. (Pam & Jerry North, p.37)
[Weigand] speculated on the desirability of another martini. There was, after all, Deputy Chief Inspector Artemus O'Malley. Artemus was no teetotaler; on the other hand, he would view any tendency to stagger with disapproval. (p. 39)
With a blasting you know where you are, and can just round guys up. (Mullins, p. 40)
Thus, although not an unamiable man as Deputy Chief Inspectors go, he growled at Weigand when the lieutenant entered and wanted to know, profanely, where he had been. Weigand said he had stopped ffor a bit of dinner; he tried to make it sound as if he had scooped a sandwich off a counter and chewed as he ran after clues. (p. 43)
Then she decided [Lt. Weigand] was like, more than anyone else, an associate professor at Columbia they had met a few weeks before and who had turned out to be, for a professor at any rate, amazingly gay and frolicsome. (p. 74)
It was unfortunate that murderers were not always unattractive people one could enjoy arresting. (p. 138)
There was, Mullins knew by experience, a time in every case when the Loot began to suspect everybody. It came when things got too screwy even for the Loot, who could take things a lot screwier than Mullins could. Mullins suffered this period, but he understood it. In his idle moments--never as numerous as Mullins would have liked--he experimented with crossword puzzles, and they were always too much for him at a certain point. Then, he had long since decided, the way he felt must be about the way the Loot felt now. (p. 150)
JN: But we couldn't help it. It just happened. It was just the party. And, after all, you can't let murderers just--well run loose. You have to think of that.
PN: But that is theoretical. Just "murderers." But people you know aren't just murderers." She paused, and thought. "Even if they are." (Jerry & Pam; pp 207-8)
...once he knew where to crack, it would be easy. Somewhere in a what he had already discovered, and heard, there was, he felt, a weak spot, if he could find it. But the trouble was that, as a policeman, you had to know first. You knew, and then you proved; once in a great while you knew, but couldn't prove. But evidence was raw, scattered stuff until you could shape it with knowledge. (p. 211)
Weigand remembered Mrs. North's happy assumption that the murderer had left his name; and grinned over it. Murderer's didn't, in his experience, leave their names. Certainly not intentionally; certainly not if they were men as astute as he suspected [redacted] to be. (p. 247)
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Homes series put out by Titan Books is a rather hit or miss affair. There are several very strong entries in the series and then there are
those that would need a great deal of suspension of disbelief to accept
them as part of Holmes lore (The Veiled Detective, I'm looking at you--and, to a lesser extent, The War of the Worlds). The series reprints older pastiches such as The Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Holmes by Loren D. Estleman, and The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Richard L. Boyer as well as presenting newer works like The Man from Hell by Barrie Roberts and The White Worm by Sam Siciliano. The Titanic Tragedy by William Seil, first published in 1996, falls somewhat in the middle--both in terms of printing date and excellence.
Two things attracted me to this title initially. One: I love looking for good new stories about Sherlock Holmes. Two: The Titanic story has fascinated me for years (well before the movie ever came out...). The combination seemed to promise a real winner.
[Brief pause for a commercial break. You know--it occurred to me while I was letting this review percolate that if all the fictional people who have sailed on the Titanic and lived to tell the tale had actually been there and done that....well, none of the real, live people who survived the tragedy could actually have made it. There wouldn't be room on the survivor roll call. Just a thought. And now back to your regularly scheduled review.]
Seil takes Holmes and Watson, who have retired to Sussex and bees and to Piccadilly and historical novels respectively, and sends them on another adventure. Holmes is called upon to render one more service to the Crown in the form of making sure a set of secret submarine plans make it safely across the Atlantic to the U.S. Navy. He naturally requests the companionship of his faithful friend Dr. Watson. The two accompany Miss Christine Norton, government agent and daughter of The Woman, aboard the fateful voyage of the luxurious ocean liner, the Titanic. Joining the travelers are, of course, the historical figures known to be on the doomed ship--Captain Smith and various crewmen, Jacques Futrelle, the detective fiction writer; Mr. Andrews, the ship's designer; and Mr. Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line--but the company also includes the brother of Professor Moriarty, who has an agenda of revenge and mayhem of his own, as well as various anarchists and foreign spies. Some of these villains are after the plans and some are out to sink the great liner. Holmes and Watson will have their hands full fending off various attacks, discovering a murderer, and tracking down the plans after they go missing. And they have to do it before the Titanic encounters an iceberg and fulfills her infamous destiny.
This is an interesting and fairly well-done Holmes story. A bit of the punch is taken from it because we know the ultimate ending--and we're fully confident that our heroes will not go down with the ship. Seil does a very good job adopting Doyle's style and voice and the main characters, for the most part, behave and sound as we expect. He manages to capture the friendship between the two men and he even allows Watson to see through the main disguise which Holmes employs. There is a bit of doubt about the reactions of the ship's crew--but I think we can reasonably suspend our disbelief on a few counts. Seil also introduces us to a rather charming young boy named Tommy who idolizes Holmes and manages to have a brief scene with the Great Detective before boarding a lifeboat. I did find myself wishing that Holmes had taken Tommy somewhat into his confidence and employed him as an onboard Baker Street Irregular. That would have been grand. In general, an entertaining story and one of the better entries from the mid- to later pastiches included in this series. ★★★ and 1/2.
************
Since this story involves the tragic encounter with the iceberg, this counts for the "Death during a natural disaster" category in the Mystery Reporter's Challenge.
