Sherlock Holmes & the Hentzau Affair

 Sherlock Holmes & the Hentzau Affair (1991) by David Stuart Davies

Once again, Sherlock Holmes is called upon to prevent an international incident. Readers of Anthony Hope's books revolving around Kingdom of Ruritania may have thought that all was settled there. But Colonel Sapt comes to Holmes for help when the crown is in danger once again and the country is facing a threat from Count Rupert of Hentzau. King Rudolf the Fifth is deathly ill and Count Rupert plans to take advantage of his weakened state to take over the throne. 

Colonel Sapt has come to England to ask Rudolf Rassendyll to impersonate the King one more time to save the kingdom (not to mention Queen Flavia, who Rassendyll loves). But Rassendyll is nowhere to be found. What starts as a simple request to trace the missing Englishman soon leads Holmes and Watson through a trail of murder and deception to the wilds of Ruritania and a daring impersonation by Holmes to save not one Rudolf, but two. 

This is one of the best Holmes pastiches that I have read from Davies. It is a much shorter work (mirroring the length of The Prisoner of Zenda) and I think he does a very good job weaving Holmes into a swashbuckling tale. A fast-moving and engrossing tale and I'm glad that Watson (through Davies) was finally able to allow it to be published. The romantics among us will be happy to know that there is a (at least temporary) "happily every after" ending for Queen Flavia and Rassendyll...and for Ruritania as well. The kingdom is in much better hands than when King Rudolf the Fifth was in charge and we're definitely glad that Count Rupert has been taken care of. ★★★★

First line: I have often reflected that of the many investigations carried out by my friend, the celebrated detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, those which had the most dramatic openings often led on to even more dramatic conclusions.

Last line: "However, in this instance, old friend, I believe you may be right."
****************************

Deaths = 4 (one natural; two stabbed; one shot)

(Finished 11/5/26)

The Serpent Pool (Spoilerific)

 The Serpent Pool (2010) by Martin Edwards

Warning: I am going to be explicit about a certain plot point. It won't reveal the killer, but it will reveal part of the motivation behind the murders. Read on at your own risk.

DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Lake District's Cold Case Squad has decided to open the seven-year-old case of Bethany Friend. Bethany was found drowned in the Serpent Pool's few inches of water. Though tied up with the leads from her car, there was no evidence of anyone else in the vicinity and it was just feasible that she had tied herself up and committed suicide for attention. But would a woman deathly afraid of water choose to drown herself? Bethany's mother always insisted it was murder and now that Mrs. Friend is dying, Hannah hopes to find out the truth before the woman is gone. 

Just as she and her team begin investigating, the officers handling current day cases are faced with another bizarre suicide/possible murder. George Saffell, an obsessive book collector, dies in a blaze that consumes his expensive collection. Again, there is evidence that he was tied up...and the fire was obviously set. But would a man so obsessive about his book collection actually commit suicide by burning himself and his books up? Is it possible the two deaths are connected? 

A third death occurs--first connecting historian Daniel Kind (who has worked with Hannah before) and his sister. But then a real connection between the three deaths becomes apparent: Marc Amos, Hannah Scarlett's partner. Marc is a bookseller and had supplied both of the dead men with books. And, as Hannah learns from other sources, Bethany had worked for Marc briefly before she and Marc became a couple. Why didn't Marc tell her? Does he know more about the deaths than he's let on? And then Marc disappears...

Running through the book is a theme connected to Thomas De Quincey. Daniel is researching for a book on the man known for his Confessions of an English Opium Eater and On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts. One of the suspects is organizing a conference about De Quincey and has asked Daniel to give a lecture. And then it occurs to Hannah that the murders seem to fall in line with De Quincey's thoughts on the subject. Bethany feared water and was drowned. George loved his books and it is now certain that he was alive to watch his books burn. And the last known victim, was claustrophobic and died of exposure in a small, deep well. 

This was interesting entry in Hannah's and Daniel's dance towards relationship (I've read a later book, so I know what's coming). But I have to be honest, the cruelty of the murders and, especially the scenes with the last intended victim were a bit off-putting even though they were not as graphic as they could have been. Also, I caught on quite early to the De Quincey connection and the fact that the murders were committed in part to create as much suffering as possible for the victims. It wasn't nearly the a-ha moment that it should have been. As soon as De Quincey came up more than a couple times, I was right on it. And once the third victim is found the suspects aren't exactly thick on the ground. Not my favorite of the series. ★★★

First line: The books were burning.

Last line: Tomorrow would be another day.
***********************

Deaths = 11 (one drowned; one in fire; one exposure; two natural; one accident: two in car accident; one stabbed; two fell from height)

(Finished 10/30/26)

The Mystery of Jockey Hollow

 The Mystery of Jockey Hollow (1934) by Cleo F. Garis

A young adult mystery featuring three friends from college, Arden Blake, Terry Landry, and Sim Westover. The three young women are joined mid-way by their newest friend, Dot Keene for Christmas vacation at Sim's house. They are on their own--essentially house-sitting while Sim's parents have to to be away over the holidays. A holiday full of horseback riding and exploring the neighboring woods is interrupted by mysterious events at the nearby Sycamore Hall.

Arden got a taste for mystery solving in their first adventure, The Orchard Secret, set at Cedar Ridge College. So, when she hears stories about workmen encountering ghosts at Sycamore Hall as well as a legend about missing deeds, she all set to investigate. She and her friends are especially interested in helping Granny Howe find the missing papers that will help establish her families right to the property. Is someone playing ghost to keep Granny's family from searching for the deeds? Or is someone just intent on keeping the workmen from tearing down the old house to make way for state park? Arden and her friends will have to find out if the ghost is friend or foe before they can even begin to help Granny Howe. And will they be in time to make this the happiest Christmas Granny has seen in a very long time?

So...as a mystery, this leaves a bit to be desired. It's a bit like Scooby Doo-lite (when it comes to the solution about the ghosts) and there is very (and I do mean VERY) little deducting going on. Most of what Arden & company "discover" falls right into their laps. Arden doesn't figure out where Granny's ancestor hid the deeds--a bit of (something--can't say what, it would spoil what little mystery there is) falls apart and, by golly, if there isn't a hollow spot where a box with the deed was hid.

This is a very interesting study of the early 1930s and the characters involved in the story. If this had been pure fiction and not billed as an entry in the "Arden Blake Mystery Series," I would be handing out a higher rating. But even for a young adult/juvenile mystery, this is pretty sparse in the investigation department. ★★ and 1/4

First line: The proud old house rang with excitement.

Last line: "But think of all that did happen!" laughed Arden.
******************

Deaths = 3 natural 

(Finished 10/27/26)

Happy Returns

 Happy Returns: A Ghostly Comedy (1955) by Manning Coles

This is the second of three books featuring the ghostly cousins James and Charles Latimer and their pet monkey Ulysses (also a ghost). The Latimers met their fate in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. Full of the courage that comes from strong drinks, they had tried to stop a German advance and the residents of a small French village had given them an eternal (so it was thought) resting place in their local cemetery. 

But our brave, gentlemanly ghosts just can't stay put--at least not when a relative is in trouble. So, when their young cousins Sally and Jeremy come to pay respects at the gravesite and James and Charles pick up an air of disquiet, they know they must come back to the earthly realm and fix up whatever's wrong. Sally and Jeremy are on their way to a bachelor uncle in Italy who is being hounded by an eager widow who doesn't know the meaning of the word "no." Poor Uncle Quentin definitely needs a rescue. 

By the time James and Charles materialize, their young cousins have spun away in their spiffy Rolls and our heroes must find a way to get hold of more modern clothes as well as means of transportation. They outwit two sets of thieves--winding up with the loot and helping the local policeman earn a promotion by capturing a murderer. Then, after keeping enough of the money to meet their sartorial needs and to buy a motor car, they play Robin Hood to various citizens in the town. We then follow their adventures as they learn to drive (the last thing they drove was a pony cart), stage an old-fashioned duel, and solve an old murder with help from the victim (who just happens to be a fellow ghost). They also find themselves in the middle of a terrific muddle when Ulysses, who loves wine and occasionally misses the company of others of his kind, discovers a yard full of retired circus animals in a small garrison town. The drunken Ulysses thinks it would be a fine idea to set the 78 monkeys, juggling seal, kangaroo couple, and an Educated Elephant by the name of Ernie free. Once the hullabaloo calms down, James and Charles (and Ulysses) finally catch up with Sally and Jeremy and they all set off together to rescue Uncle Quentin.

If you're looking for good, clean fun with ghosts. This will be right up your alley. If you need absolutely everything to make sense....well, then maybe not. But if you're willing to suspend your disbelief and swallow the idea that ghosts can become just as solid as you or I (at least for limited amounts of time), then this is a rollicking good read. James and Charles are fish out of water. Life has moved on quite a bit since they were put in the ground and even their first adventure with Sally and Jeremy (see Brief Candles, 1954) didn't quite prepare them for everything in the modern world. It's great fun to see our well-mannered gentlemen of yesteryear try to to adjust to whatever year it's supposed to be--that was never quite clear to me. There are fast cars and motor bus tours--but then we have an old-fashioned duel, so it's really quite confusing.

While James and Charles do help solve mysteries--thefts and murder, those who want clues and the ability to work out the puzzle before being told may be disappointed. The best thing to do is to just hop in the car with the Latimers, hang on tight, and enjoy the ride. It's been a while since I read one of the Manning Coles ghostly mysteries (the non-Latimer book The Far Traveller) and I had forgotten how much fun the ghost story version of mystery was.  ★★★★

Thank you to Kate from Cross Examining Crime for the gift of this one in our Secret Santa 2019 (see, Kate, I do read my TBR books eventually!)

First line: St. Denis-sur-Aisne, like most towns, has a cemetery.

Last lines: "Where do you and Cousin Charles want to go?"
                 "To St. Denis-sur-Aisne."

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

Deaths = 5 (two in war; one shot; one natural; one pushed off cliff)

[finished 10/24/26]

The Opening Door

 The Opening Door (1944) by Helen Reilly

Eve Flavell has been estranged from her family. Rather than marrying money as expected, she leaves home to start her own shop--starting with books and then adding gloves and stockings (quite a combination). Her family, especially her father, thinks it's demeaning. 

"The book shop he might have been able to swallow, books were cultural and not undignified, but when she had added stockings and gloves he had thrown up his hands: 'A female haberdasher, after four years of college--my dear girl. What an achievement! You must be proud of yourself."

She decided to visit her family one more time to let them know that she has decided to marry Jim Holland. It will be a nice, comfortable marriage...but not one for love. She can't marry the man she loves because Bruce Cunningham has promised himself to her stepsister Natalie. And Eve adores Natalie and could never hurt her. The worst part of visiting her family will be seeing her Aunt Charlotte. Charlotte also adores Natalie and is fond of Eve's brother, Gerald, but she never cared for Eve. And the feeling is mutual. If Eve can only slip in to make her announcement and out again without seeing Aunt Charlotte or Bruce. Then all will be well...

But of course, Aunt Charlotte is there. And there is a bit of scene. And then Bruce comes. And Eve is miserable. She finally makes her escape and thinks life can finally begin new. Except...at some point Aunt Charlotte goes out to the neighborhood park and gets herself shot. And Bruce is the prime suspect because it was his rifle that was used to do the deed. Inspector McKee is on the job to find the killer and despite the DA's insistent that they've already got their man, McKee isn't too sure. But can he prevent one more death before he can gather up all the right clues?

Let's start with the drawbacks--Eve, our point-of-view character behaves like suck a nitwit for a large portion of the book. She's going to give up the man she loves for her stepsister. A stepsister who has everything--looks, the adoration of the family, and wealth. A stepsister that she also adores--for reasons that are unclear. Then, when the murder happens and Bruce is under suspicion, she goes out of her way to do stupid things that will draw even more attention to Bruce. Now, fortunately, Inspector McKee is not a nitwit and is not prone to go with the obvious just because it's obvious and will bring the case to a quick conclusion (cue the DA who likes that kind of thing). Another slight problem (for those who love a good, old-fashioned mystery) is the lack of fair play. There aren't a lot of clues hanging about that the reader gets to see and try to figure out on their own. By the time a real, live clue actually showed up, I had given up looking and it flew right by me. Maybe that was the strategy. I won't give a lot of clues. Then when I do stick one right under their noses, they won't even notice it. :-)

However, even with those items on the deficit side of the ledger, there is still a lot to like. Reilly does a good job with police procedure and Inspector McKee is, as always, fascinating to watch in action. Some of the later books focus too much on suspense and woman in danger, but this one has a very nice mix. It'd be even better if Eve didn't go out of her way to make things complicated for herself. The solution is solid even though the solution is more Holmesian with plot points held close to the chest before the big reveal. ★★★ and 3/4 

First line: The murder didn't take place until after 7 p.m. on the night of December 2nd.

Last line: She snatched it [her coat] from a hanger and Bruce put her into it and they moved to the door and out into the storm side by side.
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Deaths = 5 (three natural; one war; one shot)

[Finished 10/18/26]

The Final Problem [spoilerish]

 The Final Problem (2026) by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

From the book flap: ...a locked-room mystery set in 1960 at an isolated Greek island resort following a group of strangers, a suspicious death, and a washed-up actor ready to put his on-camera detective skills to the test.

June, 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Nothing could prepare them for what happens. Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside the beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a clear suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all times. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes' amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best quipped to uncover the truth behind this classic closed-room mystery.

Ormond Basil has pretty much retired from the silver screen. He's retired to a lovely home in the Antibes on the French Riviera but also loves to travel and treat himself to a shopping trip or two. On his lates trip, he runs into the movie producer, Pietro Malerba, and his current lady love, Najat Farjallah. The couple are traveling on Malerba's yacht and they invite Basil to join them. Malerba is cooking up a scheme for a tv series focusing on great villains and he wants to convince Basil to agree to play a new villain every week. They stop for the night on the small island of Utakos and find themselves stranded when a sudden, intense storm crops up. Then the murders begin and instead of preparing to play villains, Basil finds himself stepping into the shoes of the world's first consulting detective for real. At his side, as Dr. Watson, we find not Malerba, but a Spanish mystery writer by the name of Francisco Foxá. Does the "great detective" get his man/woman in the end? Well...that would be telling. [which I might do...so read my comments below at your own risk.

Okay...first question. How many times is Foxá going to fawn all over Basil and tell him how he's "just like Holmes"??? Which leads to...How many times is Basil going to say "Elementary"--apparently just to be saying it? Not because something really is. But because we want to say it again. How many times is Basil going to say he's just an actor and then proceed to reel off Holmes-like observations like a boss? 

This is both the most frustratingly meta mystery I've read in a very long time as well as a tremendously interesting one. We have Ormund Basil (an obvious play on Ormund Sacker--Watson's initial name--and Basil Rathbone, who in some fans' minds is the Sherlock Holmes) who I could not not imagine as Basil Rathbone in my mind. It's like we have an actor pretending to be Rathbone pretending to be Holmes. It was an interesting concept to have someone who'd played Holmes actually try to use the Holmes technique to solve a mystery. Though, I have to say, Pérez-Reverte isn't the first author to come up with that idea (see Julian Symon's Three-Pipe Problem, for instance). But Pérez-Reverte is the first (to my knowledge) to play it so meta. And that is part of the problem. The number of times that Basil & Foxá have long, drawn-out conversations about how this is all a mystery novel really took me out of the story. If we had played it straight--just had Basil take up the mantle of Holmes and solve the murders--then I would have found it much more satisfying. But all the navel-gazing focus on "look at us being Holmes & Watson in this murder mystery" really was a bit much. 

And don't get me started on the non-ending. I might have bought into Basil's handling of the situation if we had stuck with one of the motives (the one for which I had the most sympathy)--but when we gave the same person multiple motives of varying sympathetic value and they were all true...well that kind of lost me. I do see what Pérez-Reverte was going for there. And that makes the writing and construction interesting. But a solid mystery plot? Not nearly as much. If you like your murders all neatly solved and your murderers handed over to justice all tied up with a bow, then this isn't the book for you. I'm going to give this one a nice, middle-of-the-road ★★★ , primarily for concept and the interesting writing & construction.

First line: It was June of 1960 and I had traveled to Genoa to purchase a hat.

Last line: "Then possibly," she said, "my answer has crossed yours."
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Deaths =  4 (one natural, one hanged; one stabbed; one hit on head)

Death Draws the Line

 Death Draws the Line (1949) by Jack Iams

Mark Wallis is the young manager of the Whitcomb publishing syndicate, having taken over the reins when the legendary founder Bill Whitcomb died after a sudden illness. Another sudden death puts Wallis in the middle of mystery and mayhem. Zeke Brock, the morose and drunken cartoonist who created the little ray of sunshine known as Little Polly Pitcher, is found dead at the drawing board by his assistant Mary Bradley. Mark and Zeke were expected at the annual Whitcomb dinner held in remembrance of Big Bill. Mark stopped by the cartoonist's place to try to get him in shape for the event--but Zeke passes out. So Mark had asks Mary to check on the cartoonist about an hour before the dinner to make sure he's presentable (sobered up) for the occasion. But nothing would ever make Zeke lively enough for the occasion....and Mary calls Mark for help when she finds the body.

The Whitcomb family doctor is all set to pronounce death due to alcoholic over-indulgence, but Mark and Mary notice a few oddities that make them suspect that someone had been in Zeke's rooms after they left. Mark calls on his friend in the DA's office to see if a preliminary investigation can be made on the down-low. It doesn't stay low for long...because an autopsy proves that Zeke was drowned using a little basin of water. The fact that the basin had been moved between Mark's visits was one of the oddities Mary and Mary had noticed. Now that the investigation has become official...and officially a murder investigation...the police want to know who benefits from the death of the man behind the money-making cartoon. And curiously enough, the clue needed will be found in the last cartoons Zeke ever penned. Once they can be found.

The book has an interesting premise for the conclusion. That Zeke knew something about someone and was set to reveal it in a lightly disguised story line in Little Polly Pitcher. What was fascinating was watching Mark and Mary figure this out and find a way to recreate the missing cartoons. It sets up a nice gotcha moment at the end where they can help the police catch the killer without forcing a confession. Iams gives us good character studies in the Whitcomb family menage and throws in a very weird scene with a woman who was infatuated with the cartoonist--just to add a bit of spice. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: The street in the plush Eighties, was dark with a late September rain.

Last line: "Let's wander off hand in hand and get our Wassermann tests."
*******************

Deaths = 2 (one drowned; one poisoned)

And Then There Were None (Audio Version Redux)

 And Then There Were None (1939) by Agatha Christie
[read by Hugh Fraser

For those who would like a more in-depth look at my views on the story itself, please see my previous review under the previous title: Ten Little Indians

And Then There Were None (1939) is one of Agatha Christie's most famous mysteries and the plot is well-known among mystery fans. It regularly makes "Best Of" lists--from Best Crime & Mystery Novels to Best Books of the 20th Century to PBS's Great American Read. One would think that everyone would know the story by now. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, I regularly find people in my life who don't--who have never read it. Or seen one of the adaptations. Or listened to it on audio. And every time I convince one of them to give it a try, I make the same offer. If they can read it and honestly tell me at the end of the book that they figured it out before the grand reveal...then I will buy them dinner at any restaurant of their choosing. Over 30 years of periodic offers and I have not had to pay up once. Dame Agatha was that good at what she did.

This time it was my own son who hadn't experience this particular Christie masterpiece. Whenever he and I make a car trip together (usually to go visit my parents), he indulges me and listens to audio mystery novels. I prefer to listen to audio novels for books I've already read in print form (especially in the car so it won't matter if I don't hear every detail). It is always fun to listen to his commentary as he hears a story for the first time that I already know what happens. When we got to the afterword portion of ATTWN, I stopped the CD and asked if he knew who did it. He didn't--I will say that he (like a few of my friends) had his eye on the correct culprit until certain events made him revise his guess. By the time everyone was dead, he was just as baffled as everyone else I've known. (Including me--I didn't figure it out when I first read it either). 

Christie's story is always a five star read for me. If I could give double-points this time I would--just because I had such a good time listening to it with Kyle. ★★★★★

First Line: In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times.

Last Line: And they will find ten bodies and an unsolved problem on Indian. Island. 
************************

Deaths = 21 total [eleven by the island murderer (four poisoned; one strangled; one stabbed; two shot; one drowned; two hit) and ten+ caused by our current murder victims (two run over; three neglect/medical malpractice; one shot (war); two drowned; one hung; one overdose [and a bunch of unnamed natives that Philip Lombard left to die in the jungle])

The Clue of the Broken Locket

 The Clue of the Broken Locket (Original text 1934/Revised text 1965) by Carolyn Keene

Once again I have returned to the revised text which I read when growing up. This book was my all-time favorite Nancy Drew novel and I wanted to see if it held up when read in my mid-fifties rather than during elementary school. I thought that I might read both versions of the text, but I think I'll put off the original text for another time. I was more in the mood for nostalgia than I was for a different version.

Here, Nancy, Bess, and George make a trip to Misty Lake. Carson Drew has asked Nancy to meet a young woman by the name of Cecily Curtis and give her the key to a cabin on the lake. The job was originally assigned to Mr. Winch, the cabin's caretaker, but Winch has cried off the job. He swears the place is haunted and that a ghostly launch appears out on the lake. Nancy, of course, can't resist the mystery. 

And then once the girls meet Cecily, Nancy is faced with two more mysteries. Cecily's fiancé, popular singer Niko Van Dyke, is missing royalty payments for all of the records sold of his latest hit single. He's sure that the record company is cheating him, but there may be more to the story. In addition, Cecily is on the hunt for a treasure that belongs to her family. According to a note in a locket passed down in the family, a clue is supposed to be hidden in "an iron bird" on the family's estate--but the estate was sold long ago and records have been lost. Cecily believes that Pudding Stone Lodge on Misty Lake previously belonged to her family and longs to investigate. 

The lodge is currently being rented by a surly man by the name of Driscoll and his brother--and his wife. After an uncomfortable encounter with Mr. Surly Driscoll, his brother comes to apologize and offers the girls the opportunity to search for Cecily's iron bird. But strange events start happening--Nancy gets locked out on the roof: there are a pair of twins that don't look very much like the Driscolls; there's a flashing light from a little round window in an inaccessible part of the house; and there are odd humming noises coming from the beach near the lodge. Before Nancy is done, she will have solve the mystery of the iron bird and the mystery of twins and the light...and the mystery of Niko's missing royalties. 

Well...I enjoyed my trip down memory lane. The story is still thoroughly enjoyable and I love the adventures that Nancy and company get up to. I know a bit about the original text and it's both interesting and a bit baffling how the original storyline of the children is used. Other than adding one more mystery to the already full plotline, I'm not sure how much it adds. There are always coincidences involved in any Nancy Drew story, but we do push the limits a bit on this one. I'm not going to change my rating, though. I loved this book as a child and I'm giving it the full ★★★★★ that I originally handed out.

First line: As Nancy Drew seated herself at the breakfast table, she noticed a door key beside her plate.

Last line: "I'll never, never forget you or the clue of the broken locket!"
********************

Deaths = one auto accident 

Random Killer

 Random Killer (1981) by Hugh Pentecost

Most days, everything runs like clockwork at the Hotel Beaumont in NYC. That's thanks to Pierre Chambrun, manager extraordinaire, and his loyal army of hotel employs. But today is different--in the morning, in Suite 3406, the breakfast table was set for two, but Geoffrey Hammond, one of the world's best and sometimes most hated television journalists, doesn't get to sample the culinary delights from the kitchen. When the waiter returns to retrieve the serving cart, he finds Hammond strangled to death...with picture wire. Chambrun and Mark Haskell, Chambrun's right-hand man, are just getting things calmed down when another guest is found strangled. Joanna Frasier, women's lib advocate, had laid out all the accoutrements for a cocktail tête-à-tête but who as her unexpected guest?

In each case, the victims' secretaries had no record of an expected breakfast or cocktail partner. And there was no struggle, so Hammond and Frasier must have been comfortable enough with the other person to turn their backs on him or her. At first, it looks like the Beaumont just has a psycho roaming the halls, killing famous acquaintances at random--and the Beaumont is full of famous personages. But as Chambrun, Haskell, and Lt. Hardy begin digging, they find a connection to a similar murder a couple of years ago at a ski lodge in Colorado. Sharon Dain had been accused and convicted of strangling her lover with picture wire. There were many who thought Dain was innocent and both Hammond and Frasier were approached to lend their influence to help the defense. Both turned the suggestions down for difference reasons. When others are killed in connection with the Dain case, it becomes clear that someone has taken it upon themselves to eliminate those who didn't help Sharon "enough" (whatever that means in the killer's mind). 

Chambrun is convinced that someone in the hotel must have seen something...but will he find out who and what before it's too late?

I have to say--I don't care how exclusive, how nice the Beaumont is. It's one of the last fictional hotels I'd want to stay in. Considering how many books are in this series, the odds of getting knocked off are about as high as if you were visiting Jessica Fletcher in Cabot Cove (or anywhere in her vicinity wherever she is). Probably higher, because the Beaumont tends towards multiple murders and Jessica seems to run to one per episode. Why on earth you'd want to stay at a hotel where the guests drop like flies is beyond me. But...setting aside that little thought...is this a good mystery?

Yes. It's actually one of the better clued and better plotted mysteries in the Chambrun line-up (not that I haven't enjoyed the others I've read). You have to fill in some blanks and work off of things that are implied--but you absolutely can get there from what Pentecost gives us on the page. Just remember...you've got to mistrust what people tell you. The one quibble I have is how Pentecost tends to recycle plot points. The ending of this one and Murder in Luxury (my most previous read--though it appears two books further in the series) are almost identical: Killer knows Chambrun is on to them. Killer takes hostages and insists on escape vehicle. Chambrun comes up with plan to nab the killer on the way to the escape vehicle that will keep the killer from killing the hostages. But that's a small quibble for an other-wise very good mystery. ★★★★

First line: I suppose if you were psychotic and you wanted to kill famous people at random, you couldn't find a better hunting ground than the Hotel Beaumont.

Last line: "We still have a hotel to run."
*****************

Deaths = 5 strangled

[Finished on 9/25/26]

Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion

 Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion (1941/1971) by Carolyn Keene
[originally published in 1941; I have read the revised edition first published in 1971]

Apparently there is a substantial change in the storyline between the original and revised texts. I do have an original text copy around here somewhere (haven't found it on the TBR mountain range yet). The revised version is what I grew up with. In this edition, Mr. Billington, a client of Carson Drew's (with interests in New York, though a resident of Florida) has been charged with hiding explosives within the oranges sent in the latest batch for the Cape Kennedy Space Center. He swears he had no idea that explosives had been stuffed in the oranges and has asked Carson to help his Florida lawyer find out who has framed him and why. 

Carson brings Nancy along to help with the detective work and, of course, she invites Bess and George to join them as well.  And later Ned, Burt, and Dave come to Florida as well.There's all sorts of mysterious goings-on at the orange farm and the spooky old neighboring moss-covered mansion--from the odd behavior of Billington's packing plant manager and wife (who serve as houseman and housekeeper as well) to the men who live at the mansion to the wild animals that roam the mansion's fenced-in grounds. Someone sets fire to the orange grove, Nancy and Ned are locked in another old house, and the motorboat (in which they traveled) is stolen. Someone wants the Drews and company to leave the matter alone...but Nancy can never leave a mystery unsolved--especially when the entire space program may be at risk!

The reread of the revised version hit me about the same as it did when I read it back in the mid- to late-seventies. It's a decent story with a good amount of action and it was nice to see Ned have a fair amount to do as a partner in Nancy's investigation. But the story just didn't grab me. I had a difficult time with the explosive oranges (did the bad guys really think that would work?). The back-up plan with the laser seemed to be a much better idea. A fun afternoon's read and walk down memory lane. When I find my original text copy, I'll be interested to see how it compares. ★★★

First line: The Drews' living room was in semidarkness as Nancy walked in.

Last line: "But I'm terribly proud of you!"
*********************

Deaths = one natural

[finished on 9/23/26]

The Man Who Killed Fortescue

 The Man Who Killed Fortescue (1928) by Dorothy Stockbridge Tillett [originally under the name John Stephen Strange]

Synopsis from the back of the book: Charles Anstruther, a popular mystery story writer had long been interested in the unsolved murder of the millionaire John Fortescue. He had spent much time and effort sifting all the available evidence and tracking down various clues. And he was near a solution to the case.

One warm summer night Anstruther left his uptown club and took the Fifth Avenue bus home. Double-decker buses were quite common in New York in the 1920s and Anstruther chose to sit well up forward on the upper deck. At the end of the run, at Washington Square, the conductor mounted the stairs for a last survey of the upper seats. Anstruther's crouched figure made no answer to the conductor's polite "End of the run, sir" because sometime during the course of the bus's run his throat had been neatly cut.

It was now up to Van Dusen Ormsberry, a great but very human detective to take charge of this baggling case and determine if the man who killed Fortescue was indeed responsible for Anstruther's death....

Ormsberry suspects this to be very much the case. And he's determined to find out--especially since the Fortescue case was one of his failures. Fortescue's stepdaughter Joan Archer had been accused and tried for the crime, but it wasn't Ormsberry's brilliant detective work that kept her from being found guilty. The jury managed that on their own. But the "not guilty" verdict hasn't saved the young woman's reputation and polite society feels very strongly that there isn't smoke without fire. If only Ormsberry had been able to discover the true villain, then Joan's reputation would have been saved and she might be married to the young man who still loves her. Instead, she has removed herself from society and broken her engagement to Brian Channing.

And...in an awful twist, the police now believe that Brian Channing may have killed both Fortescue (with or without Joan's help) and now Anstruther. Ormsberry is certain that there is something deeper than a lover's wish to free up Joan's inheritance. He follows several clues and finally comes to the conclusion that if he can just discover who the man was whom Anstruther was talking to in the club prior to his fateful bus trip that all will become clear. But how can he identify a man who nobody else saw?

This has a brilliant beginning--with the discovery of the body on the bus and a nice scene where certain witnesses see things that could be interpreted in a variety of ways. If the entire plot had remained as interesting, I would have given this a solid four stars OR if Ormsberry's sidekick "the Admiral" (a young boy who idolizes the amateur detective) had been onstage for more of the proceedings. He does a great deal of good detective work offstage and we just get told about it. It would have been much more enjoyable to join the Admiral in his exploits. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Despite the oppressive sultriness of the night, the bus that rattled down through the curtained Thirties about half-past nine was almost empty.

Joan cast at him a blighting look expressive of woman's innate conviction at the ineradicable stupidity of man. (p. 275)

Last line: "You bet, sir!" cried the Admiral heartily, as man to man, and on these terms they parted for the night.

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

Deaths = 3 (two stabbed; one shot)

Death Likes It Hot

 Death Likes It Hot (1954) by Edgar Box (Gore Vidal)

The third in a trio of mysteries written by Gore Vidal under the name of Edgar Box. After his novel The City and the Pillar (1948) which featured descriptions of homosexuality that caused him to be blacklisted by The New York Times, Vidal donned the Box pseudonym and used it to produce the three novels for cold, hard cash. His series stars Peter Cutler Sargeant III, a publicity man turned amateur detective when his business lands him in the middle of three murder cases.

Although I have all three of Vidal's mysteries, I've been tackling them in a somewhat random order. Having previously read Death Before Bedtime, it looks like our author has a fondness for Golden Age-style country house mysteries. Bedtime was focused on the political scene in 1950s Washington D.C. while the current mystery is set at a lavish beach house in the East Hamptons. Sargeant is hired by Rose Veering to give her the right kind of publicity for an upcoming party. Rose is "new money" and has found it difficult to be accepted in the exclusive Hamptons. She hopes that making a nice splash with a party full of society's best and brightest will help boost her standing. 

So, Sargeant is invited to an advance weekend gathering where he and the hostess can discuss plans for the upcoming event. Also on hand is Veering's niece Mildred and her painter husband Brexton; Allie and Fletcher Claypoole, a brother and sister pair who seem more like a married couple than siblings; and Mary Western Lung, a garrulous author and book columnist who sticks to Sargeant through the weekend like a limpet. It looks like Sargeant's toughest job will be to escape Lung's clutches. Until...

The group goes to the beachfront and has a front row seat to watch Mildred Brexton drown. Fletcher Claypoole and our hero try to reach her in time, but are just too late. Initially, it seems to be a tragic accident caused by the powerful riptide--but then an autopsy proves that Mildred had a handful of sleeping pills before entering the water. Did the unhappy wife choose a very public suicide or did someone spike her breakfast drink? When Sargeant is slugged over the head upon his late-night return to the house, it begins to look a lot like murder. The PR man has had some previous encounters with murder and decides to lend a helping hand to Detective Greaves, the policeman assigned to investigate. But they won't gather sufficient evidence before another death occurs...will they be able to prevent one more?

This one appealed to me more than my previous Gore Vidal outing. Vidal gives us a better portrayal of the country house mystery. There are plenty of suspects and he muddies the waters well. I also liked Sargeant more than in Bedtime. He seems much more engaged in the mystery and more dedicated to detective. He still wants to show up the local detective but he's more consistent this time around. And--Vidal wins points for keeping me mystified until the end. I definitely did not spot the murderer. ★★★★

First line: The death of Peaches Sandoe the midget at the hands, or rather the feet, of a maddened elephant in the sideshow circus at Madison Square Garden was at first thought to be an accident, the sort of tragedy you're bound to run into from time to time if you run a circus with both elephants and midgets in it.

Last line: "Well, you see this elephant..."
*********************

Deaths = 3 (one trampled by elephant; one drowned; one throat cut)

[Finished on 9/17/26]

Murder in Luxury

 Murder in Luxury (1981) by Hugh Pentecost (Judson Philips)

Murder takes over the exclusive Hotel Beaumont once more and its legendary manager Pierre Chambrun and Mark Haskell, his publicity manager and right-hand man, are going to have to stop it in its tracks. When a drug pusher/pimp is found shot to death in the apartment of Valerie Summers, her lawyer (a friend of Chambrun's) presumes upon his old friend to give the lady a place to stay. Valerie had come to New York to escape publicity and bad memories after her beloved husband had died in a fire. She's the lonely, rich heiress of the McCandless fortune who just wanted a place where she could be anonymous and forget the past. But now she finds herself suspect number one in the murder of a man she says she's never seen...and she's beginning to think she carries a load of deadly bad luck for anyone she comes in contact with. Her mother died giving her life. Her husband died in a fire. A friend and her son died in a plane crash after Val gave them the money to fly. And now this. And the man in her apartment isn't the last. Another man is found dead in her hotel room and then the policeman assigned to guard her room is killed. Lieutenant Keegan, the police detective in charge of the case, is sure that Val is mad killer behind that beautiful face. The only problem is--he and another officer and her lawyer were all with her when that police guard was killed. And if she didn't kill him then maybe she didn't kill the other two. But if not...then who did? Chambrun and Haskell are determined to find out.

*************Slight Spoiler Ahead***************

The entire time I was reading this I had a feeling of déjà vu. I can find no indication that I have read this one before (not even in the days before blogging), but the ending felt especially familiar. Maybe I read it and just forgot to log it. Anyway...the ending spectacular--mostly due to Mrs. Victoria Haven, the 81-year-old permanent resident of one of the three penthouse suites at the top of the hotel. She comes bursting into the grand finale and does everything she can to get the killer to break his hold on Valerie and Mark. Her time on the stage is well worth the price of admission. The mystery is pretty middle of the road--the culprit isn't well-hidden because, quite frankly, there just aren't many suspects to be had. Especially if you know (as anyone who reads even one of the series will know) that if Chambrun and Haskell are protecting someone in one of their hotel rooms, then that someone didn't do it. But the build-up to the finale is good and I thoroughly enjoy Chambrun and his world. So, overall a good solid read. ★★★ 

First line: Looking back at the many stories I've written about murder and violence at the Beaumont, New York's top luxury hotel, people might get the notion that that gracious and elegant establishment is not a place to stay in safety.

Last line: "I'm sure as hell going to try, ma'am," I said.
*******************

Deaths = 8 (four shot; one natural; one fire; two plane crash)

Property of a Lady

 Property of a Lady (1983) by Anthony Oliver

Margaret Garland came into a fair inheritance when her mother died. She'd spent her time taking care of her mother and hadn't really had much of a life outside the home. She opts to stay in the cottage in Flaxfield rather than the flat in London. One evening when driving home, she spies a young man hitchhiking along the road. Everything she's been taught tells her she shouldn't stop--but seeing his pale face in the rearview mirror, she finds herself braking and giving him a lift. He's in such a bad way that she takes him in and her doctor tells her that it would be best if he weren't moved, but it could be arranged if Margaret would prefer not to have a stranger in the house.

Lizzie Thomas is the nosey parker older woman in the village. Her binoculars (a gift from her friend, retired police inspector John Webber, sees Mark Carter helped into Margaret's house. All her inquisitive instincts are on the alert, but she has a difficult job finding out anything about him at first. It's revealed, however, that he was on his way to visit his mother who is a resident at Henworth Hall--a health spa for wealthy ladies in need of dieting, relaxation, or just some time out of the spotlight. He's also the son of  the (now deceased) well-known antiques dealer who was half of Carter & Monmouth...and he has quite the flair for antiques himself. It soon becomes apparent that Margaret is quite smitten. 

Lizzie on the other hand is bothered by the young man and an incident involving her cat Bunter makes her even more uneasy. Then Mark just up and disappears--and so does his mother. Lizzie can't leave that alone and, so, with the help of Webber and her son-in-law Jimmy "Betsey" Trottwood, a local antiques dealer she sets out to find out everything she can about Mark Carter. Some of it is unsettling indeed, but, as Webber points out, none of it is actionable. They are left in a wait-and-see mode until an explosive grand finale which takes place in the middle of a very tense round of bidding at a local auction.

As I've mentioned in reviews of other titles by Oliver, his strong suit is his characters.  John and Lizzie are well-defined, interesting, and, most importantly, believable people. As are most of the supporting characters. Lizzie is the queen of the art of gossip.  And we know this because Oliver makes it plain in her interactions with the other characters. She manages to find just the right tone to take with each person she talks to and succeeds where more official inquiries fail. I've read mysteries before where a certain character supposedly just had this "quality" that made others confide all sorts of secrets to them...but I never got a real feel for why that was.  I certainly never thought that I'd be spilling the beans to them myself.  With Lizzie, it's different.  I could see her plopping a cup of tea and some biscuits down if front of me and in no time at all she'd know everything I had to tell. I thoroughly enjoy the way Lizzie and John interact and form a team.

Several reviewers have mentioned how humorous Oliver's stories are. I don't think I could say that the mystery itself is humorous; it's really quite dark at times, especially in the finale. But the relationship between Lizzie & John--hysterical. Just the picture of her convincing him to sit in his underpants in front of the coal fire to soothe his arthritis is enough--let alone her running commentary on the matter. 

This really isn't a whodunnit. We know very early on who the suspect is. It is more of a what-exactly-has-he-done and are-we-going-to-be-able-to-prove-it? When it comes to the mystery, I much prefer that there be a definite crime to solve and trying to figure out who did it rather than knowing that somebody is up to something (or has been up to something) and can we figure out what and pin it on them when we do. But as a character study, it's brilliant. ★★★  primarily for the characters.

First line: Everyone said it was dangerous.

Last lines: I must find someone to look after my cat. Someone kind.
*********************

Deaths = 6 (two natural; one drowned; one hit by train; one beheaded; one shot)

Who Killed Me?

 Who Killed Me? (1979) by Joan Allan

Valerie Lambert is an account executive for an advertising agency that is producing commercials for a new perfume named for Meri Milton, film star. Setting up filming schedules for ten one-minute commercials shot at various London landmarks was a feat in and of itself, but dealing with the bickering between Meri and the film's director, Hans Richmond, and the hostility between Meri and Nelson Bishop, the rising star executive for Associated Cosmetics (home of the new perfume), and the resentment between Hans and Nelson was enough to drive Valerie to distraction. And just when she's successfully smoothed the ruffled feathers of the movie star and her director, two policemen show up at her hotel room at one o-clock in the morning and ask her to come with them. At the end of their journey is the dead body of Nelson Bishop--a knife in his chest and a note pinned to his suit jacket that says:

WHO KILLED ME? ASK VALERIE LAMBERT. 836-4343

It follows that Inspector Haverstock is curious to know why Valerie's name is on the note. She gives him all the background info she can and, once the time of death is established, is cleared of suspicion. So, of course, she wants to lend a hand in the investigation. 

She and Haverstock will have to sift through the suspects. There are the obvious ones--Meri and Hans. But were their disagreements with the executive deep enough to result in murder? There is also the head of Associated Cosmetics, Perry Nash, who may have found that his anticipated successor had a few too many skeletons in the closet--or had too great an interest in Nash's daughter Adrienne. Which brings us to Adrienne--she and Bishop had a fling but then she transferred her affections to an older actor by the name of Clifford Frampton. Maybe Bishop didn't want to take no for an answer? As our two detectives keep digging, they discover that Bishop had a little side-line of blackmail going on. Maybe he pushed one of his victims just a little too far?

This another of a series of Zebra Mystery Puzzler Books that I got in an assortment for Christmas a couple of years. As indicated on the cover, the set-up for these books is that all the clues necessary for the reader to solve the mystery before the final reveal are given in the cover photo, various illustrations within the story, and, as with good mysteries clues given in the text. I obtained and read one of this series a very long time ago (over 30 years) and enjoyed it (thus the request for my hubby to order up the Zebra books on Ebay). Since then I've read three of the lot of fifteen or so with mixed results. 

In general, this series consists of pretty solid but somewhat lightweight mysteries. And even when I thought the clues given in the pictures weren't especially necessary to solve the mystery(because there weren't enough red herring suspects or whatever) at least the clues were there in case you needed them. However--for this mystery, nearly all of the clues make sense only after the solution is revealed. I didn't pick up a single one before the reveal and I can't for the life of me figure out what the extra clue is on the cover. Everything you see--from the knife to the message--is explained in the text. 

I also find it really difficult to believe that Haverstock would allow some random American to flit about in his Scotland Yard investigation AND that she would have better ideas about tracking down the knife and the pen used for the note than an experienced police detective. He acts like her discoveries are just brilliant and who would have thought? Yes, there are all sorts of amateurs barging into official investigations in detective fiction and I happily go along with most of them--when there's a good mystery plot payoff. Unfortunately, I'm not buying it this time. ★ and 1/2 (I almost gave it two, but I don't think it's as good as another Zebra Puzzler that I did give two stars, so...)

First line: Valerie Lambert's knife sliced through a pâté of fresh duck livers, truffles, and pistachio nuts.

Last line: Whoever was calling Valerie Lambert was going to have to wait.
*********************

Deaths = 2 (one stabbed; one drowned)

Beverly Gray's Return

 Beverly Gray's Return (1939) by Clair Blank

This is the ninth book in the series by Clair Blank. Unlike the Nancy Drew series, Clair Blank was a single author who wrote all 25 books in the series. The books begin with Beverly's freshman year in college and follow her from there through various adventures, work for the government, and finally as a newspaper reporter. Her "Return" finds Beverly and company preparing to board the Susabella at Hawaii for the return trip to New York. Along the way on their cruise around the world, they have picked up a new friend in Nikki Abbott. Nikki asks for the boat to wait just a bit longer because she needs to run a last-minute errand and she asks Beverly to go with her. They set out for a perfume shop where Nikki had heard she could get a very special perfume made. The girls are asked to wait in a side room while it's being prepared but Nikki thinks it's taking a bit long and goes out of the room to check on things--closing the door behind her. When Nikki doesn't return, Beverly tries the door and finds it locked. And when she finally gets out and gets to the dock, she finds that the Susabella has left without her. Why did Nikki lock her in? How could her friends have left her? Finding out what has happened will take Beverly on an adventure that involves impersonation, royalty, stolen jewels, a kidnapping, and the beginnings of another adventure....

I've mentioned before that Beverly Gray is another heroine that I wish I had met when I was young. I would have loved reading about a detective with my own name! She's resourceful and independent and a good role model for young girls. On the one hand, she's a bit more realistic than Nancy Drew--going to work and living away from home in the big city. But then, I think she gives Nancy a run for her money in the number of close scrapes she has. She also has way more adventures than most of us do in everyday life, but the stories wouldn't be nearly as exciting without them.

This one is quite full--with mysterious princesses on the run from an evil government official from their home country, jewel thieves who are selling stolen property and replacing the real jewels with fakes, the kidnapping of one Beverly's friends when the jewel thieves thinks she's holding out on them over some of the jewels, and a new, unsolved (in this installment) mystery surrounding another girl from their school days who was in an accident and has lost her memory. Of course, the immediate mystery of why Nikki left Beverly behind in Hawaii and how (and why) she fooled Beverly's friends is explained. And the jewel thieves are caught. 

These stories are fairly simple mysteries, aimed at young readers. But they are fun and I always enjoy reading about my namesake's adventures. ★★★

First line: "Why do I have to get up at such an hour?" Lenora Whitehill grumbled as she followed Lois Mason and Beverly Gray to where other the other members of the yachting party were at breakfast.

Last line: We will leave the Alpha Delta girls and their friends at this juncture, but we shall pick up the thread of their story again in "Beverly Gray, Reporter" when they manage to involve themselves in more amazing adventures.
**********************

Deaths = two in a revolution

These Old Shades

 These Old Shades (1926) by Georgette Heyer

Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, though well-born has been known as a rake and a scoundrel...and by the name "Satanas." He'd be the first to admit that he's lived up to quite a few of the rumors. So, it's not a surprise that his friends and family find it hard to believe that he's taken in a dirty boy who runs into him one night on the streets of Paris simply out of the goodness of his heart. There must be some ulterior motive. And there is. The boy, Léon, is running away from a sure beating at the hands of his tavern-keeper brother. But the boy--with copper red hair and fine-boned structure--looks nothing like his squarely-built, loutish brother. And Avon sees promise in the lad....a promise of a means to serve up a nice cold dish of revenge to his enemy, the Comte de Saint-Vire.

Avon trains the lad on how to be his page and he sets out with him among the quality--visiting both the most elevated circles as well as the gaming houses of Paris. He particularly wants to parade him about wherever Saint Vire-might be. Léon sees Avon as his savior and will brook no disrespectful discussions of the Duke's supposed satanic habits. His temper matches his reddish hair and he's willing to fight anyone who disrespects his "Monsignor."

Even when Georgette Heyer was starting out as a historical romance author, she loved to mix romance with mystery. And, when she wrote novels that were clearly designated as mysteries, she loved to throw a bit of romance in there. The two genres seem to be inextricably linked  for her. And there are all kinds of mysteries to be solved here in one of her earliest regency-based books--from why the Duke of Avon and Comte de Saint-Vire have such an enmity between them to who Léon really is to how and when Avon will serve up justice to his "very dear friend," Saint-Vire to whether or not anyone will be murdered.

Avon realized quite soon that Léon is not quite what "he" seems and exchanges his page Léon for a beautiful ward by the name of Léonie. This upsets Saint-Vire even more than seeing the copper-headed page all over Paris and it leads to kidnapping, fired shots, and...eventually death and scandal among the nobility.

Such a fun early book by Heyer! It is especially good once the transformation to Léonie is complete. And the action really picks up once Saint-Vire makes his attempt at kidnapping. Léonie and Lord Rupert (Avon's younger brother) make an excellent team in outwitting and making the escape from the Comte. And Avon's methods in bringing about Sain-Vire's downfall is really quite satisfying. What keeps this from a five-star rating is Léon/Léonie's irritating habit of weeping over Avon and coming to his defense (like this Duke really needs it...), the Duke's need to constantly refer to her as "infant" (she's 19!), and the huge (20-some years) age difference. On the plus side, The characters are witty, charismatic, and interesting. Even the side characters are terrific (mostly)--from Lord Rupert to Lady Fanny Marling (Avon's sister) to Hugh Davenant (Avon's friend). Rupert is particularly hilarious in every conversation. The mystery behind it all really isn't well-hidden. I got it from the beginning but it was interesting waiting to see how and when Avon would spring his trap against Saint-Vire. The one mystery that isn't solved--just what it was that happened between the two men that caused Avon to look so hard and long for the perfect revenge. ★★★★

*May I just say the person on the cover of my edition looks nothing like what I imagine Léon/Léonie to look like. Where are the short copper curls?

First line: A gentleman was strolling down a side street in Paris, on his way back from the house of one Madame de Verchoureux

Last line: "Ah, bah!" said the Duchess of Avon.
********************

Deaths = 3 (two in the plague; one shot)

Death of a Harvard Freshman

 Death of a Harvard Freshman (1984) by Victoria Silver

Lauren Adler has spent most of her time in her freshman Russian Revolution seminar at Harvard looking at Russell Bernard. Russell is a very handsome, very brilliant young black man who has just about everyone interested in him. Lauren wonders if she'd ever have a chance with him...and then, after a seminar session in which classmate Melissa Wu describes the rather brutal death of Rasputin, she finds herself scheduled for a coffee date with the dreamy man. She can hardly believe her luck.

But...she waits at the coffee shop for an hour past the appointed time and still no Russell. She can't believe she's been stood up and she goes back to the dorm hoping for a phone call with an explanation. What she gets is her roommate Carol, a staffer on Harvard's Crimson newspaper, coming home late to tell her that Russell has been murdered. And the method of his murder seems to mirror that of Rasputin in some ways. When Lauren talks with the police and tells them about the seminar session and how, like Rasputin, multiple methods of murder were used on Russell (a bash on the head, gunshots, and the body thrown in the river), the police seem totally uninterested. They're sure that it was some thug along the river...the river's not a safe place be at night, you know.

Lauren is convinced that she's right--someone from the seminar has killed Russell. But who--and why? Was it Scott Duchaine or Brian O'Donnell...two Southerners who may have a racist streak in them? Or maybe it's Katherine Butler, a militant revolutionary who didn't think Russell was black enough. She believes in violent revolution for racial equality and thought Russell and others like him were too soft in their black protests. Others from the seminar may also have had a reason to kill Russell--like Sandy Grayson whose jealousy may have driven her to murder. Or Tracy Nicholson who carries a gun and may not have accepted that her affair with Russell was over even though she has taken up with Bert Rosen. And maybe Bert Rosen, the blond surfer boy from California, doesn't like playing second fiddle to the brilliant black man. Or Melissa Wu who may have taken the story of Rasputin too literally. Or Andrew Stein who is very unbalanced and seems very fixated on murder of any sort. Parker Kendall runs at night...very often down by the river. He could be the murderer for reasons unknown.

Lauren and her best friend, Michael Hunt, decide to team up as amateur sleuths to see if they can solve the mystery that seems to be too much for the local police. But they need to be careful. Someone has killed once...and will soon kill again. They don't want to find themselves next on the killer's to-do list.

A fairly straight-forward amateur sleuth mystery. It has a nice, classic mystery tone--with a closed circle of suspects and plenty of red herrings to follow up. And I didn't catch on to whodunnit until a certain sentence is spoken in the final chapters. I'm just pleased I realized its importance before Lauren did. The big drawback is that Lauren and Michael spend way too many late-night sessions rehashing everybody's motives and coming to the conclusion that pretty much any of them could have done it. Since these two aren't professional detectives, they can't really do much except talk and talk and talk to the suspects. I'm surprised that those who didn't do it don't get a little fed up with all the questions and accusations....

I do really like Lauren and Michael though. They have a good solid friendship and it's nice to see how their circle builds over the course of the story. And Silver provides us with a nice tense denouement.
★★★ and 1/2  

First line: Melissa Wu was just finishing her presentation on Rasputin.

Last line: "I feel an inexplicable but all too familiar craving for vanilla ice cream and hot fudge."
**********************

Deaths = 3 (one poisoned; two shot)

Murder, Murder, Little Star

 Murder, Murder, Little Star (1977) by Marian Babson

Twinkle is a child star--ten years old going on a very b---- forty. She wears dark glasses, a sable coat, and an attitude that alienates everyone she comes in contact with. But onscreen, she's a dream and her public adores her. And she sells. And that's all the producer and the director of her newest movie care about. It'll be worth it to put up with the child tyrant if they can make a huge profit on the movie. But--as filming begins, it becomes apparent that someone has tired of putting up with Twinkle. First her morning milk is poisoned with near fatal results for the crewmember who has been secretly drinking the milk for her (Twinkle hates her morning milk). Then the scriptwriter falls to his death while trying to prove that tap-dancing on a very high roof while wearing a safety harness is absolutely safe--so of course Twinkle can do it. Twinkle was sure it was not...and she was right.

Who has it in for Twinkle? Could it be her mother who had to sacrifice her own career for her daughter's stardom? Or perhaps her bother's beau who wants mummy to be free from encumbrances? Maybe it's the produce or director--after all they have heavily ensured their little star and perhaps they'd rather have insurance money than to have to wait for box office proceeds. Or could it be one of her co-stars--she has managed to offend, insult, and generally make herself obnoxious to all of them. Has anything rankled so deeply that it has resulted in attempted murder? 

Frances Armitage has been hired as chaperone for the young star. She sees beyond the makeup and trappings of fame--and sees a young girl afraid of getting too old for child parts and losing her star power. She sees a lonely girl in need of a friend. And she sees a girl who is truly afraid. Frances vows to protect her young charge and tries to discover what is going on behind the scenes. But it all boils down to a killer who can't keep out the spotlight giving a confessional monologue.

A decent mystery spoiled by little actual detection and the confessional wrap-up. The killer doesn't even need any prodding to to start boasting about the plot to severely injure Twinkle or outright murder her--take your pick. I enjoyed Marian Babson books very much when I first read some in the 80s/90s, but I'm not sure she's what I'm looking for in the 2020s. The best part of the book for me wasn't the mystery--it was Frances and her relationship with Twinkle and her relationship with her son and daughter-in-law. I love how she's trying to get her independence while DIL seems intent on running her life. Good on Frances for sticking up for herself. ★★ and 1/2

First line: There was really, Frances Armitage thought complacently, a lot of nonsense talked about the difficulty of re-entering the employment market.

Last line: "I've just been called on a new assignment...."
**********************

Deaths = 3 (two in explosions; one fell from height)