The Quest of the Missing Map

 The Quest of the Missing Map (1942) by Carolyn Keene

The case of Nancy Drew and the expanding mystery: Nancy's involvement in this one starts with Hannah Gruen. Hannah introduces Nancy to Ellen Smith, daughter of the family where Hannah served as housekeeper before coming to the Drews. Ellen is now around Nancy's age and attending a music school. Her family's fortunes have taken a down-turn and she's considering taking a position as a piano teacher to Trixie Chatham. But Ellen has some qualms about the house where Mrs. Chatham (a widow) and her daughter live--as well as Mrs. Chatham's attitude towards her daughter. She wanted Hannah to come with her to meet Mrs. Chatham, but Hannah suggests that she take Nancy instead.

The vibes are definitely off at the Chatham house. And it doesn't help that Trixie says that the studio where her mother's first husband's possessions are stored is haunted. There's a man with fierce staring eyes who appears and disappears. Nancy is sure she can show the little girl that her fears are misplaced, but Nancy experiences some odd things in the studio. First, there is a piano that won't play...and then does. While Nancy's trying to figure that out, a hidden panel opens and a menacing voice tells her to "Leave here at once and never come back!" So, Nancy tells Ellen to ask for time to make a decision about the position to give her a chance to investigate.

Then Ellen tells Nancy that her father has a mystery that needs solving as well and takes her to meet him. Mr. Tomlin Smith was one of twin boys who had a sea-faring captain as a father. Before he died in an accident to his ship, Captain Tomlin gave the boys each one half of a map which he said would lead to treasure. The boys were put in separate lifeboats and never saw one another again. Mr. Tomlin Smith was eventually adopted by a family names Smith, but always wanted to try and find his brother. Now he'd like Nancy to help him.

Nancy's investigations into the Chatham and Tomlin mysteries lead her into several encounters with a gang of criminals determined to find the two pieces of the map and make off with the treasure themselves. Nancy is kidnapped, hit over the head, crowned queen of a dance, and makes the discovery of hidden passages--all on her way to finding all the clues to the treasure. But the criminals seem to be a step ahead...will Nancy, her friends, and the Tomlin families be in time to save the treasure from the bad guys? Well...this is a Nancy Drew story, so what do you think?

This is another of the Nancy Drew series that I remember enjoying well enough when I was young, but it wasn't one of the favorites that I read again and again. I'm not entirely sure why. There's all kinds of action; there are secret passages and hidden treasure maps and creepy "ghosts" and a real-live treasure hunt and Ned gets to do a rescue and... But somehow all that action just didn't add up to the kind of excitement I found in The Clue of the Broken Locket or The Clue of the Dancing Puppet or any of the others I loved to reread. And reading it now, I can't blame my younger self. It's a perfectly good Nancy Drew story. Nothing wrong with it, but it definitely doesn't rank among the best of them. ★★★

First line: Golden hair flying in the wind, Nancy Drew ran up the porch steps and let herself into the front door of her home.

Last line: The adventure was at an end.

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Deaths = 3 (one drowned; two natural)

The Will of the Tribe

 The Will of the Tribe (1962) by Arthur W. Upfield

An unknown man is found dead in the middle of a meteor crater in the Australian desert. None of the homesteads in the area or the the aboriginal encampments admit to the man having passed through their territory--though he must have gone through the land somewhere, somehow, whether alive or dead. He wasn't dropped from a plane because nothing is broken except the back of his head where it made contact with the proverbial blunt instrument. The local police are stumped and so, Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte is sent to find out two things: 1. How did the man get to the crater without anyone taking notice. 2. What was the motive. The upper level authorities don't want Bony to bother with discovering who the man was...they know and it's all hush-hush. But how is a detective supposed to determine a motive when he knows nothing about the victim? 

Well, if anyone can, then it's Bony, the half-white, half-aboriginal policeman with a perfect record in crime-solving. His dual heritage helps him understand both the tribal customs and the white settlers and he soon realizes that both groups are keeping back knowledge about what happened to the man and how his body arrived where it was found. He'll have to be very clever indeed to get the tribesmen to reveal what he needs to know.

The story highlights the dual loyalties of those who are either of mixed race or who, being black, have been raised or employed by the white settlers. Bony with his own mixed heritage is able to help the tribal people strike a balance that allows the mystery to be unraveled fairly. Upfield makes much of Bony's individualism that allows him to advocate for true justice (rather than a slavish adherence to the letter of the law). It sometimes gets him in trouble with his superiors, but that doesn't bother him much. He knows he's too good at his job for them do much to him. 

The mystery itself isn't really much--since we have no clues about the identity of the man, there isn't any question of motive. The silence around how he got there makes it obvious that those who Bony talks with much know more than they tell and there's not much question about who is covering up. The strength in this story is in Upfield's description of the area and the depiction of the relationship between the black men and the white homesteaders. An interesting look at Australia in the early 1960s. ★★★

First line: Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte gazed upon Lucifer's Couch and marvelled.

Last line: "I shall not fail to bring off this one."

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

Deaths = 3 (one hit on head; two car accident)

Cat Among the Pigeons

 Cat Among the Pigeons (1959) by Agatha Christie; read by Hugh Fraser

We open at the beginning of the summer term at Meadowbank, the British girls' school--the one every mother is anxious to get her girl into. Miss Bulstrode, the founding headmistress, is preparing to retire and name her successor. She watches with anticipation as the new group of girls arrive. These include Princess Shaista, a disconcertingly mature Middle Eastern princess; Julia Upjohn, a girl whose aunt has paid the fees so she can attend the exclusive school; and her new friend Jennifer Sutcliffe, who spent the summer in the Princess's kingdom of Ramat. There are also several new staff members in residence including the inquisitive new French instructor, the equally nosy new games mistress, and Miss Bulstrode's new secretary as well as a brand new sports pavilion that is the pride of the school.

Over the summer, there was a revolution in Ramat and Prince Ali Yusuf, the endangered ruler, had entrusted both his jewels and his life to his friend and pilot, Bob Rawlinson. Bob successfully concealed the glittering treasure amongst his sister and niece's possessions (that would be Jennifer and her mama) while they were away from their hotel room, but the two men perished when their plane crashed in the escape attempt. Rawlinson wasn't able to deliver a message indicating where the jewels were hidden, so no one knows their whereabouts. Or do they?

Not long after the school year begins, things take deadly turn when Miss Springer, the games mistress is found shot to death late one night in the new pavilion. What was she doing at the sports pavilion at one o'clock in the morning? And why would anyone want to shoot her? The police investigate, but cannot find anything of interest in the building--so, if there was anything then it was taken by Miss Springer's killer. The first death is followed by another (in the pavilion!) and a kidnapping. It isn't until Julia Upjohn is wise enough to figure out what the killer is looking for and then consults her aunt's friend Hercule Poirot that they are able to spot the "cat among the pigeons."

Dame Agatha never ceases to entertain. This book has it all...international espionage, missing jewels, kidnapping...and, of course, murder. It was truly delightful to take a break from James L. Swanson's Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer for a little mystery and mayhem in a British girls' school. Working at an educational institution myself, I always enjoy a good academic mystery. It's a bit disappointing that Poirot comes in late to the game, but when he does his little grey cells are firing on all cylinders and he soon gets right to the heart of the matter. I really liked Julia and the way she puts two and two together to solve part of the mystery. As always, Dame Agatha pulls off a bit of sleight of hand and had me suspecting the wrong person. One of these days, I'll guess correctly.  ★★★★

First line: It was the opening day of the summer term at Meadowbank school.

Last line: "A most unusual woman."

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Deaths = 6 (two plane accident; two shot; two hit on the head)

Who Speaks for the Damned

 Murder is unseemly. Making certain a killer doesn't get away with what he has done is an obligation we the living owe to the dead--no matter how unsavory we consider them to be. ~Who Speaks for the Damned (2020) ~C. S. Harris (Candice Proctor)

Who speaks for the damned? In this particular historical mystery series--Sebastian St. Cyr, Lord Devlin, who so often finds himself investigating murders that no one else will touch. And in this particular case, he is speaking for Nicholas Hayes, the younger son of the late Earl of Seaforth, who was tried and found guilty of the murder of the beautiful Countess Chantal de LaRiviere 18 years ago. His sentence was commuted to transportation to Botany Bay for life and he had been reported dead after an accident not long after his arrival in Australia. But, in truth, he had escaped and made a life for himself in China. So, why was he found stabbed in the back with a sickle in a less-than-fashionable tea garden? Devlin's valet Calhoun would like his master to find out.

Calhoun was friends with Hayes before he was exiled from England and believes that the man was innocent. He says that Hayes was a loyal and honorable man--perhaps a bit wild in his youth, but certainly not a killer of women. Devlin trusts Calhoun's judgment and has an abhorrence of senseless death. There is also a young child to be found--a child whom Hayes had brought with him from China and who disappeared as soon as they had told the valet of the murder. It isn't long before Devlin has discovered four men who had reason to fear Hayes's return to England. Men who were inextricably tied to Hayes's guilty verdict. Could it be that Hayes came back to exact revenge on those whom he thought had set him up? Or is there another reason behind his return--a reason that resulted in his death? When Hayes's cousin (who had ascended to the title Earl of Seaforth on the strength of the report of Nicholas's death--and the deaths of his two older brothers) joins the list of those killed, Devlin begins to wonder if someone has a grudge against the Hayes/Seaforth family. Or is he missing something? 

In the background, the crowned heads of Europe are still gathered in England to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon and the powers-that-be want nothing more than to sweep these ugly matters under the rug. Heaven forbid that unseemly events (like murder) should tarnish the aristocratic glamour of the elite. But as long as Devlin is around, murderers will get their comeuppance...even if they do walk among the elite.

This one was particularly good to revisit. It offers up several old scandals which provides plenty of red herrings, possible twists and clues. I really enjoyed the sub-plot with Ji, the missing child and I loved the ending provided for them. ★★★★ and 1/2

First line: Alone and trying desperately not to be afraid, the child wandered the narrow, winding paths of the tea gardens.

Last line: Then she reached out and felt the woman's hand close protectively around hers.

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

Deaths = 10 (six stabbed; one drowned; two shot; one strangled)

The Final Appointment

 The Final Appointment (1979) by Marcia Blair (Marc Baker)

Tory Baxter is a nurse who has discovered a talent as an amateur sleuth--at least she thinks so. Her friend Lt. Jay Thorpe of the San Francisco Police isn't so sure. He thinks she's more liable to get herself into trouble and drag him along with her. But when Dina Severson approaches Tory about a problem she and her two friends, Felicia Adams and Candice Jeffers, are facing, Tory simply can't resist. 

Someone has been harassing Felicia--entering her apartment and making it obvious that someone has been there, though not stealing anything. Then threatening messages are written on fashion designs that Felicia has been working on. And finally, just before Tory is called upon, copies of a group phot of the three young women are sent with Felicia's face X'd out in red. When Felicia disappears from her apartment and is later found dead at the bottom of the building's stairs, Jay and the police say it looks like an accident. But Tory is sure it's not and begins following up clues--from tracking down the child of man dismissed from the Adams & Jeffers firm for embezzlement to "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" golden charms found at the scene of the crimes. Her researches lead her to a final showdown with a dangerous killer....she can only hope that Jay will be in time to prevent one more murder--hers!

This book is one of a series of Zebra Mystery Puzzler Books. 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). I enjoyed it but never came across another until fairly recently. I got an assortment of them for Christmas last year and thought I ought to see if the set-up holds up now. 

The mystery plot is fairly decent, but I will say that there aren't a lot of suspects to choose from. By the time the book indicates that we have all we need to solve the mystery, there are really only two suspects remaining. The clues are all there (I think I spotted them all), but I didn't really need them since it became a matter of process of elimination. So, my only real criticism about the plot is that it's not complicated enough. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I did, but I would have appreciated a bit more challenge.

The other point I'd make is that Tory spends an awful lot of time shouting at Jay. Of course, this is because the two are attracted to each other and just haven't admitted it yet and the trend in mysteries often seems to be to have the couple who will wind up together at odds with one another throughout the book and then suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, they wind up in each other's arms at the end having discovered that they really do like each other after all. In this instance it seems pretty out of character for Tory because she's so level-headed and calm in every situation that comes along, but as soon a Jay shows up (he doesn't even have to say anything) she starts bristling and shouting. 

All that said, this is still a fun, light read. If you don't want an overly complicated plot and just want to exercise the little grey cells a little bit, then this may be the right format for you. It was a nice little evening's diversion for me. ★★★

First line: Tory Baxter was more puzzled than alarmed when she realized she was being followed.

Last line: Sighing, she leaned back in the chair to get her breath and to relive that staggering moment.

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Deaths = 5 (one fell down stairs; two auto accident; one drowned; one natural)

Who Cries for the Lost

 Who Cries for the Lost (2023) by C. S. Harris (Candice Proctor)

In this latest chronicle about Sebastian St. Cyr, Lord Devlin, all of London is waiting for news that Wellington and the allies of Britain are ready to unseat Napoleon for the final time. But, although Waterloo lies ahead of him, Wellington seems content to party and seems confident that the Little Corporal will meet him on the battlefield at time of his (Wellington's) choosing. Sebastian isn't so sure and is chafing at the bit to join his former comrades on the continent. However, Sebastian is still recuperating from a nasty leg wound received in Paris over six months ago while on a mission to find his missing mother. And his detective skills are needed at home when the mutilated corpse of Major Miles Sedgewick is dragged out of the Thames.

Sedgewick was known to Sebastian during the war on the Peninsula--known as a man who could be charming, fearlessly brave,  and clever as an undercover officer, but also treacherous, untrustworthy, willing to do anything to get what he wanted. He was also known, under the name Miles Sauvage, to Paul Gibson's French lover Alexi whom he tricked into a bigamous marriage during the war and discarded as soon as they were in England. Given the nature of the wounds on Sedgewick's body, it appears that someone hated him enough to mutilate him--could it have been Alexi? Or one of the other women he deceived, including his wife and his most current mistress, a governess who lost her position because of him? It's also possible that a cuckolded husband (and there were several) may have decided to seek revenge.

But when more mutilated bodies are found--several with ties to the military and/or espionage--Sebastian begins to wonder if the deaths are political. And when he learns that Sedgewick had been carrying a list of those who once spied for Napoleon, he's sure that his father-in-law, Lord Jarvis is involved somehow. But those killed by Jarvis's men are usually killed more cleanly and efficiently. Then, of course, there is Sedgewick's odd interest in folklore and the occult. Sebastian's investigation reveals that many of the mutilations have connections to folklore about werewolves. Did Sedgewick's interest in the occult lead to his death? Sebastian needs to work fast to find out because someone doesn't like his nosing about for clues and has sent him a message threatening all he holds most dear.

The Sebastian St. Cyr series is one of my all-time favorite historical mystery series. It is also the only modern mystery series that has me on the edge-of-my-seat, I-can't-wait-till-the-next-one-comes out. I had been waiting in the library's hold line for this for what seemed like eons (okay, only since April...but still). And then, once I brought it home from the library, I still had to wait because I was in the middle of another book and had to finish it first. Rather than savor it, I just devoured it in practically one sitting. That's how good these are. 

Harris has an MA and PhD in European history and her stories always feature interesting bits of history that are vital to the plot. The information is worked into the dialogue and descriptions in such a way that readers learn a lot without feeling like they are getting info dumps. I remember reading something about the island of Cabera, but I couldn't tell you where and I didn't remember its importance. She also has a gift for character. Each person introduced has a vibrant personality--no matter how brief their time on Harris's stage. 

This is one of Harris's more intricate plots. There are several threads that might lead to the killer, but it will take someone more observant than me to pick out the right one that shows the way through the maze. It consists of quite a tangle of lies, deceptions, and apparently contradictory evidence and the intrigue is enough to keep the reader engaged from the first page to the last. One of Harris's best. ★★★★★

First lines: The dead man smelled like fish. Rotting fish.

Last lines: And then he said it again in case she couldn't quite believe him. "I mean it."

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

Deaths = 13 (three stabbed; three natural; three strangled; two fell from height; one shot; one drowned)

The Figure in the Dusk

 The Figure in the Dusk (aka A Case for Inspector West; 1951) by John Creasey

A ruthless killer is stalking the wealthy and he has a brilliant plan. Jump out in front of their fancy cars, force them to stop, and then insist that they give you a ride...at gunpoint. Once you're sure they're rich, direct them to a lonely spot, kill them, take everything of value, grab their keys, and then go rob their houses. Nice and simple--and nearly foolproof. But is the plan really as simple and direct as it seems?

It isn't long before Inspector Roger West discovers a link between the murdered men...a link that's more than just wealth. All are connected to the same family and it seems there is a dirty little secret that might give cause for someone to seek revenge. But the very people he's now trying to protect tell him lies and mislead him and one of his officers is falling in love with a suspect making his job a little bit harder. Just when he thinks he's got the killer locked up, another murder takes place and West finds that he needs to look at the puzzle from another angle.

A highly suspenseful entry in the Inspector West series--full of action and a more thrillerish atmosphere. For quite a bit of the book, it seems that West is just one step behind and we begin to wonder if our detective has met his match. Of the West books I've read so far, this one has the least attention to making a mystery and leaving clues about. We pretty much know who the killer must be from the beginning--what we don't know is the extra details that set the plot in motion. I don't think Creasey has been quite fair with this. I definitely didn't see the final twist coming and even once I finished the book I couldn't really look back and say "Oh...I missed that clue." 

Now, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. I did. It's a good story and I very much appreciate the way West handles the case--as well as how he handles the different personalities involved (including his lovesick assistant). He has a great deal of compassion for some of the suspects in the case as well. A very good--and slightly unusual--addition the inspector's cases. ★★★★

First line: It was dusk, and the man moved from the side of the road, making Arlan start.

Last line: He tossed his cigarette into the fireplace, and slid his arm around her, drew her close and found her lips.

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Deaths =  9 (five shot; two natural; two hanged)

Murder Is Suggested

 Murder Is Suggested (1959) by Frances & Richard Lockridge

When Captain Bill Weigand is faced with the murder of Jameson Elwell, a well-known psychologist, he must decide if it is a murder of revenge, murder to cover other murder, murder for money, or murder by suggestion. Because the big question is--can a subject be instructed by a good hypnotist to kill? Experts in the field say no--but there are those who think otherwise. Sergeant Mullins isn't too crazy about the hypnotism connection, but he is relieved to find that the Norths don't seem to be in it. Not that he doesn't like the Norths--he does. But he doesn't like them mixed with murder, because once you bring the Norths in things get screwy. And we certainly don't need screwy on top of hypnotism.

So, everything's fine, even with young men who break clocks and young women who appear out of apparently empty closets...until he finds out about the cats. It seems that Elwell and his protege, Carl Hunter, have been doing experiments with cats. And where there's cats, at least in Mullins' mind, the Norths are soon to follow. 

"Cats," Mullins repeated. He spoke as a man whose worst fears have been confirmed. Men broke clocks, young women came out of closets and now--cats. Omens.

Of course, he's right, though not because of the cats, but because North books had published Professor Elwell's most recent book. Things do get a bit screwy but if Mullins is fair things aren't as screwy as they usually are. There are several suspects available--and none are screwy: Rosco Finch, who was engaged to the Professor's daughter until a recent auto accident ended her life (an accident that Elwell was sure was Finch's fault); Faith Oldham, a suggestible psychology student who stands to inherit under Elwell's will; Faith's domineering mother who was definitely interested in any money that might be coming Faith's way; and Hunter--who has fallen for Faith and just might be interested in the money as well. Soon we're following Weigand and the Norths through a maze of hypnotic suggestion to a late-night session in the professor's laboratory to bring an end to the mystery.

This is a fun mystery with more focus on Weigand than some of the earlier novels. We get to see the Captain at work and we also get to see Pam North make her usual leaps of detective thought--but all wrong this time. It's good to see Weigand ahead of her quick mind. I also had a lot of fun watching Mullins say that hypnotism was a bunch of hooey and yet he was the most susceptible of all our main characters. I don't think it difficult to figure out whodunnit (and I'm surprised that Pam was fooled on this one), but the fun is in the storyline and our regular characters. ★★★★

First line: Standing at the third-floor window, William Weigand could look north and west and see the Hudson River.

Last line: "Did the Loot-I-men-captain tell you that the [redacted] admits cooling the professor?" Sergeant Mullins asked.

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

Deaths = 4 (one shot; three auto accident)

The Beauty Queen Killer

 The Beauty Queen Killer (aka A Beauty for Inspector West [original]; So Young, So Cold, So Fair; 1954) by John Creasey

When beautiful Betty Gelibrand is found strangled after she and her boyfriend Harold Millsom have a very public argument, Detective Inspector Turnbull, is sure this is going to be an easy one. Especially after he and Chief Inspector Roger West find out Millsom also beat up the man who overheard the argument. And that during the argument, Millsom had said that he'd rather see her dead than "ruined by that theater mob." Millsom runs the boyfriend to earth atop a church roof, but the young man falls from the roof and dies before he can be questioned properly. It looks like the case will be closed without the cost of a trial.

West, on the other hand, isn't convinced and soon discovers that another pretty young woman was strangled previously in similar circumstances...and that both women were contestants in the same beauty contest. And another young woman follows the first two.It isn't long before he and Turnbull are in a race to find the killer before s/he eliminates all bathing beauties. Is it a case of someone getting rid of the competition for their favorite? Or does someone just hate beauty that much?

Generally speaking, I have enjoyed the Inspector West police procedural series. I've given out mostly four stars with one three star winner in previous My Reader's Block reviews. But this one falls flat for me. I really don't care for Turnbull at all and, like West's fellow police officers, I can't for the life of me figure out why West doesn't take him down a peg or two from the very beginning. Turnbull is cocky and overbearing and very full of himself. He may be a bright young detective but he goes plunging in when a lighter touch is required and he says things to West that no subordinate should ever say unless a relationship has been established that would allow for him to speak his mind freely (it hasn't). And even then, some of the things he says are so out of line, that a good working relationship wouldn't excuse them. On top of it all, he's not even really contrite when West solves the murders and saves him (Turnbull) from the discipline he's got coming from the higher ups. He's been busted back to Detective Sergeant but he tells West "What the hell difference do you think a year or two is going to make? I'll catch up and pass you before you're really awake!" The quote my edition has from Anthony Boucher, indicates that Boucher thought this conflict between West and Turnbull "affords Creasey a chance for the most rounded characterization he has written." Um. If you say so, Mr. Boucher. 

Not my favorite Inspector West novel by a long shot. ★★

First line: "But listen, Betty," Harold Millsom said huskily, "it won't get you anywhere.

Last line: Two days later he was briefing Detective Sergeant Turnbull about a job in the East End.

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

Deaths = 7 [five strangled/suffocated; two poisoned]

And So to Murder (spoilerific)

 And So to Murder (1940) by Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr)

Monica Stanton, sheltered vicar's daughter, goes off and writes a bombshell bodice-ripper that sells like hotcakes. Before she knows it, she's asked by a film company to come and write up scripts--she thinks she'll be doing the screenplay for her own book Desire, but discovers that there is more to film-making than meets the eye. Authors don't do screenplays for their own books, oh no. So, she'll be putting together a lovely little mystery screenplay for William Cartwright's mystery-thriller, And So to Murder, and Cartwright will be adapting her book for film. She doesn't know the first thing about writing screenplays and she definitely doesn't know about writing screenplays for mysteries--but she's not going to pass up an opportunity to work in films for anything. 

But then someone takes a dislike to Miss Monica Stanton. She's nearly blinded by a bottleful of vitriol dumped down a speaking tube. She misses being shot by a hairsbreadth. And her unfortunate fellow screenwriter, Miss Tilly Parsons, is poisoned by cigarette laced with belladonna that was apparently meant for Monica. But Monica doesn't know any of these people. Nasty anonymous notes make it pretty clear that she's the target, but why on earth would someone be out to kill her? Don't worry, Sir Henry Merrivale will find out what's going on and point out the villain of the piece.

So...the title is a lie. There is no murder. Attempted murder? Yes. But no murder. This is the first Dickson/Carr novel I've read where there is no impossible murder to solve. A somewhat impossible attempt at murder--there seems, on the surface, to have been no opportunity for anyone to have doctored the near-fatal cigarette at the end--but the Old Man readily explains how that happened. But, despite there being no murder--and only one death by natural causes mentioned at the very beginning--this is a delightful mystery. The action is brisk and the dialogue sparkles. Dickson/Carr pulls out his standard "boy meets girl, the two despise each other at first sight but later are madly in love" trick, but in this story, it works! For one thing, (unlike my previous read) he allows us to see the two characters actually recognize and acknowledge what's happening. There's a progression towards romance that just didn't happen in Nine--And Death Makes Ten. Dickson/Carr also plays a fine game of misdirection in the middle section that completely fooled me and made me keep my eye on the wrong person.

I, like William Cartwright, do have a problem with one bit (the same bit, actually)--I still don't think the disappearance of the valuable sections of film is properly explained. Who did it and why was it spliced into the other bit of film? Oh--and just out of curiosity (for those who have read this)--did I miss the scene with the ax? I can't for the life of me figure out what that ax is doing on the cover of my Dell Mapback. It's a nice cover and all, but I don't remember an ax being mentioned anywhere. But, overall, a great, fast-moving read. ★★★★

First line: In spite of herself she was excited.

It was not that he expected Monica to resemble the voluptuous and world-weary Eve D'Aubray, the heroine of Desire. Just the opposite. In Mr. Hackett's experience, the ladies who wrote passionate love stories were usually either tense business women or acidulated spinsters who petrified every male in the vicinity. (p. 9)

"You appear to be confusing fiction with autobiography. Recently we both made the acquaintance of Mr. William Cartwright, who writes the detective novels. He made quite a favorable impression on you, if I remember correctly. You do not seriously suggest that Mr. Cartwright spends his spare time cutting people's throats?" (Rev. James Stanton; p. 14)

...William Cartwright had a beard. Again justice must be done. It was not one of those scraggly beards abominated by everybody. On the contrary, any male would have said it was a pretty good hirsute effort, as beards go; trim, close-clipped like the mustache, giving its owner something of the look of a naval commander. (p. 26)

"The highest paid scenario writer in the world" was a little, dumpy, bustling woman in her early fifties. She had a positiveness of manner which carried everybody along with her. Though her lipstick always looked as though it had been put on in the dark, so that it was just a fraction of an inch sideways across her mouth, she had a good deal of charm. (p. 91) 

"...you are gradually driving me to the loony bin. I informed you last week that exaggerated was spelled e-x-a-g-g-e-r-a-t-e-d. Unless the authorities have got together and done something about it in the meantime, it is still spelled like that." (William Cartwright; p. 94)

Last line: "It's just one of those things that happen in the film business."

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

Deaths = one natural

Fatal Enquiry

 Fatal Enquiry (2014) by Will Thomas:

Years ago in China, fighting in a war that wasn't his own, Cyrus Barker thought Sebastian Nightwine was his friend. Then Nightwine proved how treacherous he could be by sending Barker brother's on a mission he knew would fail. Cyrus vowed to make the man pay for his brother's death. Later in England, Barker exposed Nightwine's villainy which forced the colonel to flee England. But now the disgraced soldier has returned and has somehow earned the respect of the government and the right for police protection...from Barker. 

Nightwine has secret maps and a plan that will allow Britain to expand her already vast empire and not even Cyrus Barker will be allowed  to interfere with the scheme. It isn't long before Barker is framed for murder and he and his "Watson," Thomas Llewelyn are on the run from both the police and Nightwine and his henchmen. When a hefty reward is offered for their capture even long-time allies are tempted to turn them in. And, of course, Nightwine has a highly skilled assassin on their their trail as well--just to make certain sure that Barker won't mess up his plans, now or in the future.

Barker is just as determined to stop Nightwine--for good this time. He knows, as does Nightwine, that the twenty-five-year feud will come to end...because one of them will be dead at the end of this last confrontation. But he needs time to gather the evidence of the colonel's perfidy and time isn't a luxury that he and Llewelyn have.

So...once upon a time in 2014 I received this as an advanced reader copy. And somehow managed to not read and review it as planned. I think I wanted to read the two previous books first and then got sidetracked from my mission (soooo many books, too little time). But how on earth did almost ten years go by? 

Anyway...on to the review: Barker is in fine form as a far more mobile Nero Wolfe style detective. Highly intelligent, far ahead of the coppers, and always right. It was interesting to learn more of Barker's back story in this one--previously his past had been wrapped in mystery. But we learn a great deal about his early days in China. A past that very much informs the present adventure. It was also nice to see Llewelyn on his own for a bit. He isn't quite up to Barker's standard yet, but he acquits himself well--especially in his encounter with the spymaster. I was a bit dismayed at the number of victims who fell under the assassin's hand--and one victim in particular. I do see the point of the deaths, but still.

This isn't a whodunnit--we know who the bad guy is from the beginning. The mystery lies in how Barker will prove his innocence and how he and Llewelyn will be able to bring Nightwine to justice (of a sort). I am intrigued by the last chapter and wonder what might come of the news Barker is given at the end. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: It is a truth universally acknowledged, at least among private enquiry agents, that the most momentous of cases, the real corkers, begin on the blandest, most ordinary of days.

Meaning is as much in how we say a thing as in what we say. Even his grunt held a tone of disappointment. (p. 24)

The problem with nicknames, I've always thought, is one never gets to invent one's own. (p. 54)

Barker believes that all poets should have the decency to be dead at least a century or two. I feel the same way about politicians. (p. 245)

One cannot go about indiscriminately telling the truth. It must be doled out in bits and pieces or no one shall ever believe it. (p. 261)

Last line: "And Nightwine knew it the entire time!"

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Deaths =  9 (three natural; two stabbed; one shot; one poisoned; one hit on head; one shot)

Gone West

 Gone West (2012) by Carola Dunn

It's been a long time since Daisy Fletcher (née Dalrymple) has seen Sybil Sutherby. Sybil (then Richland) was a year ahead Daisy at school and the two weren't close friends. So, when a letter arrives saying that Sybil will be in London and would like to meet up with Daisy for lunch or tea, Daisy is both puzzled and intrigued. Fellow classmate and Daisy's best friend Lucy (alias Lady Gerald Bincombe) is sure that Sybil only wants to renew the acquaintance because of Daisy's fame as a writer of magazine articles. Over lunch, it becomes apparent that writing isn't on Sybil's mind--at least not Daisy's writing. She wants Daisy to indulge in her other interest...mystery & mayhem...and come to the country house where Sybil works as a secretary to Humphrey Birtwhistle (aka Eli Hawke, author of Western novels).

When Humphrey came down with pneumonia about three years ago, Sybil became more than a secretary. Humphrey was too sick to meet the deadline for the latest Hawke book and so she heavily edited what was done and ghost-wrote the rest. The editor noticed differences in the style and wasn't too pleased...until sales took off. It seems the reading public really like Hawke's new way with words. Since then, Humphrey has been ailing--he has a few good days, but then immediately relapses in weakness and tiredness. The doctor can't understand it and Sybil suspects that someone in the family is doping the elderly man so Sybil will keep writing and the extra money from the heightened sales will keep rolling in. She hopes she's wrong and, so, she hopes Daisy will come, investigate, and tell her she's imagining things.

 Except she's not. Before Daisy can really get to know the people at Eyrie Farm, Humphrey is dead from a hefty dose of chloral hydrate and everyone is under suspicion. Daisy was supposed to be "under cover"--just an old school friend of Sybil's and no one was supposed to know she was married to an inspector from Scotland Yard. But Sybil couldn't keep the secret from the doctor (who seems to be sweet on her...and vice versa) and he immediately asks the local constabulary to call up the Yard and ask for Inspector Fletcher. Alec Fletcher is none too pleased to find his wife mixed up in yet another murder...

It's also been a long time since I visited with Daisy--long before I began blogging and quite possibly 20 years or so. She's a very likeable character and the time period is definitely one of my favorites. Of course, these are cozy mysteries and I read them more for character, setting, and comfort than for intricate puzzle plots, but this one seems a little lighter than usual. I spotted the villain of the piece right away, but I can't say I'm sold on the motive. It's similar to that of another character--but I'd have to say the motive makes more sense for that character than the actual perpetrator. And speaking of character...few of the characters (beyond Sybil and Daisy) are really likeable. Humphrey's wife Ruby is pretty okay and his son Simon has his moments, but his brother and sister are a nasty pair. They resent Humphrey's return from the States to claim his share of the inheritance, but don't mind when Humphrey's book sales boost the style of living (two maids to help out around the house!). Myra, Humphrey's niece would be better if she were written consistently, but she veers from apparent air-headed flapper interested only in when her next quarter's allowance is due to kind and compassionate when Ruby needs her and back again with surprising speed. It was difficult find anyone to root for (innocence-wise) and one really wouldn't have minded if any one of them wound up guilty. ★★★

First line: The approach was not inviting.

Last line: "Darling," said Daisy, "you know very well, that's a promise I can't possibly make!"

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Deaths = 2 (one poisoned; one influenza)

Bony & the Kelly Gang

 Bony & the Kelly Gang (aka Valley of the Smugglers; 1960) by Arthur W. Upfield

Inspector Napoleon "Bony" Bonaparte goes deep undercover in Cork Valley, New South Wales. He's looking for the murderer of a government excise officer who was killed while searching for illicit stills. The Superintendent is sure that inhabitants of Cork Valley have a lot of illicit activities going on, but none of the policemen or excise officers who have investigated could find a thing...and men who tried to go undercover before just disappeared. Bony is warned of the danger as well as the impossible nature of the assignment...but Bony has never failed at a case he's taken up and danger doesn't scare him.

So, he's given a false background full of horse thievin' and other small crimes, and appears in the Valley as a man anxious to leave his past and any snoopy policemen behind him. The Kellys and Conways are the principle families in the Valley--they control all trade and keep a close eyes on who comes and goes. And they don't suffer strangers easily. But they take a liking to "Nat Bonnay" and he gradually earns their trust and is treated as one of their own. He discovers the source of the illicit trade and...being Inspector Bonaparte...he also tracks down the killer. But his loyalties are put to the test because he grows very fond of the families who wander just the other side of the law.

I had a strong feeling that I had read this one before. But I have no record of having done so. I can only assume that it is because Bony follows his common practice of going undercover in order to solve the mystery. He's posed as fence mender, a horse breaker, and a ranch hand on sheep farms to name just a few. He seems to melt right into the roles he takes on and must be a pretty athletic/strong man because he takes on jobs heavy in manual labor. This time he starts out as a "spud digger" which sounds like back-breaking work as it is described in the book. 

Upfield manages to bring the Kellys and Conways to life and it's easy to see why Bony begins to have such affection for these people that he is investigating. He has to remind himself that he's there on a job and that there is a murderer somewhere in the Valley. Much as he may like the families, he cannot let a murderer go free. He might be tempted to look the other way on stills and smuggling (after all, that's not what he was asked to investigate), but he can't possibly forget his duty when it comes to murder.

While I enjoyed Upfield's descriptions of the Valley and its inhabitants and, like Bony, became fond of many of the Conways and Kellys, the mystery itself didn't interest me as much as previous installments have done. Perhaps it was because Bony's method has become pretty formulaic--go undercover, dig up secrets, solve the mystery. And, really, once Bony was on the spot the mystery didn't stay mysterious very long. It became pretty obvious who must have done away with the excise man. The real question was how Bony was going to bring that person to justice without causing a great deal of damage to the people he had come to like so well. ★★★

First line: The secondary road was ruler-straight across the narrow coastal lowlands to the base of the Southern Mountains of New South Wales.

Last line: "To the divil with English," Bony said, producing a gum leaf. "I know the Gaelic for 'Danny Boy'."

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Deaths = 8 (six shot; one neck broken; one natural)

The Moving Finger

 The Moving Finger (1942) by Agatha Christie

Jerry Burton heads to the quiet countryside for a bit of rest and relaxation after a flying accident. His doctor insists that it will do him good to "[t]ake an interest in local politics, get excited about village gossip, absorb all the local scandal. Small beer--that the prescription for you. Absolute rest and quiet." Jerry and his sister Joanna rent a house called Little Furze in the village of Lymstock. But local scandal winds up being anything but "small beer." A spate of vicious poison pen letters, which started before the Burtons arrived, attack them as well--suggesting that Joanna is really Jerry's fancy piece and not his sister at all. The nasty insinuations are bad enough, but when one letter leads to the apparent suicide of a prominent lawyer's wife it becomes more serious. 

And...more serious yet when a maid from the lawyer's house calls up Partridge, the housekeeper at Little Furze, asking to come and talk over something that's been bothering her. But she never arrives and later is found stuffed in a closet under the staircase at the lawyer's residence--stabbed to death. The murder investigation makes little headway until the vicar's wife calls in an old friend--Miss Jane Marple.

Even though Miss Marple doesn't put in an appearance until the last third (or so) of the book, this is a highly enjoyable read. I really like the characters of Jerry and Joanna Burton, Dr. Griffith, and Megan. Jerry has a way of picking up the important clues, even if he doesn't quite know what to do with them. But as soon as he shares them with Miss Marple--she does. The atmosphere of the village is perfect. Christie captures the small town tendency of knowing everyone elses's business so well and manages to instill a deep feeling of evil underneath the cozy countryside. An interesting study of character in the 1940s. ★★★★

First line: I have often recalled the morning when the first of the anonymous letters came.

Last line: "That," I said, "is Joanna's little joke."

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Deaths = 6 (four natural; one drug overdose; one stabbed)

Heart of the Sun

 Heart of the Sun (1997) by Pamela Sargent & George Zebrowski

The Enterprise is sent to help the Federation colony on Tyrtaeus II repair their planetary database after a computer virus attacks their computers. The Tyrtaeans are a very insular people--their ancestors left Earth in search of a planet where they could keep themselves to themselves and not have the influence of other cultures. They reluctantly joined the Federation when it became clear that their location near the Romulan Neutral Zone put them in greater danger than cultural influence. But they still aren't happy about their limited contact with others. 

When the Enterprise crew detects an artificial world hidden among the cometary ring of the Tyrtaean solar system and that world suddenly shifts out of orbit, sending it in a collision course with the system's sun, it becomes clear that the Tyrtaeans are going to need more help from the Federation crew. The craft won't respond to any attempts at communication and Captain Kirk and his crew must find a way to keep the craft from destroying itself and possibly causing damage to the system's sun--which could result in the destruction of the colony as well.

A fairly standard classic Trek plot. Sargent and Zebrowski do a pretty good job bringing Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Lt. Kevin Riley to life--though there are places in the narrative and dialog where things didn't ring quite true. I also have to wonder...where the heck is Chekov? Does he have a case of Denebian flu? It's nice to see Riley get some page time (I always wished he'd shown up more in the episodes), but not a mention of our favorite Russian? The story is okay--but it sure drags for a little over half the book. Lots of talk and very little action. Once they start investigating the artificial world, things pick up nicely. The aliens aboard the world (craft?) are very interesting and I think the book would have been better served by more time spent with them. Still, it was nice to visit with the Enterprise crew again. ★★★

First line: "Right here--" Commander Spock said as he pointed to the flashing dot on the sector display, "--in the cometary ring of this solar system, there is an object that does not belong."

Last line: And when he was finally asleep, Spock dreamed that he was awake and at his post.

Bats in the Belfry

 Bats in the Belfry (1937) by E. C. R. Lorac (Edith Caroline Rivett)

The thirteenth entry in  Lorac's Inspector Robert MacDonald series finds the Scotsman investigating the disappearance of two men: Bruce Attleson and a mysterious man by the name of Debrette. Attleson wowed the literary world with his first two novels, but his muse seems to have left him. Meanwhile, his wife Sybilla has been lighting up the London stage. She would like to leave him as well and believes she has cause to do so. She just needs the proof. But Attleson is a clever fellow who doesn't want to lose the comfy lifestyle his wife's success allows him, so he allows for no proof of his extracurricular activities. He thinks...

But then this man Debrette starts harassing him and his friends believe it to be blackmail. Attleson and his friend Rockingham are both meant to travel to Paris and plan to stay at the same hotel. When Rockingham returns home, he tells their circle of friends that Attleson never arrived. He talks Robert Grenville, a journalist, into trying to hunt down Debrette and the trail leads to a run-down gothic tower with a belfry. Debrette disappears as well and Attleson's suitcase--passport and all--is found in the basement. The men decide that it's a case for Scotland Yard and the Yard decides that it's a case for Inspector MacDonald. When a headless and handless corpse is discovered plastered up in a niche in the tower, MacDonald must follow the meagre trail of clues to find out if it is Debrette or Attleson who was left behind--and who put him there? Did one of the men eliminate the other? Or did Sybilla's "friend" get tired of waiting for her to have grounds for divorce? Perhaps Grenville got tired of waiting for Attleson to give permission for his ward, Elizabeth Leigh, to marry him. Or maybe there's more money in the case than meets the eye and someone got greedy? 

You wouldn't think a book with a headless corpse would be fun, but this is. The opening scene following a funeral sets the tone and mysteries and spooky gothic towers notwithstanding, this is a fun read. We watch Robert Grenville (described as well-muscled under his coat) repeated get knocked over the head in his pursuit of Debrette--despite being told by Rockingham, his dear Elizabeth, and MacDonald that he'd better leave it alone. 

"If he hadn't had the world's thickest skull, he wouldn't be alive now."

And as MacDonald notes, if he hadn't had the world's thickest skull in another sense, he wouldn't have been bashed over the head so many times....And if he hadn't had the world's thickest skull (and be destined to survive his adventures) we wouldn't enjoy watching the fun so much. The number of people who go sneaking about the tower also makes for interesting complications and we're never sure--given a booby-trap Grenville lays for anyone trying to enter the tower--just how many people there are. 

Lorac does an excellent job providing motives for nearly all the main characters--even the butler may have done it!--so the solution, while unexpected, doesn't come out of nowhere. I will quibble about two people having the same motive, however. I do think that was a bit much--but I had so much fun revisiting London in the company of Inspector MacDonald that I will forgive her. ★★★★

First line: "As funerals go, it was quite a snappy effort."

Last line: "Send me some wedding cake later--and good luck to you!"

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Deaths = 6 (one car accident; one gassed; two shot; one natural; one drowned)

All challenges fulfilled: Mount TBR,Vintage Mystery Challenge, Reading by the Numbers, Medical Examiner,Cloak & Dagger,52 Books in 52 Weeks,52 Book Club,Series Catch-Up,Stacking the Series,BC by Erin,TBR 23 in '23,Linz the Bookworm RC,Pick Your Poison,Mystery Reporter

Wings Above the Diamantina

 Wings Above the Diamantina (1936) by Arthur W. Upfield

Elizabeth Nettlefold and her father John make a startling discovery while out on a tour of inspection of the land her father manages as a cattle breeder. Resting on the dry lake bed of Emu lake is a shiny red monoplane. There are no footprints leading away from the plane and at first it appears that the plane must have landed itself. On closer inspection, they find a young woman strapped into the front cockpit (away from the controls). She is unconscious and they have no success in bringing her to. Their first thought is to get her back to the house and call a doctor. Then Mr. Nettlefold plans to return with the local police sergeant to investigate further.

When the doctor arrives the woman opens her eyes but she cannot move and cannot speak. He's not sure whether she has had some awful shock or if she has been poisoned, but he does the best he can for her immediately and will call in a specialist to help with the diagnosis. Elizabeth Nettlefold volunteers to act as nurse. Recently she has been bored with life on the cattle station and she feels like caring for the unknown woman has given her a new purpose in life. 

Her father and Sergeant Cox set out for the plane early the next only to discover that the aircraft has been demolished by fire. Cox is dismayed to learn that the Nettlefolds didn't think to check the plane for the young woman's belongings--now they may never know who she is. The sergeant knows his limits and immediately calls for assistance from Brisbane. And they send their best man for unusual crimes in the back country--Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. But with so few clues, Bony will have his work cut out for him if he's to discover the woman's identity and that of her attempted murderer before the villain can finish the job.

Upfield, as per usual, gives the reader a fine sense of place (and my edition even includes a nice map so we can orient ourselves as necessary. He regularly has characters discussing distances which lets us know just how far away the important locales are from one another and he also gives great descriptions of the Australian landscape. Bony manages to keep his unbroken record of solved mysteries--though it is a close thing for a while. I will say that I was a bit surprised that the solution to the young woman's paralysis didn't occur to him sooner. I was pretty certain I knew (in general--not specifically) what the cause was and was proved right. There are subtle clues that will allow the observant reader to get there as well. 

Even with that point, this stands up as a pretty good mystery. I did think it just a bit long in the middle--Bony takes an awful long time in reaching the "aha" moment. And there was no way we were going to know the woman's identity before Bony tells us in the grand finale. But it is entertaining to watch Bony at work even when we might think he's being a little slow on the uptake. ★★★

First line: Because the day was still and cool and invigorating, Elizabeth elected to accompany her father on a tour of the fifteen square miles of country called Coolibah.

"Believe me, I know what boredom is," he said, quietly cutting in. "There is only one thing worse than boredom, and that is memory. Boredom can be banished, but memory cannot be obliterated." (Dr. Knowles; p. 46)

Last line: "My worst policeman," he said. "My best detective!"

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Deaths = five natural; two car accident

All challenges fulfilled: Vintage Scavenger Hunt,Mount TBR,Reading by the Numbers,Medical Examiner,Alphabet Soup Authors,Cloak & Dagger,Stacking the Series,Monthly Key Word,BC by Erin,52 Book Club,Series Catch-Up,TBR 23 in '23,Linz the Bookworm RC,Pick Your Poison,Mystery Reporter,

Madeline & the Gypsies

 Madeline and the Gypsies (1958) by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline is a spunky little redhead who is constantly getting into the most interesting predicaments and having adventures that must have caused poor Miss Clavel to have gray hair long before her time. In this particular adventure, Miss Clavel takes the "twelve little girls in two straight lines" plus their neighbor Pepito (the Spanish ambassador's son) to the gypsy carnival where there are rides and circus-like acts and much excitement for the children. In the middle of their outing there is a sudden storm and Miss Clavell and the children rush back to the convent--only to find that Madeline and Pepito are not with them. When the storm came on the Ferris wheel was stopped and the two children were stranded at the top of the wheel. The rest of the story features Madeline and Pepito's adventures with the gypsy carnival--taking part in a horse-riding act and even appearing as a lion--before Miss Clavell and eleven little girls arrive to take them home.

This particular installment of the Madeline stories appears on the American Library Association's "Top 100 Most Banned & Challenge Books: 2010-2019" presumably because of the term gypsy and the depiction of the gypsy mama as being willing to run off with the children and even disguise them in the lion costume to prevent them from being found. I can only say that when I read these stories as a child, the only thing I had in mind was the adventure--watching Madeline and Pepito have the chance to join the circus (so to speak) and travel with the caravan for a short time before returning safely home to Paris. I don't think I gave much thought to how the people they wound up with were categorized. The illustrations stuck in my mind as circus-related--not gypsy-related. But now as an adult I can certainly see the enforcement of a negative view of the Romani people--which is unfortunate because the story is full of adventure and lovely illustrations that bring back memories of reading when I was young. 

My rating for the story when I first read it would have been four stars (though I never entered it in my reading log or gave it a rating). I loved Madeline and reading about her adventures and always had great fun with these stories. The illustrations were always fun and eye-catching. Reading it now, I will deduct a star for the negative connotations, but the nostalgia and eye-catching illustrations still have a strong pull. ★★★

The Crimson Clue

 The Crimson Clue (1952) by George Harmon Coxe

In his fourteenth outing, Courier photographer Kent Murdock once again finds himself knee-deep in murder. Patricia Canning, an old friend of Kent's, asks him to take pictures at her wedding. This is an unusual request, not because Kent doesn't use his camera outside of office hours but because Patricia's family is notoriously camera-shy. The opportunity to take approved candid shots of the Cannings would be the scoop of the year...if he were operating for the paper. As the wedding day progresses, Kent comes across an even bigger scoop. Except he may not be able to use it.

During a break in the wedding action, Kent is looking for a quiet place to exchange films and reload his camera. The Canning mansion is pretty much stuffed to the rafters with guests, but he ventures up to the third floor and finds a quieter area. Opening the door to what he thinks will be a small bedroom, he finds himself in a closet and he's not alone. It looks like someone stashed a drunken guest out of the way. But when Kent takes a closer look he realizes the man is not dead drunk...just dead. His newspaper instincts take over and he takes some pictures and goes through the man's pockets to discover his name. Then he decides that it can't possibly hurt anything if he waits to report it. In fact, it will help Patricia get away for her honeymoon and it will help the Courier scoop the other newspapers. 

What he doesn't know is that someone knows he found the corpse and the body is going to disappear before he can report it. In fact, he's silly enough to put the used film in his case and then leave the case while he goes off to take pictures of the happy couple riding off into the sunset. And...you guessed it...his camera bag with film included disappears as well. The Canning family (sans Patricia) closes ranks and claims that Kent has mistaken a drunken man for a dead one who must have come out of his stupor and wandered away. It's unfortunate that someone stole his camera bag, but they would be more than happy to compensate him for his loss. 

Kent knows what he saw and when an unidentified body shows up at the morgue (picked up in a suburb), he isn't surprised to find Neil Garvin in the appropriate drawer. As one might imagine, Lieutenant Bacon isn't too thrilled with Kent's story when he finally tells it and the two men spend the rest of the book trying to prove that Garvin really was killed in the Canning's house and looking for evidence that will point to the killer.

So...let's get the quibble out of the way first. While snapping his pictures of the corpse in the closet, Kent thinks he hears a noise. Why on earth would he abandon his film and run off to take more reception pictures? The man has been involved in 13 other murder cases (possibly more--I'm just going with the stories recorded by Coxe), surely to goodness he's learned something along the way. You'd think he'd be a little more careful about leaving evidence behind when it's possible somebody was around when he took the photos. If it's me, I drop the used film in my pocket and go off and take the honeymoon exit pictures. Actually, if it's me, I immediately report what I found. But then where would our plot be? I suspect not too far from what we get--a house full of possible suspects. With everyone milling about, it would be difficult to pinpoint who was where and when, so we really don't need the added difficulty of proving that the body was ever there in the first place.

If we ignore Kent's initial behavior when he discovers Garvin's body, then this is a really good detective novel. Lots of action and motives for the murder. The vital evidence is a bit out of the realm of younger readers, but certainly makes for a good reveal. Coxe does a good job of distracting from the culprit and provides an exciting wrap-up scene. In general, I have enjoyed all of the Kent Murdock stories (three others) I've read so far and I do like his relationship with Lt. Bacon. A good solid mystery. ★★★ and 1/4

First line: Among the employees of the Courier the Studio was the term used to designate the photographic department on the third floor.

Last line: Ten seconds later he was asking the Courier operator for the city desk.

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Deaths = 4 (one strangled; one natural; one auto accident; one shot)

All challenges fulfilled: BC by Erin,Vintage Scavenger Hunt,Mount TBR,Reading by the Numbers,Medical Examiner,Cloak & Dagger,Color Coded,Alphabet Soup,52 Books in 52 Weeks,Series Catch-Up,Stacking the Series,TBR 23 in '23,Linz the Bookworm RC,Pick Your Poison,Mystery Reporter,52 Book Club,

The Becket Factor

 The Becket Factor (1990) by Michael David Anthony [Canterbury Cathedral #1]

Richard Harrison has left intelligence work behind and returned to Canterbury. He serves as the Cathedral's Secretary to the Diocesan Dilapidions Board and takes care of his wife Winnie, who suffers from polio. He promised Winne that he was done with "all that." And then Canon Cratchley dies suddenly--reportedly from a heart attack, though someone says that Cratchely was "stung" on the night before he died. And Harrison's old boss Brigadier Greville shows up asking for Harrison's help. It seems that Cratchley contacted Greville shortly before he died and mentioned something about "the Becket factor." Greville wants Harrison to nose around Canterbury and see if he can find out anything that might prove that Cratchley was murdered.

The next thing Harrison knows, a crew working on refurbishing the stone floor in the Cathedral's crypt discovers an ancient coffin and the rumors fly that the remains of Thomas a Becket have finally been found. Did Cratchley know something about the remains? Is that what his cryptic message to Greville referred to? Or is it code for something else? In Harrison's investigations, he discovers that Cratchley was researching a Bishop with ties to the current front-runner to replace the current Archbishop of Canterbury. And both seem to have mysterious ties to Russia. There are plots within plots and Harrison is nearly too late in putting it all together....because the killer has their eye on another victim.

I am in two minds about this one, so my review has good news and bad news. I'll give you the bad news first. Harrison just isn't all that believable as an ex-intelligence officer. He is SO slow on the uptake and SO gullible, naïve, and blinded by his own prejudices. I cannot believe that England kept this man on the intelligence payroll for longer than two minutes. [spoiler in ROT13 code] Naq tvira gur snpg gung ur'f hfrq gb gur puhepu ngzbfcurer, V ernyyl svaq vg qvssvphyg gb oryvrir gung vg gbbx uvz gur ragver obbx gb svther bhg gung gurer ner zra nyy nebhaq uvz jrnevat pnffbpxf gung ybbx n JUBYR YBG yvxr qerffrf. V zrna, frevbhfyl--zl cebgrfgnag onpxtebhaq vfa'g shyy bs zra va pyrevpny bhgsvgf gung ybbx yvxr qerffrf, ohg V xarj jung jnf tbvat ba. 

On the plus side, I did like his personal relationships. I felt that the way he and Winnie worked their way back to one another (especially with him working his way through some residual effects from the war) was very realistic. He was certainly more perceptive in those instances than he was with anything to do with the mystery. Oh...and the mystery? Well done. The wheels within wheels and the interweaving plot was very good. Just when you thought the last twist had come there was another one and it certainly keeps the reader on his or her toes. I just wish the detection of the plot had been as good as the plot itself.  ★★★--just.

First line: A boy began singing.

Last line: There they remained, hands touching, under the shade of the vine, feeling the cool of the breeze on their faces and hearing, above and around them, the continuing sigh of the leaves.

[To decode: copy the encoded text; click on ROT13 link and paste in box.]

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Deaths = 14 (one shot; one buried alive; five natural; two car accident; one hit with ox bone; three stabbed; one burned to death)

All Challenges Fulfilled: 52 Book Club,Mount TBR,TBR 23 in '23,Calendar of Crime,Reading by the Numbers,Medical Examiner,Alphabet Soup Authors,Cloak & Dagger,Stacking the Series,Reading Randomizer,Linz the Bookworm RC,Pick Your Poison,