Forgotten Books: Murder '97 by Frank Gruber

This is the third and last book in my favorite Gruber series - the adventures of Simon Lash. Why is it my favorite? Because Lash is not only a hardboiled detective - he's a book collector. (Simon Lash, Private Detective is reviewed HERE, and The Buffalo Box is HERE)

The first book, you may recall, had an Old West theme, and the second revolved around the history of the Donnor Party. This time, the focus is on Horatio Alger. Lash is hired to track down the original owner of an Alger book, and follows the trail from book dealer to book scout to junk store, uncovering evil doings dating back to 1897.

It's noted several times that at the time of this story, 1948, no one reads Alger anymore. The characters who read him as kids are now in their 60s. But the books have become collectible, and a first edition of Ralph Raymond's Heir, the book at the center of this case, is so rare that a book dealer apologizes for charging $20 for it. Jeez, wouldn't it be great if rare books today sold for twenty bucks, and dealers would apologize for charging that much?

Curious what that book would sell for now, I tried to find a copy. There were none offered on ABE or Bookfinder, but a dealer on eBay is asking $200 for what he claims is a first. BUT, the binding is orange, and no date is mentioned, while the binding of an 1892 first shown on an authoritative Alger site is blue. So I'm suspicious.

Like most folks, I've never read an Alger book. Closest I came was Frank Merriwell's Schooldays by Burt L. Standish, published in 1901. I wanted to see the origin of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman character. I found the book relatively painless, but have no desire to read more.

Anyway, Murder '97 is typical Gruber mystery. It's short and breezy with just enough comic relief. I wish he'd written a few more Lash books, and few less Johnny Fletchers.

The ugly green cover above is the hardcover first. Both the good-looking Reader's Choice Library edition (at top) and the even uglier green and yellow Jonathan Press digest claim to be complete and unabridged. Why the Jonathan Press edition was retitled The Long Arm of Murder is a mystery that would baffle even Simon Lash.

Forgotten Books: THE BUFFALO BOX by Frank Gruber

Here’s another adventure of my favorite Gruber character, Simon Lash.

The Buffalo Box (1942) is the second of three novels in the series. I reviewed the first, Simon Lash - Private Detective, last year.

One reason I prefer Lash to Gruber heroes like Johnny Fletcher and The Human Encyclopedia is that like me, Lash is a book collector - and like Gruber, he’s a student of Western history. I have the feeling Gruber identified more with Lash than with his other series characters.

The first Simon Lash book, you may recall, made reference to many works of Old West Americana, and ended with Lash visiting a outlaw hideout run by the son of Billy the Kid.

In The Buffalo Box, Simon Lash concentrates on just one old book, and one just one famous incident. But it’s one of enduring interest - the Donner Party Expedition.

The story kicks off when a bewhiskered old gent in prospector’s garb rides up to Lash’s door and claims to be Lansford Hastings, author of The Emigrant’s Route to Oregon and California, the book that guided the Donner Party to their doom. Trouble is, that book was published in 1845, and the author died in 1870.

But the guy shows Lash a box adorned with carved buffaloes - a box we later learn was carved by a wealthy member of the Donner Party. From that point on, descendants of Donner Party folks come popping out of the woodwork, and they all seem to be after a treasure buried back at the pass. Like all of Gruber’s mysteries, this one’s peopled with quirky characters and packed with plot twists, but has the added attraction of being peppered with Donner trivia.

And you’ll be pleased to know: No people are eaten in the course of the story.

Visit pattinase for the line-up of all of this week’s Forgotten Books!

Encore Review: Simon Lash, Private Detective by Frank Gruber

Frank Gruber mysteries are like snack food. You can quickly gobble one up and have another. There’s nothing really memorable about his style, but his plots are interesting and always pay off in the end. He sort of reminds me of Erle Stanley Gardner.

I’ve read all the Johnny Fletcher books, and liked them fine, but my favorite Gruber character is this guy - Simon Lash. Lash has one leg up on Fletcher because he’s a private detective, and another because he’s a book collector.

I suspect a little Nero Wolfe influence here. Given his way, Lash would stay in his library and read. He only works when his legman Eddie Slocum badgers him beyond endurance. Once Lash gets moving, he does some of his own detecting, but keeps Eddie hopping with even more assignments than Wolfe gives Archie.

The mystery itself is fine. It's full of clues and suspects and plot twists and all that jazz, but what makes this book really interesting is all the talk about Lash’s Western Americana collection. (Gruber, I’m sure you know, was also a western writer, and produced far more western novels than he did mysteries.)

Gruber says this about Lash’s library:

This was the only place where he really ever lived; during the hours when he lost himself in his hobby, the study of American frontier history. All the books were considered “Americana” by collectors and book dealers and as such most of them enjoyed the additional appendage of “rare.” Lash received the catalogues of every rare-book dealer in the country. He was one of their best customers.

Some of Lash’s books are referred to by title and author, others only by description. And in several cases, values (as of 1941) are noted. Here are the books as mentioned in the text:
- Lowe’s Five Years a Dragoon
- The Kansas Crusade by Eli Thayer
- Quantrill & the Border Wars
- The King Strang Mormon book, “worth a hundred dollars” (I was unable to identify this one)
- The McCoy Cattle Trade book
- The Cherokee Bible
- McClellan’s Own Story
- Dodge City, the Cowboy Capital by Robert Wright, one of the founders of Dodge, and one of men who hired Earp, but who spells the name Erb.
- The Vigilantes of Montana by Thomas Dimsdale,“easily worth $200” (Abebooks lists a second edition in fair condition for $975, and one near fine for $1250. The first edition, says a bookseller, is virtually unobtainable.)
- Wolfville Nights
- Clay Allison of the Washita, “worth $35” (No firsts listed on Abe, but a 1922 paperback edition, with a third of the spine missing and the cover nearly detached is offered at $447.)
- The Latter Day Saints Emigrants’ Guide, “last seen offered for twelve hundred” (A 1921 reprint of the 1848 edition is available for $400.)

At one point, Lash looks at the flyleaf of a copy of The Book of Mormon and perspiration breaks out on his forehead.

There are other western connections, too. Lash visits a ranch called “Robber’s Roost”, operated by a son of Billy the Kid. According to Billy's son, Billy himself stayed there shortly before he was killed. Johnny Ringo also spent time there, and was said by Billy to be a great reader. Other former residents, Lash is told, included Dave Rudabaugh and Butch Cassidy. The place was supposedly used by the Wild Bunch as a sort of post office.

I look forward to re-reading the other Simon Lash books: Buffalo Box (1942) and Murder ‘97 (1948).

Simon Lash, Private Detective was filmed (apparently on a meager budget) as Accomplice in 1946. Gruber wrote the screenplay.  (I own this poster, but it's too ugly to put on the wall.)

UPDATE: At the time I first posted this review I had never seen Accomplice. Soon after, I received DVD copies (each with unique bonus material) from two fine fellows named Brian Ritt and Art Scott. I liked the film much better than the poster - twice. Thanks guys!