Last Reviews of 2019: Trixie Belden Triple Threat

As 2019 drew to a close, I decided to spend my end-of-year reading with Trixie Belden and the Bob Whites. In the last several years I have started collecting vintage editions of both Trixie and Nancy Drew--the two girl detective series that were most important to me when growing up. It had been a long time since I had read the first two books of the series where Trixie meets the new friends who will become her very best friends. Trixie Belden & The Secret of the Mansion (1948) was most likely the very first cliff-hanger series book that I read and had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen to Trixie and Honey Wheeler when they set out to track down Jim. But--I get ahead of myself.

In The Secret of the Mansion, we meet Trixie who is bored stiff at her home in the country. Her two older brothers, Brian and Mart have been away from home working at a boys' camp in upstate New York and there isn't a thing to do. She also just knows she'll die if she doesn't get a horse. So, her mother comes up with an idea to help Trixie fill her summer and start saving up money towards a new four-footed friend--extra chores including weeding the garden and watching her six-year-old brother, Bobby. Trixie has barely started on her new duties when she notices cars going up the Manor House on the hill. The Wheelers, a wealthy family from the city, have bought the empty show place and are moving in. Word also comes that the "crazy miser" who lives in the old, broken-down mansion on the other side of the Beldens has been struck with pneumonia. Mr. Belden found him and took him to the hospital--but Mr. Frayne isn't expected to live.

The impulsive Trixie, who has always wanted to explore Frayne's place and search for the fortune that's rumored to be hidden there, sweeps up her brand-new friend Honey and convinces the timid city girl to go exploring. Before they know it, they're in the middle of a mystery involving Mr. Frayne's missing heir--his nephew Jim, a search for a will, and Jim's nasty step-father, Jonesy. Jim has run away from his mean step-father (think a male version of the Cinderella story) and Trixie & Honey help him try to find proof of his inheritance. Along the way, Trixie has her horse-riding dreams come true through the Wheelers' stables and has the adventure of a life-time. But it's not over when the book ends--because Mr. Frayne dies, Jonesy shows up, the mansion is set on fire, and Jim runs away before learning that he really is the heir. So, Honey and Trixie must convince their families to let them head for the boys' camps in the north where Jim had mentioned he'd try for a job if he had to run away again.... ★★★★★


Of course, the families agree and Miss Trask--Honey's governess--takes the girls and the Wheelers' camper on their next adventure in The Red Trailer Mystery. While the main objective is to find Jim, tell him about his inheritance, reassure him that the Frayne's family lawyer and executor of his uncle's will won't let Jonesy take him back, and then convince Honey's parents to adopt him, the girls also get caught up two more mysteries. The mystery of the down-trodden family traveling in a red camper and the outbreak of camper thefts that has Miss Trask worried about how long they can stay and look for Jim. The kind-hearted girls just can't help wondering why the family in the red trailer seem so sad and when the oldest girl runs away they can't help but search for her while they look for Jim. Trixie is convinced that if they solve the mystery of the camper thieves then they will find both Jim and Joeanne. It winds up that she's right as usual...though not quite in the way she expects. A happy ending is in store for everyone... ★★★★★


The next installment of the Trixie adventures was The Gatehouse Mystery. But I just read that two years ago (review at the link), so I decided to jump ahead to the fourth book: The Mysterious Visitor. This book brings in another member of the Bob Whites, Diana Lynch. Diana is the original poor little rich girl. Since her father became suddenly rich with some shrewd business deals, she has withdrawn from all her friends. She thinks nobody likes her because her life has changed so much and they can't have fun at her fancy new home which is over-run with servants. Trixie, Honey, and the Bob Whites decide to be extra nice to Diana and make her one of their secret club.

Trixie immediately senses a mystery when it becomes evident that Diana is very afraid of her Uncle Monty. Mrs. Lynch's long-lost brother has shown up and is throwing his weight around--influencing the family's choices in all sorts of things that affect Di. He becomes especially annoying when he takes over the planning for Diana's Halloween party. Trixie becomes convinced that the man is an impostor, but lacks proof. And even if Di is afraid of him, she doesn't take too kindly to Trixie investigating her family. Will Trixie lose her newest friend over her sleuthing habits? Or will she be able to curb her curiosity so she won't offend Di? Or...will she find out the truth about Uncle Monty and save the day again? [Anyone who reads (or ever read) these series books on the regular knows the answer...] ★★★

I loved the first two books. I have always enjoyed the stories that introduce us to Trixie and her core group of friends. I loved meeting Jim and Honey and the adventures they all got up to around the mansion. These were definitely two of my favorites of the series while growing up and I was able to enjoy them now as an adult. On the other hand, The Mysterious Visitor has always been one of my least favorite Trixie books. I never liked Uncle Monty and I didn't care much for the way Diana defended him even when she obviously didn't like him and was afraid of him. It would be one thing if he were an uncle she had grown up with and adored and Trixie thought he was suspicious. But Diana is the one who starts Trixie's curiosity going by telling them that she's afraid of Monty. Then she gets upset when Trixie thinks there's a mystery to solve. But I do appreciate the fact that it is another book that helps establish the group of friends and Trixie does do some good detective work tracking down the clues around Uncle Monty. Overall, a fun reading trip down memory lane.

Unholy Dying

I am not a policeman but as an avid reader of detective stories, I don't want anyone to be wrongly suspected if I can help it. [Professor John Stubbs; p. 36]

Unholy Dying (1945) is the first of a series of mysteries featuring Professor John Stubbs, the larger-than-life botanist-cum-amateur sleuth, by R. T. Campbell. This initial outing is told primarily from the point of view of Stubbs' "Watson," his nephew Andrew Blake. Blake, who earns his keep selling "culture" pieces to the Daily Courier newspaper, has joined Stubbs at a formal Congress of geneticists where he is expected to come up with interesting stories on such things as blood groups and taste tests. But soon something far more exciting than genetic presentations happens.

Dr. Ian Porter, a vastly unpopular scientist who is well-known for stealing the ideas of others, is found dead from cyanide poisoning in the middle of the taste-testing exhibit. Pretty much everyone who ever met the man disliked him and had a motive to murder him--from Dr. Stubbs himself to Porter's unfortunate assistants to fellow scientists in his field and even Blake has the police's interest as a suspect. Ever the knight-errant, Blake had taken a swipe at Porter the evening before when the scientist pushed his unwanted attentions on one of his students, the lovely Mary Lewis. 

Mary, of course, is also a suspect having had to fend off such advances repeatedly with more and more evident dislike. Her current beau, Dr. Peter Hatton naturally hates Porter for making Mary's life so uncomfortable. There is also the American Dr. Swartz who has even more reason to hate Porter. While in the States, Porter had snagged the affections of the girl Swartz loved and then promptly dropped her like a hot potato when she found herself "in trouble." She couldn't bear the heartache and dishonor and shot herself. And finally, there is Dr. Silver, Porter's right-hand man. Silver claims to be devastated and to have been Porter's only friend--but he was also in the position to have had the most intellectual property stolen.

The police in the form of Inspector Hargrave provide the foil for Professor Stubbs' efforts at amateur detecting. In fact, Hargrave makes a pretty poor showing for the official force, repeatedly wanting to arrest people on the slimmest of suspicion. Fortunately, Stubbs is digging up honest-to-goodness clues and is able to lay a trap that will catch the real villain of the piece.

So...my reading log tells me that I read this once back in the mists of time, but I honestly don't remember a thing about the book. Which is actually a good thing--I got to approach this absolutely delightful and funny mystery as if I were reading it for the very first time. I love collecting good quotes from the books I read but I would be copying whole pages at a time if I tried doing that with this one. But I will give a small selection at the end of the review. 

Stubbs is a wonderful character. I can't imagine wanting to long be in the same room as a man described at various times as everything from an elephant to a tank and noted for hooting, shouting, rumbling, and "whispering" in one's ear loud enough to make the teeth rattle. But he is great fun on paper. Campbell's character descriptions in general are quite vivid and interesting. And his plotting was well done for a first attempt at mysteries. Most enjoyable.★★★★ and 1/2.

Deaths = 4 (three poisoned; one shot)


Quotes
Conversation in this car was an impossibility. All one could do was to hang on to the sides and hope for the best, thanking God that there was no boom to swing over suddenly and catch you a crack on the head when Uncle John brought her to, rather too suddenly. (p. 4)

Uncle John concentrated on his driving with the grim concentration of a chess player.  I have an idea that he really is rather frightened of it, but is determined that he will show it who is the master.  His idea of showing it consists of driving as fast as he can and braking just in time to avoid disaster. (Ibid.)

In a pub like this you should never get anything with a French name, it only covers the fact they are using up the things that were left over from yesterday. (Professor John Stubbs; p. 5)

[after a mini-lecture from Peter Hatton on genes and how everything we are is due to bits and pieces we've inherited from our parents and other ancestors...back to the primordial goo unless one is a mutant (freak)] I did not like to think that if I had any individuality it was the result of my being a freak and I told him so and he went on to wound my vanity even further by telling me that, after all, I was only something frothed up around an egg, by that egg in order to guarantee its continued existence. Having reduced me to the level of a milk-shake, I wondered whether the hot tea would not melt the froth but decided I would risk it. (p. 7)

I thought the whole affair was developing into a melodrama and, while I can stand my melodrama on the stage or in one of my favourite gothic novels, I do not feel comfortable when I am, however remotely, mixed up in it.... (p. 9)

[the janitor--when the police arrive after the murder] "Is one of you gentleman, Mr. Blake? Did you ring up for the police?" I assured him that I had indeed telephoned the police and his face cleared a little; anything, I could see, was better than that he should be the victim of a practical joker. (p. 28)

Like one of those crocodiles in which schoolgirls enjoy their ration of fresh air, we followed him. First came my uncle and Professor Silver, then Dr. Swartz and myself, his assistants, and Mary and Peter. One of the detectives walked at the tail of this procession, as if to see that none of us evaporated in the journey. (p. 29)

I think we'll go back to the White Lion. No one can interrupt us there, and you can give me a full list of your  indiscretions and misstatements, for I've no doubt but that you've been tyin' yourself  up in a net under the impression that you makin' things sound better. (Stubbs; p. 34)

Don't be afraid to tell me anythin' you like. I don't mind if one of you did murder Porter, but if you did  I hope you managed it in such a way that you won't be found out. [Stubbs; p. 36]

Now, then, I'll  make a list of everyone that we know about at present, just to see who had the opportunity, motive and so on to murder Porter. I'll put myself at the top of the list so that no one can say that I'me being unfair. This business of making a list is common to many of the best detective stories, so I don't see why we should not follow their examples, do you? [Stubbs; p. 39]

Well, I don't know what you think, but for the present I'd like to keep our friend X out of it. He's such a strange chap, and he only appears in the worst detective stories when the author cannot hink of a way in which to link up one of the suspects with the murder, havin' provided him with too good an alibi. [Stubbs; p. 40]

I want to relax. And I relax best when I am reading. [Stubbs; p. 42]

I may tell you that I wouldn't bother to find Porter's murderer if he had not done his murder in such a way as to spread suspicion among several people, and general suspicion clings to the innocent no less than to the guilty if we can't prove the guilt of one person. [Stubbs; p. 45]

I told [the reporter from the Courier] that I was going to write up my notes on the [tasting and blood grouping] demonstration and he seemed to think they would make a popular article and one that would be of educational value as well, for the Courier liked even its murders cultural. The murder of a scientist among scientists would receive far more notice than the murder of a grocer by common burglars. [pp. 45-6]

Inspector Hargrave looked at him with the sympathy which one gives to an unfortunate lunatic who gives no real reason for certification, and Dr. Flanagan shook his head with the air of having known John Stubbs for a long time but of having rarely seen him as eccentric as he was now. [p. 51]

There's you reason for the murder takin' place at this congress. It's the opposite of the sealed room mystery, anyone could have done it and the murderer was trustin' to the fact of Porter's unpopularity to spread suspicion as widely as possible. [p. 66]

I've been readin' about murders, the most impossible murders, the more impossible the better, for donkey's years, and now I have a good plain murder dumped down under my nose with plenty of nice suspects, and I wan to be clever about it. I would like a murder of a man in a sealed room, so the only murder I get is the opposite of that. A man in a room to which about twelve hundred people have had free access. [Stubbs; p. 74]

A Bevy of Big Little Books

In a mad rush to try and reach the peak of Mount Everest (100 books) in my Mount TBR Reading Challenge, I decided to tackle the small stack of eligible Big Little books that had accumulated pre-2019. I have very fond memories of similar books that I owned when I was a young'un back in the day--specifically of Road Runner and the Lost Road Runner Mine. I'm pretty sure I had a few others, but I'm not as sure of their titles. So, now whenever I see these books at our annual Book Fair or for decent prices in used book stores I scoop them up. I nabbed another small set (not in nearly as nice condition, unfortunately) at this year's Book Fair--so they'll have to wait for another year's Mount TBR Challenge. Below is a brief run-down of the books read this year. They were all fun little reads and well worth it in nostalgia value.★★★  for each book.

Huckleberry Hound Newspaper Reporter: Pixie and Dixie overhear the editor of the Bugle talking about how he'd like to hire a dog reporter to give him stories from the dog world. So, they convince Huckleberry Hound that he would be perfect for the job even though he has no experience whatsoever. After Huckleberry's first few failed attempts at newsgathering, Mr. Pastepot isn't sure that he's hired the right dog. But then Huck manages to get a scoop from a movie star's pooch that lands the Bugle a hot story on a kidnapping and--eventually--a spectacular rescue by Pastepot, Huck, and a few cowboys and their dog Tex.


Mickey Mouse Mystery at Disneyland: The security chief of Disneyland has a puzzle on his hands. Small portions of food and tiny toy-sized furniture and tools have been disappearing from the restaurants and toy shop in the amusement park. He calls on Mickey and Goofy to solve the mystery of how the culprit is getting in and out of locked buildings--building that remain locked and sealed up tight even after the things disappear. The pair find a surprising answer in the miniature village in Storybook Land.

Bugs Bunny and Klondike Gold: When Porky Pig takes Bugs downtown for Frosty Fred's* annual gold coin give away, Bugs is bitten by gold fever. He schemes a way into Frosty Fred's mansion for himself and Porky and congratulates himself on convincing the man to tell him where to look for gold in Alaska. (After all, figures Bugs, Fred's so rich he doesn't need much more....) Fred agrees on condition that the boys give him a percentage of whatever they find. Bugs and Porky are in for more adventure than they bargained for when they uncover an underground kingdom that's so full of gold that the inhabitants consider lead (far more rare for them) to be of more value....

*Frosty Fred is a local millionaire whose generosity is well-known to all but Bugs apparently.

Goofy in Giant Trouble: In this outing Mickey and Goofy are working for the World Police Organization and are sent to investigate a garbled message received from a famous archaeologist who had been working in some ruins in the Tanga Straits. All that came though clearly was a mention of Black Pete (an old nemesis of Mickey and Goofy's) and that "activities indicate that a great menace is being established." Pete definitely has some diabolical plans cooked up. He's setting up a "country store" where all the bad guys will be able to buy smuggled guns. As Pete says: 

I got great plans for all these goodies. When we get this load to the hideout, we'll have a regular country store for crooks, murderers and--heh--general no-good troublemakers....And the more trouble we peddle, the more customers we'll get. Dat's the way it is when everybody gets guns to use.

Along the way, Mickey and Goofy find an out-of-this-world gadget that can make Goofy grow to gigantic proportions. Fortunately, they're able to put this this to good use and foil Pete's plans before he can stir up too much trouble.

The Pink Panther at Castle Kreep: The Pink Panther is bored and in need of a vacation and a change of scenery--but when he confuses a plane ticket for Tinselvania for one to Pennsylvania he gets a bigger change than he planned on. Tinselvania is the home of all sorts of scary monsters--everything from the Fish Man of the swamp to the Weird-Wolf to Count Batula of the titular Castle Kreep and his newest invention, the clumsy robot Klankenstein. But these fiends are more bad-tempered than ghoulish and just need someone to show them how to solve their problems. Our friendly Panther manages to find a happy ending for all the monsters...and himself. 

Star Over Bethlehem: mini-review

Star Over Bethlehem (1965) by Agatha Christie Mallowan is a collection of short stories and poems by the mistress of mysteries about the mystery of the birth of Christ and what that event meant then and in more modern times. It includes a "what if" story of Mary being offered a vision of her son's future and the chance to change the final outcome. And then there's the one about what would happen if the Saints of all time felt that their works and sacrifices hadn't been enough to merit the reward they had been given. What would happen if they asked to return to Earth and do more? There is also the story of Mrs. Hargreaves who doesn't like people--she doesn't want to not like people, but she just can't seem to help herself. And then she meets a very special fellow passenger on a water bus and has an irresistible urge to touch his unusual coat....

As with all collections, this is mixture of strong and weak stories. For the most part these are interesting and unique looks at Christie's insights to the Christian faith and stories. It was a nice read for the holiday season. ★★★

The Bells of Old Bailey (spoiler at the end)

The Bells of Old Bailey (1947) by Dorothy Bowers

For such a small village, Long Greeting seems to run to a lot of suicides. Five deaths in a very short period--none of them questioned by the authorities for what they seemed to be, the unfortunate taking of one's own life. But after the fifth death and the receipt of some very unpleasant anonymous letters, Miss Bertha Tidy decides to go to the police and voice a concern about the validity of the inquests' findings.

Unknown to her, Scotland Yard has already taken an interest in the form of Detective-Inspector Raikes. He and local Superintendent Lecky listen seriously to her concerns and start investigation in earnest, but they soon have a very definite murder on their hands--that of Miss Tidy. Further investigation reveals a web of blackmail, greed, hatred, and buried secrets, all providing numerous motives for Miss Tidy's death. Yes, there are plenty of suspects, but very little evidence to point out the guilty party. The detectives will have to dig up some of those old secrets before they will have enough to make their case.

One item I noticed that reflects only indirectly on the crime is that Dorothy Bowers had a great deal to say about women and how they operate in the world. She appears to represent the standard lines of "women aren't logical;" "women are such gossips;" "women will spread things they only think are true or might be..." This is indicated by a number of the quotes I gleaned and have listed below. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Possible Spoiler Ahead!

As soon as Jane Kingsley decided to keep information to herself and then check on whether what she noticed meant what she thought it did, I knew that she was going to die. Either the killer was going to think she was trying to blackmail them or they would just decide she was too big a danger to let run around. I was right. But then...once I knew what it was she noticed (not that it was produced in quite that way--Bowers didn't announce it as "here's the thing that Jane noticed"), I didn't realize what it meant.

This was an enjoyable vintage mystery. I enjoyed the village setting and the characters that Bowers created for us. I will say that even if I had recognized the clue mentioned above for what it was, I don't see how I could have known the motive behind the murder. There is a very slender hint given, but I don't feel about it as I do with many good plots--where once the mystery is wrapped up, I say "Oh yes--so that's what that meant." If the motive had been more clearly indicated, I would give this a full four stars...as it is ★★★ and 3/4. 

[Finished on 12/22/19]
Quotes
JK: We're all really a bit close with what we do know.
SW: Oh no, Jane. You're quite wrong. women always tell more than they know.
(Jane Kingsley, Samela Wild; p. 15)

Samela, as a rule, quoted the husband she adored only in support of her own arguments. (p. 14)

However, women don't know how to be logical---and that goes for both of us. (Kate Beaton; p. 33)

Women aren't content with suicides. Nothing short of murder for them. And we call 'em the gentle sex! (Dr. Hare; p. 40)

After all, she argued in defensive silence as, Raikes holding the door for her, she went out--after all, each of them had had the same opportunity as herself of observation and inference. If they hadn't taken it, it wasn't her fault. If they failed to question her about it specifically, she wasn't obliged,was she, to proffer the information? (Jane to herself; p. 43)

Everybody who speculates about an unexplained event is setting up to be a detective. You mean, you don't want the responsibility of detection. Unscientific poking about and baseless rumor and furtive hints in unsigned letters is more in Ravenchuch's line, isn't it? (Inspector Raikes; p. 48)

"You never know," Mrs. Weaver defended her astonishing theory. "Women do queer things, especially at middle age, or when they've passed it. It isn't impossible some of Miss Tidy's clients were too senstitive to have facial buildups and so on, by day. I don't know much about these things, but I do know a little about women, Inspector." (p. 61)

"Let him run on," Sammy said with a sort of tired indulgence. "Now and then he has to get off his chest what he feels about feminine inferiority." (Samela Wild; p. 105)

That was why, when Raikes arrived, he remarked some tension between the two. He remarked it without suspicion. There was always tension betweeen women, even when they were plastering one another with reciprocal smiles. (p. 107)

Whatever those two children might have done, feminine criticism would have inferred the worst. Women were made that way. Nor was their particular form of gratification necessarily achieved by tooth-and-claw methods. A note of pseudo compassion here, a hint of tolerance for youthful peccadilloes, and the job was done. (p. 137)

***********
Deaths = 8 (2 strangled/hung; 1 shot; 3 drowned; 1 hit on head; 1 poisoned)
Just the Facts = Who: Bookshop owner
Mystery Bingo:
Weapon - Rope

Killer Dolphin

Killer Dolphin (1966) by Ngaio Marsh is a mystery whose title has a double meaning. The Dolphin refers in part to the Dolphin Theater, a Victorian-era theater which had languished in disrepair after being damaged in the war but which has recently been restored through the work of Peregrine Jay and the support of the wealthy Vassily Conducis. It opens to the public in grand style--fully restored to its previous glory--with a brand new play by Peregrine Jay. The dolphin also refers to the odd murder weapon used to dispatch the theater's nightwatchman. One of a pair of statuettes given by Conducis--it is quite heavy and quite deadly. Murder occurs when a thief attempts to make off with the recently discovered Shakespearean glove and letters which have inspired Peregrin's play The Glove. Someone realizes that there are unscrupulous collectors who will pay large sums without worrying too much about how the item was obtained. But who among the small cast of suspects had the opportunity? It is up to Inspector Roderick Alleyn and Inspector Fox to sort among the beautiful femme fatale, the terribly vain leading man, the sharp-tongued supporting actor, the woman scorned, the actor with a penchant for puzzles (and figuring out combinations), the house manager, and the patron who avoids publicity and public contact and yet was in his box on the fateful night.

As I noted the last time I read this, the mystery takes quite a while to get to the main action--there is no murder until about half-way through. But the lead-up is quite interesting. Peregrine Jay's first visit to the theater and his encounter with Conducis provide a nice back-drop to the main story. I also enjoyed the build-up of the story and play surrounding Shakespeare and the glove that was supposed to belong to his son. Jay is able to make the items and the incident into a very affecting play. The characters of the actors are perhaps a bit stereotyped, but it does make for a lot of sarcastic back-chat and witty in-fighting. 

I was a tad disappointed this time round that Marsh wasn't able to fool me at all--often if it has been long enough I'm able to read some of these vintage mysteries and still be unsure of the solution. This particular plot I remembered right down to the last detail. But overall I still enjoyed the set-up and the interactions of the characters enough that I've nearly given it the same rating as before. ★★★ and 1/2 for this go-round.


Deaths = one (hit with blunt object)
Mystery Bingo
Weapons = Blunt Object
Clues/Cliches = Gloves

Murder Breaks Trail

Murder Breaks Trail (1943) by Eunice Mays Boyd is the first of three detective novels featuring mild-mannered grocer F. Millard Smyth and set in Alaska. Smyth's debut finds him on a plane tour of the region in the months preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is with a group that includes a Senator, his secretary, and his daughter, a Congressman (who happens to be attached to the daughter), a mayor, and the pilot and his radio operator. When the Senator indicates that it's time to set down and have lunch, they spot a lake with a small collection of cabins. Red (the pilot) isn't familiar with a settlement in the area and is puzzled by the smoke they see briefly coming from the clearing. By the time the plane lands, the smoke is gone and they find the settlement deserted--with contradicting evidence of habitation. On the one hand there are clothes and other objects that are obviously from the 1890s and materials that make it seem like everyone in the area just laid down whatever they were doing and vanished. On the other, there is one cabin that shows recent habitation and is filled with canned goods and supplies to last several months (this will prove to be a very good thing....). 

Just as the plane landed, they discover that their radio is no longer working and they can't notify Fairbanks about their stop. No one is worried though--the plane's in good condition and there's no reason why they can't take off again after lunch and head back. Except...while they are exploring the settlement somebody empties the planes gas tanks and there's no way anybody is going anywhere. But again, they're not too worried. After all, once home base realizes they've lost contact with a plane carrying such important persons, the search parties will come find them and all will be well.

Except...the days turn into weeks...and finally into months without a sign of a search plane. Winter closes in and to add to the danger the mysterious person whose stores they have taken over keeps zipping in and out of the settlement on the only skis there are--stealing back food stuffs and kerosene. The Senator falls ill and has to take to his bed and then one morning he is found stabbed to death in his bed. Has the mysterious stranger decided to get rid of them by whatever means possible? And why doesn't he want to be seen? Smyth is appointed the unofficial detective and he begins to investigate. He really begins to get concerned when the anonymous notes start showing up:

Ask Tony Weber [the secretary] why he isn't in the army.

Ask Mick O'Hara [the Congressman] what he knows about the Mt. Zion tunnel.

Ask Red Bailey what happened to his first plane, the one he bought with Irv Cramm's money.

Ask Hope Mullen [the radio operator]how her aunt is living....

Ask Kilkenny Lee what she knows about the handkerchief that was found on her father's floor.

He discovers that the scandal monger is the mayor, Guy Fletcher, and begins to wonder about him. In the middle of the scandal campaign, the group manages to catch the mysterious skier and soon find out that he's a Nazi spy. They are sure they've caught the murderer as well. But then Fletcher is killed while the spy is tied up and it becomes apparent that the killer is one of them. Will help arrive before anyone else is killed? Or will Smyth be able to put the pieces together in time to save them? You'll just have to read the story and find out.

[Spoilers ahead--reader beware!]

One of the most interesting parts of this story is the look Boyd gives us of Alaska during the war years and before the territory became a state. Smyth is not, perhaps, the swiftest of detectives--but he certainly does get there in the end and comes up with a plan to flush the murderer out (in lieu of direct of evidence). I did appreciate the set-up of the stranded party and thought the way they handled their situation was realistic and probable--with nerves fraying just the right amount and petty squabbles seeming more important than they should. On the other hand, I found the thrusting of Nazi spies into the mix a little over-the-top--especially when the murderer wound up being a spy as well, but then the motive had absolutely nothing to do with the spying business. One spy was plenty and even that thread of the story seemed a little unnecessary.

One other [non-story-related bit I found interesting was the author's postscript "About the War." She explains her reasons for taking to mystery-writing:

I'm not doing as much as the women on the production line in the airplane factories and shipyards, but morale is important too, and that's my job. When I get to stewing about my small contribution, I pound another page of a mystery story out of my typewriter. I write about Alaska because I lived there twelve years, and maybe you'd like to ead about Alaska because your son or father, your boy friend or husband, your brother or cousin, is a soldier in Alaska now.

A very interesting snapshot of the war years with a mystery flair. ★★★ and 1/2

Deaths = three stabbed
Mystery Bingo:
Weapons - Axe/Hatchet
Crime Scenes - Pathway/trail; Beach; Bedroom
Clues & Cliches - Provision in will; Anonymous message; Monogram; Stopped clock/watch; Knife found
Red Herrings - Someone tied up; Knitting/sewing

Death Knell

Death Knell (1945) by Baynard Kendrick features Kendrick's series detective, Captain Duncan Maclain. Maclain is a private detective who lost his sight due to gassing in the First World War. He has gone through extensive training to help him enhance his other senses--particularly hearing and smell. He also has to German Shepherds to help him--one acting as his guide dog in unfamiliar settings and the other serving as protection, having been trained to attack at the sight of weapons or threatening movements on the part of others. Kendrick based his character on a young blind soldier that he met in the war, who was able to trace Kendrick's four years in the army by touching emblems on his uniform.* The soldier's accurate deductions based on touch alone mad such an impression on Kendrick that it helped him develop a most interesting sleuth.

In this, the fifth installment in the series, Maclain becomes involved more personally in the investigation than has previously been the case. The story opens with Maclain and his fiancee at a cocktail party in luxury apartment of Lamar and Lucia Jordan, friends of Maclain's fiancee. Maclain meets the various characters who will soon be involved in an impossible murder. Impossible, if you believe (as Maclain does) that Lamar Jordan is innocent of the crime. [But I get ahead of myself.] Jordan's household and guests include his agent, Sarah Hanley; Bob Morse, a man working up a feature on Lamar for his newspaper; Paul Hirst, his secretary; and his friend Ellis Brown Mitchell who is helping him catalogue his huge gun collection. Maclain has already picked up on undercurrents that indicate that all is not well when Troy Singleton shows up--unexpected, but waving an unsigned invitation. Troy is "mistress number thirteen or is it number twenty-four?" Lamar and Lucia each accuse the other of having invited the girl in order to cause a scene and when Troy doesn't get the attention she feels she deserves, she storms out.

...Only to come back when Lamar is alone in the apartment to tell him that she has one last thing to say to him and that he might benefit if he listens to her. He tells her to go out on the balcony while he mixes a couple of drinks. As he heads out to join her, he watches Troy slump down and when he reaches her he finds a small bullet hole. But there's no one else in the apartment...so who shot her?

Suddenly maddened, he tore through the privet hedge and leaned over the stone coping. There was nothing there, of course, except a drop of six stories, and another terrace below.

The angle of the shot will later reveal that it came from close in front of her--so it's not possible that someone in the building opposite could have killed her. So...naturally when the cops arrive they believe they've got the killer right there in front of them in Lamar Jordan. Maclain, who is called upon by his fiancee and Lucia to prove Jordan innocence, sets out to prove Jordan's story true.

The Duncan Maclain series is highly enjoyable. This is just my second outing, but I'm definitely on the lookout for more when I go book-hunting. The only down-side to this one was that I spotted immediately how the thing was done--which pretty much pointed to the who. I think Kendrick brought up a certain fact just a few times too much, if he'd slyly slid it in front of the reader and then ignored it, I might not have caught on. Maybe a too much fair play? But, that said, since this mystery takes on a more personal note, it gave us a good deal more insight into Maclain and the regular characters who appear with him. A good solid read. ★★★


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Deaths = 2 (one shot; one stabbed)
Mystery Bingo: Stairs; 2nd Gun/Knife; Barking dog

*Info source: https://archive.org/details/deathknellduncan00bayn

The Case of the Second Chance

The Case of the Second Chance (1946) by Christopher Bush is the thirtieth book in his Ludovic Travers novels and was recently reprinted in May 2019 by Dean Street Press. Travers has had a semi-official position with the police and developed a relationship with Superintendent George Wharton after assisting with several investigations as a gifted amateur. The current story begins with Travers  on leave from the army when Wharton is called upon to investigate the murder of a well-known actor/producer Charles Manfrey. Manfrey is an unsurprising murder victim--Wharton and Travers soon find that the actor had ruffled feathers in a number of quarters. There is Henry Nevall, the actor who played Brutus to Manfrey's Cassius and whom Manfrey tried to upstage repeatedly. There is Victor Yarnell, a handsome young actor who has had great success in his current play and hopes of taking the part into the movies--but Manfrey has bought the rights with a stipulation that anyone but Yarnell be hired. There is Violet Lancing, the actor's secretary who longs to be on stage and has an eye for the main chance--and may have found the odds too heavily against her. And there is May Clarke, the housekeeper who seems to have a heart of gold but may have had enough of her employer's ill-temper.

The plot has an interesting construction. It is laid out in three parts. We begin with Manfrey's murder in his own library and follow the investigation and interviews only to end part one with Wharton and Travers as puzzled as when they began. There are plenty of suspects, but everyone seems to have rock-solid alibis. Wharton even asks Travers to break one of the alibis and he is unable to find a way to do so. So...the first part ends with an inquest verdict of "Murder by some person or persons unknown."

Travers returns to the war and then a year later is demobilized for health reasons. He returns to his specialized work at the Yard and it seems like the Manfrey murder will never be solved. In 1945 he completes a special assignment and--in preparation for starting up private inquiry business with the soon-to-be retired Wharton--goes to work for the Bond Street Detective Agency. One of the first cases to come along involves blackmail. Bill Ellice (current owner of the agency) agrees to meet the prospective client who has insisted on complete confidentiality but is wary enough of her story to ask Travers to sit in the next room where a conveniently thin door will allow him to hear all. He wants Travers to signal him (through an elaborate buzzing system from the secretary)whether he thinks it sounds fishy enough to decline the job. 

Despite the fact that he is certain the woman is lying all over the place, Travers gives the "go ahead" signal. Why? Because he's recognized the woman's voice as belonging to Violet Lancing. And he's darn curious what she's being blackmailed about. Could it have anything to do with that Manfrey case in her past? There are links...but the answer to both mysteries are going to be a bit more involved than just "Violet killed Manfrey and now X is blackmailing Violet." Travers, Wharton, and Ellice will each contribute to the solution.

This was my first taste of Christopher Bush's work and I found it to be an interesting introduction to Travers and Wharton. The mystery itself is fairly well done, though it does drag just a bit in the middle while the investigation languishes and the plot uses a couple of well-worn tropes (well-worn even by 1946. These issues didn't dampen my enthusiasm, however. I found our protagonists to be so well-defined and their relationship to be so engaging that I enjoyed myself thoroughly. And--even though the plot devices have been used before, Bush works the trick expertly enough that I didn't mind. Quite good fun! ★★★★


Spoiler! [highlight the apparently blank area if you're curious] I just realized that the cover of my edition (pictured)--as sparse as it is--manages to give away part of the solution.


Quotes
[First Line] This is the story of a second chance, and second chances, as we're often told, are pretty rare things.

...as I've already said, I like people. All sorts interest me, and always have. I like to know the whys and wherefores of things and what makes the wheels go round. (p. 40)

Motives don't matter at the moment. What does matter is that he's got a perfect alibi. Bust that alibi and then we can talk about motives. (Superintendent George Wharton; p. 52)

Curious how we don't give other people credit for having the same perspicacity in things we've come to regard as our own particular property. I thought George had been a long way from an accurate summing-up of Violet, and yet there he was, hitting my own nail shrewdly over the head. (p. 62)

George has never quite accepted the evolution of myself from the apprentice stage, but it does me no harm to listen and it gives him pleasure to talk. (p. 63)



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Deaths = 3 (one hit with poker; one strangled; one shot)
Mystery Bingo = Item in Newspaper; Maid/Housekeeper; Gun; Bare Hands; Fireplace; Library

When I Am An Old Woman

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

I first encountered this poem in my teens and loved it. I collected it in my treasured poems and quotes and brought it along with me into middle-age. I loved the sense of defiance that runs through it. That the speaker doesn't plan to go quietly into old age, but will go in bright colors and doing all the things that girls who behave have been taught they shouldn't do like wearing slippers in the rain or eating only bread and pickles for every meal...for a week. When you've grown up, you should be allowed to do what you want (within reason). 

Then in 2012, I found this anthology of poems and essays all about women and the aging process at the local library's used book shop. When I saw that the title and leading poem was my long-held favorite, I knew it had to come home with me. And, as often happens, I set it aside while other books on the TBR stacks claimed my attention. It has finally worked its way into the "read" column. 

It is a wonderfully insightful book full of the musings of women (and a few men) on what it means to grow old as a woman. Memories of mothers, aunts, and grandmothers fill the pages. A few women speak with the voice of experience--having already walked that road themselves. The poems are beautiful. The essays are poignant and sometimes disturbing...but they all are worthwhile. A book to reflect on as well as enjoy. ★★★★

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.

Said With Flowers

Said With Flowers (1943) by Anne Nash

'Twas the week before Christmas when all through the flower shop....there was a wailing and gnashing of teeth. Dodo (Doris) Trent and her partner Nell Witter are in such a pickle. Their deliveryman has fallen and broken his leg. How will they ever survive the Christmas flower rush? As Dodo (our narrator) puts it

Under the happiest conditions a florist's shop at Christmas is nothing more nor less than a madhouse. I've never discovered a way to avoid it. People leave flowers, plants, and decorations till the last minute. Then they storm in frantically. They say it with flowers to all those whom they'd forgotten earlier  or to the ones left on their lists for whom they couldn't think of anything better.

The ladies have no idea how they will meet the rush and get everything delivered on time. And then, in walks Barney Miller. 

Who is Barney Miller? No one knows. He's a stranger in town. He claims to be a writer who is checking out the area. And he just happens to know plants and flowers. Nell and Dodo have a brief moment of worry--after all there is that dreadful Karp Killer on the loose, what if Barney is the Killer. But they promptly shake off any misgivings when they see what a nice way he has with the customers and how quickly he can put together a festive flower box. He hustles and bustles around the shop, taking orders and placating their pickiest clientele like he was born to the job and then zooms out to deliver all the goods. It looks like Santa Claus has given them their Christmas present early.

Their worries return, however, when one of their dearest friends is found murdered in the alley behind their shop. She's been stabbed with one of their pruning knives, but on her body is pinned the Karp's calling card--a hand-drawn picture of a fish. Could they have hired a killer? The odd thing is that the Karp seems to have broken his own rules for killing. All of his victims so far have been young and beautiful; and he would hide the bodies so there would be a delay before the murder was discovered. Rosalind Vance is a middle-aged woman. She isn't ugly by any means, but the bloom was definitely off her beauty. Why has the Karp gone of his script?

Or, more alarmingly, what if the Karp isn't responsible? Who in the small town of Pinehurst could have had reason to kill Rosalind? As far as Dodo and Nell know, their friend had no enemies. When Mark Tudor, a detective, arrives on the scene with his specially trained dog Svea, they join forces and try to figure out who killed Rosalind. Was it the Karp? Was it Barney...and is he the Karp in disguise? Was it Rosalind's younger sister? Sheila has been hiding something from Rosalind. Was it a secret worth killing for? Is it possible that Rosalind's perfect marriage with her husband James wasn't all that perfect after all and he is the culprit? Or maybe it was Jenny--Rosalind's long-time friend and supposedly devoted companion. But Dodo thinks she sees guilt and fury in Jenny's eyes. Of course, Dodo has worked herself into such a state that she's jumping at shadows and suspecting everyone. 

This is a fun little mystery. Very nice small-town atmosphere in what seems to be an early version of the current cozy craze for mysteries set in bakeries and bookshops and what-have-you. Dodo does get on the nerves a bit with her foreshadowing and borderline hysteria, but fortunately her fiery tempered friend Nell is on hand to liven things up and keep things from getting to be too much "Had I But Known." I spotted the killer straight away and even sussed out the motive, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment. It's not a deep puzzle, but it's a quick read and definitely worth time. ★★★ and 1/2.

For a much more in-depth look at the book, please see John's review from 2016 over at Pretty Sinister Books. 


Quotes (don't read the last one if you don't want a spoiler)

[First Lines] The tragic affair ended at last. Excitement simmered down, life got back to normal, and then everyone began hounding us to write about the events.

Good. Intellectual processes--so called-- often enough block our intuitions, hunches, whatever. Let's hope in our present passive state we'll be receptive to any flashes of insight that might be lurking about. (Mark Tudor; p. 73)

Detach yourself from the personal element; this case is merely a problem to solve. Not for our own personal satisfaction, but for the possible safety of numbers. At this point we don't know what's important, what's insignificant; we'll have to assemble every scrap of material available, then sift and discard.

[Last Lines] "I used to think Jenny was so--so sort of--unapproachable. But now I know how grand she is...I'm going to be as faithful to you, Barney, all of my life...as Jenny was to Rosalind." [Sheila] A high note on which to end.

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Deaths = 2 (one stabbed; one fell off cliff)
Murder Mystery Bingo: Alley; Store (flower shop); Nonbarking dog; Mysterious stranger; Knife

Eyes at the Window

Eyes at the Window (1966) by George Selmark

Do you ever get the feeling when you're reading a book that you're swimming against a very strong current? Or working your way through the thickest fog? Yeah, that was this book. It is only 143 pages long, but I felt like I was working very hard to get nowhere fast and I couldn't really see what was happening at all.

So what do we have here? Well...as far as I can make out: We have Agatha Virgil. She is in her 90s and, according to the village folk, crazy as a loon. She lives as a recluse--seeing only her oldest friend, Mrs. Thurston; Sister Root, the nurse who comes regularly to check on her and give her an iron injection (which the book credits as keeping her alive); her daily woman Mrs. Wansbeck; and a local farmer by the name of John Millbank who seems to act as a kind of watchdog to help keep unwanted visitors away. Miss Virgil spends her time looking into the past and talking to people who aren't there.

The past contains secrets and mysteries. For instance, what really happened to Agatha Virgil's sister Melanie? It's rumored that the sisters were rivals for the affections of William Brownlow. Melanie won the day, married Brownlow, and moved to Africa with him. Three years later, the Brownlows returned with their small son for a visit and Melanie died...supposedly of a heart condition. But was it? James Brownlow (the now middle-aged son of William and Melanie) has come from Africa with his daughter Bryony with the hopes of getting financial help from his Aunt Agatha and maybe finding out a few answers about the mother's death. It's difficult to get answers, though, when Aunt Agatha refuses to see anyone. And then a new set of deaths take place...

As mentioned, I spent the entirety of this book feeling like I was wandering around in a dense fog--seeing shadowy shapes that never quite materialized into solid objects. I think I know what happened, but I certainly would bet anything valuable on that. The mystery isn't very solidly plotted and it's really quite a mess. The most solid part of the whole thing is the motive as it's finally revealed, but you certainly aren't going to figure it out based on any clues given along the way. Selmark appears to have focused entirely on the atmosphere surrounding crazy Aunt Agatha and has wasted little time on marshaling his facts.  

Then there's the whole subplot with the beautiful (but wilful) Bryony and her romance with a mysterious young itinerant artist who just happens to be on the spot whenever something mysterious happens...like the death of Mrs. Thurston. Of course Bryony plays the part of the young woman who throughout the book can't stand the man she's going to wind up with in the end. Both the mystery and the romance are huge washouts as far as I'm concerned. A very disappointing read. ★

Quotes
[First line] The dead cat was lying at the foot of the portico steps with its teeth bared as though in fury.

Everybody wants to give advice and nobody wants to take it. Not even from the family solicitor. That's peculiar, isn't it? (Marcus Bex; p. 27)

[Last lines] She said softly, "I think I'd look rather sweet in uniform. I think I'd like to be a female copper."

Deaths = 4 (poisoned)

Tragedy at the Unicorn

Tragedy at the Unicorn (1928) by John Rhode (Cecil John Charles Street)

The titular tragedy involves the murder of the perfectly odious Dr. Grinling at the Unicorn Hotel in the coastal city of Clayport. The Unicorn is owned by Mrs. Burgess and the guests are tended to by her two daughters, Phyllis and Joan. Of the guests who spent the fateful weekend in Clayport, Dr. Grinling and his valet Ferguson were the only ones who weren't there for the end of the yachting season. The yachting group includes Grinling's nephew Richard Gateman (who is in love with Phyllis); the group's first mate (and our narrator) Mr. Attercliffe; Percy Hunter, a serious young man in love with Joan; Mr. Mortimer, a fellow boatsman; and Bob Weldon, the skipper of the yachting crew. 

Grinling's appearance at the inn is a surprise--and not a pleasant one it seems. After an evening of high-spirited entertainment, unattended by Grinling and his man, the doctor is found dead behind his locked bedroom door. At first glance it looks to be a suicide or accidental death from a heroin overdose. Dr. Murchison (called in to examine the dead body) is not surprised that the doctor was dosing himself with heroin for sleeplessness. "A doctor might very well prescribe for himself heroin injections for sleeplessness. He would have no difficulty getting the stuff, and he would know it would do him no harm unless he took an overdose." (!) However, the postmortem reveals that Grinling didn't die from heroin after all--but from "an over injection of morphia, which as you probably know, is a far more dangerous drug." [So, yeah, in the 1920s it's no big deal to take a dose of heroin to go nighty-night--but stay away from that morphine.]

Neither his nephew Richard nor Dr. Priestely once he's called into the case believe that the doctor took morphia by mistake or committed suicide. In fact, Richard admits that he had an unpleasant interview with his uncle regarding money. You see, Dr. Grinling had a life interest in an inheritance from his father (Richard's grandfather) and Richard would inherit the principle once Grinling was gone. Not only would the doctor not loan Richard any money based on his prospects--but he declared his intention to live as long as possible to keep his nephew from the money as long as possible. 

But Richard isn't the only one in the inn that night with a motive to hustle Grinling into the grave. Pretty much everyone except our narrator Attercliffe had reason to wish the doctor dead--even the ladies of the house. Dr. Priestley will have to sort through the motives as well as determine how the killer got into the locked bedroom before his work will be done.

My thoughts:

There seems to be no thought of fingerprints. I realize it's early days in police forensics, but the Scotland Yard Fingerprint Bureau was established in 1901. When Superintendent Collison arrives on the scene, he handles the syringe and the glass vial with no precautions at all. In fact, beyond sending those things to be analyzed by the doctor, he doesn't seem terribly interested in looking over the scene of the crime for clues at all. His method is chatting up all the suspects and making them think he's not the sharpest tool in the drawer. He soon proves them wrong and, even though he does need Dr. Priestley's help, he winds up being a very capable detective indeed.

The early part of the story is quite good. Rhode builds up the various motives in a very convincing manner in an effort to spread the wealth in the suspicion department. To be quite honest, I spotted the culprit quite early despite the publisher's blurb on an early edition proclaiming "The reader who detects the murderer is to be congratulated on possessing no ordinary astuteness." The only thing I couldn't quite figure out was how the murderer managed to get in the room considering certain obstacles. The second half of the book presents some difficulties as the investigators seem to get distracted from the murder inquiry by the injection (no pun intended--well, maybe a little bit intended) of a drug-smuggling sub-plot. 

The best part of the book is the humor. The underlying humor in Collison's interactions with the suspects. The reader realizes how astute the detective is and it's humorous to watch the reactions to his methods. There is also a good deal of humor in the interactions and byplay between the yachting group. All good fun. ★★★ and a half stars.

Quotes

[First Line] Clayport, although not one of the best-known yachting centers on the south coast, is pretty popular among the owners of small craft.
 
Dinner is undoubtedly a meal to be enjoyed in brilliant company, but breakfast--breakfast is a solemn function to be performed in monastic seclusion. (p. 17)

I'm very pleased to hear you say so. Murder's an ugly word and it's the last thing I should like to hear whispered in connection with the Unicorn, for which I have the deepest regard. But you know what one's superiors are. As soon as I report that we can't quite fathom the cause of Dr. Grinling's death, some fellow in an office, always on the look out for something sensational, is bound to ask, "How do you know he wasn't murdered?" (Superintendent Collins; p. 44)

Mrs. Bunce suffers too severely from the rheumatics for her to go gallivanting about the house with lethal intent in the small hours of the morning. (Collins; p. 48)

I didn't know, Mr. Attercliffe. But in my profession one soon learns the value of a little harmless bluff. (Collins; p. 54)

I'm no mathematician, but it two heads are better than one, then it seems to me that half a dozen heads must be better than two. (Collins; p. 61)

Why the man's a natural detective!...Don't you see that his innocence is assumed so as to get the truth out of each one of you? (Harold Merefield; p. 72)

We shall probably discover that Mortimer had some motive for wishing Dr. Grinling out of the way; it seems a fashionable complaint in this part of the country. (Merefield; p. 93)

That evening Mr. Gregson arrived at the Unicorn. I took an instant dislike to him, though I should find it difficult to explain exactly why. Perhaps it was because he disapproved of everything he saw, and managed to convey his disapproval so obviously. (p. 107)

...when I first described the circumstances of Dr. Grinling's dead, he remarked that if a crime had been committed, it had been thought out by a man with some imagination. A novelist is popularly supposed to have imagination, and I rather think he wanted to gauge the depth of yours by reading your book. (Merefield; p. 119)

[Last Line] It was two o'clock before we finally decided that it was time to go to bed. And then the Skipper pushed Richard away from the piano and slowly and hesitatingly, with an expression of rapt concentration, picked out with one finger the notes of the Wedding March.

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Golden Just the Facts: Locked Room
Deaths = 1 (poisoned)