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)

Body Blow

 Body Blow (1962) by Kenneth Hopkins

The third (and, unfortunately last) of Hopkins' mysteries featuring Dr. Blow (81 years old!) and Professor Manciple (79 years old!)--two retired academics who have penchant for finding bodies and losing them again. In their last "jaunt" (Dead Against My Principles), they helped investigate a corpse purported to be Blow's old classmate Simon Blunt. A corpse that seemed to play musical chairs between Simon's family castle and little cottage. In this outing, Dr. Blow receives a large packing case which he expects to contain over a hundred volumes of books, some in fancy linen bindings. Even before it's opened, Manciple is questioning the contents...

" It's an awfully big box. Did you say you bought a hundred books?"

And, of course, when it's opened, there are no books to be found--just one very dead woman whom neither gentleman has ever seen before. They hustle off to the police station to report the incident to their friend Superintendent Urry--the phone being so unreliable, don't you know. But he isn't there. And by the time they return to Blow's flat with Constable Poindexter. The packing case is gone. According to Blow's housekeeping, three boy scouts showed up to pick it up--and she didn't think anything of it because Dr. Blow, being the true absent-minded professor, so often forgets to tell her things.

Well, this isn't the first time the two gentleman have been mixed up with dead bodies and they're eager to find out what's going on. Who was the woman in the box? Why was she sent to Dr. Blow? Who took her away again? Was it the same person or someone else? And when the body shows up again minus its stomach, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the stomach appears in Professor Manciple's ice box. I mean, really, where else would it show up? Before they know it, Blow and Manciple are mixed up with secret agents and double-crossers and everybody is on the hunt for a top-secret formula for fantastically strong nylon. 

I have to admit that the mystery plot in this one isn't the greatest. The secret agent business (especially when we find out who one of the players really is) is a bit hard to swallow--but honestly, the story is such great fun, I didn't mind a bit. It's been a while since I read the last Blow and Manciple book and I had forgotten how delightful they are. Blow is a wonderfully stereotypical forgetful academic who will begin a lecture on any one of a dozen topics at the drop of a hat. Manciple tries to keep his friend on the straight and narrow of detective work, but don't mention coins in his hearing or he'll be off an running as well. Between the two of them, they stir up enough nonsensical dust that the villains of the piece don't quite know what to do. And though our academics may not solve the puzzle themselves, their antics help the official police and the MI5 folks get their men. Well...mostly. ★★★

First line: Dr. William low inserted the key of the small satin-wood bureau in which he kept two leaves of unpublished manuscript of Part Four of Butler's Hudibras into the lock of the front door and turned it and pushed--in vain.

"No," admitted Poindexter. The difficulty of police work, he knew, was that murderers looked like anybody else, and forgers and thieves appeared almost abnormally normal. (p. 24)

(about secret double-agents) "They always live in a big, gloomy, decaying mansion on the Essex marshes," said Dr. Blow. (p. 48)

"I'll tell you this," said Hume, "these are grave and complex matters, not even properly the province of the uniformed police. Certain persons whom I must not name, in quarters I shall barely hint at, are vitally interested and concerned." (p. 87)

Last line: The phone rang again and Urry snatched it up, and the voice of the policewoman on the switchboard said sweetly, "Professor Manciple for you sir."

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Deaths =  2 (one suicide; one heart attack)

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."

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

Hopjoy Was Here

 Hopjoy Was Here (1962) by Colin Watson

The police at Flaxborough receive an anonymous tip. Something nasty has happened at the home of of Gordon Periam. There was some sort of altercation in the bathroom and neither Periam nor his lodger, Brian Hopjoy have been seen since. Inspector Purbright and company find bloodstains in the bathroom, evidence of the use of acid, and something nasty in the drains. It looks like someone was done away with in a very ruthless manner. But who? Is it Hopjoy who has been dissolved? Or is it Periam? They've barely begun the investigation when a couple of MI5 men show up--apparently Hopjoy was one of theirs and they want to make sure that everything "hush-hush" stays hushed. So now Purbright has to figure out not only who (if anyone) has been killed and, if it's Hopyjoy whether his MI5 work resulted in his death or if it was something more prosaic (like jealousy). The trail leads Purbright and the secret agents on a merry chase through gambling dens to a rural farm and from a fancy hotel to the seaside where an interesting item washes up.

Watson infuses his story with humor--most particularly in its send-up of the spy trade. The MI5 fellows see everything through their top-secret lens and so betting slips become secret codes and absolutely everything has a double-meaning. And they tend to think the local police are poor fish who just can't understand all this hush-hush business. But just maybe this time a murder is just a murder and not some sort of end game in a double agent duel. It's amusing to see Purbright and Sergeant Love get the better of the secret agent men.

Purbright is a great character with a very understated intelligence that works away at the everyday details while the MI5 guys run about looking for double agents in haylofts and betting parlors. The plot is well done too. Watson keeps switching things until you're just not sure who died, if anyone died, and if they did where are they? Quite a lot of fun. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Never before had the inhabitants of Beatrice Avenue seen a bath carefully manoeuvered (sic) through one of their front doors, carried down the path by four policemen, and hoisted into a black van.

Last line: The inspector patted his arm kindly, "Oh, not Karl," he said, "Groucho."

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Deaths = 4 (two natural; one strangled; one poisoned)

While the Clock Ticked

 While the Clock Ticked (1932) by Franklin W. Dixon

Raymond Dalrymple comes to the Hardy home looking for Fenton Hardy. He hopes to hire the detective to investigate some odd goings-on at the old Purdy house--a house that the banker has recently bought. But Mr. and Mrs. Hardy have gone on a trip to Maine and won't be reached easily. Frank and Joe send a telegram to their father, but in the meantime they offer their services to Dalrymple. The banker is skeptical at first, but after talking to some folks in town he realizes that the boys have a reputation of their own when it comes to mysteries. So, he decides to take them up on it--at least until their father returns.

The Purdy house used to belong to an eccentric old miser who trusted absolutely no one. So Purdy had a secret room built--a room that operates on a time clock much like the banker's vault. The banker thought the place would be an ideal place for him to get work done in peace and quiet. Supposedly, no one can get in or out of the room until the time lock releases the door. And yet...two days in a row he has found threatening messages in the middle of the work table in the secret room. 

You must leave this house forever or death will await you.

Death while the clock ticks.

There is no evidence of the door having been forced nor any secret second entrance. He wants someone to find out who is leaving the notes and why they are threatening him.

Meanwhile, there have been a spate of thefts and no one knows where the gang is hiding or where the loot is being hidden. It isn't long before the Hardys realize that there is a connection with the Purdy house. But are the thieves behind the threats or is there a second mystery connected to the old house?

This is one of the first Hardy Boys books I read back when I got hooked on them because of the The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries that came on in the 70s. But I read it in the revised text version (pictured below). More recently I acquired the original text copy and it was an interesting read. I'd still rate this as one of my top five Hardy Boys books, but I was surprised to find them at odds with Chief Collig and Detective Smuff. My recollection of the books is that the boys had a good relationship with the police and could count on their help--and also their appreciation of the boys' efforts. Here, Collig and Smuff try to steal the boys' glory whenever Frank and Joe solve part of the mystery.

As a child, I enjoyed the tense adventures that Frank and Joe had and, of course, liked the fact that they outwit the bad guys in the end. Reading it as an adult, I still had a great time even though the mystery plot isn't as intricate as most of the mysteries I read now. ★★★★

First line: Joe Hardy looked out of the second-floor window.

Last line: "Except," added Aunt Gertrude pointedly, "when the bomb was at your feet and the clock ticked."

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Deaths = 2 (one natural; one fell from height)

Murder on the Purple Water

 Murder on the Purple Water (1947) by Frances Crane

Entry number ten in the Pat and Jean Abbott mysteries find our bantering couple on a fishing vacation in Key West with their friend, Captain Bill Jonas of the New Orleans police. They've booked Cy Martingale's charter boat for a few days of deep sea fishing, but before they even get a chance to get onboard, Martingale's boat becomes the scene for murder and the Abbotts and Jonas are reeled into the investigation. Jonas is friends with police chief and since the chief is deep in the swamps on a fishing trip of his own and the department is already dealing with a double killing, the New Orleans captain is asked to manage the investigation until the local chief returns.

The fishing party booked just prior to the Abbotts consisted of the host Dixon Whitehead, a millionaire who doesn't much explain where those millions came from; Stephen Ashley, an artist--or so he says--whose work Whitehead has been supporting; Julia Deane, the lovely young woman whom Whitehead thinks he'll marry; her mother Katherine Deane, a beauty in her own right; their friend Priscilla Braden, a wealthy woman who bought the Deanes' home when the family needed money; and two gatecrashers--Gerald Deane, Katherine's estranged husband, and Zada Corday, Martingale's niece and Gerald's current "other woman."

Whitehead's party seemed doomed to fail from the start. Zada realized immediately that they hadn't been invited (despite what Gerald told her) and spent the day in a sulk, refusing all efforts by the others to smooth things over. Martingale is none too happy to see his niece hooked up with Gerald--a drunk and general louse, nor to see his friend Katherine have to endure her drunken husband's presence. Gerald arrived with several drinks already under his belt and got progressively drunker and more offensive as the day went on. When he finally goes below to sleep it off, everyone is relieved and the day gets slightly better when Dixon and Priscilla land a few sailfish. The party doesn't even mind when Gerald stays below after the boat returns to dock. But when Captain Martingale goes below to finally deal with his drunken passenger, he finds Deane dead--stabbed with a fish knife.

Martingale doesn't like the police, so, thinking he might avoid official bother, he calls his friend Pat Abbott and asks him to investigate. But Abbott doesn't want to get on the wrong side of the law and forces the captain to call in the police--who, as mentioned, turn to Abbott's friend Captain Jonas. With the suspects telling lies or disappearing altogether, Jonas and the Abbotts have their hands full. And just what is Ashley doing skulking around? Does he really work for Whitehead or does he have an agenda of his own? Our detectives will need to find out before they can solve this one.

This is one of the more tightly plotted of the Crane mysteries. Jean does a bit of her dashing off into trouble antics, but not as much as in some of the stories. She is up to form when it comes to deciding who the killer is--that is to say, every time a new clue comes up she changes her mind and this time she's sure, by golly. It's always fun to see how her logic is going to work...and whether or not she winds up being right (usually not...but she occasionally picks a winner). I'm sure some will be offended by racial references in this story, but it's important to note that Crane always puts such references in the mouths of characters we are not supposed to like and she uses events to underline the fact that her main and more likeable characters do not feel that way. And, in fact, that right-thinking, more civilized people do not feel that way. This isn't surprising from a woman who was expelled from Germany for her anti-Nazi actions during the 1930s and who wrote articles afterwards criticizing the regime.

A highly enjoyable, quick-pace mystery. ★★★★

First line: It was ten minutes past five that Friday afternoon in April when Gerald Deane sauntered across the cockpit of the charter boat Margaret and vanished down the three steps that led to the cabin.

Last line: Nobody noticed a single thing that happened on the Margaret from the time the big fish struck till it was brought to boat.

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Deaths = 3 (one stabbed; one hit on head; one poisoned)

The Bullet That Missed

 The Bullet That Missed (2022) by Richard Osman

It's time once again for the Thursday Murder Club gang to get themselves involved in another murder investigation. The eclectic group of septuagenarians include Elizabeth, an ex-MI5 agent; Ron, a former union activist who's always up for bucking the system; Ibrahim, a retired therapist whose insight into the human psyche and knack for puzzle-solving comes in handy; and Joyce, a former nurse whose appearance has deceived many a miscreant along the way. When they sat down to debate what cold case was next on the agenda, Elizabeth is taken with story of the spinster who died "leaving three unidentified skeletons and a suitcase containing fifty thousand pounds in her cellar." But Joyce, who always seems to get her way when she really puts her foot down, wants them to investigate the case of Bethany Waite.

Bethany had been an investigative reporter and co-host of South East Tonight when her car went off Shakespeare Cliff and she was declared dead, though her body was never found. She had been hot on the trail of a massive fraud and money-laundering scheme and had just sent her co-host Mike Waghorn a message that said she had found something that was absolute dynamite. It apparently blew up in her face.

As the gang investigates, there are more murders and more missing money. They find themselves involved with high-powered crooks, an ex-KGB man, and a mysterious foe the name "Viking" who wants Elizabeth to kill the ex-KGB officer. If she doesn't, he threatens to kill Joyce. The case really heats up and the friends will have to work fast if they don't want to get burned.

So...this was another fun ride. Osman has given us a great set of characters and while there needs to be plenty of suspension of disbelief it doesn't matter that things may not be all that believable at times. This is just a fun group and as long as you're with them you believe they can do all the things that they do. They can outwit the Viking. They can play nice with ex-KGB. They can charm TV personalities into helping them with their investigations. It's all possible. I was a bit disappointed that I saw the solution coming--both the solution to Bethany's murder and who was behind it all. But again, that didn't detract from my enjoyment that much because the characters make the book. The story is so character-driven that it helps compensate for the flaws. ★★★★

First line: Bethany Waites understands there is no going back now.

She has read enough detective novels to know you must never trust a murder without a corpse. (p. .37)

Last line: You keep your head above the water for as long as you can.

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

Nemesis

 Nemesis (1971) by Agatha Christie (Read by Joan Hickson)

Several years ago Miss Jane Marple and Jason Rafiel shared a murderous adventure in the Caribbean. Miss Marple had shown up in Rafiel's room late one night with a pink wooly scarf around her neck and, in the persona of Nemesis, had asked him to help prevent another murder. When Rafiel began making plans to see justice done in another matter, he included Miss Marple (all unawares) in those plans. So, when Rafiel dies Miss Marple has an invitation to visit his solicitors where she will receive an unusual request through a letter he left with Mr. Broadribb:

Our code word, my dear lady, is Nemesis....I want you to investigate a certain crime. I have ordered a certain sum to be placed so that if you accept this request and as a result of your investigation this crime is properly elucidated, the money will become yours absolutely.

And that's pretty much all she's told about Rafiel's request. There's a crime to be investigated--either one that already occurred and justice was not done OR one that will occur and the wealthy businessman wanted to be sure justice would be done. The solicitor, Mr. Broadribb, knows no more about it than she does. 

She decides to take on the task and makes some tentative efforts to learn more about Mr. Rafiel's life (beyond what she knows from their brief encounter in the Caribbean). Her best bet is to try and find Rafiel's former employees and see what they can tell her. She meets, as if by accident, Rafiel's former secretary who tells her that there had been some scandal involving the businessman's son, but she knows little beyond the fact that there was a scandal. Miss Marple cannot find the valet/masseur who attended him and she begins to think her investigation will be over before it's barely begun when she receives two more communications.

The first is another letter from Rafiel telling her that since she's accepted his request, she will receive a second message in two days time. She does and it is from a tour company telling her that Mr. Rafiel had reserved a space for her on their Tour No. 37 of Famous Houses and Gardens in Britain. Miss Marple doesn't know if the purpose of the tour is to introduce her to one of her fellow passengers of to take her to a particular place where crime has happened...or will happen, but she is prepared to find out. She meets several people who are able to tell her more about the scandal surrounding Michael Rafiel. Two girls--including one named Verity that Michael supposedly love--disappeared several years ago. Verity was found strangled with her face beaten in. The other girl was never found. And Michael was convicted of Verity's murder. But when one of Miss Marple's fellow passengers is killed by a falling boulder, she decides that her job must be to find out the truth of Verity's death--because Miss Elizabeth Temple knew Verity and had told Miss Marple that she was on a pilgrimage to find out the truth as well?

This is one time that Dame Agatha didn't pull the wool over my eyes. I recognized the clues and picked up on the culprit right away. But that didn't detract from my enjoyment. Nemesis is enjoyable for a reason that normally doesn't attract me. Often I find when an author takes a favorite detective and places them outside their normal locale that I don't much care for the story (most of the Nero Wolfe stories that take him out of the brownstone for extended periods of time--Death of a Dude and The Black Mountain, for instance). But taking Miss Marple out of St. Mary Mead and placing her on the bus tour, put her at the center of the action for most of the novel and I liked that a lot. It was interesting to watch her go from having no idea what Jason Rafiel wanted her to investigate to picking up pieces bit by bit and finally fitting them all together. Excellent read. ★★★★

~~~One interesting note--in the novel, Rafiel promises Miss Marple 20,000 pounds if she successfully unravels the mystery and sees justice done. I watched the Marple episode with Geraldine McEwan after I finished the novel and among the changes made to the story was the reduction of the sum to a mere 500 pounds. I just wonder why they cheated Miss Marple out of 19,500 pounds of her inheritance?

First line: In the afternoon it was the custom of Miss Jane Marple to unfold her second newspaper.

Last line: "It must have been another of Mr. Rafiel's little jokes," said Mr. Broadribb.

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Deaths = 7 (one natural; two plane crash; two poisoned; one strangled; one hit by boulder)

Who Is Simon Warwick? (spoilerish)

 Who Is Simon Warwick? (1978) by Patricia Moyes

When Lord Charlton's brother and sister-in-law were killed in a London bomb attack during WWII, he wanted nothing to do with his young nephew and arranged for a quiet adoption to an American soldier and his wife. Charlton had felt ill-used by his family when he was young and so, when he made his millions, he determined that none of them would benefit. For years, his will would leave everything to a foundation whose sole purpose was to dispense the funds to suitable charities with a substantial legacy for his secetary as well. Late in life when his doctor tells him that he has little time to live, he repents of his earlier behavior towards his young nephew and decides to leave everything to the young man who was born Simino Warwick. He hopes to live long enough to meet any claimants.

But who is Simon Warwick? Once the will is signed and his attorney, Ambrose Quince, has placed notices in all the important newspapers (both in England and America), Lord Charlton dies. Soon after two claimants (out of all the usual hopefuls) rise to the top. Each hold important documents that give credence to their claim--Simon Finch has letters from the attorney (not Ambrose Quince) who arranged the adoption to his parents, the Finches and the man currently known as Harold Benson has a passport made out to Simon Alexander Warwick, newborn. Quince believes Finch to be the legitimate claimant and is even more sure after a visit to America. But he still has one question that he plans to put to both men. And he decides to meet them both at the same time, in the hopes that the confrontation will help solve the issue.

The meeting never takes place. Simon Finch arrives early for the appointment and is sent by the secretary to wait in the waiting room. Harold Benson arrives and finds Finch dead. Enter Chief Superintendent Henry Tibbett who must decide not only who the murderer is but also who the victim really was. Is Simon Warwick dead and will the inheritance now (as stated under Lord Charlton's will) revert to the terms under the old will? Or is Benson really Warwick and killed in an effort to claim the inheritance? Tibbett keeps saying that Simon Warwick's identity doesn't concern him...but until he knows who Finch really was, he won't know who killed him.

~~~~~Spoiler ahead! read at your own risk~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is an unusual mystery in a number of ways. Not least because there are actually two mysteries whodunnit and who was it done to. It isn't often that the identity of the corpse is in such dispute because the victim claimed to be someone that they may or may not have been. Another unusual point is Tibbett's apparent lack of concern about the identity of the victim. He does find out during the course of his investigation but it doesn't seem to be all that important to him. And, finally, the big reveal about who Simon Warwick really is. That is a first for me in all of my mystery reading. And, considering when the book was published, it is also unusual in the way it handles certain issues--issues that are very much a hot topic right now in 2023 (and, quite frankly, are not handled nearly as well by a great many in today's world). It is all made to seem very matter of fact by Tibbett and his wife It certainly would have made for an interesting point of law if Warwick had decided to follow up on the claim.

This is, I think, one of the best mysteries I have read by Moyes. An interesting mystery with an intriguing premise and I appreciated how Emmy Tibbett got involved and managed, in certain ways, to save the day. A quick read with plenty of action once the initial groundwork was laid. ★★★★ and 1/2. 

First line: A rainy November night in London.

Last line (of main text--last line of the epilogue is a spoiler): "You know what men are like."

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

Deaths = 9 (five natural; two bombed in WWII; one plane crash; one strangled)

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)

The Covenant of the Crown

 The Covenant of the Crown (1981) by Howard Weinstein

Eighteen years ago, a young Lieutenant James T. Kirk helped King Stevvin and the royal family of Shad escape safely into exile when a dangerous rebellion broke out on the planet. Taking the powerful Crown of Shad with him, the King has waited a long time for the right time to return and unite his people. The time is now--but the area of space where Shad is located is disputed space and the Klingons would love to get hold of the crown and bring Shad under their power. 

The Enterprise is assigned to transport the King and his entourage back to Shad because Stevvin will accept no one but Kirk. However, when the starship arrives they find the King near death and an inexperienced Princess Kailyn in line for the throne. If she is to take her place as Shad's next Queen, they will need to retrieve the crown from its hiding place on another planet and she will need to prove herself worthy to wear it. According to Shaddan legend, only those with the control to clear the crystals of the crown to a brilliant blue are the true leaders of Shad. With a Klingon warship dogging their path, Kirk sends Spock and Dr. McCoy with Kailyn by shuttlecraft to find the crown while the Enterprise acts as decoy. But there is a spy in the King's retinue and the Klingons know more about the plan than is good for the mission. Can Spock and McCoy keep Kailyn safe on a planet with dangerous weather patterns, primitive hunters, and a Klingon espionage team on their heels? And, if they survive and find the crown will does Kailyn have the power to control the crown?

Meanwhile, Starfleet wasn't aware of the need for the the crown's retrieval and they're none too pleased to have found out only by monitoring Klingon communications. They insist that Kirk discover who the spy is among Stevvin's staff before he returns to Sigma 1212 for the shuttlecraft team. The longer it takes to find the traitor the longer Kailyn will be in danger...

I absolutely did not plan this--but I pretty much read this for the Star Trek Anniversary. Fifty-seven years of Trek in one form or another. This book was part of a boxed set advertised at Walden Books in Christmas '80s. Having been born the year the original series went off the air, I grew up with it in syndication. It provided the background of my early years--coming on at about 5/5:30 on week nights, it was on when we were having supper. I enjoyed the show, but my interest in Trek didn't take off until I spotted that boxed set with a bow on it in a Christmas display. And being a reader, I promptly put it on my Christmas wish list. Santa delivered and I'm quite sure I blazed through all five of those books by the end of January.

This was one of my favorites of the set which also included The Abode of Life, The Klingon Gambit, The Entropy Effect, and The Prometheus Design and it still is. My previous reference to the novel said that I didn't much care for the fantasy elements--since that's not one of my preferred genres. But that aspect really didn't bother me much this time. I absolutely love that McCoy takes center stage as well as the fact that his relationship with Spock is featured. It is also appealing that I could see this as an expanded episode for the original series. Most of these early novels try to be faithful to the series and the characters--sometimes adding to their backstories, but the feel of the characters and the adventures are right. It was fun to watch Spock try to give advice to McCoy about the crush Kailyn has developed on our favorite doctor and interesting to hear the different versions of what makes a good leader from Spock, McCoy, and Shirn O'tay, the leader of the mountain settlement whom Stevvin had entrusted with the task of hiding the crown. 

Lots of good adventure, a tangle with Klingons, and a good amount of humor (which was integral to some of the best episodes of the series). Chekov's efforts to lose the ten pounds he'd mysteriously gained since his last physical added just the right amount of levity to the tense situation on board the Enterprise. Still one of my favorite Trek novels.★★★★

The Case Against Paul Raeburn

 The Case Against Paul Raeburn (aka Triumph for Inspector West; 1948) by John Creasey

Paul Raeburn is on his way home in his fancy Rolls Royce when he's hailed by a man blocking the road. It winds up being a man he thought was dead. A man who thinks Raeburn done him dirty (leaving him to hold the bag on a little matter of fraud and arson) and he means to make Raeburn pay...through the nose. But Raeburn isn't having any of that...he knocks the man out and then runs over him with his Rolls. When Raeburn is nabbed by a constable who was practically on the spot, Inspector Roger West is delighted. He's positive that this time the police have a case that will stick.

But West is wrong. A surprise witness appears at the trial to support Raeburn's claim of an unavoidable accident. She swears that the man dashed in front of the car and there was no way Raeburn could have missed him. Raeburn is set free and West redoubles his efforts to find a way to put the unscrupulous businessman behind bars. Raeburn seems to have the upper hand...but everyone makes mistakes. West just has to be patient and wait for Raeburn to make the one that will lead to his downfall. When men associated with the case begin to die, West knows that time is coming soon.

Definitely not a whodunnit--we know from the beginning that Raeburn is a killer. We know who he killed and how he did it. The only question is will this slimy high-end crook get away with it? Inspector West repeatedly thinks he's got Raeburn exactly where he wants him, only to have the man slide out of his grasp. It's not looking good for the forces of good even as the last few pages come in sight.

Creasey writes a darn good police procedural and this one is better than most. We get to see all the details as West endeavors to get his man. And they're not tedious details--very interesting maneuvers to rightfully pin the crimes on the man behind it all. It's a definite challenge when Raeburn seems able to cover his tracks and manage to make West look bad in the press all at the same time. A fascinating study of a real battle of wits and nerve. ★★★★

First line: The powerful car moved swiftly and quietly along the road which led across Clapham Common.

Last line: "Good old pop!"

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Deaths = 4 (one run over; one gassed; two poisoned)

Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt

 Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt (1938) by Clair Blank

Beverly Gray, aspiring reporter, and her friends are on a sailing cruise around the world on the Susabella. Their trip has taken them to the far east (and included adventures related in the previous two books). Earlier in the journey, they discovered half of an old map with directions to a treasure located on an island near China and had to outsmart a nasty Count to retrieve the other half. The treasure is hidden on an island with hostile inhabitants and when her friends are captured it takes all of Beverly's ingenuity to effect a rescue. The adventures come fast and furious. The exploits include the discovery of a jeweled dagger that must be returned to the Chinese temple where it belongs; Beverly & Larry flying over Mount Fuji (and an emergency parachute jump when the plane loses power); the exploration of an Indiana Jone-style temple with skulls lining the walls; Beverly being swept overboard and rescued during a hurricane; and Beverly's chance at a foreign correspondent job when Shanghai is invaded. 

There really isn't much mystery to be had in this installment--it reads more like the "Perils of Pauline" as Beverly and company repeatedly fall into danger and get out of it again. It almost felt like Clair Blank was trying to stuff as many types of exotic adventures into the book as possible with nothing to hold them together except the idea of travel. I think I would have enjoyed this one much more if there had been a more intricate mystery connected to the treasure hunt and the focus had been there rather than hopping from danger to danger and adventure to adventure. ★★★

First line: A group of six young people waited impatiently on the Shanghai dock and cheered lustily as a girl fled through the crowd.

Last line: Let us say "Aloha Oe" to them here to meet again in "Beverly Gray's Return," when we shall find them in new and exciting adventures.

Sparkling Cyanide

 Sparkling Cyanide (aka Remembered Death; 1945) by Agatha Christie; Read by Hugh Fraser

One year ago, the Bartons held a dinner party at the exclusive Luxembourg restaurant. The lights went down for a cabaret show and when they came up again Rosemary Barton was dead, poisoned by cyanide. Rosemary had been in recovery from flu; a flu that could make the afflicted feel depressed. Her sister Iris also testified that Rosemary had left a paper on her desk indicating how she wanted certain pieces of property left in the event of her death and so the death was ruled a suicide. 

But recently her husband George had begun to wonder if that ruling was correct, especially after he received anonymous notes telling him that Rosemary's death was not a suicide. And so he devises a plan to unmask the killer. It involves hosting another dinner party, with the same guests, and one empty place waiting for a surprise but his plans go awry. Oh, there is a surprise, but definitely not the one George intended...for at the end of the entertainment this time George is the one who dies...from cyanide.

Colonel Johnny Race was meant to be a guest at that first dinner, but he had to cancel at the last minute. Then George Barton tried to get him to come to the most recent dinner, but Race thought George's plan was ill-advised and refused to participate. When George is killed too, Race works with Inspector Kemp to discover who the guilty party is. They soon find that any of those who attended the parties could have had a motive. Iris came into a lot of money when Rosemary died. Stephen Faraday, minor MP, had had an affair with Rosemary and tried to break it off--he faced ruin if she, as she told him she would, gave news of the affair to both George and Stephen's wife Lady Alexandra "Sandra" Faraday. Sandra strikes the men as the type to kill to keep her man. Ruth Lessing, secretary to George Barton, is thought to have been in love with the boss and might have wanted the inconvenient wife out of the way. And Anthony Brown, a mystery man, had also flirted with Rosemary--that is until she revealed that she knew his name wasn't Brown. Then he threatened her to keep her mouth shut..."or else." And, of course, if the murderer of Rosemary had thought that George was getting too close to the truth, then it makes sense that he had to die too. Except--it seems impossible that anyone could have slipped poison into his glass.

Even though I have read this before (long before blogging) and have seen the televised versions of it, Dame Agatha still managed to fool me. This is one of the things I like about her--if it's been long enough I can reread her less well-known titles and still be mystified. I did think about the culprit, but not for the reasons given. I am a little skeptical of the way the poison was introduced to George's drink, but I'm willing to go along with it. Overall, a good mystery and excellently narrated by Hugh Fraser. He manages the different voices for the men superbly. ★★★★

First line: Six people were thinking of Rosemary Barton who had died nearly a year ago.

Last line: And more softly still, "Pray love remember."

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Deaths = two poisoned

Birthday Party Murder

 Birthday Party Murder (2002) by Leslie Meier

Miss Julia Ward Howe Tilley is about to turn ninety and the town of Tinker's Cover is gearing up for a big bash for the beloved former librarian. There will be cake and a "This Is your Life"-style presentation. The the marching band will perform and the local television station is planning to air a spotlight segment. And...there will be murder.

On the morning that Lucy Stone and the girls decide to organize Miss Tilley's birthday celebration, Lucy is also asked to look into the death of Sherman Cobb, the town's primary (and oldest) lawyer. Cobb had just received word from his doctor that he has pancreatic cancer and the death has the earmarks of suicide--an old man taking the easy way out before the deadly disease gets too bad. But Cobb's partner in the law practice has severe doubts and wants Lucy to use her investigative reporting skills to poke around. But who would want to kill Cobb? Everybody loved the older man and he never got involved in any bitter court cases. Amongst Cobb's papers, Lucy finds a connection between Miss Tilley...and the mysterious niece and great-nephew who have just appeared in Miss Tilley's life. It looks like the present death...and danger to the town's beloved librarian has its roots in the past. Can Lucy dig up the correct roots in time?

A fairly run-of-the-mill cozy mystery. Lucy, as cozy amateur detectives do, manages to get in a tight spot--even to the point of getting shot--in the denouement. But, of course since it's a cozy, she's not hurt much at all and seems pretty back to normal by Miss Tilley's birthday party. I would have appreciated more detecting on Lucy's part and less worrying about how she's aging and those extra pound she's gained. But, miracle of miracles, those few morning work-out video viewings have worked magic and she's trimmed down and able to fit in those pants that were too tight at the beginning of the book--and that cream she's been smearing into her face must be miracle cream as well, because the wrinkles are smoothed out too. 

The villain of the piece was a nice little cardboard cutout, out for revenge. No real character build to make the revenge motif seem plausible, just enough to provide motive so when the police cart them off at the end we can be glad to see the back of them. And we can be pleased that it wasn't any of the characters we like.  ★★ and 1/2.

First line: Sherman Cobb wasn't feeling well.

Last line: "No way," she said. "I've just begun to fight."

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Deaths = two shot

 

The Alarm of the Black Cat

 The Alarm of the Black Cat (1942) by Dolores Hitchens writing as D. B. Olsen

Synopsis (from the book flap): A strange encounter with a little girl named Claudia and a dead toad sparks elderly detective fiction fan Rachel Murdock's obsessive curiosity, and she winds up renting the house next door just to see how things play out. but soon after she and her cat Samanta move in, Rachel realizes they've landed right in the middle of a deadly love triangle that's created animosity among the three families who surround her.

When Rachel find's Claudia's great-grandmother dead in her basement, she reaches out to a friend in the LAPD to solve the crime. they soon learn the three households have been torn apart by one husband's  and a complicated will that could lead to a fortune. In a house plagued by forbidden love, regret, and greed, Rachel will have to trust her instinct, as well as Samantha's instincts, to survive--and keep Claudia out of the hands of a killer whose work has just begun...

A few general observations:

1. Why is the cat in the title a "black cat"? There is no black cat anywhere in this story. The only cat mentioned is Miss Murdock's cat Samantha--and Samantha is more of a ginger tabby (and sometimes described as yellow).

2. How many times can a 70-year-old woman get clobbered over the head and still retain all her senses? Miss Murdock has the recuperative powers that would give most thriller heroes a run for their money. Bash her on the head and she'll be out cold for a few minutes and then up and at 'em and ready to track down the miscreants.

3. There's a heck of a lot of action going on at night in this cozy little neighborhood. Everybody seems to be awake and running about, but hardly anybody sees anyone else. And the one person who does see something doesn't really realize what they've seen--which misleads Mayhew and Miss Murdock for a good bit of the story.

I have to say that of the four Olsen/Hitchens books I've read so far (and three featured Miss Murdock), this is my least favorite. Miss Murdock does tend to run into trouble in these books, but in this one she seems particularly reckless and could have been killed twice over. She's also terribly secretive with Lt. Mayhew--keeping back important evidence which puts her even further in danger. The other thing I didn't care for was the danger to Claudia. I've mentioned before that I don't like mysteries that feature danger/harm to children and this killer is a bit too ruthless for my liking. Fortunately, Claudia isn't killed.

The motive is a good one and I thought Olsen/Hitchens did a fair job of spreading the suspicion around. But the plot didn't seem to move as smoothly as in her other work--the action seemed fairly jerky to me. ★★ and 1/2

First line: There are times when Miss Rachel Murdock considers that the solution of murders should be left to the general public.

Last line: "With such a name she could do no less," Miss Rachel assured her.

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Deaths = 3 (one hit on head; one stabbed; one shot)

The Lost World

 The Lost World (1912) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The first of Doyle's books to feature the combative, brilliant, and eccentric Professor George Challenger. Challenger has claimed to have found a "lost world" in the jungle of South America. A self-contained eco-system where dinosaurs still roam and many strange and wonderful plants and animals unknown to man may be found. But his evidence was damaged on the return journey and his fellow scientists call him everything from a crank (at best) to a madman to a out-and-out liar. 

Our narrator, reporter Edward Malone, has sought out Challenger in an effort to do something extraordinary and daring in order to win the hand of his lady-love Gladys. Gladys has told him that she never marry a man who hadn't done something courageous or extraordinary. So, off goes Malone to find something to do. Challenger doesn't much like reporters and has thrown all previous comers out on their ear--but the professor takes a liking to the plucky young man and invites him to a meeting of the scientific community. Challenger plans to get the society to admit his claims. But Dr. Summerlee--a fierce rival of Challenger--says there must be better proof and the society votes to send Summerlee to investigate the professor's claims. They ask for volunteers to mount a mission and Lord John Roxton, a famous explorer and big game hunter, and Malone both jump up.

The rest of the story is told in letters from Malone written to his editor back in London. He describes the journey down the Amazon and their tramp through the jungle to the hidden high plateau where dinosaurs still walk the earth. The men will face all kinds of danger--from monstrous animals to ape-men to the loss of their one means for returning to the jungle below. But if they make back to England, will the society accept the word of four men any better than they accepted the word of one?

Once you get past the ridiculous Gladys Hungerton and her supposed expectations of a future mate* and you remember that this was published in 1912 so Challenger and company are full of British Imperialism and feelings towards man of the "natives," then this is a purely fun, boys own adventure story. Doyle is a superb story-teller and I enjoyed every bit of the journey to (and in) South America. I particularly liked that Malone got to have his moments of glory in the presence of these three great men. We get delightful thumb-nail descriptions of Challenger, Summerlee, and Roxton--as well as an intriguing look at what could have been the "missing link" in man's development. Overall, a fun adventure. ★★★★

*I can't even with Gladys. In one way she reminds me of Gwendolen and Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest. But at least those ladies, after insisting on certain qualities that their men must have, wind up marrying them. Gladys tells Malone what she expects from a successful suitor and then while he's off doing what she told him to do, she marries a mild little milquetoast of a man. Blah. Surely Doyle could have come up with a better way to send Malone off on the quest with Challenger.

First line: Mr. Hungerton, her father, really was the most tactless person upon earth--a fluffy, feather, untidy, cockatoo of a man, perfectly good natured, but absolutely centered upon his own silly self.

Last line: Lord Roxton said nothing, but a brown hand was stretched out to me across the table.

Ashes to Ashes

 Ashes to Ashes (1971) by Emma Lathen (Mary Jane Latsis & Martha Henissart)

The Archdiocese of New York has decided that the St. Bernadette's parochial school is no longer viable. The costs outweigh the benefits and there just aren't as many teaching nuns as there used to be. So, when Unger Realty shows interest in buying up the school with an eye to building a high-rise apartment building on the spot, the Archdiocese is pleased as punch. The parents of Flensburg, not so much. They all went to St. Bernadette's and they want their children to go to St. Bernadette's. And, by golly, they're not going to take this lying down. 

So, they organize themselves into a group called the St. Berbadette's Parents League and decide to take on big business and the Church. They file an injunction under the name Francis P. Omara (their leader) vs. Joseph, Cardinal Devlin to put a halt to the sale. And John Thatcher, acting president of the Sloan Guaranty Trust, finds himself smack in the middle of it all. The Sloan has agreed to advance Unger Realty the money for the sale and now Thatcher finds himself served with a subpoena to testify in the case. 

But before much can be done about the court case, Omara is killed by a blow to the head with a butcher's mallet. Who wanted to stop the Parents League badly enough to commit murder? Was it someone from the realty company? Or one of the local business owners who hoped to make huge profits once the new apartments went up? Or--would one of the Church officials behind the sale stoop to killing to finance the Church? Things become very murky when the Parents League is joined by other groups with a gripe against the Church--including women fighting for the right to birth control to Hare Krishna Catholics intent on a merger of faiths. Very disruptive protests break out...and then bomb threats cause even more upheaval. A chance remark by one of the concerned parents makes Thatcher aware that everyone has been looking at the murder from the wrong angle.

Of the three Lathen books I have read so far, this one has been the best. I found Thatcher's subtle humor and not-so-secret siding with "the angels" (that is the parents fighting for their children's school) very amusing and well-drawn. Thatcher's view of his Wall Street world is wry, humorous, and honest:

It was John Thatcher's private theory that during such major downward shifts [in the Dow Jones average], the financial community as a whole went slightly and temporarily insane. Orders went undischarged. Syndicates fell apart. Drinking men went on the wagon and abstainers swilled four martinis before lunch.

The mystery is also nicely executed. It mixes the mystery plot with pertinent issues of the time--issues that are still pretty relevant (especially in the Catholic world) today. So, the book doesn't feel nearly as dated as it might. I didn't put the clues together, so the reveal at the end was a pleasant surprise. For one thing, I just couldn't connect that butcher's mallet to anyone.... ★★★ and 1/2.

First line: Wall Street is the largest and most efficient market the world has ever known.

Last line: "I look forward to seeing what they and Flensburg make of each other."

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Deaths = one hit on head

The Body in the Cast

 The Body in the Cast (1993) by Katherine Hall Page

Hollywood is coming to New England. The quiet little town of Aleford, Massachusetts is chosen by legendary director Max Reed as the site of his cinematic retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic The Scarlet Letter. The town is already in a bit of an uproar over a local election which features a candidate using smear tactics to try and get an upper-hand on his more popular opponent. The movie folk don't help matters, bringing their own infighting, jealousies, and talented tantrum-throwers.

Faith Fairchild, wife of the local pastor and owner of the Have Faith catering company, is up to eyebrows in the Hollywood glamor--Have Faith has been chosen to provide all the snacks and meals for the horde of glitzy stars. Everything is going well until someone doctors the black bean soup and there is a question of whether it was a practical joke or a targeted attack on certain members of the cast. But when the star's body double is poisoned, it soon becomes apparent that the practical joker is deadly serious. Another death follows and Faith is determined to find the links and help the local police find the killer before the bodies in the cast outnumber the living.

I have to say that I didn't find this entry in the Faith Fairchild series as appealing. For one thing, I didn't much care for the two stories lines--politics and movie-making. Tying the two murders together seemed forced and I think the plot would have been much improved if we'd had just one thread to follow. I'm still not clear how the second victim got their hands on the items that forced the killer to eliminate them. Or why it was necessary to foist that plot line on us. We could have achieved the same effect if the second victim had come from the inner circle of Hollywood folk. 

Faith also annoyed me a bit. She's a pastor's wife, but she's a terrible snob. Both about food and about clothes. Maybe it's always been there and I just never noticed before--but this time around she seemed to be name-dropping famous designer clothes right, left, and center. Most of the small town pastor's wives I've come across would be lucky to own one designer clothes item let alone multiple outfits. But that's a small quibble.

The actual mystery-solving by Faith went well. There's a tiny bit of coincidence--she just happens to be in the right place at the right time to discover the second murder fairly quickly. It's not like she had followed up some clue that helped her figure out who was next on the hit list or where the action might take place. But she does recognize other clues that the police miss and her right-hand helper Pix also does some nifty detective work of her own. 

A decent cozy mystery that unfortunately wasn't (for me) as good as previous selections from the series.  ★★★--just.

First line: Aleford, Massachusetts was reeling--literally.

Last line: And Marta winked.

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Deaths = 2 (one poisoned; one hit on head)

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)