Challenge Commitment Complete: What an Animal

I actually completed the What an Animal Reading Challenge IX back on May 9th, but forgot to post a wrap-up.  I know that there will probably be more animal covers or animals in titles or stories in the near future, so I'm still reading. We'll see what level I make it to....

1. Hunt with the Hounds by Mignon G. Eberhart (1/3/16)
2. Red for Murder by Harold Kemp (1/13/16) [heifer on cover; heifers play important role]
3. The Platypus of Doom & Other Nihilists by Arthur Byron Cover (1/23/16)
4. The Doberman Wore Black by Barbara Moore (2/9/16)
5. The April Robin Murders by Craig Rice & Ed McBain (2/17/16)
6. Dead Man's Riddle by Mary Kelly (5/9/16) [boar's head on cover; boar and fox masks play an important role]

Challenge Complete!

The Paper Thunderbolt: Review

The first half of The Paper Thunderbolt (aka Operation Pax, 1951) by Michael Innes follows a two-bit con man by the name of Albert Routh as he muffs his most recent confidence game and winds up in the clutches of a secret society bent on world domination through the pacification of the masses. When he flees the bank on his two-stroke motorcycle after losing his nerve, he heads to the countryside and lands in the little village of Milton Porcorum where he meets a mysterious man by the name of Squire. Squire recognizes Routh's type and immediately offers to put him on to "a good thing." Before Routh knows it, he is being held captive in a room at Milton Manor while Squire and his confederates decide what to do with him. But the lock on his room is a piddling little thing and offers no challenge to a man who was dismantling such locks when just a tot. He escapes from the room and manages to overhear Squire's superior insisting that he do away with Routh before he causes too much trouble. The con man finds the nerve that he lost at the bank and tries to bluff his way into the gang--when that goes awry, he manages to kill Squire's counterpart and make off with a bit of paper that the men seem to find mighty important. He hops on his motorbike and makes tracks for Oxford. If he can just find a safe place to stash the paper until he can lose his pursuers, he'll be set to make a fortune....

Cut scene to Oxford where Sir John Appleby has arrived to help his younger sister Jane (an undergraduate at the university) track down her missing fiancé, Geoffrey Ourglass. Ourglass is a brilliant young scientist and he was last seen in a car headed towards Milton Porcorum home of Milton Manor as well as health clinic which serves as a front for the evil doers. Before Sir John and Jane can meet up, she spies Routh lurking in the Bodleian Library and he's obviously scared and trying to avoid another man hot on his heels. She notices him hiding a bit of paper, but is so caught up in the cat and mouse game playing before her eyes that she doesn't give it much thought. Later, she sees the injured Routh being loaded into an ambulance and realizes that his pursuers are whisking him away to....of all places Milton Porcorum. Jane is an impetuous young woman and hails a taxi to follow the ambulance and hopefully get a lead on Geoffrey.  Fortunately for her, the taxi driver doesn't mind being a party to a bit of intrigue and, in fact, turns out to be quite adept in such situations....

Meanwhile, Sir John makes inquiries around Oxford--talking to dons and tutors who knew Geoffrey and he begins to see ties to another matter which the Yard has been investigating. You see, Geoffrey isn't the first young man to go missing. Several men--rogues and down-and-outers--who would normally not be missed (save for the Yard's watchful eye) have disappeared over the last several months and inquiring minds have begun to wonder if the disappearances are connected. And does Geoffrey's disappearing act mean that the villainous group is getting more bold? Sir John has his own ideas about that. There will be a high-speed chase across the countryside, midnight adventures in the lower regions of the Bodleian Library, and a highly improbable rescue by a horde of youngsters on bikes who call themselves Tigers. Thrilling escapades and exciting episodes dominate this adventure making it more of a caper story than a traditional mystery. I did get fooled at the end--I thought for sure that X would prove to be the mastermind, but I was wrong. I should have stuck with my first thought.

On the whole this turned out to be a very interesting and exciting read. I had my doubts at first. Routh as a narrator didn't work that well for me. Not because he's a con man--but because his voice and his thoughts are very disjointed and stream-of consciousness-like. It was difficult at times to follow what he was saying/thinking and he seemed periodically to have different personalities going for him. Once he got to Oxford and the Applebys came on the scene, the book settled down and became a very nice chase thriller. ★★★ and 3/4--I'm taking off that 1/4 for the disjointed opening chapters.

 ***********
With the Bodleian Library front and center on the cover (behind the man), this counts for the "Library/Book" category on the Golden Vintage Scavenger Hunt card. It also counts for the "Weather in the Title" category on the Mystery Reporter Challenge. 

The April Robin Murders: Review

As he stared at her, the only thought that flashed through Bingo's mind was that only that afternoon he'd promised Handsome that they were never going to be involved in any more murders in the future!

The April Robin Murders (1958) by Craig Rice [Georgiana Ann Randolph] & Ed McBain is a screwball mystery starring Rice's photographers with a penchant for landing in the middle of murder, Bingo Riggs and Handsome Kuzak. Bingo and Handsome, late of New York, have decided to head west to seek fortune and fame in Hollywood. Handsome has the added talent of being able to remember everything he has ever read (especially in newspapers).

The first thing they do is buy a house. Bingo is determined to own a mansion previously owned by a movie star and they manage to luck into an option on the moldering, monstrous mansion which once belonged to the legendary silent screen star April Robin. Winds up that they get much more than they bargained for--all kinds of mystery surrounds the house and its owners. First, there's April. Everybody remembers her. Everybody says she was gorgeous. Nobody knows what happened to her. She just disappeared. Drove off in her car one day and was gone. And Handsome is worried that he's losing his memory because he can't remember anything about her.

After April disappeared, the next owners were Julien and Lois Lattimer. They've both disappeared too--as well as a bundle of money. Everybody believes that Lois killed her husband and ran off with the dough. Except there's no body. The police have searched high and low--for the body, for the money, for Lois. Nothing. Then along come our boys from New York. A con man posing as a real estate agent sells them the house--with an apparently genuine Julien Lattimer signature on the paperwork. 

"According to our top handwriting expert, he did," Perroni [a police detective] said. "And when Clark Sellers says a signature is genuine, the signature is genuine."

The night Handsome and Bingo move in a body is found. But not Julien's. The caretaker/housekeeper--who dies from inhaling the poisonous fumes of dry cleaning fluid. Perroni and his partner Hendenfleder kind of wonder about that. They wonder about a lot of things. Who is this guy Courtney Budlong who sold the house to the boys? Why are there so many guys running around with the initials C. B.? Why does one of them (Chester Baxter) wind up dead in an alley with his throat cut? And how much do Handsome and Bingo know about it all?

But don't get me wrong. I don't disbelieve you. I don't disbelieve anybody. It don't pay. Especially here in Hollywood.

This is a fun read. A definite screwball comedy/mystery that I could see as a movie starring Martin & Lewis or Abbott & Costello. You've got con men running in and out the picture, gorgeous dames, possibly shady lawyers, the good cop/bad cop pair, the nosy neighbor, and our slightly dim but likable protagonists who manage to bumble their way into a solution to all the mysteries as well as landing a motion picture deal that will make them that fortune they were seeking. Slow-moving for the first half or so, but it picks up speed as it hurtles to the finish. Not an incredibly clever solution, but it works and makes for an enjoyable and solid read. ★★★

*******
Fulfills the "Redhead" category on the Vintage Golden Scavenger card. It also fulfills the "at least three different people killed by three different means category in the Mystery Reporter Challenge.

1st death: poisoned by fumes of dry cleaning fluid
2nd death: throat cut
3rd death: run over by automobile

The Platypus of Doom: Review

Journey into a universe where the strangest monsters ever imagined will make you shudder, laugh--and think twice!

The Platypus of Doom & Other Nihilists is a science fiction cult classic by Arthur Byron Cover. I found this by lucky happenstance on the shelves of my all-time favorite (but, alas, now defunct) used bookstore back in 1985. Then in my eagerness to share my enthusiasm for the quirky stories by Cover I loaned the book to a good friend and her good-for-nothing (not really, but in this instance) brother ran off with it and swore it was always his.

I didn't think about the book for a good long while but then when I decided to try and replace the book a few years ago I found no copies available anywhere for anything like a reasonable price. That would be the fault of AbeBooks. In 2009 they featured the book as part of their collection of weird books. The book promptly sold out at AbeBooks and paperback editions became available for outrageous prices. I was delighted to find a copy in 2011 for not much more than I originally paid in the 80s. And now I'm am delighted to have read it again.

"The Platypus of Doom": This gigantic, bow-tie-wearing space monster can grant the winner of the "great game"* his or her heart's desire. Sounds great, right. Well, you know the old adage....Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. [*The great game appears to be ping pong, by the way :-) ]

"The Armadillo of Destruction": An immortal creature that feeds off the powerful negative energy of hate. He's often on the lookout for a new energy source--which always ends badly for the source. Leopold Janifer thinks he has found a way to beat the Armadillo's system. Is he right?

"The Aardvark of Despair": Can Davis, a mean-streets private eye who has been flung through a time vortex into the future, help Dr. Bishop and his family shake off the suicidal depression that the Aardvark instills in its victims?

"The Clam of Catastrophe": Will the Clam, the goddess of love, teach the first and most long-lived consulting detective to love and then turn it into disillusionment. Or will the detective find the solution the one of man's oldest problems?


It was very nice to find that this held up to the memories I had of reading this in my teens. The monsters do have a comic element to them--in their descriptions if nothing else--but there is, under the near-farcical trappings, an examination of such things as love, hate, motivation, and the meaning of existence itself. Cover manages to pose his questions with a light touch that offers food for though as well as entertaining stories. Adding to the fun, the last two tales are also pastiches of detective fiction. "Aardvark" features the private eye and "Clam" plays on the Sherlock Holmes tradition. ★★★★


~Since I only owned this for an all-too-brief moment over twenty years ago and bought it in 2011 specifically so I could read it again some day, this counts for the Mount TBR Challenge.

Red for Murder: Review

N: What's he [Inspector Brent] done? I think he's nice.
DF: You would. Flappers and old women do. But they haven't to mess about with the corpses he can't help producing at far too frequent intervals from silk hats and thin air. (Nora [Lady Lenora Vane-Cuff; Dr. Findley)

Red for Murder (1957) by Harold Kemp is next mystery in the Inspector Jimmy Brent series after Death of a Dwarf which I discovered on a shelf at Half Price Books in 2014 and read last January. As I mentioned when I reviewed Dwarf, there isn't much information available on Kemp out on the internet. And I haven't found anything new anywhere else my last review. If anyone come up with something, I'd love to hear about it. 

As the title indicates, red is an important point in this mystery. There's the missing red ruby--worth a rajah's ransom--and the red heifers which play a part in the drama and the tell-tale bloody marks that speak volumes to Jimmy Brent and the red-haired detective-constable who goes beyond the call of duty to help his inspector. Inspector Brent is called upon by his superintendent to baby-sit Lady Falcongill precious diamond necklace--which just happens to have the aforementioned ruby dangling as an added pendant. The jewels will be on display in honor of Tony Vane-Cuff's coming of age party as they have been for every coming of age party to date.

Whenever the young Lord Falcongill-to-be comes of age, the manor house puts on a bang-up party. Everyone from the village--from the high and mighty to the hoi p oloi--is invited to a grand bullock roast with dancing and drinking, carousing and toasts to the young master's health. The common folk mill about on the grounds and get their feast in the barn while those of higher rank dine round the large table in the manor's dining hall. The current Lord Falcongill has asked for discreet policemen to be on hand just for safety's sake. And even though Brent thinks the "sparklers" as he calls them are a mighty big temptation, he doesn't expect them to go missing while still in the house. His concern is directed to when Lord and Lady Falcongill would be toddling down to the barn to wish their guests well.

And perhaps that's what the thief (or thieves) expected any detectives to expect. Because the lights go out in the house, Lady Falcongill cries out, a door is opened and then shut, one of the guests disappears, and so do the sparklers. Brent and his detective team will be led a merry chase with all sorts of excitement: two corpses make an appearance, the reappearance of the diamonds--but not the ruby, the apparent escape of a mystery man across the moor, the question of who was the man in the bed at Aunt Kate's house, and what happened in the heifer's barn. It all ends with a surgical operation and chase through archaeological burrows and a pursuit of a murderer in a fast car.

This is the sixth book of seven by Kemp and a solid follow-up to Dwarf. The characters are just as good in this outing and we have the added bonus of Jimmy Brent's interactions with Nora Vane-Cuff. Nora is a no-nonsense, plucky heroine type who helps the detective without getting in the way. The one draw-back (and which shaves off a half-star) is the mystery itself. Oh, it's quite clever and I'm not sure you'll ever find a jewel stolen and stashed in quite this way again--but it's pretty well telegraphed. Kemp didn't do quite the job of mystification that he managed to pull off in Dwarf. Still, a highly enjoyable read and if you ever get the chance to read a Kemp mystery, I suggest you do so. ★★★ and a half.



******
This fulfills the "Any sort of Jewelry" category on the Golden Vintage Scavenger Hunt card as well as the "Color in the Title" category for the Mystery Reporter Challenge.

List of all Challenges fulfilled: Vintage Mystery Challenge, Color Coded Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, Mystery Reporter, Cloak & Dagger, My Kind of Mystery, What An Animal, 100 Plus Challenge, Outdo Yourself, Triple Dog Dare, A-Z Mystery Author Challenge, 52 Books in 52 Weeks,

Hunt with the Hounds: Review

Hunt with the Hounds (1950) by Mignon G. Eberhart is meant to be an edge-of-the-seat romantic suspense story. It's set against the backdrop of the Virginia fox-hunting country (who knew fox-hunting was a thing anywhere but England). It opens with Jed Bailey on trial for his life--accused of murdering his wife in order to be with "the other woman." The other woman is apparently Sue Poore. Credence is given to this supposition when Sue provides the evidence that Jed couldn't have killed Ernestine Bailey...because he was with her, proclaiming his love and telling her that he planned to divorce Ernestine. And later--that she had seen him sitting in his car when the shot was fired.

Jed is duly acquitted, but it never occurs to Sue that the police will focus their sights on her as suspect number two. She (along with the faithful Fitz Wilson) spends the rest of the story trying to prove her innocence. The police have decided that if Jed didn't do it, then she must have--especially when she is present at the scene of a second killing. And not even a bullet that scars the wall beside her will convince them that she, too, is in danger from a murderer they would never suspect now.

Eberhart tries very hard to build up suspense and atmosphere in this one. But, for me, it just fell flat and doesn't represent her best work. I have to admit to a bit of bias here--I much prefer her stories with Nurse Sarah Keate and I tend to hold The Mystery of Hunting's End up as the stick by which I measure her mysteries. Hounds isn't even close in its abilities to mystify the reader. And Eberhart's usual fine description and dialogue seem to be missing here. There were sections where, quite honestly, I just didn't follow the conversations. Everybody has an off day here and there--Eberhart definitely spent a few on this particular outing. ★★

This fulfills the "Damsel in Distress" item in the Golden Vintage Cover Scavenger Hunt--just look at that poor dear running around in the shrubbery.

This is also my first entry in Rich's January 2016 Crimes of Century feature. Got any 1950 mysteries on tap this month? Come join us!

Full list of Challenges fulfilled: Mount TBR, Vintage Scavenger Hunt, 100 Plus Challenge, What An Animal, Cruisin' Thru the Cozies, Cloak & Dagger, Charity Challenge, Outdo Yourself, 100 Plus Challenge, A-Z Mystery Author Challenge, Mystery Reporter, My Kind of Mystery, Lady Detectives, Reading Road Trip, Crimes of the Century, Women Challenge

What an Animal IX

I'm ready to sign up for the What an Animal Reading Challenge IX.  Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews began hosting this challenge in 2010, when she took it over from Kristi at Passion for the Page.  If you love reading books about animals or just have a lot of books on your TBR shelf with animals in the title or on the cover, come join us in the challenge. There are several levels--click the link to get the full details and to sign up.
I'm going to start with Level 1 (read six books). I may level up...but my commitment will be complete once I get my six.

1. Hunt with the Hounds by Mignon G. Eberhart (1/3/16)
2. Red for Murder by Harold Kemp (1/13/16) [heifer on cover; heifers play important role]
3. The Platypus of Doom & Other Nihilists by Arthur Byron Cover (1/23/16)
4. The Doberman Wore Black by Barbara Moore (2/9/16)
5. The April Robin Murders by Craig Rice & Ed McBain (2/17/16)
6. Dead Man's Riddle by Mary Kelly (5/9/16) [boar's head on cover; boar and fox masks play an important role]

Challenge Complete!

7. The Paper Thunderbolt by Michael Innes (5/29/16) [lion & lamb head puppets on cover]
8.

Crocodile on the Sandbank: Review

Amelia Peabody is a force of nature--a Victorian spinster armed with a more than sufficient independent income to complement her unshakable self-confidence and independent nature. Her late father (from whence comes the income) was a scholar and antiquarian who sparked an interest in Egypt in his only daughter and companion of his waning years. Amelia's brothers pretty much abandoned them, so it was only natural for Father Peabody to leave his surprisingly large estate to her. After suffering foolish suitors (with the gleam of golden riches in their eyes) less than gladly, she decides to venture to the land of the Pharaohs on her own--well, on her own with a maid and a companion. When her companion falls ill and must be shuttled back to England in the company of a handy clergyman and his wife, Amelia most fortuitously manages to rescue young Evelyn Barton-Forbes who has been seduce by an Italian rogue who abandoned her on the streets of Rome as soon as he found out her wealthy grandfather had disowned and disinherited her when she allowed herself to be "ruined."

Of course, Amelia is not put off at all by Evelyn's past--in fact her most pressing question is fairly naughty for a Victorian lady: "Tell me, Evelyn--what is it like? Is it pleasant?" Yes, our Victorian-age heroine wants to know about s-e-x. After sorting all this out*, Amelia takes Evelyn on a s companion and they head off up the Nile to visit various archaeological wonders. They make every effort to elude Alberto--the Italian lover who has mysteriously reappeared, swearing undying love and wanting her back--as well as her cousin Lord Ellesmere (who has gained the title upon their grandfather's death) who also wants to marry Evelyn.

When they reach an archaeological site at El-Armanah, they find the Emerson brothers--grumpy but dashing Radcliffe and amiable Walter--whom they had briefly met in Alexandria. Amelia becomes entranced with the dig and Evelyn and Walter become entranced with each other--but their digging expedition is interrupted by the nightly ramblings of mummy, the refusal of the locals to work on the site because of said mummy's cures, suspicious accidents, a botched kidnapping, and the disappearance of Amelia's faithful Egyptian servant. And the appearance of Lord Ellesmere only serves to confuse the issue more.  Radcliffe and Amelia become convinced that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn. It will take all their ingenuity to outwit the villain or villains behind the mummy's curse.

Miss Amelia Peabody's debut in Crocodile on the Sandbanks (1975) by Elizabeth Peters is delightful. She springs forth in the first chapter, fully formed and, as mentioned above, a force of nature. A force that not even the irascible Radcliffe can resist for long. She is gruff but lovable and a character that I enjoyed very much. Peters writes a very witty and easy reading mystery. It is, admittedly, much more fun than it is mystifying--how Amelia as intelligent as she is could have been hoodwinked by that...oops, that would be telling...is a bit baffling. Maybe she was distracted by her verbal sparring with Radcliffe.  Readers looking for an intricate puzzle to unravel should look elsewhere. But if you want interesting characters, a bit of Egyptian mystical mummy adventures, witty dialogue, and a great deal of fun then grab a copy and settle in for a fun read. ★★★★


*Oh...and Evelyn does answer Amelia's question: "Oh, Amelia, under the right circumstances, it is--in a word--perfectly splendid!"

This counts for the "Animal in the Title" square on the Silver Vintage Bingo Card

Some Buried Casear: Review

In Some Buried Caesar Nero Wolfe makes another of his rare trips outside his comfortable brownstone. This time he and Archie Goodwin are headed to a rural exposition north of Manhattan to show Wolfe's prize orchids. On the way the car misbehaves (as Wolfe always suspected it might) and they crash into a tree. Wolfe, Goodwin, and--most importantly--the orchids are undamaged, but they find themselves in need of assistance and set off through an apparently empty field in search of a house with a phone. They haven't gone far before a rather emphatic man with a gun warns them of danger from while accusing them of having evil intentions toward a large, angry bull.

I heard Wolfe's voice, not loud, at the back of my head, "... Do you know the technique of bulls? Did you ever see a bull fight?"
I moved my lips enough to get it out: "No, sir."
Wolfe grunted. "... How fast can you run?"
"I can beat that bull to that fence. ... But you can't."

Archie manages to successfully run from the bull, vault the fence, and cause enough distraction that Wolfe, who is no distance runner nor pole vaulter, can clamber atop a large boulder. Wolfe is then rescued by car by Caroline Pratt, the daughter of the bull's owner, and then Wolfe and Archie are taken to the Pratt home to recover from their ordeal. While enjoying some refreshments and considering their options for making it to the hotel in time to claim their rooms for the night, they also meet Pratt's nephew Jimmy and Lily Rowan, a pretty and world-wise blonde who looks to be more than a match for Archie in the wise-crack department.

There are also some tense moments when members of the Guernsey League show up to protest Pratt's intention to turn the bull into barbecue in an advertising stunt for his restaurant chain. Not that they have anything against barbecue--but that bull just happens to be a champion by the name of Hickory Caesar Grindon and they resent such a fine animal (who should be siring more fine animals) being used for a publicity campaign. Clyde and Nancy Osgood, the children of Pratt's neighbor and long-time rival Frederick, also show up and Clyde says that Pratt's real reason for barbecuing the bull is to somehow dishonor his father. He bets Pratt $10,000 that he will not barbecue Caesar before a week has passed. Pratt reluctantly accepts the bet (after making sure that Frederick Osgood will guarantee payment), but he is concerned that Clyde will do something to the bull in order to win the bet. Wolfe trades Archie's services as a bull-watcher for the comfort of Pratt's home--much preferable to any hotel room in Wolfe's estimation. But things get tricky when Clyde's body is found in the pasture late that night, apparently gored to death by the bull.

Frederick Osgood refuses to believe that his son who knew cattle would have put himself in such a dangerous position. He hires Wolfe to get to the bottom of things, which is good because Wolfe has been convinced it was murder all along. Wolfe just didn't want to get involved and wind up spending any extra time away from the comforts of his own home. But it looks like Wolfe may, for once, be outwitted when the most vital evidence of all goes up in smoke. He'll have to do even quicker thinking than usual to apprehend the murderer...and get Archie released from a jail cell.

True to Stout form the plot is nicely convoluted and the cast of characters are varied and interesting. A fine mystery and it is also notable as the first appearance of Lily Rowan, Archie's long-time girlfriend. The sparks fly between these two right from the start as they trade wise-cracks, Lily alternately gives him looks that "peel him like a potato" and demands that he kiss her, and he gives her fanciful stories of his escapades with crime and the ladies. Lily may not get much mention in future novels, but she shines in this one and it is shame that we don't see more of her throughout the series. Archie's interactions with both his boss and Lily make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. ★★★★

The Bat Flies Low: Review

The Bat Flies Low by Sax Rohmer (1935)

illustrations by John Richard Flanagan

From the pen of the author who brought the world Dr. Fu Manchu, comes a tale of adventure and romance with a dash of mystery and intrigue. The story begins in New York City but the heart of the mystery lies in the burning sands of Egypt. Lincoln Hayes, wealthy eligible bachelor, comes into possession of a portion of an ancient manuscript which seems to hold the secret of an ancient lamp with an extraordinary source of light on the same evening he makes the acquaintance of a mysterious Egyptian, . Hayes owns a prominent lighting company and hopes his associates, Captain Rorke and Ulrich Stefanson will be able to recreate the process. Before his experts can complete an examination of  and fully decode the document, there is a flash of blinding light and the document and notations made by Stefanson disappear along with the Egyptian, Mohammed Ahmes Bey. Stefanson, however, possesses an incredible memory and begins reconstructing the documents and notes. Rorke's memory is for a map that leads to the original source of the lamps. And Hayes decides that the group should head to Egypt to find more information.
 
Hayes's secretary will be hypnotized and the documents Stefanson puts together from memory will also be stolen. Then Stefanson's memory will be wiped while a shadowy bat-like form haunts their dreams and follows where they go. Agents for a rival company are out to beat Hayes to the secrets and the Bey's men are also on the trail. There are mysterious doings at a hidden fortress in the desert and a bang-up finish back in the States when the wrath of the gods is visited upon those who try to apply the wisdom of the ancients without sufficient wisdom of their own.

Rohmer is so well-known for his Fu Manchu, "yellow peril" novels that one expects to be stepping into a world where racial stereotypes abound when opening a Rohmer novel. Surprisingly, there is little of that going on here--I won't say there isn't any, but prejudices are not in full flower as they have been in my previous Rohmer experiences (The Golden Scorpion and The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu). Perhaps it is because there is no super villain looking to crush our heroes. This is more of an adventure featuring a bit of (mild) industrial espionage and efforts by Bey to keep ancient wisdom out of the hands of those who aren't ready to use it.

But Rohmer does keep up his standards in the action adventure arena. He's still your man if you're looking for fast-moving, pulpy fun. And if you're into beautiful, mysterious, women who are strangely enslaved to the mysterious shadow figures, but have a fondness for our gallant heroes while alternately helping and hindering (according to the master's bidding), then he's got the goods. It makes for an exciting story with little mystery to unravel, but a good read for a lazy summer afternoon.

Just a couple of quibbles--our gallant hero in this outing, Lincoln Hayes, is not a particularly likable fellow. He's not horrible or mean. He's just kind of blah. No real personality to speak of through most of the story and he speaks in a very terse speech pattern that tends to leave out the subjects in his sentences. The speech pattern doesn't help the lack of spark. Fortunately his associates make up for his deficiencies.

Also, how many times do items have to be stolen or destroyed and shadowy figures have to be eavesdropping and/or watching before Hayes and company figure out that just maybe the important documents need to be kept locked up? It seemed like it would have been easier to just put the things on a table with a big neon arrow pointing down and words flashing "Secret Documents! Ancient, Irreplaceable Artifacts! Please Steal!" I realize that we wouldn't have as many plot "twists" without them--but I see little point in making a man have a phenomenal memory, letting him use it, and then finally wiping it clean just to ensure that the documents are irreplaceable. Just have the things stolen once and everybody have a mind like a sieve and be done with it.... 

Overall, a fun adventure for those willing to suspend their disbelief and go along for the ride.  ★★★

The Avenging Parrot: Review

John over at Pretty Sinister Books first brought Anne Austin* to my attention with his terrific review of One Drop of Blood. At the time I thought I might read Murder at Bridge (available through Project Gutenberg, but I'm such a book in hand kind of girl that I never got round to it. Instead, I picked up a lovely hardback edition of The Avenging Parrot (1930) at last year's Red Cross Book Sale.


From researches online, it appears that Parrot is the second of Austin's mysteries. However, the novel reads as if it were the very first of the James "Bonnie" Dundee series. Bonnie got his name from "a sentimental lass he lost his heart to in high school [who] found a Rab Burns poem called 'Bonnie Dundee' and made him a present of the nickname." It stuck. The book opens with Dundee arriving in the office of his uncle Police Commissioner O'Brien in Hamilton (Midwest, USA**) fresh from a six-month stint with Scotland Yard, as a records officer. [Perhaps the first novel, The Black Pigeon, takes place in London?] Dundee is determined to make a name for himself as a detective. But Lieutenant Strawn, O'Brien's best detective is none too sure about the new man, particularly when he finds out Bonnie's been to college and spent his time "reading everything on criminology [he] could lay his hands on."

Hmm! A story-book detective. I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed in Hamilton as a crime center, Dundee. Offhand, I can't recall a single case where a rich old man was found dead in his library, a carved dagger in his heart, and doors and windows barred. And so far as I know, there's not a single house in all Hamilton with a secret passage--

Dundee will have to work hard to impress Strawn and Sergeant Turner, a seasoned officer who resents the nephew's status, and refute any talk of nepotism.

He gets his first chance when O'Brien's secretary brings in a "crank" letter. Old Mrs. Hogarth writes from the Rhodes House, a local boarding house, praising O'Brien for a recent speech in which he said that "crime prevention is of even greater importance than crime detection." Mrs. Hogarth challenges him to put his belief to the test by preventing her murder. Neither O'Brien nor Strawn are prepared to take her seriously, but after rereading the letter, Dundee asks to be allowed to go under cover as a boarder and investigate the old lady's claims.

He settles into his new lodgings that very afternoon and soon discovers that the woman has stirred up plenty of reasons for folks to plot her death. Rumored to have a miser's hoard stashed somewhere in her room, Mrs. Hogarth has fastened on each of her fellow-boarders in turn, making the current favorite her heir in an ever-changing will. As soon as the blue-eyed boy or girl upsets her, she chooses a new favorite and makes them the heir. And Mrs. Hogarth isn't the easiest woman to play favorite for. She expects little presents and constant attention since she isn't well enough to venture far from her room on the second floor.

After meeting all the inmates at dinner that first night--from the current heiress, a lovely girl by the name of Norma Paige, and her fiance (and previous favorite) Walter Styles to the pompous businessman Lawrence Sharp and his wife to Cora Baker, pianist for the local picture show as well as another previous favorite, to Bert Mangus, Cora's admirer, to Henry Dowd, a mystery man whose former employer seems to have gone out of busines,s to various other hangers on and possible candidates for heir or heiress of the week--Dundee tries to have a private talk with Mrs. Hogarth to let her know a detective is on the job. However, the other residents keep popping in and out and he has no chance for an in-depth discussion. He decides to go for a walk--and report his initial impressions to Strawn--and plans to visit the older woman when he returns.

Somebody decides they've had enough of Mrs. Hogarth--whether it's because of the revolving will and the rumored hoard or another reason yet to be discovered. When Dundee visits her room the second time, he receives no answer to his knock and finds the door unlocked. Mrs. Hogarth in her fear of murderers had been scrupulous in locking her door when visitors left. He enters the room and finds Mrs. Hogarth strangled with her own scarf and her room ransacked. Did the murderer find what he or she was looking for? The only eye witness to the cold-blooded crime was her pet parrot. Dundee is convinced that bird's squawking has a clue to the murderer's identity, but O'Brien and Strawn thinks it only wishful thinking. How Dundee used the avenging bird and a handful of clues found amongst trash and other bits and pieces to solve the murder makes for an absorbing read.

This is a lovely Golden Age mystery with clues fairly planted and the opportunity for the reader to solve the mystery before Dundee breaks the case. A handy map is also provided as so often happens in the books of this period. Dundee is an appealing young detective. He's sure of his ability to make a detective of himself, but not so cocky as to alienate the reader (or his colleagues...too much). He makes some mistakes and works hard to find the right answers as well as trying to smooth the ruffled feathers of the more experienced officers. The solution may be a little more obvious to modern readers, but I suspect it may have proved a bit of a puzzle for Austin's contemporaries. Dundee's fellow boarders are given enough attention to round out their characters fairly well for the time period. ★★★★


*From Amazon: Born in 1895, Anne Austin began by writing romance novels about young women in the mid 1920's but soon turned her talents to producing a string of mysteries through the 1930's, some of which appeared as serials in newspapers.. Many of these mysteries feature as the detective “Bonnie” Dundee, Special Investigator for the District Attorney, including Murder Backstairs, The Avenging Parrot, Murder at Bridge, and One Drop of Blood. Several of her mysteries were translated into French, including Le Pigeon Noir and Le Crime Parfume. Despite her success as a novelist, Anne Austin disappears from the public record after the 1930's.  Amazon lists Murder Backstairs as an available reprint from Resurrected Press

**John has made an argument for somewhere in Michigan based on references in One Drop of Blood to the Eastern time zone and five hour train ride from Chicago. After a discussion with him, I'm plumping for Iowa based on all the references in The Avenging Parrot to various Iowa towns which seem to be "near by." I'm banking on the fact that Austin changed the location at some point in her books (sort of like Dr. Watson's moving wound from Afghanistan and various chronological issues in the Holmes stories) and am going to claim this for Iowa in the Reading Road Trip Challenge.

Challenge Complete: What an Animal VIII

I just finished up my commitment for the What an Animal Reading Challenge VIII hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews. I signed up for the lowest level--read six books. I've still got books with animals in the title or on the cover waiting on this year's TBR pile, so I'll probably be adding a few more to the list and hitting a higher level (or two)--but officially my challenge is complete. Thanks for hosting again, Yvonne!

1. Ride the Pink Horse by Dorothy B. Hughes (1/3/15)
2. The Underdog & Other Stories by Agatha Christie (3/17/15)
3. Safari by Parnell Hall (4/21/15) [cheetah on the cover]
4. Dead Lion by John & Emery Bonett (5/13/15)
5. The Great Dinosaur Robbery by David Forrest (5/15/15)
6. Grammy Lammy & the Secret Handshake by Kate & M. Sarah Klise (7/3/15)

 

Grammy Lamby & the Secret Handshake: mini-review

Grammy Lamby & the Secret Handshake by Kate and M. Sarah Klise is a delightful children's book about the relationship between grandparent and grandchild. Instead of a more expected, traditional view--where "grands" are natural allies and friends, the book gives us Larry Lamb, a boy who seems to meet his grandmother later in life and who is embarrassed and confused by this loud, exuberant person who wears loud hats, sings much louder than anyone else in church, and wants him to do the secret "I love you" handshake when all he wants is for her to go away.  

But Larry soon learns that Grammy's spirited personality can be a great thing when storms hit and his family and his community need help. As he helps Grammy to help others, he finds out what a special person she is and what it can mean to have a secret handshake meant just for you. A really sweet book with a great story told in simple language and beautiful illustrations.

 **********
This is the first book in my July/August "Musical Group" Password clues. The clue is "Grammy."

The Great Dinosaur Robbery: Review

The Great Dinosaur Robbery by David Forrest (1970) reads like it was written with a movie deal in mind. Which is convenient because Disney made a movie from the book (One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing) in 1975. I've never seen this particular Disney film with Helen Hayes and Peter Ustinov, but the novel's plot reminds a great deal of another Disney film, The North Street Irregulars. As in Irregulars, we have a group of ladies (middle-aged church parishioners in Irregulars and various-aged British-born nannies in Robbery) taking on a group of down-right baddies. 


In the records of crime there have been many great robberies--The Great Train Robbery, for instance--but never has there been a robbery like the The Great Dinosaur Robbery. Five very British nannies who are taking care of their charges in New York City find themselves plotting the biggest heist of them all...the lifting of a 200,000,000-old brontosaurus skeleton from the American Museum. It all begins when one of Nanny Hettie MacPhish's charges falls dead at her feet in the middle of the museum. His last words:

W-W-World security...avoid t-t-total destruction...m-m-museum...the m-m-message..microdot...room th-thirteen...largest beast...don't t-t-trust anyone...Get it to...to...G-G-God save the Q-Q-Queen.

After leaving the nursery, Lord Quincey de Bapeau Charmaine-Bott had become a very important person indeed...a member of the British Foreign Office and the most reliable, trustworthy, discreet, and fearless wearer of the Silver Greyhound, the insignia of the Queen's Couriers. 

The 25th Earl carried word of a top-secret plot by the Red Chinese under Mao Tse-tung to conquer England (and the rest of the world) using the Great Leap Downward plan. He had intended to pass the information (via microdot) on to his contact under guise as a British tourist. But his fellow Courier had not arrived and Mao Tse-tung's minions had pursued him through the museum. In a moment's respite from the gang, the British lord had stashed the secret in one of the museum's displays before collapsing at his former Nanny's feet. It's up to Nanny Hettie and her band of loyal caregivers to find the microdot before England's enemies. But who would have thought it would require stealing an entire dinosaur?

This is a very silly--but fun--take on the caper crime. I mean, after all, can you really call it a crime when a bunch of British nannies are stealing a whole dinosaur in the name of Queen and Country? Not terribly realistic and definitely not a puzzle plot, but I did enjoy myself. I'm pretty sure the Disney movie has toned it down though--there are a few adult scenes (one of the nannies has a lover!) and informational bits that I just can't see making it into a 1975 Disney film. Park your realism expectations at the front cover and settle in for a fun ride with Nanny Hettie and company.... ★★★

"You can drive a lorry, Nanny Emily?" 
"I drove a caterpillar tractor during the war..." 
"We heard about that," said Hettie. "At the Land Army Club they said it was the longest furrow ever ploughed....You nearly cut off Devon and Cornwall"

 This counts for the "Made into a Movie" square on the Silver Vintage Bingo card as well as making up Clue #2 in the Super Book Password Challenge. The key word is "Dinosaur."

 

Dead Lion: Review

Murder only interests me when I feel I could have done it myself. (Miss Pritchard; p.102)

Cyprian Druse was a well-known literary critic who excelled in skewering lesser mortals (known as authors) and revealing their shortcoming to the reading public. No one's work was exempt from literary geniuses to mystery authors to poets. Druse was a self-made expert on it all and considered none of it to be much good. But Cyprian Druse alive was also a world-class cad. He delighted in making women fall in love with him and then turning their emotions into a subtle weapon against them because as he told the radio audience on his last recorded session of "The National Quiz Team": Love does not exist. 

Cyprian Druse dead was a problem. Not for the police or anyone the least bit official--his death is conveniently ruled an accident resulting from an insecure window sash. But his American nephew Simon Crane arrives at his flat ready to meet his British uncle for the first time, hoping for an introduction to the British literary world, only to find Druse's dead body. After the police have gone away, Simon begins finding little bits of evidence which lead him to believe that someone has gotten away with murder--from a torn bit of The New Statesman to a decorative earring to a set of six very unusual records among Druse's famous collection.

The more Simon learns about his uncle the less he regrets his death, but having fallen head over heels in love with one of the women involved he has to know who did it. When Professor Mandrake, one of Druse's fellow panel members on the Quiz Team, comes to the apartment later that night, he is also convinced that Druse has been murdered and is as eager as a bloodhound hot on the scent. Simon initially welcomes the professor's help, but he soon realizes that he doesn't want the amateur detective investigating his new-found love. The two men spend the rest of the book working at cross-purposes--Mandrake is determined to take full advantage of this golden opportunity to solve a real crime. He says to Simon:

Do you mean to tell me you've had this information [previously mentioned bits of evidence] in your hands since...seven o'clock, and now it's nearly midnight, and you haven't mentioned it to a soul except me....But how perfectly wonderful. I'd almost given up hoping that something like this could happen to me.

And Simon is equally determined to A. find out if the woman he's fallen in love with is his uncle's murderer and B. keep Mandrake from finding out about her. He doesn't really care if the lady is the killer--he just has to know. He exerts a great deal of energy sending Mandrake off on other trails and keeping back vital clues.

Neither of the men are true detectives in the classic sense. There isn't much detecting going on, not many clues [beyond the initial display] are discovered, and there isn't much interrogation of suspects. Mandrake does a lot of scribbling in his notebook and muttering to himself about the murder, but the mystery seems to solve itself. Although this is not a traditional crime puzzle, it does provide us with a very interesting examination of the emotions and several views on what love is. While I like Simon very much, I'm not entirely convinced about his fall into love. It seems a bit incredible that a voice on a record could so firmly ensnare him. A good solid read at ★★★ and a half. And I look forward to the two other Bonett titles sitting on my shelf. I hope that Professor Mandrake develops quite a bit as an amateur detective.

Dead Lion by John and Emery Bonett [aka husband & wife team of John Coulson and Felicity Winifred Carter] (1949) is my first entry for Rich's Crimes of the Century feature. This month is focused on crime fiction from 1949.

Safari: Review

I picked up Parnell Hall's Safari on my latest trip to the library. It grabbed my interest because it takes place on a safari set in Zambia (and Zimbabwe) and I'm always on the look-out for stories set in different countries to help me with the Travel the World Challenge. It also had an interesting concept--a safari where the prey isn't wild game, but the travelers themselves. 

Stanley Hastings, part-time actor, part-time writer and most-of-the-time private investigator, and his wife Alice are off on their first-ever vacation, thanks to a small inheritance from Alice's great uncle. Alice has always wanted to go on a safari and she's determined that she and Stanley will have a great time taking photos of all the wild animals. This is strictly a no-kill trip to the wild. At least, that's what all the brochures say. But it isn't long before guides and guests are dropping faster than tsetse flies. And when Alice leaks the fact that Stanley is a private investigator (never mind that his primary investigations have to do with negligence claims), he finds himself thrust into the position of making an investigation. But some of his fellow travelers resent his questions and others don't think he's asking enough and start playing detective themselves. The only trouble is--those who ask the most questions wind up starring as next victim. Maybe being a detective on a murderous safari isn't the healthiest occupation...

I'll keep my comments short and to the point. The details about the actual safari--very good and interesting. The characters beyond Stanley and his wife--fair. Not the most interesting bunch ever, but not just a bunch of stereotypes either. Stanley and his wife? I have zero interest in them whatsoever. I have no idea why they stay married. The entire relationship appears to consist of Stanley being held on a very short leash--she's always monitoring what he's eating, assuming he's flirting with every woman in sight, and treating him like a child. She even tells him how to pack his gear, for crying out loud. Her main occupation seems to be insulting him in every way possible and she doesn't care if it's in front of total strangers or not. He spends his time ogling all the women and telling himself he's too old to do anything about it. And his investigative skills? Laughable at best. Of course, we're repeatedly told that he has no real experience investigating murder (really? I suppose the other 18 books are all about negligence claims--must make for exciting reading)--so we're not supposed to expect him to be Sherlock Holmes.  Trust me, he's not. 

The blurbs on the back of the book led me to believe that this was a humorous romp with a "wholly charming hero." The wisecracks aren't funny, the hero isn't particularly charming, and the mystery is no romp. Stanley doesn't really solve it through actual detective work--he just happens to have a sudden inspiration in the wrap-up scene that proves right and the killer falls into his not-so-cunning trap. ★★ purely for the descriptions of the safari itself and the scene-setting (which was rather good).