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Reviews
The Book of the Dead/Button, Button/Date with Danger by Roy Vickers, Elizabeth Daly, Marion Bramhall
bev_reads_mysteries's review
3.0
The Book of the Dead: Mr. Howard Crenshaw travels east from California to wrap up the estate of an uncle. But while he is there the reclusive, friendless man is diagnosed with leukemia and passes on himself. The doctors at the hospital see nothing wrong with the lonely gentleman paying everything up front and getting his affairs in order well ahead of time. The only person interested in his affairs is Pike, a man of all work who acts as his companion/valet/light nurse until he can no longer avoid the hospital.
But unknown to Pike and the doctors, Mr. Crenshaw had made one friend while at his uncle's estate--Miss Idelia Fisher. He and Miss Fisher shared a taste for literature and he let her borrow a battered old edition of Shakespeare which contained The Temptest and a few odd markings in the passages. When Miss Fisher tries to return the book, she finds that Crenshaw has been admitted to the hospital and no one will allow her to see him or will tell her anything about his condition.
A mutual friend had mentioned biblio-sleuth Henry Gamadge and that when queer things happened Gamadge could sometimes make sense of them. So, she takes her puzzle to him. Gamadge no sooner takes up her case than they find out that Crenshaw has died--most definitely of leukemia. But little "queer things" continue to crop up and when Miss Fisher is bludgeoned on her doorstep and Gamadge barely escapes the same fate in his own home, he knows that there is more to the mystery of Mr. Crenshaw and his oddly marked Shakespeare than meets the eye.
Once Gamadge really starts digging--and brings in a private detective agency and an FBI agent to help--he finds that Mr. Crenshaw wasn't nearly as alone as it appeared. There's a wife who shows up to identify the body (and make sure the will is all in order) and a step-niece who seems more attached to her uncle than the "grieving" widow. The doctor who was initially called into the case also benefits substantially--through a rather hefty fee, and who knows what kind of influence the mysterious Mr. Pike might have had on the dying man. All-in-all a pretty puzzle for Elizabeth Daly's sleuth in Book of the Dead.
I really enjoy these light mysteries starring the genteel Henry Gamadge. This one takes place during war-time with gas rationing, a distinct lack of men, dim-outs (no street lights, etc.), and mention of Gamadge's "other" jobs--on call for war work. And Gamadge seems a little more sombre and business-like as a result. I still enjoy him as an investigator, but he comes across as a bit stiff and not quite as personable. Perhaps its because Clara is out of town and isn't there to soften him...not entirely sure. Nicely plotted and the other character are well-rounded. Various reviews I've read indicate that the solution was telegraphed (even though one reviewer said that some of the clues were kept up sleeves), but I must confess that the telegraph lines must have been down in my area, because I didn't get it. That may also be because things are rather hectic here at the moment (gearing up for another round of classes at the university--new student orientation and so on). But, whatever, the reason, Daly managed to keep me mystified until the end...which is more fun than having no mystery left at all. Good solid read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
**************************
Button, Button by Marion Bramwell finds us on Cape Cod in 1942. Our heroine is Kit Acton. She and her husband Dick have just recently moved into a rental home in Lyford where Kit spends a great deal of time on her own while Dick is in the Navy. They don't know anyone in their new hometown and Kit's life is pretty dull until Sally Winstead shows up on her front porch. She is a friend of a friend of Kit's father's and sets out to make Kit her friend and to show Kit the ins and outs of Lyford life.
From all appearances, the main entertainment in Lyford is antiquing--a passion which Kit quickly takes up. She decides that she would like to furnish her new home with some good period pieces and Sally takes her round the local shops and introduces her to the trade. Kit manages to get on good terms with one wily old man, "Old Jake"--a man that few seem to really like. Another huge hobby in the small town is button collecting--it seems that just about everyone is interested in grabbing up a few calicoes or floral enamels or historicals. Even Sally gets bitten by the button bug when she buys her first green-starred calico at the annual Button Show.
Old Jake is rumored to have a fabulously rare button, a jewel-encrusted beauty that belonged to Louis XIV, but no one has actually seen it until he decides to show it to his new friend. However, it looks like owning the fabled button may have been unlucky indeed when Kit and Sally stop by his shop on the way home from the Button Show and find Old Jake murdered and the button missing. The circumstantial evidence points toward Sally's ex-husband Dr. Wilton Barnes, but there are plenty of collectors who would have loved to get their hands on that beautiful button. Did someone take advantage of Barnes's argument with Old Jake to do murder, collar the collectible, and shift the blame? Sally denies harboring any feelings for her former husband, but she convinces Kit to help her do some sleuthing of their own before the State Troopers can arrest good the doctor. But if not the doctor, who?
Marion Bramwell is a name that I never came across until I picked up one of those nifty 3-in-1 Detective Book Club books (Which I grabbed primarily for the Elizabeth Daly book--review coming soon on that one too.). A search through the interwebs didn't produce much help. The gadetection website, so often a font of knowledge had just this: "Marion Bramhall was an American writer. Her series detective was Boston nurse's aide Kit Acton." The site also tells me that this is second four novels. I'm not entirely sure how we know that Kit is a nurse's aide--there's nothing in Button, Button to tell us so...and all the doctor/nurse-type duties are performed by Dr. Barnes and Sally Winstead (who was also studying medicine before marriage and divorce).
Having read the story, I can see why there isn't much out there about Bramwell and her mysteries. Not that the mystery is bad--it is a decent whodunnit with pretty fair-play. The characters are also fairly interesting and given enough spark that you want to stick with the story and see who the culprit is. But there really isn't any hook, no real zing that would put Bramwell into the top-flight group of detective novelists. The only fairly unique facet is the focus on button collecting...those more knowledgeable about crime fiction than me may know otherwise, but this seems to me to be one of the earliest examples of a mystery that focuses on a collection that is outside the usual stamps, books, artwork, or weaponry. This gives the book a little bit of flair, but not enough to keep it in the collective internet consciousness apparently. ★★★ for a decent mystery and enjoyable read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
**************************
Date With Danger by Roy Vickers is lovely little bit of fluff. Bobbie Chandler, our heroine, reminds me of Saturday afternoon movies where the main character stumbles into trouble, repeatedly runs afoul of both bad and good guys alike, and yet manages to come out unscathed and with boy/girlfriend as a bonus. It all starts with blue satin slipper left behind in a taxi. Bobbie is on her way to meet her current fella when she grabs a taxi that a mysterious, smooth-voiced, movie-star-faced gentleman has just exited. As she rides towards the restaurant her foot nudges something which upon closer examination proves to be the blue satin slipper. Bobbie wonders how anyone could lose a slipper and not notice...but then she notices a message written on the bottom of the slipper in lipstick. One word: "Come." But come where? She then finds a note stuffed in the toe of the slipper that contains the address of Miss Aldringham, the society darling and daring adventuress.
When her gentleman is late to their dinner date, Bobbie sets off for Miss Aldringham's and begins an adventure of her own that will involve secret agents, double agents, the British Secret Service, mysterious plans for war-time devices, and a hunt for a dangerous killer. She also must avoid Scotland Yard--who are very anxious to talk to the beautiful red-head who was last seen exiting Miss Aldringham's apartment leaving a very dead Miss Aldringham behind.
This story is more readily a light thriller/adventure novel than a mystery. There really isn't much doubt about who is responsible for Miss Aldringham's death. The only true puzzle is finding out where the secret plans have gotten to. The spies, counter-spies, and Secret Service men are all on the hunt--even after the slipper shows up a second time with its sole split open. It's obvious that something was hidden there--but no one seems to have found the missing papers.
While I like Bobbie and her Secret Service men--they aren't as finely drawn as one might like. And the Scotland Yard men and secret agents are stock characters--smooth villains, rough henchmen, and disbelieving policemen. The best character of the bunch is Bobbie's Granny. The elder Mrs. Chandler is spunky and smart. In fact, she's the one who spots the clue that points the way to the true hiding place for the plans. The best plan for enjoying a book like this is to consider it a Saturday afternoon matinee...grab some popcorn and get comfy for a light adventure and a bit of ride. No intricate puzzles, not a lot of clues to track down--just a fun little outing with a happy ending for all (well, all but the bad guys) and Bobbie does manage to have her romance in the bargain. ★★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
But unknown to Pike and the doctors, Mr. Crenshaw had made one friend while at his uncle's estate--Miss Idelia Fisher. He and Miss Fisher shared a taste for literature and he let her borrow a battered old edition of Shakespeare which contained The Temptest and a few odd markings in the passages. When Miss Fisher tries to return the book, she finds that Crenshaw has been admitted to the hospital and no one will allow her to see him or will tell her anything about his condition.
A mutual friend had mentioned biblio-sleuth Henry Gamadge and that when queer things happened Gamadge could sometimes make sense of them. So, she takes her puzzle to him. Gamadge no sooner takes up her case than they find out that Crenshaw has died--most definitely of leukemia. But little "queer things" continue to crop up and when Miss Fisher is bludgeoned on her doorstep and Gamadge barely escapes the same fate in his own home, he knows that there is more to the mystery of Mr. Crenshaw and his oddly marked Shakespeare than meets the eye.
Once Gamadge really starts digging--and brings in a private detective agency and an FBI agent to help--he finds that Mr. Crenshaw wasn't nearly as alone as it appeared. There's a wife who shows up to identify the body (and make sure the will is all in order) and a step-niece who seems more attached to her uncle than the "grieving" widow. The doctor who was initially called into the case also benefits substantially--through a rather hefty fee, and who knows what kind of influence the mysterious Mr. Pike might have had on the dying man. All-in-all a pretty puzzle for Elizabeth Daly's sleuth in Book of the Dead.
I really enjoy these light mysteries starring the genteel Henry Gamadge. This one takes place during war-time with gas rationing, a distinct lack of men, dim-outs (no street lights, etc.), and mention of Gamadge's "other" jobs--on call for war work. And Gamadge seems a little more sombre and business-like as a result. I still enjoy him as an investigator, but he comes across as a bit stiff and not quite as personable. Perhaps its because Clara is out of town and isn't there to soften him...not entirely sure. Nicely plotted and the other character are well-rounded. Various reviews I've read indicate that the solution was telegraphed (even though one reviewer said that some of the clues were kept up sleeves), but I must confess that the telegraph lines must have been down in my area, because I didn't get it. That may also be because things are rather hectic here at the moment (gearing up for another round of classes at the university--new student orientation and so on). But, whatever, the reason, Daly managed to keep me mystified until the end...which is more fun than having no mystery left at all. Good solid read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
**************************
Button, Button by Marion Bramwell finds us on Cape Cod in 1942. Our heroine is Kit Acton. She and her husband Dick have just recently moved into a rental home in Lyford where Kit spends a great deal of time on her own while Dick is in the Navy. They don't know anyone in their new hometown and Kit's life is pretty dull until Sally Winstead shows up on her front porch. She is a friend of a friend of Kit's father's and sets out to make Kit her friend and to show Kit the ins and outs of Lyford life.
From all appearances, the main entertainment in Lyford is antiquing--a passion which Kit quickly takes up. She decides that she would like to furnish her new home with some good period pieces and Sally takes her round the local shops and introduces her to the trade. Kit manages to get on good terms with one wily old man, "Old Jake"--a man that few seem to really like. Another huge hobby in the small town is button collecting--it seems that just about everyone is interested in grabbing up a few calicoes or floral enamels or historicals. Even Sally gets bitten by the button bug when she buys her first green-starred calico at the annual Button Show.
Old Jake is rumored to have a fabulously rare button, a jewel-encrusted beauty that belonged to Louis XIV, but no one has actually seen it until he decides to show it to his new friend. However, it looks like owning the fabled button may have been unlucky indeed when Kit and Sally stop by his shop on the way home from the Button Show and find Old Jake murdered and the button missing. The circumstantial evidence points toward Sally's ex-husband Dr. Wilton Barnes, but there are plenty of collectors who would have loved to get their hands on that beautiful button. Did someone take advantage of Barnes's argument with Old Jake to do murder, collar the collectible, and shift the blame? Sally denies harboring any feelings for her former husband, but she convinces Kit to help her do some sleuthing of their own before the State Troopers can arrest good the doctor. But if not the doctor, who?
Marion Bramwell is a name that I never came across until I picked up one of those nifty 3-in-1 Detective Book Club books (Which I grabbed primarily for the Elizabeth Daly book--review coming soon on that one too.). A search through the interwebs didn't produce much help. The gadetection website, so often a font of knowledge had just this: "Marion Bramhall was an American writer. Her series detective was Boston nurse's aide Kit Acton." The site also tells me that this is second four novels. I'm not entirely sure how we know that Kit is a nurse's aide--there's nothing in Button, Button to tell us so...and all the doctor/nurse-type duties are performed by Dr. Barnes and Sally Winstead (who was also studying medicine before marriage and divorce).
Having read the story, I can see why there isn't much out there about Bramwell and her mysteries. Not that the mystery is bad--it is a decent whodunnit with pretty fair-play. The characters are also fairly interesting and given enough spark that you want to stick with the story and see who the culprit is. But there really isn't any hook, no real zing that would put Bramwell into the top-flight group of detective novelists. The only fairly unique facet is the focus on button collecting...those more knowledgeable about crime fiction than me may know otherwise, but this seems to me to be one of the earliest examples of a mystery that focuses on a collection that is outside the usual stamps, books, artwork, or weaponry. This gives the book a little bit of flair, but not enough to keep it in the collective internet consciousness apparently. ★★★ for a decent mystery and enjoyable read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
**************************
Date With Danger by Roy Vickers is lovely little bit of fluff. Bobbie Chandler, our heroine, reminds me of Saturday afternoon movies where the main character stumbles into trouble, repeatedly runs afoul of both bad and good guys alike, and yet manages to come out unscathed and with boy/girlfriend as a bonus. It all starts with blue satin slipper left behind in a taxi. Bobbie is on her way to meet her current fella when she grabs a taxi that a mysterious, smooth-voiced, movie-star-faced gentleman has just exited. As she rides towards the restaurant her foot nudges something which upon closer examination proves to be the blue satin slipper. Bobbie wonders how anyone could lose a slipper and not notice...but then she notices a message written on the bottom of the slipper in lipstick. One word: "Come." But come where? She then finds a note stuffed in the toe of the slipper that contains the address of Miss Aldringham, the society darling and daring adventuress.
When her gentleman is late to their dinner date, Bobbie sets off for Miss Aldringham's and begins an adventure of her own that will involve secret agents, double agents, the British Secret Service, mysterious plans for war-time devices, and a hunt for a dangerous killer. She also must avoid Scotland Yard--who are very anxious to talk to the beautiful red-head who was last seen exiting Miss Aldringham's apartment leaving a very dead Miss Aldringham behind.
This story is more readily a light thriller/adventure novel than a mystery. There really isn't much doubt about who is responsible for Miss Aldringham's death. The only true puzzle is finding out where the secret plans have gotten to. The spies, counter-spies, and Secret Service men are all on the hunt--even after the slipper shows up a second time with its sole split open. It's obvious that something was hidden there--but no one seems to have found the missing papers.
While I like Bobbie and her Secret Service men--they aren't as finely drawn as one might like. And the Scotland Yard men and secret agents are stock characters--smooth villains, rough henchmen, and disbelieving policemen. The best character of the bunch is Bobbie's Granny. The elder Mrs. Chandler is spunky and smart. In fact, she's the one who spots the clue that points the way to the true hiding place for the plans. The best plan for enjoying a book like this is to consider it a Saturday afternoon matinee...grab some popcorn and get comfy for a light adventure and a bit of ride. No intricate puzzles, not a lot of clues to track down--just a fun little outing with a happy ending for all (well, all but the bad guys) and Bobbie does manage to have her romance in the bargain. ★★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
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