Death Wears Pink Shoes: Robert James

From the book's dust jacket:

The tenants of 17 Crane Street were a highly combustible lot, and when they came together fireworks usually resulted. A lively display was set off one particular night when Mrs. Gladys O'Leary gave a party with her whining daughter and her handsome, dissolute son. The guests included old Mr. Potterwait; pianist Herman Blode, who brought two girl friends; fat detective Fred Miller with his querulous wife; and Sally, the girl from the basement apartment. who attended mostly out of politeness. They played a game of writing down the names of animals which their fellow residents resembled, and one of the entries was odd. It read 'something dead.' 

Later that night Potterwait was found in his shabby apartment, a bullet through his forehead, and pink ballet slippers wedged awkwardly on his feet.

The paragraphs above do a very good job of describing the set up for this book and giving an overview of the characters. After the murder, two new characters enter the story. Keith Sherman is Mr. Potterwait's nephew, and is the one who discovers the dead body. He had gotten a late-night call from his uncle asking him to come over immediately, and rushed to his apartment to see what the problem was. Inspector Cherney is the investigator who spends a lot of time at the apartment house, talking to the residents and trying to figure out who is most likely to have killed Lawson Potterwait.

This is an interesting and entertaining book in so many ways. I never had a clue who the killer was. Many of the residents were eccentric or antagonistic or unpleasant, but did not seem to be criminally inclined, so it was fun trying to figure out who might be capable of murder. (And just look at that skeleton on the cover!!!)

This story reminded me a lot of a George Bagby book I read in January 2016, Blood Will Tell. In both novels, the setting is New York City. In Blood Will Tell, the death occurs in a swanky apartment building, complete with doorman and well-to-do residents; in this one, the apartment building is on a lower economic level. But it wasn't just the settings that were similar; it was also the focus on the various tenants, their relationships and backgrounds. The two books were published in 1950 and 1952 respectively, both as Crime Club Books.

The author, Iris Little Heitner, who wrote under the pseudonym Robert James, is the sister of Constance and Gwyneth Little, who wrote mysteries in the 30's, 40's and 50's under the pseudonym, Conyth Little. Iris only wrote one other mystery that I am aware of, Board Stiff. I have a copy of that book on order.

Thanks to Moira at Clothes in Books for sending me this book, which she reviewed here. She knows I love any book with a skeleton on the cover, and this one is especially nice. Notice that the sheet that the skeleton wears is decorated with pink Crime Club logos. The book is available in an e-book edition.

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Publisher:   Doubleday, 1952.
Length:       191 pages
Format:      Hardcover
Setting:      New York City
Genre:        Mystery
Source:      A gift.