The Penguin Pool Murder: Stuart Palmer

Whenever I read a book from a series that I read back in my youth, I hold my breath in anticipation. Will I still like this author's books? I was relieved once I got into this story. All the things I remembered were still there: an enjoyable set of characters and a good story. A bit complex with a lot of red herrings, but still definitely my cup of tea. This book was published in 1931; the action occurs shortly after the stock market crash in 1929 and the murder victim was a stockbroker. Miss Withers is a schoolteacher; she is very sharp and notices details. She helps Inspector Oscar Piper with his investigations.

As William DeAndrea describes it in Encyclopedia Mysteriosa:

... Stuart Palmer took the already time-honored device of the spinster detective, gave her an attitude, filled the books with humor, and with his creation of Miss Hildegarde Withers, entertained several generations of mystery readers.

In this first story in the series, the murder takes place at the New York Aquarium. Miss Withers has taken her third grade class to visit the aquarium and they encounter two crimes on that day; a pickpocket steals a woman's purse and a man's body is found in the penguin tank. Miss Withers and one of her students are the ones who discover the body, thus she is interviewed by Piper. While there, she begins taking notes for the Inspector and their partnership begins.

It seems like a pairing of a middle-aged, unmarried school teacher (decidedly not elegant) and a police detective would require a lot of suspension of disbelief.  The way this story is told it makes sense, and it is entertaining. Miss Withers is very out-spoken and not afraid to share her views. Very soon Piper recognizes the value that Miss Withers can supply, and he actively encourages her participation in the investigation.

At one point, Miss Withers asks what the Inspector has planned:

Piper burst out in hearty laughter. Miss Withers had never seen him laugh before, and it was pleasant. “Good Lord, woman. I'm not on any track. I'm like the man in Leacock's book who jumped on his horse and rode off in all directions. This is a real case, not a puzzle out of a story magazine. I'm a detective, not a super sleuth. Sherlock Holmes would know all about this case in no time, what with a magnifying glass and his knowledge of the bone structure of Polynesian aborigines. Philo Vance would solve it between puffs of a Regie cigarette, from simple deductions based on the squawks of those penguins we met up with yesterday. But not me. I don't know any more than you do. Maybe less, only I know how to act wise. I'm just blundering ahead, trying not to miss any of the more apparent lines of approach.

Some of the Hildegarde Withers books and short stories were made into movies. The Penguin Pool Murder was filmed and released in 1932.  Warner Archives has made the Hildegarde Withers Mystery Collection available on DVD. We had seen several of those adaptations on TCM but it had been years. The movie adaptation of this book was a lot of fun; the story and action in the film is very close to the book. Parts of it were filmed at the aquarium in New York. (See this post at Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.)

The stars of the film are Edna May Oliver as Miss Withers and James Gleason as Inspector Piper. Edna May Oliver continued in her role in the next two films, but was replaced by Helen Broderick in the 4th film, and Zazu Pitts starred in the last two. James Gleason continued his role through all six films.

I loved this book and the movie, but many reviewers agree that some of the later books and movies were much better.

Author Steven Saylor has written a very informative piece about the author, the books in the series, and the movies.

See also:

• An article at Mystery Scene Magazine
• A review originally published in 1001 Midnights,  edited by Bill Pronzini & Marcia Muller. Includes suggestions for outstanding books in the series.
• Margot Kinberg's Spotlight at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist...

This post is submitted for Friday's Forgotten Books at Patti Abbott’s blog. 

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Publisher:   Bantam Books, 1986 (orig. pub. 1931)
Length:      182 pages
Format:      Paperback
Series:       A Hildegarde Withers Mystery #1
Setting:      New York City
Genre:        Mystery
Source:      I purchased my copy.