Murder on the Blackboard: Stuart Palmer

Hildegarde Withers, a third-grade teacher in New York City, finds the dead body of an attractive young music teacher, Anise Halloran, in the Teacher's Cloakroom. Miss Withers calls in her friend Inspector Piper, but by the time he arrives, the body has disappeared. And then, when he goes looking for the body, he gets cracked on the head and ends up recuperating in the hospital.

This is the third book in Stuart Palmer's series featuring Hildegarde Withers and Inspector Oscar Piper. Quite by accident they worked together to solve a murder in their first case, The Penguin Pool Murder. And this time, the crime takes place in the school where Miss Withers teaches.

Although Inspector Piper does not feature as prominently in this mystery, here is the introduction we get to that character before he is bashed over the head and banished to a hospital bed:

Let me explain to those of my readers who are having their first introduction to Oscar Piper, Inspector of Detectives, that he is a leanish, grayish man of somewhat indeterminate age, with a pugnacious lower lip and a pair of very chilly bluegray eyes. A badly-lighted cigar usually hangs from one corner of his mouth, and his speech, perhaps because he has risen from the ranks and is proud of it, smacks a little of Broadway, West Broadway. 

Even with Inspector Piper incapacitated, Miss Withers wastes no time in investigating the mystery. As the author tells us:

She had little respect for the intelligence of the police when Oscar Piper was in charge of a case, and none at all now that he lay on the operating table in the emergency ward at Bellevue.

Although Miss Withers initially gets involved in crime investigation accidentally, by this point she has a reputation for being helpful to the police. In fact, the principal of her school asks her to act on behalf of the school in her investigation, at least initially.

These were my favorite aspects of this story:

• The Hildegarde Withers stories are humorous, but they are not written exclusively for laughs. There is a serious story and Miss Withers is serious about her investigation.
• I enjoyed the depiction of life in the 1930s. The book was published in 1932 and Prohibition ended in 1933, and bootleg liquor figures into the story. Also, the workings of a big city elementary school at that time was interesting.
• Miss Withers is bossy, opinionated, and not afraid to speak her mind. She is a prime example of the spinster sleuth, although she isn't really that old (in her forties).

We also watched the film adaptation of this book starring Edna May Oliver and James Gleason. They are both perfect in their roles as Withers and Piper. Although the story in the film is very close to the plot of the book, Piper's role does change. In the movie, one of Piper's subordinates is the one knocked on the head and injured severely so Miss Withers and Inspector Piper do work together more than in the book. Miss Withers does take the initiative to go off on her own a bit. As usual, I prefer the book, but the movie is a lot of fun too.

There were six films based on Hildegarde Withers novels, and Edna May Oliver starred in the first three. Later she was replaced by Helen Broderick and Zazu Pitts.

See Also...

• Sergio's review at Tipping My Fedora
• Book and movie are discussed at The Poisoned Martini
• STUART PALMER & HILDEGARDE WITHERS: An Appreciation at Steven Saylor's website

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

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Publisher:   Bantam Books, 1988 (orig. pub. 1932)
Length:      185 pages
Format:      Paperback
Series:       A Hildegarde Withers Mystery #3
Setting:      New York City
Genre:        Mystery
Source:      I purchased my copy.

A Patient Fury: Sarah Ward

Detective Inspector Francis Sadler gets a call to come to the site of a burning house, which indicates that there is a suspicious death related to the fire. He calls Detective Constable Connie Childs, recently back from extended sick leave, to join him. Later it is determined that there are three dead bodies, a father, mother, and young son; the evidence indicates that the mother killed her husband and son, and then herself.

This is the third DC Childs mystery, written by Sarah Ward.  The series is set in the Derbyshire Peak District where the author lives. I have been a fan of the series since it started and this book did not disappoint.

Connie has a history of disagreeing with the general consensus of how a crime investigation should be handled, and she doesn't mind striking out on her own to investigate. This has put her at odds with her boss and coworkers before (and, as a reader, irritates me a bit).

In this case, Connie really breaks with the group. She doesn't follow orders, she doesn't follow up on leads she has been assigned, and she does investigate areas that she has been told are off limits. It was hard to understand why she went to these lengths, but also hard to understand why others in the group were not interested in following up all avenues. This book explores the psychological burdens that police officers of all ranks bear and how it affects their work.

Other members of the police and support staff are present again in this book: Superintendent Llewellyn, pathologist Bill Shields and his assistant Scott. Detective Sergeant Damian Palmer has a lesser role in this book, and DS Carole Mathews is added to the team.

Sarah Ward's books all concentrate to some extent on families and their bonds and relationships. This book delves into the secrets and pains of Julia and George Winson, the adult children of the man who was murdered in the fire. Complicating the situation is a past incident in their family; their mother disappeared 40 years earlier. There are brief flashbacks to events in the family's past throughout the book.

The characterization is superb and the story is riveting; I stayed up way later than I should have to finish the book. The book was a bit darker than I expected, and I was very unprepared for the ending. Yet I think this could be the best book in the series so far.

Can this be read as a standalone? I would say yes. Having read the previous books, In Bitter Chill and A Deadly Thaw, I was familiar with the continuing characters up to a point, but having to wait a year to read the next book, a lot has been forgotten. The author provides enough background to keep the reader informed without reading the earlier books and there is definitely nothing spoiled in previous books if you read this one first. However, this is a great series to read in order to see the development and the motivations of the characters.


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Publisher:   Faber & Faber, 2017
Length:       392 pages
Series:        DC Childs #3
Format:       Hardcover
Setting:       Derbyshire, UK
Genre:        Police procedural
Source:      I purchased my copy.

Brothers Keepers: Donald E. Westlake

I loved this book, and I only hope I can convey exactly why I enjoyed it so much. At this point in the year, I can say for sure it is one of my favorite books of the year. Although it's author, Donald E. Westlake, is primarily known for his crime fiction, this is not a crime story. It is somewhat of a caper novel, and there is some detecting, so I did not really notice the absence of a real crime as I was reading it.

Brother Benedict is a member of the Crispinite order, numbering only 16 monks, which has occupied a building in midtown Manhattan, built by the original monks on leased land.  Brother Benedict discovers in the newspaper that the building that they are housed in will be demolished along with the rest of the block they live on. This order has a prohibition against travel unless absolutely necessary; thus the brothers are disturbed that they will have to leave the home they love. They believe that they have a legal right to stay, based on their lease, but the lease is missing. This is highly suspicious. They search for ways to prevent the demolition of the block, but they are thwarted everywhere they turn. In the midst of the effort to keep their home, Brother Benedict visits the landlord, traveling all the way to Puerto Rico, and falls in love with his daughter.

Even though this story is about a fictional order, I enjoyed reading about the details of life in the Crispinite order and the quirky members of the order. Brother Benedict treasures his life in the order and knows he is blessed to have found the perfect fit for him. And then he falls in love with a rich, self-centered divorcee who also falls for him, and Westlake makes this believable.

This is a charming, light, comic novel with a happy ending, even though it seems that there is no way it could end well.

This story is covered in depth at Clerical Detectives.

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Publisher:  Mysterious Press, 1993. Orig. pub. 1975.
Length:      261 pages
Format:     Paperback
Setting:     New York, Puerto Rico
Genre:      Comic caper
Source:     I purchased my copy. 

Reading Summary for October 2017

It felt like I read fewer books in October, but it wasn't that bad, it just took me 18 days to finish two of the books, Emma and Strangers on a Train. Whiteout was also read during that time but it doesn't really count because even at 128 pages, a graphic novel doesn't take that long to read.

My project through December of this year is to read one book a month by Jane Austen, as a part of the Jane Austen Read All A-Long at James Reads Books.  In August I read Pride and Prejudice (a re-read)  and in September I read Mansfield Park. October's Austen book was Emma, and as I said, it took me a while. I did enjoy the book but it was slow going. My thoughts on the book are HERE.

I did not realize until I had listed all the books I read this month that four of my five crime fiction books were written prior to 1960. That surprised me because lately I have been reading a higher percentage of contemporary novels.

And these are the five crime fiction books I read in October:

Whiteout (1991), a graphic novel written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Steve Lieber

This is a mystery / thriller set in Antarctica featuring Carrie Stetko, U.S. Marshal. The story has been adapted into a movie of the same title, which I have yet to see.

Strangers on a Train (1950) by Patricia Highsmith

This is a fairly well-known novel, and also has a movie adaptation, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The basic story is that two men meet on a train, and one of them suggests a murder pact. If they each murder a person that the other wants to get rid of, then they can get away with the perfect crime. A very good novel, but a disturbing read. Peggy at Peggy's Porch very kindly sent me this book, which I have been planning to read for years. 

Murder on the Blackboard (1932) by Stuart Palmer

Another book that has been adapted into a film. Oh no, a trend. It was not exactly deliberate, but I have had the Hildegarde Withers Mystery Collection from Warner Archives for quite a while, and wanted to read the book first.

Hildegarde Withers, a third-grade teacher in New York City, finds the dead body of an attractive young music teacher, Anise Halloran, in the cloakroom. Miss Withers calls in her friend Inspector Piper, but by the time he arrives, the body has disappeared. This is a complex mystery with a large cast, which also was a lot of fun to read.

Landed Gently (1957) by Alan Hunter

Another mystery novel with a large cast that confused me, and a lot of red herrings. But that was OK, because I found the hero, Inspector Gently, very charming and I liked that there were multiple investigators. Gently is visiting with the Chief Constable, Sir Daynes Broke, to get a chance at some pike fishing over Christmas, when a visitor at nearby Merely Hall is murdered. Being a guest of the Chief Constable, Gently cannot officially investigate the crime.

Envious Casca (1941) by Georgette Heyer

A country house mystery, with a corpse in a locked room, and a smallish set of residents and guests who are almost all suspects. I read a few of Georgette Heyer's mystery novels decades ago, and liked them well enough, but I was very surprised that I enjoyed this book so much. In a month of very good reading, this was easily my favorite read. Another one set at Christmas.

My Husband's Book Sale Purchases

Continuing on with our purchases at the annual book sale...

My husband found more books at the book sale this year, and was happier with the selection overall. His focus is primarily history, nonfiction, and photo books, although he always helps me look for mysteries and has several mystery series he always looks for. These are a few of his picks. 

Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World — From the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief by Tom Zoellner

From the book review in the New York Times:

Zoellner sets off on a series of railway adventures — across America, India, Spain, Russia, Britain, China and the Peruvian Andes — that provide him with ample opportunities to contemplate the railways’ influence on everything from pop culture to dietary habits to national identity.

The Late Great Creature by Brock Brower

From The Overlook Press:

Brock Brower's National Book Award-nominated novel traces the making of a horror movie in Hollywood. Simon Moro, a 68-year-old star, is making his last picture, a low-budget remake of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. Moro, infuriated by the bland horror movies of his day, sees his own career — even as it ends — as an ongoing effort to wallop the public with an overwhelming moral shock. ... Brock Brower has taken the horror film in all its gory glory to create a book that recycles pop material into literature, creating a Dickensian tale of America.

The author lived in Carpinteria, California (very near to Santa Barbara) when this book, originally published in 1971, was reissued by The Overlook Press in 2011. See this article at The Santa Barbara Independent for more on the book and the author.

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig

Summary from the Buffalo & Erie County Library:

Eleven-year-old Philip Noble has a big problem. It all begins when his dad appears as a ghost at his own funeral and introduces Philip to the Dead Fathers Club. Philip learns the truth about ghosts: the only people who end up as ghosts have been murdered. So begins Philip's quest to avenge his dad.

The Buckingham Palace Connection by Ted Willis

From the dust jacket:

An exciting and wonderfully imaginative story of how George V., King of England, tries to save his cousin Tzar Nicholas II from the Reds during the Russian Revolution in 1918. James Tremayne is secretly commissioned to mount the rescue expedition. In Vladivostock, Tremayne joins forces with a White Russian general, Kasakov, and an American construction engineer, Jim Story, an expert on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

The Highly Effective Detective Duo by Richard Yancey

This is an omnibus containing The Highly Effective Detective and The Highly Effective Detective Goes to the Dogs.

This description of the first book in the series is from Cozies: 22 Core Titles at Library Journal:

Theodore “Teddy” Ruzak of Knoxville, TN, is the bumbling but determined detective in Yancey’s entertaining debut. Overweight and unschooled, Teddy quits his job as a night watchman to set up his own detective agency with a small inheritance. For his first case, Teddy is hired to track down a hit-and-run goose killer. Before long, however, the case turns decidedly homicidal. Endearing and colorful characters, suspenseful plots twists, and witty dialog make for a fun read.

Penguin 75: Designers, Authors, Commentary (the Good, the Bad…) by Paul Buckley (ed.) and Chris Ware (Foreward)

On the occasion of Penguin’s 75th anniversary, Paul Buckley, the publisher’s US art director, chose 75 book covers that represent the best work produced by the company over the last decade. 

See this article at Creative Review which includes five extracts from the book.

Smallbone Deceased: Michael Gilbert

Just last week I posted my thoughts on the first book in the Inspector Hazelrigg series, Close Quarters. Smallbone Deceased, considered Micheal Gilbert's masterpiece by many, is the fourth book in that series.

In both books, Inspector Hazelrigg is the investigating officer in a murder case, and in both of them his role is not central. He is important in the story and to the solution of the crime, but there are other important characters in each book. And I like it that way.

In this book, Henry Bohun, new solicitor in the firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine, does a good bit of the investigating. He actually does it at the behest of Inspector Hazelrigg, who knows of his reputation from another policeman, Bobby Pollock, who was a major character in Close Quarters. Bohun is uniquely fitted to this assignment because he came into the firm after the murder had taken place.

So, a brief summary:
Shortly after Bohun joins the firm, a deed box containing important documents is opened, and inside the box there is a dead body, instead of the expected papers. The body is found to be Marcus Smallbone, who was a trustee, along with Abel Horniman, of the Ichabod Stokes Trust. Although Abel Horniman is also dead, he is the main suspect. Over the next two weeks, Hazelrigg, Detective Sergeant Plumptree, and Bohun track down the clues in the investigation.

For me, the main attraction of Michael Gilbert's books is his writing style, clever and witty. The legal office setting in this book appears to me to be very realistic and the detail of the office interactions are fascinating. Add to that the wonderful character of Henry Bohun and the other interesting and somewhat quirky employees at Horniman, Birley and Craine, and the story is just about perfect.

At the end there is a brief chapter (titled "The Bill of Costs is Presented") explaining how and why the culprit did it and why some of the other suspects did not. Usually I don't like those kinds of rehashing of previous facts and clues, but this one was not overly long and was quite entertaining.

Many readers think of this as Michael Gilbert's best novel, but I will have to read a few more of his books before I can see how this one ranks in comparison. I am already exceedingly fond of the Mr. Calder and Mr. Behren's books, but those are a series of short stories.

Other reviews can be viewed at Pretty Sinister Books, Reactions to Reading, Clothes in Books, Past Offences, and In so many WORDS.

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Publisher:  Penguin, 1981 (orig. publ. 1950).
Length:      208 pages 
Format:      Paperback
Series:       Inspector Hazelrigg, #4
Setting:      UK
Genre:       Mystery
Source:      I purchased my copy.