SLEUTH
JOURNAL
From Issue #1:
CONTENTS
Criminally Speaking (Introduction)
On The Mystery Scene
Zine reviews by Sharida Rizzuto
Book reviews by Richard & Karen La Porte, Ingolsby South, & Stefan Jackson
"Wait Until Dark: A Sleuth's Delight" by Edgar F. Tatro
"The Shadow Knows" by Howard Hopkins
"The Oriental Sleuth" by John Dinan
Reprint from The Trooper
Reprinted by permission of John Dinan
"The Caper Novels" by John Dinan
"The Cerebral Sleuth - Ellery Queen by John Dinan
"The Great Nero Wolfe" by John Dinan
On The Dark Side (Poetry)
"Blood Ghost" by Dwight E. Humphries
"Outrage" by Dwight E. Humphries
"Sacrifice" by Dwight E. Humphries
"Stalking" by Dwight E. Humphries
(The above 4 poems reprinted from Triglav Press, 1978
Reprinted by permission of John Dinan
"The Dahlia Rapture" by Dwight E. Humphries
The Killing Tales (fiction)
"Correspondent Course" by Roger Dale Trexler
"Ode To Murder" by Andrea Sheppard
"Bloodmoney Memoirs - videodisc 10" by Stefan Jackson
"The Silent Partner" by Joseph Glinsky
"Painting The Town Red" by Edgar F. Tatro
"Gello" by Edgar N. Tatro
"Of Primate Importance" by Walda B. Cameron
Criminally Speaking
Welcome to the premiere issue of SLEUTH JOURNAL.
We have included articles, reviews, poetry, and fiction to delight the mystery
enthusiast. In future issues, we will include the widest variety of
mystery topics available from our contributors.
As a service to our readers, there is an extensive classified section included in this issue. It will be a regular part of this publication. All display ads and listings are free. Any size and length are acceptable.
We welcome comments and criticisms from the readers for our letters column. "The Poisoned Pen," starting in the next issue.
Writers and artists are welcome to send submissions (multiple submissions are acceptable) or ideas. Submissions must be double-spaced and typewritten. We will consider any topic and report back in 1-3 weeks. Regular columnists are needed. Artists should send samples of their work. Fees paid are negotiable.
The purpose of this publication is to enlighten and entertain our readers with intriguing articles and tales of murder and mayhem.
So, dim the lights, sit back, and enter the inner sanctum of SLEUTH JOURNAL.
LIST OF PERPETRATORS
Writers:
Walda B. Cameron has been published in Yanaria Press and Cat Fancy.
John Dinan has been published in The Trooper among others.
Joseph Glinsky is a winner of the Literary Gold Award for short fiction.
Howard Hopkins is publisher and editor of Golden Perils.
Dwight E. Humphries has been published in Infinite Worlds, Deathrealm, The Haunted Journal, and much more.
Stefan Jackson has been published in New Blood and more.
Richard & Karen La Porte are owners of The Silver Door Book Service.
Sharida Rizzuto is publisher and editor of Baker Street Publications.
Andrea Sheppard has been published in The Haunted Journal among others.
Ingolsby South writes for the Senior Citizens Reporter.
Edgar F. Tatro has been published in New Blood, Hardboiled, and more.
Roger Dale Trexler is a columnist for Deathrealm and has been published in Portents, 2 A.M., and others.
Artists: (Artwork not added at this time.)
Ken Friedmann publishes several Dark Shadows zines.
Jim Garrison has been published in innumerable publications.
Alien Koszowski has also been published in too many zines to mention.
Jim Kuzee has been published mainly in scifi & fantasy zines.
Sherry "Sherlock" Watson has been published in World Of Dark Shadows, Baker Street Gazette, and more.
On The Mystery
Scene
Zine reviews by Sharida
Rizzuto
MYSTERIOUS PRESS
Otto Penzler is owner and publisher of this distinguished publishing company. Fifty mysteries are published each year in both hardback and paperback. Some of the best mystery writers are published at MYSTERIOUS PRESS. Both their book catalogue and The Mysterious News (includes articles by MYSTERIOUS PRESS authors) are available free upon request.
The Armchair Detective magazine is also published by MYSTERIOUS PRESS. This full-sized first-rate zine is published quarterly. This is the ultimate mystery lover's delight. Don't miss it!
MYSTERIOUS PRESS books as well as many other mystery books are available at THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP located at 129 West 56th St. in New York City. We have visited there several times. It's a classy place.
(Check the Classified Section of this publication for particulars on book catalogue. The Mysterious News and The Armchair Detective.)
PERSEVERANCE PRESS
Meredith Phillips, editor and publisher of PERSEVERANCE PRESS offers mystery readers a refreshingly different reading pleasure. She publishes old-fashioned mystery novels. These whodunits do not include all the excessive sex, gore, and violence of many contemporary mysteries.
Since launching her company in 1984, Ms. Phillips has published five novels. She started with her own book, Death Spiral, Murder At The Winter Olympics. Phillips was inspired by the 1980 Winter Olympics and the possibility of such a setting for a whodunit mystery. It took more than a year of careful research into the Olympics and women in sports. It was important to know about the changing attitudes toward women.
The next mystery Ms. Phillips selected for publication was To Prove A Villain by Guy. M. Townsend. This mystery involves the question of whether or not Richard III was guilty of having his nephews murdered and a contemporary murder at a university.
The third mystery published at PERSEVERANCE PRESS was Play Melancholy Baby by John Daniel. This novel involves the hero as a piano player hiding from his past when he is confronted with the murder of an obnoxious acquaintance. He then has to return to his past back in San Francisco to confront old enemies.
The fourth book was Chinese Restaurants Never Serve Breakfast by Roy Gilligan. It is about the Monterey Peninsula art world and a private investigator on the trail of a murderer.
The fifth and latest book was Rattlesnakes and Roses by Joan Oppenheimer. It is full of romantic suspense. The differences between the past and the contemporary San Diego adds flavor to this classic Whodunit t.
The authors of these books have interesting backgrounds. Guy M. Townsend has been editor and publisher for over 10 years of The Mystery Fancier and BROWNSTONE BOOKS. He has written articles and edited books. John Daniel has been an editor, publisher, bookseller, and entertainer. Roy Gilligan has worked on radio & tv as well as being a newspaper columnist, freelance writer, and teacher. Joan Oppenheimer has written short stories and articles. She also teaches creative writing at the University of San Diego.
Ms. Phillips did not plan to be a publisher. She tried to have a book published but did not like the revision the publishers requested. Phillips decided to publish her own book. All 5.000 copies sold out and she could have sold more. Then came PERSEVERANCE PRESS.
(Check Classified Section for further information and address.)
MYSTERY READERS OF AMERICA JOURNAL
This publication is edited and publisher by Janet A. Rudolph. This digest-sized quarterly zinc is packed with a variety of information about the mystery field; mystery periodicals, mystery bookshops, MRA members in the news, mystery events, book reviews, and much more. It is a mystery reader's delight. Ms. Rudolph is doing a great job.
(Check Classified Section for further information.)
MYSTERY SCENE
We have heard that the publishers (Ed German & Bob Randisi) keep changing the format of this publication. Though we have only seen one of the more recent issues, we figure all of the issues must be pretty good. It is full of endless articles, book & film reviews, book ads, plus much, much more. A real winner. We loved it!
(Check Classified Section for further information.)
MYSTERY NEWS
This publication is printed in a newspaper format by Harriet Si Larry Stay. It's devoted to book reviews. Any mystery enthusiast might want to check out this publication before selecting books to read. Published bimonthly.
(Check Classified Section for further information.)
THE DROOD REVIEW OF MYSTERY
This newsletter is not large but has a fair number of book reviews in each issue. The writers are good, and it is a quality publication. It's published monthly by Jim Huang.
(Check Classified Section.)
THE MYSTERY FANCIER
A mystery zine published bimonthly by Guy M. Townsend.
It is nothing fancy to look at; no photos, no artwork except for the front cover (which is always the same) and it's always done in white. However, the articles and book reviews are quite good. It is an interesting and informative publication. Even the "letters-section is entertaining. Mr. Townsend also publishes books.
(Check Classified Section.)
THE CRIME FILE
A newsletter published for The Mystery Club which met monthly at The GROUNDS FOR MURDER BOOKSHOP in San Diego . But it is going independent. It has covered information about the club and includes articles about the mystery genre. While not a lengthy publication it is published monthly and contains some interesting tidbits of information. It is edited and published by Laurie Mansfield Gore.
(Check Classified Section.)
THE SHORT SHEET
This newsletter is published 11 times yearly by Josh Pachter.
It contains articles, interviews, reviews, info items, and more. It's an interesting "short sheet."
(Check Classified Section.)
BONDAGE
This is the official quarterly publication for The James Bond 007 Fan Club. The zine switched from being a slick full-sized magazine to a slick full-sized newsletter. This publication will appeal almost exclusively to Bond fans. Great photos.
(Check Classified Section.)
LININGTON LINEUP
This quarterly newletter is full-sized and lengthy. It is devoted to the writings of Elizabeth Linington a.k.a. Anne Blaisdell/LesleyEgan/Egan O'Neill/Dell Shannon. It also includes information about other mystery writers, publications, and much more. It is edited and published by Rinehart S. Potts. Informative and entertaining.
(Check Classified Section.)
GOLDEN PERILS
A full-sized quarterly published by Howard Hopkins. Most of the articles and reviews are devoted to the pulps with an article or two about small press zines (including mystery, horror, and science fiction). It is always interesting with good artwork and bright colored covers. A good read,
(Chock Classified Section.)
NEMESIS
This zine is devoted to the pulps, hard-boiled detectives, spies, and more. It is full-sized and loaded with articles and reviews. Good artwork. Entertaining. It is edited and published by Frank Lewandowski. (Check Classified Section.)
PAPERBACK PARADE
A quarterly published by Gary Lovisi. It's digest-sized and has colored card stock covers. It contains articles and reviews about paperback editions of all types of books. However, it is slanted toward mysteries. The articles and reviews are entertaining and informative. There is some fascinating material covered in this zine.
This is a must read for any paperback collector, Mr. Lovisi also publishes books.
(Check Classified Section.)
THE FRIENDS OF ELIZABETH PETERS NEWSLETTER
This is a delightful and informative newsletter for MB. Peters (a.k.a. Barbara Michaels) fans. It seems Ms. Peters definitely has a loyal following. Ms. Mary Morman is the editor of this publication, and she says there is no charge to receive it (unless you want to send her some stamps). Be sure to send a S.A.S.E.
(Check Classified Section.)
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
DEAD ROMANTIC by Simon Brett
Scribner, NY 1986
184 Pages (HC)
It was a bloody murder and not at all as romantic as the idyllic holiday cottage had promised. Madeleine Severn was a romantic still holding her virginal love for a prince charming who was yet to appear. As a language tutor at a seedy prep school on the outskirts of Brighton, she did not really have a lot of opportunities to find her true love. Certainly not among her students, although one Paul Grigson had a burning desire to lose his virginity with her. Nor with the others of the faculty such as Bernard Hopkins. who maintained that "guilt and sex seem to go together."
Still intent to give up her virginity after thirty-seven years, Madeleine plans a romantic weekend at Winter Jasmine Cottage with the man of her choice in the secluded solitude of the West Essex downs. It is there that the hand of passion intervenes and turns pristine romance into bloody horror.
Simon Brett is an incisive and highly observant writer whose Charles Paris stories have brightened many a dreary evening. Departing again (see "A Shock to the System") from the world of playacting, Brett takes an unlikely cast of people who seem ordinary and winds them up to a tightly drawn climax that it is inevitable as it is unexpected. We heartily recommend this for easy reading and a thoroughly enjoyable excursion to off-season Brighton and surrounding countryside.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
TIMOR MORTIS by Mill Harriss
Walker, NY 1986
212 Pages (HC)
Maria Atterbury, the grand old dame of the fabulous Atterbury department store, is dead . . . not of old age which was expected but by bloody murder. She was struck down in her own bedroom by the proverbial blunt instrument while her nurse slept in a drugged stupor. The immediate cause for Clifford Dunbar, Ph.D. and lecturer in English Literature, to become embroiled in this tangled tale of wills, stocks and objects d'art is a portrait of Maria. She was sitting for Dunbar's sister, Alison, and the unfinished painting is being held by the estate pending the unraveling of all claims, counter-claims and, as if an afterthought . . . the solution to the murder.
Dunbar and his wife Mona interrupt their postnuptial holiday to help Alison retrieve the portrait and so get involved in Lt. Puterbaugh's investigation. The rest of theAtterbury's . . . Lionel, the eldest. Grant, the manager of the family emporium, and sister Consuelo stand around and steam about who gets what out of Maria's will. An amused bystander is the third brother who has put enough distance between himself and the family that he answers to by another name, which is Rollie Freed. In the background is a smarmy doctor named Craig Rawlings, Grant Atterbury's ultra-beautiful, if not dutiful, wife Gwyneth and the standard cast of factotums.
This is Will Harriss' second book following the well received Bay Psalm Book Murder, which won an Edgar for the best first novel in 1983. Mr. Harriss has a nice light style with a good ear for contemporary California dialogue. His descriptive material is lean and effective, and his characters are believable if a bit bizarre. But what would a story be with dull and predictable characters in a commonplace situation? We said it. Dull I We enjoyed the book, but we felt that the last chapter with a rundown of the events after the close of the crime was a bit of a letdown.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
TWO THYRDES by Bertie Denham
St. Martin's, NY 1986
292 Pages (HC)
This is a dual trace story about a club that was formed after a casual birthday dinner on Wednesday, the 29th of March, in 1944. The diners or their heirs meet yearly as the 1944 Club. After the first dinner, Derek (Derry), the second Viscount Thyrde, finds evidence that one of the members is a spy. After the 1979 meeting, his heir, Derek, the third Viscount Thyrde, is framed for a crime that endangers his political career by someone who must be a current member of the Club. In the "Then" chapters of the book, Derry pursues the spy with the help of lovely Third Officer Molly Stanton, WRNS, under the direction of Commander E. F. Jackson of the Royal Navy. To make sure that no one will think that he is doing something furtive, Jackson has Molly drive Derry around in the family Rolls Royce.
In the "Now" parts of the story, Derek is trying to find the guilty party instead of being just acquitted because that would leave a stigma on his record, which would be almost as bad as being guilty. He has an iron clad alibi for the night of the crime that he does not wish to use. It concerns the honor of a lady related by birth and marriage to two members of the 1944 Club. Derry's brother, the Honorable Charles Mallicent gives Derek a sealed package containing Derry's account of the wartime search for the spy. The fact that the spy was never caught throws light on the motive behind the framing of Derek. The evidence from both traces of the story wind together to a "gut-grabbing" finish that solves both mysteries.
We were first introduced to the third Viscount Thyrde in Lord Denham's first book, The Man Who Lost His Shadow, which was published in 1979.
Lord Denham's knowledge of the Houses of Parliament and most especially of the House of Lords (his home turf) makes for authenticity and familiarity. His ability to make the two parallel time frames echo truly of their era is masterful. The people are honestly pompous, warmly friendly, or possess any other sort of mien that fits their role in this charade. We strongly recommend this book to World War II buffs, mystery addicts, spy chasers and all others who like a good, gripping story.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
FATE MORSE THAN DEATH by Sheila Radley
Scribner, NY 1986
222 Pages (HC)
Sandra Wedsdell has disappeared from bucolic Fodderstone Green on the eve of her wedding. Her mother Beryl, a "horn-again" type, is not worried for she thinks that Sandra has just broken off her engagement and ran away to London. But the county police are called in. Present are Sergeant Hilary Lloyd and Detective Inspector Douglas Ouantrill. Also on the scene is Detective Martin Tait, lately a member of Quantrill's squad. He's on leave and is visiting his Aunt Con who lives next door to the Wedsdells. Tait had brought Ouantrill's daughter Alison along to meet his aunt, but after a ferocious lover's quarrel she went back home.
There is an ugly bunch of regulars at the local pub (The Flintknappers
Arms) who cannot or will not account tor their whereabouts at the time of
Sandra's disappearance. Then Martin and Aunt Con find Sandra's body
and the search becomes a murder investigation. Shortly afterwards,
another young girl disappears.
With Tail's unofficial help, Ouantrill combs the countryside for possible
hiding places for the two girls and taxes all the local characters to account
tor their presence dl the time of both disappearances .
Douglas Quantrill shows himself to be a stolid, painstaking man who will follow each lead Lo its end. Martin Tait is clever and ambitious hut rather shallow. Hilary Lloyd is a warm and friendly person who is host at drawing out the confidences of the women involved in the case. Aunt Con's neighbors are clearly described and noisily engaged in telling each other how to run their lives. This is Sheila Radley's fifth book, and we are happy to sec Quantrill carrying on.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
THE BIG BOW MYSTERY by Israel Zangwill
Carroll & Graf, NY 1986
157 Pages (PB)
George Grodman, recently retired from the Scotland Yard Detective Department, is roused early one morning by his neighbor, Mrs. Drabdump who is a widow that keeps a boarding house up the street. Mrs. Drabdump cannot rouse her boarder, Arthur Constant, who is even now late for his address to the Tram-men's Union. Within minutes, Grodman aids Mrs. Drabdump by breaking into Constant's bedroom. The locked and virtually sealed room contains only the body of Constant, who is dead with his throat slashed from ear to ear.
To Edward Wimp, Grodman's replacement at Scotland Yard, falls the puzzle with no clues, no weapon, and no motive. There are even no enemies as everyone loved and honored this amateur labor organizer
At the inquest after sifting through masses of testimonies as to the unassailable character of the deceased and the total lack of reason for the crime, the Coroner is forced to admit; "Gentlemen, I am aware this sounds impossible and contradictory. But it is the facts that contradict themselves. It seems clear that the deceased was not murdered. There is nothing for it, therefore. Gentlemen, but to return a verdict tantamount to an acknowedgement of our incompetence to come to any adequately grounded conviction whatever as to the means or the manner by which the deceased met his death. It is the most inexplicable mystery in my experience." To this the jury did not agree. One arch-conservative member held out for a verdict of "Death from visitation by the act of God."
This late Victorian novel originally published in 1892 is contemporaneous with the writing of Arthur Conan Doyle and was also, like many of Charles Dickens' works, written for publication in a periodical called The Star. This keystone of the "locked room genre" is witty, carefully plotted and loaded with period dialogue that sparkles with unconscious humor and Dickens -- like appropriate names such as Mrs. Drabdump, Tom Mortlake and Detective Wimp. Zangwill gives us cause to believe that his tongue may at times be in his cheek as he comments "The introduction of Mr. Gladstone into a fictitious scene is defended on the grounds that he is largely mythical." This is required (and enjoyable) reading for anyone who fancies an acquaintance with the breadth and depth of the mystery as a literary form.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
THE MAN MHO WAS THURSDAY by G. K. Chesterton
Carroll t Graf, NY 1986
192 Pages (PB)
In this rollicking allegory, Chesterton props up a row of paper anarchists for the public to wildly denounce for their very apparent danger. It starts very properly in a suburb of London where, like the salons of Bloomsbury in another era, the comfortably well-off expound on the benefits of anarchy for the lower classes. Lucien Gregory, fiery of hair and manner. Introduces Gabriel Syme to the mysteries of the Central Anarchist Council. Immediately, Syme is elected to the council and given the code name of "Thursday." In this guise, Syme, a newly sworn undercover policeman, attends his first council meeting. There he meets the rest of the members; "Monday" is the secretary, "Tuesday" is Gogol the Pole (unmasked as a police informer), and "Wednesday" is the Marquis de St. Eustache of international renown. There is also Professor de Worms, author and lecturer on the coming supremacy of anarchy, "Saturday," who is Dr. Bull, enigmatic behind his dark glasses, and "Sunday." the leader, a vast and evil man.
Of course, no one is at anytime what they seem. The action carries the remaining council members united against "Sunday" across the Channel in a wild dash to prevent the assassination of the heads of state of France and Russia in Paris. At each step of the way, the people who should help them turn on them as though they are the anarchist enemies of the State (or status quo). After a massive meeting and unmasking, Syme returns to his quiet red-brick suburb where tranquility is personified in the anarchist Gregory's red haired sister Rosamund, placidly gathering roses.
Chesterton was a master story teller. The peculiar characters populating this rip roaring antic are believable in their context and the spoof is not all in fun. Allegory or parable, this is a classic well worth reading and rereading.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
THE NINE WRONG ANSWERS by John Dickson Carr
Carroll & Graf, NY 1986
186 Pages (PB)
In this tightly wound tale of impersonation, fortune hunting, heir baiting and generally obnoxious skullduggery, John Dickson Carr intersperses the text with nine answers to questions that might lie in the minds of the justly suspicious reader. Each step in this carefully choreographed cat-and-mouse ballet leads the reader into another intellectual pitfall.
Bill Dawson, down on his luck in New York, falls into a proposition that he cannot say no to. He will, for a fee of $10,000, return to England as Laurence Hurst, heir to a considerable fortune from his doddering uncle, Gaylord Hurst. The only catch to the game is Dawson must call weekly on Uncle Gay and be a proper nephew and heir. The switch in identities is quickly made and Dawson is on his way to England. He is not even across the briny when his ex-flame, Majorie Blair, insinuates herself into the adjoining seat and into his plans by unmasking him without a moment's hesitation.
If she can spot his deception, how long will it take for Uncle Gay to penetrate the disguise and turn his sadistic manservant loose? When this comes true, the cat-and-mouse game starts. Bill "Larry Hurst" Dawson will inherit nothing unless he outlives Uncle Gay and Uncle Gay swears that Dawson will not live out the week. THE GAME IS AFOOT!
THE NINE WRONG ANSWERS is a Sherlock Holmes buff's treasure. Not only is the great detective cited as an authority on many of the points raised in the pursuit of truth in this tale, but one of the final scenes takes place in and around the Sherlock Holmes sitting room prepared for the 1951 Exhibition in Baker Street. As ever, Carr's characters are complex and well developed and the plot is sufficiently convoluted to test the wits of the most sophisticated reader. This book has been too long "out-of-print." We welcome it back as a classic "MUST" on everyone's list.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
DEAD FOR A DUCAT by Laurence Payne
Doubleday, NY 1986
182 Pages (HC)
This tale of kidnapping and terrorists starts as any good English "cozy" mystery should, with a body on the storm-wracked Common. "Bloke got his head bashed in." Not only that, but "bloke's" best friend, Anthony Raven, has disappeared. Anthony, heir to Sir George's multinational Raven Industries, is married to delectable Lindy, daughter of mystery writing retired Detective Inspector Sam Birkett. Sam's friend. Mark Savage, actor turned detective, smitten by Lindy's charms, is in on the action from the word go. The ransom demand is for half-a-million pounds in cut diamonds to be delivered to SWALK. This mysterious acronym hides the identity of a group that claims to be an anti-terrorist strike force. Savage becomes as thoroughly involved in the action as if he were another member of SWALK. The activities of the group are certainly not "sealed with a loving kiss."
Savage's pursuit of the elusive SWALK members takes him back and forth across the south of London from Wimbleton to Wapping and even to the lair of a seductive suspect on a wind whipped houseboat near Albert Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment. One death after another shortens the list of suspects and narrows the scene of action to a derelict pier on a backwater of the Thames Estuary.
This, the eighth of Laurence Payne's mystery novels, shows an adept hand with an intricate plot and an actor's ear for the spoken word. Mark Savage, suave and irresistible as a film hero, is easily believable in his not-quite-so-large image off the silver screen. Sam Birkett is a solid help in tough spots and handy pubs. We certainly look forward to the next adventure with Mark Savage coming soon at your neighborhood bookshop.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
GIDEON'S NAY by J. J. Marric (as told by William
Vivian Butler)
Stein & Day, NY 1986
220 Pages (HC)
Commander George Gideon of New Scotland Yard (the Policeman's Policeman) has always proved himself an unstoppable force against the villains in his native London. But now on a fine warm day in May, Gideon finds himself enmeshed in a series of disasters that will try him both personally and professional beyond anything that has happened to him before.
This Monday starts as Gideon's "Back Seat" day. Today, his son-in-law. Alee Hobbs, who has been his Deputy Commander, becomes the Assistant Commissioner for crime and his superior. This move comes as no surprise to Gideon who has repeatedly turned down the position for himself and groomed Hobbs for the job. What is surprising are the sweeping changes that Hobbs wants to make in the CID operations. Video taping of interrogations is one of these and Gideon's new Deputy Commander is another ... a man who seems more interested in cost-effectiveness than in maintaining law and order.
The day is hardly started when Gideon's old friend. Chief Superintendent Lemaitre, comes in with a story of impending trouble in the NE Division. Several cases of random shootings in this slum area make him think that an upcoming meeting of two bitter rival political splinter groups on the same night in the same building might flare into a shooting war. Neither Hobbs nor the new Deputy are convinced, but Gideon, knowing Lemaitre's penchant for jumping to conclusions that were often right, takes a longer look at the problem. After all, hasn't he, himself, acted on hunches?
At noon, terror strikes at Gideon's family. Gideon's wife, Kate, is baby-sitting Alee and daughter Penny's new baby when it is kidnapped. Kate faints and the entire top echelon of the London CID go into action. From here on in. the story moves fast as the problems multiply with more shootings, an attempted murder, and an assassination.
Gideon's London, like all urban areas, has become far more violent in the period between "Gideon's Day" and "Gideon's Way." But in the end, it is Gideon's way that works. Commander George Gideon was originally created in the 1950s by the late John Creasey, writing under the pseudonym of J. J. Marric. Mr. Creasey was a master story teller. In fact, the New York Times called the "Gideon" books the very best of all the police procedurals. Mr. Butler has written a very good book which is well worth reading. But, we feel, that if John Creasey had written it, it would have been fine; very fine indeed.
Reviewed by Richard & Karen La Porte
THE RAVEN IN THE FOREGATE by Ellis Peters
MacMillan, London 1986
201 Pages (HC)
In this, his twelfth chronicle. Brother Cadfael is beset with the problems of divided loyalties of civil war and the unified hatred of a priest who is very nearly across that fine line which divides a zealot from a fanatic. It is Christmas in 1141, and Empress Maud holds half of England from her half-brother's castle in Gloucester. Abbot Radulfus of the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul has returned from King Stephen's London with a young priest sent by Papal Legate Henry, Stephen's brother. This young man descends on the Foregate, as the parish of Holy Cross is known, like a carrion crow to pick at sin and backsliding with his long ebony staff. He has presence, he has Latin, and he has discipline. But he does not have the gift or desire to lead his flock. In the short weeks of December, he has driven a girl to suicide, refused baptism to a dying baby and earned the hatred of the entire parish. It is not at all surprising when he is found drowned in the abbey mill pond on Christmas morning.
Traveling with the priest as his groom is a comely young man,. who as we soon learn, is not the dolt he seems. He is wanted by the king as a spy for the Empress and also as a companion of another young man who played a part in a previous chronicle. The Sheriff of Shrewsbury (Hugh Beringar), who is Cadfael's closest ally, has been given strict instructions to find this Ninian Bachiler and return him to London. Since the good Sheriff is not personally allied with either Maud or Stephen, he does not really intend to look too hard for a young man with the courage and resourcefulness to elude the King from Middlesex all the way to Shropshire.
The plot begins to thicken when Ninian's identity is exposed and he runs for cover. His disappearance makes him a prime suspect in the death of priest.
Ellis Peters continues to delight us with these deft chronicles of life in the Twelfth Century. Cadfael, a onetime sailor and crusader, is carefully drawn as a canny and sometimes cunning detective craftsman as well as a weaver of other people's lives. Sheriff Beringer is a strong-willed man with a keen mind. The other members of the cast have their own lives and personalities. Of course, there is a young lady in the picture with harebell blue eyes apples blossom skin, lips like half-opened roses and a will like a Damascus blade. Wonderful! We probably must wait another year for the next chronicle. Such a long time.
Reviewed by Richard 6 Karen La Porte
HERE BE MONSTERS by Anthony Price
The Mysterious Press. NY 1986
255 Pages (HC)
"We who fight monsters must take care, lest we become monsters, too, thereby." This quote from Nietzsche is the theme of this investigation into the loyalties and priorities of some real and some possible agents. The suspicious death of an American and his relationship with an ex-RAF flier seems to be the cause to reopen a file of names of men suspected of being deeply planted agents of the KGB. The American did nothing traitorous, but while an advisor or advocate, he backed every wrong action of the American government in foreign affairs including, "The Bay of Pigs" debacle. Two other names were in the file when David Audley (British Intelligence) vetoed them in 1958 and then closed the case. The English flier is now retired from his post as Classics Master at a small but select Public School and lives in France in an area where the NATO defense missiles are deployed. The third name is that of Sir Peter Barrie, President of Xenophon Oil, with strong convictions in the Middle East.
Our aging Dr. Audley has been asked to assist a new agent on her first field action. Her name is Elizabeth Loftus and what she is concerned with is the reopening of the file that Audley had closed. The situation is even more awkward because Elizabeth is one of Audley's recruits.
The process of probing events and suspicions that have been buried for many years is difficult and painstaking. In the process, Elizabeth, Audley, and Elizabeth's close friend. Dr. Paul Mitchell (another agent), abrade each other and develop inner thoughts of mistrust in their aims and loyalties.
Anthony Price has an interesting style, mixing the spoken and unspoken parts of a conversation. This makes a dialogue into a multilevel experience. Mr. Price leaves the descriptive passages to his characters to voice or think in their own words. The story, like all espionage stories, is convoluted and complex while the reading is smooth with the characters well developed. Mr. Price's last book was Sion Crossing and he holds a Gold Dagger (the British Crime Writers Association's highest award) for his Other Paths To Glory.
Reviewed by Ingolsby South
THE SPY MORE RED by Aline, Countess of
Romanones
Random House, NY fc Toronto, Canada, 1987
(HB)
You would hate me if I disclosed the plot outlined in this book. Before the story begins, there is an "Author's Note." Therein she states,"There are, however, three limitations on the literal ‘truthfulness' of my memoir." This enabled the author to write her book in a relaxed style, rather than having it read like a documentary Suffice to say, those who relish stories of intrigue, suspense and specks of romance, will enjoy The Spy Wore Red.
The ease in which Aline Griffith, later the Countess of Romanones, involved in espionage probably seems incredible to anyone unfamiliar with conditions in Washington, D.C., during WWII. Not so to those who lived in the area during this electrifying period of history. In fact, it would have been difficult for anyone potentially qualified to fill the ranks of intelligence agents not to be approached by an eager recruiter. It simply was a matter of purposely or inadvertently coming in direct contact with those engaged in political clandestine affairs, which could ultimately present the opportunity to join patriotic espionage agents for the Allies, or link up with enemy spies.
The foregoing is in no way intended to belittle Aline's ability and qualifications. She did an outstanding job. Espionage recruiting officers were plentiful throughout the country. They were ever on the alert to locate adventurous young patriots who had the emotional and physical stamina (plus an untainted personal background), with the hope they would add to the ranks of trained "couriers."
Individuals who were fairly well-acquainted with European cities, customs, and most importantly, spoke a foreign language fluently, were of particular value. Miss Griffith fell into these slots. She states in Chapter I, "In college I majored in French and minored in Spanish." This made her a prime recruit. The superiors were pleased with her response to the rigorous training. Her display of courage, cunning, emotional ruthlessness and when necessary, a refreshing naivete, stood in good stead.
This book emphasizes that spies must be a special breed of human. Their work and survival demand they keep in tip-top condition. Confidence, goaded by a strong sense of loyalty and purpose, encourage the spy to ensure that a mission be successfully completed. Whatever the cost, be it friendships, committing murder or deceiving those you love, faithfulness to duty comes first.
Fortunately, the young American espionage agent lived in relative luxury while posted in Spain. Not only did she have a comfortable apartment, a couple of servants, adequate food, and elegant clothing, but she was given the opportunity to mingle with and be accepted by the socially elite and politically prominent. However, there is a strong word of caution to those who might contemplate signing up for employment involving intelligence activities. Like any job, there are those who have a key to the executive washroom and those who have to keep the washroom sanitized.
One of several outstanding observations made by the Countess was the surprising revelation that continuous professional animosity existed between the American Embassy and the American Intelligence Community in Spain. Each tolerated the other only because it was expedient to do so.
The jacket of this book contains a quotation worth noting:
"My colleague, Aline Romanones, has written a fascinating and exciting
story evoking those marvelous days we served in the OSS in Europe. Her
narrative reflects sensitively and accurately the clandestine intrigue and
strategic maneuvers that marked the struggle between the secret services
as well as the Allied
and Axis powers and the atmosphere and high social life in wartime Spain."
-- William J. Casey
OSS Agent, 1942-45
CIA Director, 1981-87
Reviewed by Stefan Jackson
THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY by Milo Speriglio
Pocket Books. MY
(PB)
She was and still is one of Hollywood's most riveting stars. Her pin-ups tug at the hearts and souls of men worldwide. She made blondes sexy and made sex more enticing; so much so that her sphere of influence enabled her to travel in the company of our nation's most important and controversial men.
The Marilyn Conspiracy details events and motives that lead to the suspicious demise of Marilyn Monroe on August 4, 1962. It was written by Los Angeles detective Milo Speriglio, after thirteen years of painstaking investigative research. (Speriglio was head consultant for the much talked about by never aired 20/20 segment, "The Death of Marilyn Monroe"). Speriglio goes to great length, often tedious and repetitious (as is the work of a detective) to show Marilyn's direct liaison with the Kennedys. According to him, her naive involvement with the Kennedys (specifically Bobby), the Mafia and organized crime add up to one inescapable conclusion " there was a cover-up which included the Coroner's Office, the F.B.I. & C.I.A., and most especially the Los Angeles Police Department.
Speriglio did not take this case on a whim. In September 1972, Milo received a call from an old friend. Al Stump, who was at the time an investigative reporter for the Herald Examiner. Al introduced Milo to Bob Slatzer who had the memorable distinction of being married to Marilyn for a week. (It was for five days in Mexico In August 1952. The license was destroyed when they came back to the states.) Bob remained Marilyn's best friend and confidante until the end. He began his own personal investigation soon after her death. Ten years later, he had a completed manuscript and was ready to tell all, but threats against his life (his publisher had already been subjected to physical violence and warned him not to proceed with publication) put Slatzer between a rock and a hard place. Marilyn's former husband reached out and Al Stump was there. Slatzer spellbinded Al Stump and Milo Speriglio with documents and affidavits that laid the foundation for the Marilyn conspiracy. After talking for three hours, Speriglio took the case, little knowing that he had just committed himself to the longest running case in the Nick Harris Detective Agency's seventy-five year old history.
From the facts presented, nothing indicates that Marilyn took her own life. According to the original Coroner's report, no traces of Nembutal were found in her gastric contents. This means she did not take them orally; even though an empty bottle of Nembutal was on her nightstand next to the bed. (It was made even more conspicuous by the absence of a glass of drinking water not many people can down fifty capsules without some sort of liquid.) The original body diagrams showed bruises on Marilyn's body, both front and back. Subsequently, these bruises were never shown or mentioned, indicating a struggle may have taken place.
There are conflicting reports as to when and where she died. According to Schaefer's Ambulance Service, o unit was dispatched to Marilyn's home in the early morning of August 5th. The medical attendants found her comatose and rushed her to Santa Monica Hospital So how is it that she was found at home, her nude body spread in an anterior position diagonally across the bed (unfortunately, one of her most famous poses)? Marilyn's housekeeper, Mrs. Murray, said she found the body shortly after midnight ( that statement was later changed to "about 3;30 a.m.). She called Marilyn's personal physician; Drs. Greenson and Engelberg, who, in turn, called the police, albeit many hours later. This fact was confirmed by the state of lividity, the settling of blood in a corpse, registered by Marilyn's body. So who called the Schaefer Ambulance Service? Mrs. Murray? After years of silence, she has finally gone on record as saying, "Yes, the ambulance took Marilyn . . . Bobby Kennedy was at the house."
This brings us to ask who was Marilyn with on her last day. Statements from her neighbors and Mrs. Murray point to just about everyone she knew. Bobby Kennedy and Peter Lawford accompanied a doctor with a "medical bag." Pat Newcomb, Marilyn's press agent, said they had lunch together, although, he cannot recall what? (No food was found in her digestive tract.) Dr. Ralph Greenson, who 'left her in good health and spirits," later changed to "good health but somewhat despondent." And "Mickey" Rudin, Marilyn's lawyer, called Pat Newcomb at about 4:00 a.m. to tell her of Marilyn's death. (4:00 a.m.) Sgt. Clemons, who was the first officer on the scene, did not believe the suicide scenario from the start as he did not receive a call at the station until 4:35 a.m. It was from Dr. Engelberg, and it was about Marilyn's death.
Convinced that there was a cover-up, Speriglio proceeded next to ask, why kill Marilyn? Was she really a threat or just another power pawn caught in the crossfire? Perhaps both. Bob Slatzer talked to Marilyn the evening of August 3, 1962 the day before she died, to ask her what she meant when she said she was "going to blow the lid off the whole damn thing." Marilyn said she was going to hold a news conference in a few days at which she would reveal the contents of her diary. She was going to get even with Bobby Kennedy. She felt he had cruelly "used" her. (She once showed Bobby the diary, specifically her notes on affairs of state and his feelings on organized crime, to impress him with her knowledge and understanding of politics. She was preparing herself for the role of First lady.) Bobby assured her he would succeed his brother and promised to marry her. He was furious when he learned of the diary's existence and flung the book across the room, demanding that she get rid of it. Speriglio offered testimony from Slatzer and others Marilyn took into confidence showing that she was indeed a threat to Bobby and perhaps even to President Kennedy.
To Jimmy Hoffa and the Mafia, she was a pawn - a naive, willing tool to use against their staunches enemy, the Attorney General of the United States, Bobby Kennedy. Speriglio provides ample evidence for the existence of bugging devices throughout Marilyn's Brentwood home.
Jimmy Hoffa had the wiring done and his personal man was an electronics surveillance wizard named Bernie Spindel. In the early 1960s, Spindel ran a clandestine eavesdropping firm under the alias of B. R. Fox. According to a statement from "Tom," one of Spindel's top technicians. Marilyn's house was wired from top to bottom. The phones were tapped (which she suspected in her last days), and every room, including the bathroom, was equipped for sound. Utilizing a VOX, a new technique at the time, relying on voice activation and capable of stopping the recorder when there were no audible sounds of voices, Hoffa wanted something dirty on Bobby, so he could blackmail the Attorney General. (And maybe get something embarrassing on the President.) Marilyn's knowledge of important national security secrets, including the byzantine interrelation between the state, organized crime and government intelligence services, made her a natural target. Her voice was monitored and eventually silenced. Speriglio's August, 1982 conversation with "Tom" more than proved the fact.
The Marilyn Conspiracy offers beyond a doubt solid and incontrovertible testimony concerning the death of Marilyn Monroe. It sheds light on why and possibly how Marilyn was murdered, and why great lengths were taken to cover it up.
NOTE: Readers interested in further information about the mystery surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death should also read Goddess The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers, published by Victor Gollancz Ltd., London, 1985.
GO HERE FOR SECTION 2
