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Frances Lockridge (1896–1963)

Author of The Norths Meet Murder

71+ Works 3,251 Members 78 Reviews 4 Favorited

About the Author

Disambiguation Notice:

Within my research, there are absolutely NO separate books by Frances Lockridge. She co-wrote books with her husband, Richard Lockridge. All Pam and Jerry North series are co-written, and should be listed under both Frances Lockridge and Richard Lockridge. He wrote some books independently before her death, and several after her death.

None-the-less, Richard and Frances are two separate people. Please list just one of them in the Author field, and the other as co-author in the Other Authors field. That way it will be possible to enter separate Common Knowledge for the two people.

Image credit: Find A Grave

Series

Works by Frances Lockridge

The Norths Meet Murder (1940) 180 copies, 10 reviews
Murder Within Murder (1946) 130 copies, 3 reviews
Murder in a Hurry (1950) 119 copies, 2 reviews
Death on the Aisle (1942) 117 copies, 4 reviews
Murder Comes First (1951) — Author — 112 copies, 2 reviews
Murder Out of Turn (1941) 107 copies, 3 reviews
Death of an Angel (1955) 102 copies, 1 review
Death Takes a Bow (1943) 100 copies, 1 review
Murder by the Book (1963) 99 copies, 3 reviews
Murder Is Served (1948) 96 copies, 4 reviews
The Dishonest Murderer (1949) 94 copies, 2 reviews
The Judge Is Reversed (1960) 92 copies, 3 reviews
A Pinch of Poison (1941) 86 copies, 1 review
Dead as a Dinosaur (1952) 84 copies, 3 reviews
Murder Has Its Points (1961) 84 copies, 2 reviews
Murder Is Suggested (1959) 79 copies
Voyage into Violence (1956) 77 copies
A Key To Death (1954) 75 copies
Hanged for a Sheep (1942) 71 copies, 3 reviews
Death Has a Small Voice (1953) 64 copies, 3 reviews
Curtain for a Jester (1953) 61 copies, 1 review
The Long Skeleton (1958) 60 copies, 1 review
Payoff for the Banker (1945) 59 copies, 3 reviews
Death of a Tall Man (1946) 56 copies, 4 reviews
Killing the Goose (1944) 56 copies, 3 reviews
The Faceless Adversary (1956) 47 copies
A North Quartet (1964) 46 copies, 1 review
Death by Association (1952) 46 copies, 1 review
Accent on Murder (1958) 43 copies
Death and the Gentle Bull (1954) 41 copies
Show Red For Danger (1960) 38 copies, 1 review
Cats and People (1950) 38 copies
Murder! Murder!! Murder!!! (1956) 38 copies, 1 review
Foggy, Foggy Death (1950) 37 copies, 1 review
With One Stone (1961) 37 copies
The Distant Clue (1963) 37 copies
First Come, First Kill (1962) — Author — 36 copies
Stand Up and Die (1953) — Author — 36 copies
A Client Is Canceled (1951) — Author — 35 copies
Burnt Offering (1955) 34 copies
The Devious Ones (1964) 33 copies
Practise to Deceive (1957) 33 copies, 1 review
Untidy Murder (1947) 32 copies, 2 reviews
Murder and Blueberry Pie (1959) 32 copies, 1 review
Let Dead Enough Alone (1956) 31 copies
Night of Shadows (1962) 29 copies, 1 review
And Left for Dead (1961) 29 copies
The Tangled Cord (1957) 28 copies, 1 review
The Drill Is Death (1961) 27 copies
Catch As Catch Can (1958) 27 copies
I Want to Go Home (1948) 22 copies, 1 review
The Ticking Clock (1962) 12 copies
Quest of the Bogeyman (1964) 12 copies, 1 review
Spin Your Web, Lady (1949) 8 copies, 1 review
Think of Death (1947) 8 copies, 1 review
The Proud Cat (1951) 5 copies
The Innocent House (1959) 4 copies, 1 review
The Cat Who Rode Cows (1955) 3 copies
The Golden Man (1960) 2 copies
The Lucky Cat 2 copies

Associated Works

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Canonical name
Lockridge, Frances
Legal name
Lockridge, Frances Louise Davis
Birthdate
1896
Date of death
1963
Gender
female
Relationships
Lockridge, Richard (husband)
Nationality
USA
Birthplace
Missouri, USA
Places of residence
New York, New York, USA
Disambiguation notice
Within my research, there are absolutely NO separate books by Frances Lockridge. She co-wrote books with her husband, Richard Lockridge. All Pam and Jerry North series are co-written, and should be listed under both Frances Lockridge and Richard Lockridge. He wrote some books independently before her death, and several after her death.

None-the-less, Richard and Frances are two separate people. Please list just one of them in the Author field, and the other as co-author in the Other Authors field. That way it will be possible to enter separate Common Knowledge for the two people.
Associated Place (for map)
USA

Members

Reviews

83 reviews
Someone is placing want ads in newspapers in the name of Dr. Orpheus Preson, a paleontologist. The police think it’s a “crack-pot” and aren’t able to offer him much hope. Preson unburdens himself to his publisher, Jerry North, and his wife, Pam. The Norths are unable to make any sense out of things, either. Then Dr. Preson dies, seemingly by his own hand. Or was it murder? Everyone near Dr. Preson seems to have a guilty secret – his siblings, his niece and nephew, and his show more professional colleagues. Will the Norths figure out who among the suspects is a killer before they become the next victims?

This entertaining crime novel set in mid-twentieth century New York is perfect escape reading on a dreary winter day. The climactic scene in the institute is so vividly depicted that it seemed as if I was watching a classic movie farce. The quality of the writing is as good as any I’ve encountered in this genre:

Pamela began to read. The cat Martini wriggled around the book and lay over it. People whom cats have honored are not supposed to have other interests. Pamela moved Martini, who voiced an opinion better not translated from the original cat, and crawled back into a position to obstruct.

My dog would agree with this sentiment! I’ll be reading more of the North’s adventures, if my dog will allow.
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Featuring the ever engaging Mr. and Mrs. North, their excellent cats (Martini, Gin & Sherry), and their friends Lieutenant and Mrs. Weigand, this was a typical Lockridge whodunnit, with plenty of possible suspects, one significant clue dropped carelessly into the plot, and most of the detecting done at a desk, or over martinis in front of a fire. Not for the thrill seeker, despite the rather lurid covers these books sported in their paperback versions in the late '40's and early '50's. There show more is virtually nothing of a sensational nature in here, and not much in the way of true suspense, usually, although the authors do occasionally put their heroine in some peril. On the other hand, these are not exactly what you'd call "cozy mysteries", because that term just doesn't quite work for the sophisticated New York crowd that dresses for lunch at the Algonquin, and has a housekeeper in a one bedroom apartment. Maybe we need a new term--a "sophie"? show less
Just so much fun to spend time with Mr. and Mrs. North. This is a relatively late entry in the series (1960), and Pam is in the market for a kitten, having fairly recently lost her sweet Siamese, Martini. A judge of both cat shows and tennis matches makes enemies, and ends up dead in his own apartment, possibly bashed with a scratching post, or a racquet in its press. Lots of irate suspects, all guilty of something, but murder? Weigand knows better than to dismiss Pam's intuition, but show more Mullins finds it all screwy, as usual. show less
½
The sparkling, clever, intuitive Pam North takes center stage in this fifth entry in this irresistible, sophisticated mystery city set in 1940s New York City. With husband Jerry off to Texas to lure a writer expected to write the next Gone With the Wind to go with Jerry’s publishing company, Pam goes to visit her flamboyant but good-hearted Aunt Flora Buddie. Aunt Flora has summoned Pam to discover who tried to poison her a week or so ago. But Pam’s barely installed at her aunt’s huge show more mansion when Aunt Flora’s discarded fourth husband, an oily petty criminal, turns up dead.

Needless to say, Pam summons her friend, Lieutenant Weigand, and together they look into the much-married Aunt Flora’s children and grandchildren, their alibis and possible motives. The characters and plot in Hanged for a Sheep are some of the best I’ve ever read. Even though authors Frances and Richard Lockridge play quite fair, littering plenty of clues, I never guessed the murderer or the motive. This is probably my favorite Mr. and Mrs. North book — and that’s a high recommendation, indeed!
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Statistics

Works
71
Also by
19
Members
3,251
Popularity
#7,863
Rating
½ 3.6
Reviews
78
ISBNs
144
Languages
2
Favorited
4

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