Frank Gruber (1) (1904–1969)

A sturdy, readable hodgepodge of stories by all the usual suspects (Poe, Lovecraft, Bloch, Derleth), but the standouts are "Man from the South," Roald Dahl's classic tale of macabre suspense, and Frank Gruber's "The Thirteenth Floor," a deliciously scary pulp horror piece by a master of the field. The Dahl story has probably been over-anthologized (and even if you've never read it, chances are that you've seen it dramatized on Alfred Hitchcock Presents or Tales of the Unexpected), but "The show more Thirteenth Floor" is a rare bird, and this book is worth picking up for Gruber's tale alone. I think of it as the greatest Twilight Zone episode that never was. Overall, a good item to add to your drugstore paperback horror collection. show less

“By now Mr. Holmes has exchanged his violin for a harp!” — Mr. Courtney

“You're assuming heaven is his destination?” — Hilda Courtney

To most of us on the planet, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are the only Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson we can accept in the role. This entry in the “B” series from Universal is a bit unusual, sort of a hybrid between the two “A” pictures made at Fox and the fun “B” franchise which came afterward. It retains some of the humor and fun of show more the latter, but also has a more straightforward story in the Holmes vein. This is mostly due to it being based on one of Conan Doyle's stories, albeit updated to modern London. Viewers will find it amusing when Holmes teases Watson about his latest story, A Scandal in Bohemia, appearing in The Strand magazine!

This one starts off with the production of music boxes in prison which find their way to auction. Though plain and ordinary looking, the tune is quite unusual, and apparently of great value. When Watson’s old pal Stinky is murdered over the one he purchased, Holmes manages to outwit a formidable foe in the lovely but black hearted Mrs. Courtney (Patricia Morison) and obtains one of the three sold at auction. He discovers a code within the Australian tune and the game is afoot to prevent another murder and financial disaster for England.

Morison was quite lovely and proves a worthy opponent for our favorite Londoner, actually besting him at one point and nearly disposing of him! Directed by Roy William Neill as usual, fans of the “B” films may find this a bit less energetic than some of the others, having more in common in tone with the two made at Fox. It is quite enjoyable, however, and has a terrific line from Watson at its conclusion fans will relish. A fine entry in the Universal franchise, and one fans must have. show less

This collection contains an intriguing mixture of classic horror stories with some lesser known, but still chilling, selections. From Edgar Allan Poe to Roald Dahl and several entertaining authors in between there are enough stories to keep you awake on a dark and stormy night.

Your enthusiasm (or lack thereof) for The Limping Goose will depend largely on your mood. If you're up for a screwball detective yarn, this book fits the bill; Frank Gruber wasn't as funny as Norbert Davis (who had a singular talent for injecting comedy into the standard hard-boiled proceedings), but he could hold his own with, say, Richard Sale. If you're not feeling especially zany, however, you may want to read something else. Fast-talking New York con artist Johnny Fletcher (accompanied show more by his sidekick, dopey strongman Sam Cragg) hires himself out as a detective to scrape up rent money, and has assorted misadventures as he tries to determine who murdered a business tycoon's son. It's a brisk, kinda-sorta entertaining read, but the premise is just a one-note gag...and the gag has to be relentlessly maintained on every page, lest the story fall apart. Fletcher is supposed to sound clever, but too often he comes across as shrill and pointlessly hostile. Not for a moment is the reader fooled into believing that any of this could happen in the real world; from start to finish, the novel reads like a cartoon.

Gruber was a skilled writer (his horror story "The Thirteenth Floor" is a masterpiece), and the Johnny Fletcher series was a long-running, popular one. The Limping Goose just wasn't my cup of tea, and therefore lands in the won't-read-it-again pile. (Originally published in 1954; reissued as Murder One in 1973.) show less