The Penguin Pool Murder

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a teacher myself; therefore, I am admittedly inclined to love the no-nonsense Miss Hildegarde Withers, a third-grade teacher at Jefferson School in New York City just months after the 1929 Stock Market Crash. However, you don't have to be a schoolteacher to fall in love with Miss Withers!

The novel begins with Miss Withers and her overly enthusiastic charges on a field trip at the New York Aquarium. While there, Miss Withers -- unflappable, clever, acerbic and observant -- foils a purse snatching and then forcefully introduces herself into a murder investigation. Miss Withers and a student find the victim, an unsavory and possibly unscrupulous stockbroker by the name of Gerald Lester, in the show more penguin exhibit. Teaming up with the investigating police officer, the cigar-chomping Inspector Piper, Miss Withers proves herself more than his equal in ferreting out the facts of the case and the identity of the murder.

The Penguin Pool Murder reminds one of the filmed version of Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man or a Noël Coward play. The witty dialogue and pitch-perfect characters create a sparkling book evocative of the 1920s and 1930s. How is it that Miss Withers isn't more well known? She certainly ranks up with there with Roderick Alleyn, Lord Peter Whimsey, Miss Maud Silver, and Albert Campion -- all of whom are much, much more celebrated.

Published in 1931, the slim novel is firmly grounded in the period. While just in her 30s, Miss Hildegarde is already deemed a spinster. Lester's beautiful wife, Gwen, emerges as a blonde narcissist who uses men without an afterthought. Police routinely and openly beat confessions out of suspects in a time where "the third degree" isn't just an idiom for intensive questioning. Inspector Piper calls secretaries and receptionists "baby" and "girl" with the casual sexism of the era. The country is lurching into what will become known as the Great Depression. But the novel never feels dated, and Miss Withers never seems the least bit archaic. Instead, the reader will feel Miss Withers' joyous excitement at the chance to take part in the murder investigation and her well-founded sense of confidence. As she puts it while sparring with the hard-headed Inspector Piper:

I'm having the time of my life. And I tell you for your own good that some person like me, who doesn't look at all like a detective, could find out more in ten minutes from most people than any three of your operatives.

This is the first in a mystery series by Stuart Palmer. How wonderful that the prolific Palmer penned 19 more adventures for Miss Withers! show less

Interesting to read a mystery dated 1931. Besides the utter lack of technology, the reader gets a peek at how offices were run, the implicit racism of the day ("little black Abraham"), and gender bias to name a few startling commonplaces.

The plot itself is so rife with possible motives, opportunities, and means that I give Palmer kudos for keeping it all straight without a spreadsheet!

I don't usually pick the murderer out of the gate, but I did in this one. Not a bad one, but SP is clearly still hitting his stride with Ms. Withers & co - it's not as smart or atmospheric as [b:The Puzzle of the Red Stallion|2557351|The Puzzle of the Red Stallion|Stuart Palmer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329323946s/2557351.jpg|2565798]. I'll definitely keep going in the series, though!

Reminds me of the fun in the old mystery films from the thirties, well, it takes place just after The Crash, and was published in 1931. Miss Withers is believable, and a young Kate Hepburn would have done justice to her snarks and take-charge attitude. The cigar chewing detective who is smart enough to enlist her help is well done, also. It is a pleasant read with enough twists and misdirections to keep it interesting.
Ms. McKay was perfect as Hildegard, and did okay with the men, too.
I am glad that I bought it on the cheap as Whispersync courtesy of EarlyBirdBooks.com.

Great pains have been taken in the production of this audio book through accents and the like to emphasise both the New York setting of this story and the period in which it is set, just after the Wall street crash.

I found the premise of an NYPD detective in investigative partnership with a spinster school teacher rather unlikely but the plot is an intriguing one, and despite the early arrest of the victim's wife's lover, there are a number of possible candidates, all of whom are explored as the plot unfolds. The truth, when it "outed", came as a surprise, because I had not considered that particular possibility, indeed did not think that particular person had any motive. But perhaps I should have asked myself why he was at the Aquarium show more that particular morning.

You will have noted that this is #1 in the Hildegarde Withers series. Will I read another? I'm not sure. In some ways this novel was a bit dated, but then again a number of titles in the series have recently been released in audio format, so I might. show less

Funny in these mysteries, in the last Golden Age mystery I read, an unmarried woman of 65 or 64 was considered an elderly, delicate lady. In this one, a "spinster" of 39 is considered past her prime and middle-aged. Now-a-days, a woman of 39 is just coming into her own and a woman in her 60's is usually vibrant and thriving. Change of life expectancy and perspective I suppose. This book had too many errors for my taste. If I can spot them, there are too many. The Irishman's brogue was inconsistant and annoying. Didn't like the story. The mystery wasn't bad, but the characters were inconsistent and artifical. Mr. Palmer needed a better editor.

A fun Golden Age mystery, even if I did figure it out about halfway through.