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Loading... The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mystery) (original 1931; edition 2007)by Stuart Palmer
Work InformationThe Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer (1931)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. 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! 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! 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. no reviews | add a review
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On a trip to the New York Aquarium with her third-grade class, a teacher discovers a dead body: "One of the world's shrewdest and most amusing detectives" (The New York Times). For the third graders at Jefferson School, a field trip is always a treat. But one day at the New York Aquarium, they get much more excitement than they bargained for. A pickpocket sprints past, stolen purse in hand, and is making his way to the exit when their teacher, the prim Hildegarde Withers, knocks him down with her umbrella. By the time the police and the security guards finish arguing about what to do with Chicago Lew, he has escaped, and Miss Withers has found something far more interesting: a murdered stockbroker floating in the penguin tank. With the help of Detective Oscar Piper, this no-nonsense spinster embarks on her first of many adventures. The mystery is baffling, the killer dangerous, but for a woman who can control a gaggle of noisy third graders, murder isn't frightening at all. The Penguin Pool Murder is part of the Hildegarde Withers Mysteries series, which also includes Murder on the Blackboard and Murder on Wheels. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.52Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1900-1944LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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A fun Golden Age mystery, even if I did figure it out about halfway through. ( )