The Grub-and-Stakers Pinch a Poke starts by quoting Robert W. Service's poem, The Shooting of Dan McGrew. That's followed by an old-fashioned cast list of five of the mystery's characters involved in a romantic tangle. Yes, five.

In order to help out an old friend of her mother's and win a nice collection of theatrical memorabilia for the Architrave Museum, Dittany Henbit Monk talks her husband into writing a play. Osbert chooses to base it on unanswered questions in The Shooting of Dan McGrew.

Dangerous Dan is shaping up to be a fine melodrama with Arethusa Monk as the lady known as Lou, Dittany as a sweet child named Evangeline, Ethel as her faithful dog, Fido, and various neighbors as the uncouth prospectors and saloon dancers. They've got Carolus Bledsoe, a lawyer with a great voice, to play the stranger and their local reformed (?) villain, Andrew 'Andy McNasty' McNaster to play Dan.

Stranger things go wrong than Bledsoe's ex-wife taking deadly aim at him during the dress rehearsal. Daggone it, Osbert's agent is bring a theatrical producer to see the play. Everyone's worked so hard. The show must go on!

Loved the description of the play's opening night as well as the romantic tangles. As for the murder attempts, allow Osbert's agent to comment on them.

Ms. Craig/MacLeod has her usual fun with unusual names. I felt sorry for Mrs. Bledsoe's cousin's daughter, though. There are better female names in the Bible. Of course, she could drop the second half and sound fairly normal.

Lobelia Falls/Scottsbeck facts for fellow fans who share my trouble remembering from which book they come:

Chapter 1:

Dot Coskoff once played Dittany's mom's best friend in a Traveling Thespians production of Anne of Green Gables.

Arethusa Monk has been at the Moonlight and Roses convention in New York for a week.

The Architrave is gaining a rep for being one of Ontario's finer small museums.

Scottsbeck has a newspaper called Scottsbeck Sunday Semaphore

Hazel Munson's great-grandfather ran the first 4-4-0 engine through Kicking Horse Pass.

Chapter 2:

Osbert has bought a brand-new ranch wagon because he sold a book to the movies. Maverick Malamute will appear as Pulsing Passion. Read further for the contrast between Osbert's plot and the changes the producer plans to make.

Chapter 3:

Dittany had the measles right after her fourth birthday. Gram Hembit kept the blinds down and wouldn't let her read Peter Rabbit so she wouldn't strain her eyes.

Here's where Dittany makes up Arethusa's fabulous fishbowl.

Some of the theatrical memorabilia in Thorbisher-Freep's collection is mentioned here.

Arethusa's suitcases are pink tapestry.

If the younger Monks stop at a restaurant with their dog in the car, they have two options. One is hurt looks from Ethel.

Chapter 4:

The description of Arethusa's coronation as the reigning queen of regency romances is at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 5:

Osbert's mother is on diet even more strict than Hazel Munson's.

Dittany keeps a magenta-colored pen for special occasions.

Gram Henbit's old mixing bowl is yellow crockery.

Therese Boulanger is the only Grub-and-Staker who both has a ruffling attachment to her sewing machine and knows how to use it. She was making a crib quilt for her granddaughter when she stopped to make ruffles.

Chapter 6:

Osbert's Aunt Ophelia got very fat, an example he tried to use on his Aunt Arethusa.

Chapter 7:

When she was five, Dittany made her public debut playing on Miss Pickley's old piano at the Lobelia Falls school.

Chapter 8:

There aren't many guns in Lobelia Falls because they're archers.

Chapter 11:

Sergeant MacVicar is certain that his wife wouldn't serve him porridge with sugar on it even angry with him because she's a God-fearing woman and knows well that sugar on porridge is against nature and religion.

The MacVicar's daughter-in-law, Nancy, can't seem to help making a roaring success of anything she tries to do.

The Monks keep a canned ham in their refrigerator for emergencies.

Minerva Oakes' old cat, Emmeline, is a dedicated mouser.

Chapter 12:

No one in Lobelia Falls has servants. They hire help as needed or their neighbors pitch in.

The Boulangers' daughter, Felice, has just gotten engaged.

MacVicar thinks Dittany is getting more like her mother every day.

Chapter 13:

Ed and Dave Munson will soon be eligible for promotion from junior to senior male archers.

Helen Munson covers her tea tray with a cloth. Dittany doesn't.

Dave Munson won a portable TV at a hockey club raffle.

Few of the Lobelia Falls inhabitants have much time to watch TV and they don't care.

Sunday dinnertime is from 1:30 to 2:30, give or take 30 minutes, in Lobelia Falls.

Chapter 14:

Arethusa's last book is Perfidy in a Peruke.

Both of the Binkles are choir members at St. Agapantha.

Chapter 15:

Dittany has an afghan her mother crocheted that has orange, vermilion, scarlet, and deep crimson stripes.

Gram Henbit thought telephone extensions were effete and decadent so the Monks don't have one upstairs.

Hazel Munson's brother, Eunonymous Busch, and his wife are visiting.

Gramps Henbit had lazy tongs for when his lumbago acted up.

Chapter 18:

Dittany adores answering her husband's fan mail.

Chapter 19:

The ex-Mrs. Bledsoe is staying with her cousin Reverend Leviticus McLazarus, his wife Zilphah, their sons Amos and Nahum, their daughter Keren-Happuch, and exchange student, M'Bwongo M'Bwungi.

Dittany tries to calm herself before sleep by reading an old Angela Thirknell novel.

Chapter 22:

Arethusa is six weeks behind on The Duchess and the Dastard.

The cobra on the cover appears in the book, but appearances are not necessarily what they seem.

If you like light mysterious with more than a dash of humor, you'll like this book. ( )

Very much like the rest of the books in the series: fun and light, and not meant to be taken at all seriously. Dittany and Osbert are still billing and cooing, Arethusa is an oblivious femme fatale, and the people of Lobelia Falls put on a play. Just right if you're looking for some quick escapism. ( )

I had high hopes for this novel, because I enjoy Charlote MacLoads other novel, but I was disappointed. The story was dated and the characters not that believable. Sergeant MacVicar was particularly bad with his Scottish accent that Alisa Craig tried to put into print, in most cases it was incomprehensible what he was trying to say. ( )

Theatrical mayhem in Lobelia Falls, September 16, 2000
Reviewer: CMBohn "cmb" (Orem, UT USA) - See all my reviews
Ever wondered about the origins of Dangerous Dan McGrew? You know, from the famous poem by Robert Service? Okay, maybe not a FAMOUS poem, but a good one. In this funny story, the Grub-and-Stakers decide to act out the play in the hopes of winning a literary competition. Naturally, things don't go as planned, and someone winds up dead. I really like Alisa Craig and I wish her books were more available. I really recommend this one. ( )