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Friday, July 14, 2017

Friday Forgotten (or Overlooked) Book: CUE FOR MURDER (1942) by Helen McCloy


Considering that this book was published in 1942, it's a bit disconcerting to note that there are young men in the cast of characters who are not in uniform. But perhaps the manuscript was written before Pearl Harbor (the story is set in New York's theater community). Or maybe it was mentioned and I missed it, at any rate:

This is an excellent whodunit by a writer I'd never heard of much less read until now. (If I'm not mistaken, McCloy was recently recommended by a blogging friend whose name (as usual) escapes me at the moment. My paperback copy has an introduction by Anthony Boucher, the brilliant and influential mystery maven author and editor for whom the annual Bouchercon convention of mystery buffs and writers is named. He prized McCloy's talents and champions the fair-minded set of clues the author lays before the reader.

As some of you know, I am less interested in fair-minded clues laid before me than I am in being stumped and intrigued by a clever plot and wonderful writing. And oh yes, I must like (and/or find interesting) the main detective, amateur or otherwise. In this particular case, I wasn't bowled over by Basil Willing, psychologist/sleuth and police help-mate, but I love his name so much that I am willing to overlook the fact that he isn't a very vivid presence in this particular book (the only McCloy book I've read so far). He's okay in the role, but I'll have to read more before I make a final decision.

"BURGLER FREES BIRD
New York, April 28 - Police are puzzled by the odd behavior of a burglar who broke into Marcus Lazarus' knife-grinding shop near West 44th Street shortly before dawn yesterday. Nothing was stolen but the intruder opened the cage of Lazarus' pet canary and set the bird free. The shop is hardly more than a shack in an alley leading to the stage door of the Royalty Theater."

A new production of an old chestnut ('Fedora' by Victorien Sardou) starring vivid with a vengeance actress Wanda Morley gets more publicity than the leading lady (or anyone else) bargained for when one of the actors is murdered on stage at the Royalty theater on opening night. Don't you love when that happens?

Only one of the few characters in a particular scene could have bumped off the actor who (coincidentally) had the part of someone pretending to be dead. Oh. the irony.

Basil Willing, psychologist and medical assistant to the District Attorney's office, shows up on the case, brought in by the entreaties of the young costume designer and her friend (and ex-fiance) the male lead in the show who was apparently panting after the leading lady, a known home-wrecker. Turns out the dead guy was Wanda Morley's latest married fling and Pauline the costume designer believes the police are ready to arrest Rodney Tait, said lead in the show. Motive: jealousy. But Rod says he was most definitely NOT in love with Wanda and that it was she who was chasing him and making his life miserable.

Oh by the way, Basil Willing had been at that opening night and so was already familiar with the case and with the suspicious circumstance of the black caped person climbing up the theater's dark and shadowy fire escape.

There are tons of clues in this fair play mystery and if the reader is as finely attuned to the quirks of human psychology as is Basil Willing, then the murderer will be evident to the reader shortly after a certain fact becomes known about midway through the book.

The two main clues are the freed canary and the odd behavior of a house fly. Though head scratchingly esoteric, it is all explained in the end, remembering that psychologists don't think like the rest of us.

There are, of course, red herrings and the clue of the underlined paragraph in a script which I suppose makes some sort of sense - yet on the whole, it all works together. THOUGH, I must say that the motivation is as old as time but for all the distracting murder mystery finessing and the remarkable luck of the killer who gets away (at least for awhile) with murder twice over on the same character if not the same actor.

Nothing is memorable here except for the canary clue and maybe the fun of the backstage comings and goings, but still I thought this was quite a good example of a tricky whodunit from a lesser known Golden Age author. I will be reading more of her work.

Since it's Friday, don't forget to check in at Todd Mason's blog, Sweet Freedom - Todd is doing hosting duties this week for author Patricia Abbott - to see what other forgotten or overlooked books other bloggers are talking about today.

14 comments:

  1. This sounds very similar to Ngaio Marsh's 1935 book 'Enter a Murderer', which I read a few years ago. That was another theatrical murder, where if I remember correctly, the victim was also playing a dead body on stage! It would be interesting to read and compare the two.

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    1. I believe I read the Marsh book too, years ago. But I can't remember much. Would be fun to compare. One never knows where authors get their ideas.

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  2. I'm a big Helen McCloy fan. Besides being a wonderful writer, she and her then husband Davis Dresser ("Brett Halliday") founded Torquil Publishing. McCloy was a MWA Grand Master. I met her once over drinks at a Bouchercon in the early Seventies and found her to have a warm and genuine personality.

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    1. Bouchercon is the best meeting place. One thing I've found is that most mystery writers - no matter how fiendish their plots - are often very nice people. This is my first McCloy book, Jerry, but I plan to read more.

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  3. i pretty sure i read a McCloy sometime ago, but the fading images of age... anyway, this sounds intriguing; i'll look for a copy... tx....

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    1. They're available for cheap over at Abe Books - free shipping too. :) That's where I got mine.

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  4. I have heard of McCloy but don't know that I have read any of her books. I like the idea of a psychologist / medical assistant as sleuth. And the theatrical setting.

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    1. Oh the theatrical setting is vividly done - works really well. I'm going to order another McCloy book soon as I figure out which one. :)

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  5. I can't believe that you've never heard of Helen McCloy, Yvette. I've written about her numerous times and each time I did there's your name in the comments. HA! This book is not one of my favorites of hers, but it is in fact one of the best theater mysteries by an American writer during the Golden Age. I think she understands very well the creative life and the detachment so many theater people have form reality. The motive is perfect for a theater mystery. Also, one of the biggest clues which you don't mention here is the title itself. I recommend the following as her best mysteries: THE DEADLY TRUTH, THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, and MR. SPLITFOOT, one of her books from the 1960s which is a real throwback to her Golden Age mysteries of the late 1930s. I used to think that her first mystery (DANCE OF DEATH) was one of her best, but its since been supplanted by others.

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    1. John, you know I have old lady memory. I did read your posts and commented so obviously I have heard of McCloy - but since I never went further and read anything by her, I plum forgot I'd heard of her. Obviously I must have noted someone's post since I did go out and buy this book. Having said that, I will now make special note of your recommendations so I can thank you when the time comes. :) Ok, just added the titles you recommend to my A Vintage Mystery board on Pinterest so I will NOT forget.

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  6. I don't need to be knocked off my feet by a book, but I demand it be entertaining and fairly well written. I admit I'm not too sure about this one, notwithstanding the clues of the freed canary and the odd behavior of a house fly. Still, there is a history of your reviews coaxing me to read a book that I end up enjoying very much, so I'll see if I can't find a copy. The first several books in the series are:

    Dance of Death (1938)
    The Man in the Moonlight (1940)
    The Deadly Truth (1941)
    Who's Calling (1942)
    Cue for Murder (1942)
    The Goblin Market (1943)
    The One That Got Away (1945)
    There are 6 more, I think.

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    1. I'm happy to hear that you've enjoyed some of the books I've recommended, Rick. Thanks. Always good to know. And thanks for the list. THE MAN IN THE MOONLIGHT is a great title, think I'll go find the synopsis online.

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  7. But what I want to know is did the canary ever come back?

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    1. I know I worried about that too, Mathew. :) Yes, the canary is never in any danger. It is released inside a building every time, so he is rounded up and brought back to his cage, confused probably, but acquiescent.

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