Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 8/26/2022 + 2567 more book reviews

Another series of crimes---in this case deaths---solved by Mrs. Shackleton, her assistant and her housekeeper. While there were several good suspects, I finally figured out who the killer was about 3/4 of the way through, while berating myself upon realizing a few good clues were dropped early on. Later on, Mr. Sykes' insurance claim investigation just confirms it. I'm not giving anything away as the killer is pretty much identified by that time. In any case, and something you don't always find in a mystery novel, the killer is finally identified by the ventriloquist's dummy.

However, I think the idea of the housekeeper switching cigars with the killer at the last minute was a bit too much.

The time frame for the mystery is in the early 1920s, and I think the suggestion moving pictures will have soon have sound is a bit too much to accept. After all, as Harry Warner---one of the Warner Brothers---once said, "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk."

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