Thu 19 Nov 2009
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: GREGORY DEAN – Murder on Stilts.
Posted by Steve under Authors , Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[5] Comments
William F. Deeck
GREGORY DEAN – Murder on Stilts. Hillman-Curl, 1939; Detective Novel Classic No. 17, no date stated [1943].
There are several things to be sought in a mystery novel. Style, to this reader, is foremost. When the author on page one writes, “He trajected his mind back,” it is a pointer that style will not be found.
Characterization comes next, and the author fails here, too.
Finally — though to many readers the most important aspect of a book — comes plot. In this area Dean gives good value for the money, particularly if you actually paid a Quarter for the reprint.
A good, kindly, thoughtful rich man — most unusual in mystery novels — is murdered in a locked room. Although the murderer’s intent was to have the man’s death appear to be suicide, the murderer botched this aspect rather badly. The rich man was supposed to appear to have shot himself through his blanket while in bed, but there are no powder marks on the blanket.
The window locks have been wiped clean of fingerprints, as has the safe in the room. Dirty work has obviously been afoot.
Fourth Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Simon is the investigator here. It is he who deduces murder rather than suicide. He also figures out early on how and who. He doesn’t reveal it, thus being responsible for another murder. At the end of the novel when he finds out why, all is belatedly revealed.
Unfortunately, the explanation for the murder in the locked room, and a later appearance of the murderer there — while the room again is locked and a policemen is in it — is rather lame.
This novel will be of interest only to those who collect locked-room puzzles. It also may be of interest to another type of collector, but reviewers’ rules do not allow that information to be divulged.
(If anyone is curious about the title, which is the only reason I bought the book, the murdered man lived in what was called “the house on stilts,” a dwelling apparently constructed on a concrete arch. I say “apparently” because this is not mentioned in the novel; it is information provided by the paperback publisher.)
Bibliographic Data: From Bill’s review, it is difficult to imagine that there were additional cases in Commissioner Simon’s career, but it is true. There were two others, as a quick reference to the Revised Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin, will immediately show:
DEAN, GREGORY. Pseudonym of Jacob D. Posner, 1883-?
The Case of Marie Corwin. Covici Friede, hc, 1933. [Dep. Commissioner Benjamin Simon]
The Case of the Fifth Key. Covici Friede, hc, 1934. [Dep. Commissioner Benjamin Simon]
Murder on Stilts. Hillman-Curl, hc, 1939. [Dep. Commissioner Benjamin Simon]
November 19th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Fourth Deputy Commissioner? You have to hope the other three were a bit better at their job.
There are two kinds of bad books — those that are tremendous fun to read and those that just leave you with a headache. Sounds as if this one falls in the latter category. Break out the aspirin bottle.
Some alternative classics are more alternative than classic.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I have one of his earlier books somewhere, but haven’t read. He seems to have been a businessman who had a NYC Jewish memorial hospital named after him, as I recall (I may have this a bit jumbled)? Anyway, it seemed like an interesting background. I had the impression the first two were a bit Van Dineish in conception.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Curt,
Does that earlier book connect the author to the Posner fellow the hospital is named after?
Victor Berch has been doing some research on Posner, and to my surprise, if not his, he’s found too many Jacob Posner’s living in and around Brooklyn to be able to determine which one was the author and when he died.
The one the hospital is named after seems to have died too early to have been writing mysteries in the 1930s. This is so, even if the middle initial is the same.
— Steve
November 21st, 2009 at 12:08 am
I just remember checking that some time ago on google, but he’s not a writer I’ve done anything with. Can’t remember what it said in the book, will have to try to track down.
How many Jacob D. Posners were there at that time?
You guys are good!
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
It’s now definite. The Jacob D. Posner whom the convalescent home was named after died in 1923. Victor has discovered more, but since he’s not the author, there’s no need to keep looking in that particular direction.
Maybe something will surface some day relative to one of the other Jacob Posner’s around at the time, but at the moment we’ve more or less abandoned the search.
— Steve