Thu 4 Feb 2010
A. A. FAIR [Erle Stanley Gardner] – Crows Can’t Count.
William Morrow, hardcover, 1946. Paperback reprints include: Dell 472, mapback edition, 1950; Dell D373, McGinnis cover art, September 1960 (shown); Dell 1625, September 1972.
Bertha Cool and Donald Lam, two of the best-named characters in American crime fiction, are hired by the trustee of an estate to find out why an emerald necklace belonging to the estate has gone missing. Complications ensue when the other trustee is murdered, leaving behind a pet crow whose behavior is the key to the title.
This is as irritating a well-crafted book as one might encounter. The plot is convoluted, with the motives and behavior of several completely offstage characters playing important roles. A portion of the book takes place in Colombia, and south-of-the-border stereotypes are pervasive. Bertha Cool comes across as completely useless.
As an example of craft, here’s how Lam describes a meal:
Gardner is worth reading, but this one is for completists.
Previously reviewed on this blog:
Crows Can’t Count (by Steve Lewis)
Owls Don’t Blink (by Marcia Muller)
Kept Women Can’t Quit (by Steve Lewis)