Fri 23 Aug 2013
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: E. L. WITHERS – Diminishing Returns.
Posted by Steve under Authors , Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Crime Fiction IV , Reviews[12] Comments
William F. Deeck
E. L. WITHERS – Diminishing Returns. Holt Rinehart & Winston, hardcover, 1960. Permabook M-4203, paperback, 1961.
Six people are having a nightcap. All are poisoned, but only one dies. Then the other five start dying one by one the next time they get together in ways that are made to appear accidental.
An excellent plot here. Unfortunately, Withers is not able to carry it out without gaping flaws.
The poison used in the first instance is arsenic, which the author thinks acts almost immediately upon ingestion. There is no explanation for the efforts to make the later deaths appear to be accidents when it is obvious — well, fairly obvious — that the poisoning was murder. One “accidental” death is from a broken neck; possible, to be sure, but most unlikely as described. There are other problems that will be left to the keen-eyed reader to spot.
To make up for the somewhat strained logic, Withers provides a most delightful detective — this is his only appearance, alas — named Weatherby, who seems to have no first name.
Weatherby is a retired lawyer, probably a septuagenarian, who likes to sleep until noon and stay up late, who smokes a lot and drinks a great deal, leading to “a slight fuzziness which was always urbane and gentle and good-humored.” He also has no desire “to walk when he could stand still, or to stand still when he could sit, or to sit when he could recline.”
Read this for the “little old man” detective.
Bibliography: (Taken from the Revised Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin.)
E. L. WITHERS. Pseudonym of George William Potter, Jr., 1930-2010.
The House on the Beach. Rinehart 1957
The Salazar Grant. Rinehart 1959
Diminishing Returns. Rinehart 1960
Heir Apparent. Doubleday 1961
The Birthday. Doubleday 1962
August 24th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
This is an author of whom I’ve never heard. Thanks!
Spinster sleuths are everywhere. But older man sleuths are much rarer. “Gramps Wiggins” In a pair of Erle Stanley Gardner novels comes to mind. The Case of the Turning Tide (1941) and the better second novel The Case of the Smoking Chimney (1943) might make interesting TV mysteries.
I’m a huge fan of Dick Van Dyke and his DIAGNOSIS MURDER television series. The better episodes are whodunits, and lots of fun.
August 24th, 2013 at 4:58 pm
In the July-August 1980 issue of The MYSTERY FANcier, my friend Ellen Nehr had an article entitled “Little Old Men with Whom I’m Only Slightly Acquainted.” It’s too long to reprint and post here, but the piece consists of short write-ups about Little Old Men detectives.
Here’s a list:
Webster Flagg, negro butler/houseman, by Veronica Parker Johns.
Jim Qwilleran, cat fancier, by Lillian Jackson Braun (at the time there were only three books in the series)
Sheriff Moss Magill, by Dorothy Gardiner
St. George Peachy, M.D., by Richard Starnes
Leonidas Witherall, janitor in a used book shop, by Alice Tilton (Phoebe Atwood Taylor)
Homer Evans, wealthy American expatriate, by Elliot Paul
Asey Mayo, Cape Cod handyman, by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
Elisha Macomber, Martha’s Vineyard senior selectman, by Kathleen Moore Knight
Pierre Chambron, hotel manager, by Hugh Pentecost
August 24th, 2013 at 8:06 pm
Leonidas Witherall was a teacher and secret author who looked like William Shakespeare.
August 25th, 2013 at 12:49 am
You’re right on Witherall. I read Ellen’s description too quickly. It was only the first book that Witherall, recently retired from academia, had to take that job as a janitor in a used book store. At the end of the book he learns that he has inherited a lot of money, a turn of events which I wouldn’t mind if it happened to me.
On the side, yes, he was in secret a pulp fiction writer, but his most well known claim to fame was that he looked like William Shakespeare. I’ve listened to several episodes of the radio show, but alas, I’ve never read any of the books. Always meant to, but double alas, you’ve found me out.
August 25th, 2013 at 8:07 am
There’s a pensioner sleuth Max Guttman reviewed on Mystery*File here:
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=1897
I have the second book You’re Never Too Old to Die which is set in California after Max moves to live with his daughter and her family. There must be some British ones but I can’t think of any at the moment
August 25th, 2013 at 10:40 am
Jamie
Max Guttman certainly fits the category. He’s one that Ellen missed, and there must be plenty more, especially ones that came along after she wrote her article. (I wish I had the time to put some research into this myself, but alas, at the moment, I don’t.)
February 10th, 2016 at 5:21 pm
Beautiful novel.
It uses the ploy of the subject disappeared returning, varying it with virtuosity. The novel combines with a clever flashback game, the tension of the thriller to the slowness of mystery, creating an interesting combination. Only the author flaws: the fact of not knowing the modus operandi of arsenic, which can not determine the death in a short time such as cyanide, but in at least three days. As I write in my article recently published in Italian on my Italian blog
( http://lamortesaleggere.myblog.it/2016/02/10/l-withers-diabolico-intrigo-diminishing-returns-1960-trad-giuseppe-aloardi-i-romanzi-del-corriere-1961/ ),
Potter didn’t know well Agatha Christie or Anthony Berkeley. In the future, the article will be published also in English on another my blog: Death Can Read.
February 10th, 2016 at 8:20 pm
Pietro
This is a book that I still haven’t read but after reading your comment, I now really think I should.
Here’s a link to your English language site:
http://deathcanread.blogspot.it/
Hope you’ll let us know when you publish your article there. Thanks for stopping by!
August 21st, 2022 at 8:59 pm
I recommend another book by this author, The House on the Beach. Here is my review: https://www.librarything.com/work/613531/reviews/23792874
August 21st, 2022 at 10:51 pm
A great review. Thanks!!
March 8th, 2023 at 5:30 pm
EL Withers’ real name was George Potter. Below is an obituary that cites his published works. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kansascity/name/george-potter-obituary?id=4500312
March 8th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
Thanks for the link. It was interesting to note that the obituary says he wrote six mysteries under the Withers byline, but the sixth, ROYAL BLODD, does not appear to be fiction.