Sun 26 Mar 2017
HELEN McCLOY – Do Not Disturb. William Morrow, hardcover, 1943. Tower Books, hardcover reprint, 1945. Dell #261, paperback [mapback edition]; no date stated [1948].
When Edith Talbot knocks on the door of the hotel room in which she hears someone frantically sobbing, she can’t imagine what kind of trouble she’s about to get into. The very next day she finds a dead man in her room, and she flees, thinking shes been framed for murder, and that the police are behind it.
This may sound like an awfully weak premise upon which to base a book, but keep in mind that this was wartime, and everyone’s nerves were on edge. I’d never thought of Helen McCloy as a fine writer before, but after the detailed paces she puts poor Mrs. Talbot through, I’m a believer.
The story’s dated and flawed by three huge coincidences, but if you’re in the right kind of mood for it, this crisp little detective thriller still has what it takes to make an impact today.
March 26th, 2017 at 6:14 pm
I wrote this back when most of my reviews were very short. I had a reason for this at the time, but today I find them either annoying or teasers only.
This one falls in the latter category. I don’t remember this one, except for what’s in the review. The chances are good that I’d enjoy reading it again, but what I wish is that I’d said more about it back then!
What I do know is that other than her Basil Willing stories, I haven’t read enough of Helen McCloy’s books to have much of an opinion of them. If I could find my copy of this one, I think I’d read it next.
March 26th, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Here’s my review of CUE FOR MURDER, a Basil Willing mystery posted here on this blog last January:
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=45328
Obviously I do remember this one. It’s a very good puzzle mystery. I really will have to read more of her work!
March 27th, 2017 at 5:19 am
THE PLEASANT ASSASSIN AND OTHER CASES was the Basil Willing collection put out by Crippen & Landru and, surprisingly to me, the only one of her books I seem to have read.
March 27th, 2017 at 7:50 am
What I’m going to do is track down some of her earliest books. She wrote nine books between 1938 and 1945, and I have a feeling that some of these may be among her best:
Dance of Death (n.) Morrow 1938 [New York City, NY; Dr. Basil Willing]
The Man in the Moonlight (n.) Morrow 1940 [Academia; Dr. Basil Willing; New York City, NY]
The Deadly Truth (n.) Morrow 1941 [Long Island, NY; Dr. Basil Willing]
Cue for Murder (n.) Morrow 1942 [Theatre; Dr. Basil Willing; New York City, NY]
Who’s Calling? (n.) Morrow 1942 [Dr. Basil Willing]
Do Not Disturb (n.) Morrow 1943 [New York City, NY]
The Goblin Market (n.) Morrow 1943 [Caribbean; Dr. Basil Willing; Capt. Miguel Urizar]
Panic (n.) Morrow 1944 [New York]
The One That Got Away (n.) Morrow 1945 [Scotland; Dr. Basil Willing]
March 27th, 2017 at 7:46 pm
These early McCloy novels are indeed rich.
I especially liked:
Dance of Death
The Man in the Moonlight
Cue for Murder
The Goblin Market
The One That Got Away
March 27th, 2017 at 8:15 pm
McCloy is one of those writers unjustly forgotten today. THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY is a tour de force.
January 17th, 2019 at 12:33 pm
[…] but slightly neurotic voice of its heroine, a divorcée named Edith Talbot, this standalone tale begins with Talbot’s desperate nighttime search for lodging in a Manhattan where the U.S. […]