Rehearsal For Murder

“Rehearsal For Murder” By Frank Bunce. (1957) Mr. Humble is in trouble again. Back home in New York after unmasking a killer on the SS Vagabond, people now look up to the accountant in his role of amateur private detective.  When asked to speak at the Greater-Riverdale-on-the-Hudson-Club, he speaks openly of the city government corruption, and tells the audience that the police hushed up the murder of Judge Steven Roper, by calling it suicide. To make matters worse he even calls a lawyer, Attorney Joseph Standahl a crook and head of the city crime. His speech goes viral, and thankfully, Dorrit Bly hears about it in California. Before she can reach New York, Mr. Humble is set up in a frame by the police, and caught with a prostitute during a raid. Of course, the girl had called offering information, and the police were waiting for him to appear. Now he’s stuck in jail, embarrassed, and no sign of release – until Dorrit Bly arrives with more knowledge of law than the police, and has him out of jail rickety split. Now all she has to do is smooth things over with Joseph Standahl, which she does admirably. People are being murdered over the picture of a dancer. And it all leads back to the judge’s murder. It also involves an old case of child kidnapping. But the murders are framed to look like suicides. It will take the stumbling Mr. Humble and the genius of Dorrit Bly and her photographic memory to unlock the hidden secrets, and unmask another killer. Originating as a pulp magazine mystery series, Dorrit Bly and Mr. Humble were brought into paperbacks editions with at least two books. This is the second. The stories are lots of fun, and I hope I can find more stories featuring this pair. Highly recommended.

So Young A Body

“So Young A Body” by Frank Bunce (Pocket Books, 1950). From the pulps to paperbacks, comes a fun series that originated in DETECTIVE FICTION WEEKLY, featuring Martimer Peabody Humble and Dorrit Bly. Beginning when financial accountant Humble takes a cruise on the SS Vagabond, he’s ashamed of his uninteresting profession, and tells everyone he’s a hardboiled private detective. Also coming on board is the beautiful Dorrit Bly, a young girl who works at a law firm. She also has a photographic memory, and never forgets anything she sees or reads. She also knows how to get her way, and is an extrovert where Mr. Humble is more an introvert. Unfortunately for the latter there’s a murder as soon as the ship is assail, and Captain Wren asks Mr. Humble to solve the case. Dorrit Bly, thinking Humble is really a private detective, tells him she’ll help, as she’s always wanted to be a detective – there’s even a hint that she was in the Army, but not in the job she wanted. If you read between the lines, you know she wanted to be in G-2 intelligence. She soon learns of his duplicity, however, but guides him through the investigation. Humble does solve the case, but as usual Dorrit Bly was far ahead of him, and had everything set up for the final uncovering of the murderer. There are at least two paperback novels featuring the characters, and I will be reviewing the second one, “Rehearsal For Murder” in a few weeks. Although Mr. Humble appears to be the lead in the series, it’s Dorrit Bly who steals the show. Lots of fun, and another of those pulp characters to move into paperbacks when the pulps were dying.