Washington is the scene of this mystery story. Zimony Newman, suspected of being a German spy, is murdered in her apartment in the Melwood. Suspicion rests chiefly upon John Thayer, a young senator, and Knowles, an inventor who had once employed Miss Newman as his secretary. Other characters are Felix Conrad, a retired German-American manufacturer, and his secretary, David Gower, and Rosalie, Conrad’s daughter, who is engaged to John. Two detectives are occupied with the case, one the typical secret service man, working with conventional methods, the other Hastings, who whittles away with his jack knife and thinks.
“A well worked out detective story. Although conventional, the characters are interesting and the climax unexpected.”
+ Booklist 16:312 Je ’20
“The author’s style, simple, terse and gripping makes it easy to follow the dramatic happenings that finally lead to the dénouement.”
+ N Y Times 25:165 Ap 11 ’20 650w Springf’d Republican p8a S 19 ’20 140w
HAY, JAMES. “No clue!” *$1.75 (2½c) Dodd
20–15703
Like most mystery stories, this one begins with a murder. The victim is a young girl, Mildred Brace, the scene the lawn in front of “Sloanehurst,” the time, around midnight on a rainy night in summer. With so much known, it is left to Jefferson Hastings, an elderly detective who happened to be staying at Sloanehurst at the time, to discover the murderer and the motive. Also at Sloanehurst as week-end guests were Berne Webster, Lucille Sloane’s fiancé, and Judge Wilton, Mr Sloane’s close friend. From circumstantial evidence, Webster seemed guilty, as he had recently discharged Mildred from his office and she had since annoyed him with threats of a breach of promise suit. But Hastings mulled over the case and was not satisfied with circumstantial evidence. He got in touch with Mrs Brace, the girl’s mother, and upon discovering what manner of woman she was, became convinced that she held the key to the mystery in her hands. He played on her weakness, love of money, and eventually brought to light the facts that he had been sure existed—which completely cleared Webster and brought the criminal to justice.