MCCUTCHEON, GEORGE BARR. Anderson Crow, detective. il *$2 (3½c) Dodd
20–4957
Anderson Crow, besides being the detective of the title, held a number of important municipal offices in the town of Tinkletown, including those of deputy marshal, deputy superintendent of the fire department, commissioner of water-works and others. His zeal on the trail of crime was therefore keen, and he rarely was outwitted, whether he was capturing German spies, or solving the mystery of a suicide or following up the effects of hard cider in the Foreign missionary society. His understudy was Alf Reesling, the village drunkard, who had been sober for twenty-five years, but who was living on the reputation of one hilarious week of his youth. Harry Squires, the editor of the weekly Banner, was a thorn in the side of the detective, although but for him some of his successes would have been failures.
+ − Booklist 16:313 Je ’20
“The tales are written in a farcical, extravagant style which, when applied to characters obviously intended to represent everyday human beings, needs a strong dash of humor to make it palatable. Mr McCutcheon has not made them funny enough. The illustrations, by the author’s famous brother, are full of ‘pep’ as one would expect them to be.”
+ − N Y Times 25:199 Ap 18 ’20 300w
“Good fun.”
+ Outlook 124:657 Ap 14 ’20 50w
“While sketchy and episodical, the narrative is well knit. It is, perhaps, not far from the truth to say that Mr McCutcheon’s story is a satire on the detective creation of the fiction writers.”