But He Was Already Dead When I Got There

by Barbara Paul

When the partners of Ellandy Jewels accepted a loan to keep their store afloat, they had no idea that Vincent Farwell would make their lives a living hell. The rich old miser is as unforgiving as a loan shark, and he never misses a chance to remind them that they're in his debt. Finally, Vincent demands full repayment of the loan – $1.5 million – in two weeks. He'll get his money in blood. When Vincent is found dead in his study, everyone with interest in Ellandy is a suspect. To find the real killer, the six associates will have to figure out just who can be trusted.

Genres: Mystery

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Barbara Paul is an American writer of detective stories and science fiction. She was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1931 and was educated, inter alia, at Bowling Green State University and the University of Pittsburgh.

A number of her novels feature in-jokes: for example Full Frontal Murder borrows various names from the British TV series Blake's 7.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another "meh, it was ok" cheap thriftstore find.

[_inbetween_]

Had searched for this author last century, then never read the one book I got. Was distracted during the first part of it. The constant rearranging of the crime scene was fun and very cinematic or TV-crime-show like. The suspects only became people once the cops met them. The references to classic b/w actors was nice. Otherwise, I'm not sure. Paul based it on the line that is said in every Perry Mason show she ever saw, and dedicates it to the good oldfashioned thrillers with real stories instead of explosions, but it's not like P.G.Wodehouse, as the cover claims. The characters are purposely drawn to not be cared about, but above mentioned moments don't make it have enough style to pull that off, IMO. Then again I never got round to reading Mitford or Pym.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

read in April 1994
another witty mystery involving less than sympathetic characters who deal with things in somewhat unethical ways

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty amusing twist on the classic murder mystery that does not take itself at all seriously. A horrible old man in a wheelchair bullies the six people connected to a jewelry business and calls in a loan they can't pay. He ends up dead in the library and we watch while all six plus the butler and housekeeper mess with the crime scene before the exasperated police detective is called in. Everyone's been lying to everyone about where they've been and who they've had affairs with. And Godfrey Daniel, the cat, winds his way about the people and the furniture alternately purring and using his claws.

My favorite bit of dialog:

"Godfrey Daniel!" [the Lieutenant] exploded.
"Meow?" said Godfrey.
(p. 242)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The six people visiting wheelchair-bound Vincent Farwell are all interested in the success of EllanDy Jewelry company. But Uncle Vincent (to the wife of one of the partners) is going to call in his one and a half million dollar loan, and he won't listen to reason. As the night progresses, one after another of the group sneaks back into the room, only to find--well, read the title. Then the two resident servants take a hand, too. It's a lot for Lt. Toomey and Sgt. Rizzuto to disentangle, but soon there's only one person who could have, would have, committed murder.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Farwell announces to the group he will not extend a loan to Ellandy Jewels. One by one, the six in attendance return and find him dead.