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Mr. & Mrs. North #24
The Judge Is Reversed
A Main Line Mystery.
When a cat-show judge is murdered, Mr. and Mrs. North are drawn into a hairy homicide
There are three things Pamela North can't resist: cocktails, kittens, and murder. Today, she'll get all three. Still mourning the death of her beloved cat, Martini, Pamela gathers the strength to attend the fifty-third annual Colony Cat Club championship show, where she meets tomcats and tabbies of every stripe. Each one is more adorable than the last, but one of them might just be worth killing for.
Those who dedicate their lives to breeding felines would do anything for one of the Colony's blue ribbons. So when one of the judges is accused of corruption, Pamela writes it off as sour grapes. But when the judge is found with his head bashed in and his precious kitties mewling beside his body, Pamela and her husband, Jerry, jump at the chance to investigate. For Mrs. North, this kind of killing is catnip.
The Judge Is Reversed is the 24th book in the Mr. and Mrs. North Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
When a cat-show judge is murdered, Mr. and Mrs. North are drawn into a hairy homicide
There are three things Pamela North can't resist: cocktails, kittens, and murder. Today, she'll get all three. Still mourning the death of her beloved cat, Martini, Pamela gathers the strength to attend the fifty-third annual Colony Cat Club championship show, where she meets tomcats and tabbies of every stripe. Each one is more adorable than the last, but one of them might just be worth killing for.
Those who dedicate their lives to breeding felines would do anything for one of the Colony's blue ribbons. So when one of the judges is accused of corruption, Pamela writes it off as sour grapes. But when the judge is found with his head bashed in and his precious kitties mewling beside his body, Pamela and her husband, Jerry, jump at the chance to investigate. For Mrs. North, this kind of killing is catnip.
The Judge Is Reversed is the 24th book in the Mr. and Mrs. North Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
188 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1960
23 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Frances Lockridge
95 books48 followersFrances Louise (Davis) Lockridge wrote popular mysteries and children's books with husband Richard Lockridge. They also published under the shared pseudonym Francis Richards.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 10, 2021
John Blanchard was an expert on many things from law to cats to tennis to bridge. One of those activities might just have made him an expert on being a murder victim. As an expert on cats and tennis, he had served as a judge for cat shows and a line judge for tennis. His most recent outings in both arenas had caused a bit of commotion--from being accused of bias by Rebecca Wreuth, owner of Morland's Enchanted Lady of Purrland, at the Colony Cat Club's championship show to accusations of deliberately spoiling the pro chances of Doug Mears at the Forest Hills tennis championship tournament. His interest in animals and law has him crossing swords (verbally) with Floyd Ackerman in the Times letters to the editor. Ackerman is a rabid anti-vivisectionist and has taken great exception to Blanchard's latest response. As a bridge player, Blanchard regularly sees his old friend Graham Lantham. He also sees a great deal of Lantham's rather pretty daughter, has hopes of marrying her, and has already made a rather generous provision for her in his will. And, though he no longer actively practices law, he still has his hand in as trustee for a few estates--one of which has produced some difficulties in settlement.
When Blanchard is discovered in his home with his head bashed in, Captain Bill Weigand is given to wondering which (if any) of the dead man's interests have led to his death. And, of course, much to the dismay of Sergeant Mullins, the Norths are in it and bound to make it screwy again. Blanchard was discovered by the veterinarian who had come to give one of his cats a shot. Mullins, already uneasy about the cats, had looked askance at the odd little man with green pants and red coat and been a bit reluctant to believe his claims. When asked if anyone could verify his identity, Dr. Gebhardt had told him to
"Call them up and say you've got a bald little man with eyebrows, wearing funny clothes who says he's Dr. Oscar Gebhardt, a cat specialist. Ask them if they've ever heard he goes around killing people....all right, call some people named North. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald. They just might--" He stopped because Mullins's face had changed. It seemed to Oscar Gebhardt, D.V.S., that it had changed for the worse.
It's not that Mullins doesn't like the Norths. He does. He doesn't understand them--especially Pamela North--but he does like them. But he doesn't like what they do to a case. And he doesn't like what their involvement in a case does to Inspector O'Malley and what O'Malley thinks of police officers who allow "those Norths" to barge into investigations.
Of course, the Norths were already in it, so to speak. Pam, who was "sampling cats" in her search to find a successor to their beloved Martini, had observed the argument between Rebecca Wreuth and Blanchard over his inability to recognize that Enchanted Lady deserved a blue ribbon. Pam and Jerry, tennis enthusiasts, had been on hand to see the heated response of Doug Mears to Blanchard's interpretation of the foot fault rules in tennis...and the subsequent altercation in the refreshment area when Doug also seemed to take great exception to Blanchard's attentions to Miss Hilda Latham. As Pam tells Sergeant Mullins (and Weigand) later when they've come to identify Dr. Gebhardt, "We knew Mr. Blanchard was going to be killed." Well, not exactly--but they did notice that he had a tendency to collect opponents, if not enemies. Weigand will have to evaluate the opponents and judge which one earns the blue ribbon in murder.
This is, I think, a strong entry in the last few books of the Mr. & Mrs. North series. The focus is actually more on Weigand and the police procedure and less on Pam North and her attempts to detect. She winds up mixed up in the middle of the denouement, but her mission is entirely different. Of course, her penchant for noticing things and then, unthinkingly, blurting out what she noticed to the wrong person puts her in danger, but we know that the cavalry (in the person of Bill Weigand) will ride in just in time to prevent her untimely demise.
The mystery is fairly light-weight, but I find these books so much fun that it's nice to know that there's a nice comfortable read ahead with no heavy-lifting needed. Just perfect for a rainy day's read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
When Blanchard is discovered in his home with his head bashed in, Captain Bill Weigand is given to wondering which (if any) of the dead man's interests have led to his death. And, of course, much to the dismay of Sergeant Mullins, the Norths are in it and bound to make it screwy again. Blanchard was discovered by the veterinarian who had come to give one of his cats a shot. Mullins, already uneasy about the cats, had looked askance at the odd little man with green pants and red coat and been a bit reluctant to believe his claims. When asked if anyone could verify his identity, Dr. Gebhardt had told him to
"Call them up and say you've got a bald little man with eyebrows, wearing funny clothes who says he's Dr. Oscar Gebhardt, a cat specialist. Ask them if they've ever heard he goes around killing people....all right, call some people named North. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald. They just might--" He stopped because Mullins's face had changed. It seemed to Oscar Gebhardt, D.V.S., that it had changed for the worse.
It's not that Mullins doesn't like the Norths. He does. He doesn't understand them--especially Pamela North--but he does like them. But he doesn't like what they do to a case. And he doesn't like what their involvement in a case does to Inspector O'Malley and what O'Malley thinks of police officers who allow "those Norths" to barge into investigations.
Of course, the Norths were already in it, so to speak. Pam, who was "sampling cats" in her search to find a successor to their beloved Martini, had observed the argument between Rebecca Wreuth and Blanchard over his inability to recognize that Enchanted Lady deserved a blue ribbon. Pam and Jerry, tennis enthusiasts, had been on hand to see the heated response of Doug Mears to Blanchard's interpretation of the foot fault rules in tennis...and the subsequent altercation in the refreshment area when Doug also seemed to take great exception to Blanchard's attentions to Miss Hilda Latham. As Pam tells Sergeant Mullins (and Weigand) later when they've come to identify Dr. Gebhardt, "We knew Mr. Blanchard was going to be killed." Well, not exactly--but they did notice that he had a tendency to collect opponents, if not enemies. Weigand will have to evaluate the opponents and judge which one earns the blue ribbon in murder.
This is, I think, a strong entry in the last few books of the Mr. & Mrs. North series. The focus is actually more on Weigand and the police procedure and less on Pam North and her attempts to detect. She winds up mixed up in the middle of the denouement, but her mission is entirely different. Of course, her penchant for noticing things and then, unthinkingly, blurting out what she noticed to the wrong person puts her in danger, but we know that the cavalry (in the person of Bill Weigand) will ride in just in time to prevent her untimely demise.
The mystery is fairly light-weight, but I find these books so much fun that it's nice to know that there's a nice comfortable read ahead with no heavy-lifting needed. Just perfect for a rainy day's read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
June 8, 2010
A man - part tennis judge, part attorney, part cat lover is killed. Of course Jerry and Pam get involved. Very intricate murder mystery this time.
Fave quote-
It made, obviously, no sense. There is little point in telling a man who is hysterical, who has gone over the final edge, that what he says- what he screams- makes no sense.
"Of course you have," Jerry said, and tried to make his voice a soothing voice; tried to get understanding sympathy into his voice. He made a decision. "Al right," he said. "Come here, then. We'll talk it over I promise until we do I won't..."
"You must," Ackerman said, "think I'm crazy..."
There was no immediate answer possible to this. It was clear that merely saying "Yes," would be of no help.
Fave quote-
It made, obviously, no sense. There is little point in telling a man who is hysterical, who has gone over the final edge, that what he says- what he screams- makes no sense.
"Of course you have," Jerry said, and tried to make his voice a soothing voice; tried to get understanding sympathy into his voice. He made a decision. "Al right," he said. "Come here, then. We'll talk it over I promise until we do I won't..."
"You must," Ackerman said, "think I'm crazy..."
There was no immediate answer possible to this. It was clear that merely saying "Yes," would be of no help.
February 17, 2017
Pam and Jerry are in search of a new cat after the death of Martini the Siamese and it leads them to a murder. This one wasn't too complicated, although I admit the murderer kind of surprised me but not really (I'm started to sound like Pam!)... the murderer made sense at the end.
I think one of the things that really struck me about this (and all of the North books, to be honest) is the gentle love and adoration Pam and Jerry share for each other and for their cats. It's sweet to see love expressed in ever day actions rather than always saying "I love you," gazing soulfully at each other, and falling into bed as in many modern books. These two people have a deep understanding of each other, and communicate their love in sweet, odd little ways, often teasing but very caring. Bill and Dorian Weigand have a similar relationship, but without the cats.
I think one of the things that really struck me about this (and all of the North books, to be honest) is the gentle love and adoration Pam and Jerry share for each other and for their cats. It's sweet to see love expressed in ever day actions rather than always saying "I love you," gazing soulfully at each other, and falling into bed as in many modern books. These two people have a deep understanding of each other, and communicate their love in sweet, odd little ways, often teasing but very caring. Bill and Dorian Weigand have a similar relationship, but without the cats.
November 13, 2019
Cats and tennis, with a side order of controversy.
Cats are a given in the Mr and Mrs North books, starting with Pete who helped solve the mystery of the body in the bathtub. Not that Pete gave a tinker's damn about the body or who put it there. He was just nosing around like cats do. Since then, we've had Ruffie and Toughy, and then Martini and her daughters Gin and Sherry. But pets seldom out-live their owners and when this book opens, the Norths are cat-less. Like all good pet owners, they mourn the death and think they'll never own another animal. Then they see an appealing one and start all over again.
And so Pam North goes to a cat show, but NOT expecting to buy a cat. She wants another Siamese, but doesn't care for the pointed faces of the "show-quality" cats. She wants one with a round face. Still, she's interested to observe a judge at work and a violent argument between the judge and an owner whose cat didn't get a ribbon. In animal shows, tempers run high and judges aren't always popular.
Neither are those who referee tennis matches. In the 1960's, tennis became a popular middle-class past-time. Frances and Richard Lockridge must have been bitten by the bug, since the last few books in the series feature tennis. In this book, they watch some amateur matches and a talented young player is deprived of the game by a persnickety linesman who keeps calling foot-faults. The young man explodes and threatens the linesman. To Pam's amazement, it's the same man who was threatened by an irate cat owner. Retired lawyer John Blanchard likes to live dangerously.
And he has strong opinions on topics of public interest, too. In the 1950's there were important medical breakthroughs, such as the polio vaccine. But those miracles were achieved at the cost of killing hundreds of animals during research and animal testing became a controversial topic. In New York City, one group has been vocal against testing on animals and Mr. Blanchard writes a scathing denunciation of them to the "New York Times." Now Floyd Ackerman, the passionate leader of the group, is after Blanchard's scalp, too.
When someone brains Blanchard in his apartment, it's easier to say who isn't a suspect than who is. Complicating matters is the fact that Blanchard was a wealthy man and the old friends' whose daughter is the main beneficiary of his will REALLY need the money. So who dunnit?
This isn't my favorite book in this series. I found the tennis talk boring and I was irritated at the authors' heavy-handed denunciation of anti-vivisectionists, who are painted as nut-cases and animals-haters who discount the benefits of medical advances. Today, the objection to animal testing (especially of cosmetics) has become a mainstream movement, but even then I can't believe that they were as loony a group as they seem in this book. I've no objection to writers injecting their political beliefs into their novels, but some attempt should be made to be even-handed.
Still, it's a good mystery. A record THREE times does it appear that Captain Bill Weigand of the NYPD and his trusty side-kick Sgt. Mullins have the murderer identified, but each time the plot takes a twist and another suspect has to be eliminated. A policeman's lot is not an easy one. The solution is startling and completely believable, but only if you've put the clues together properly. So you get to pit your wits against a wily murderer AND sweat it out as Pam North gets herself in yet another perilous situation. Speaking of cats.... That woman must have more lives than a very lucky one. I love this series and am sorry to be so near to the end of it. If you like clever mysteries from times gone past, you should investigate this series.
Cats are a given in the Mr and Mrs North books, starting with Pete who helped solve the mystery of the body in the bathtub. Not that Pete gave a tinker's damn about the body or who put it there. He was just nosing around like cats do. Since then, we've had Ruffie and Toughy, and then Martini and her daughters Gin and Sherry. But pets seldom out-live their owners and when this book opens, the Norths are cat-less. Like all good pet owners, they mourn the death and think they'll never own another animal. Then they see an appealing one and start all over again.
And so Pam North goes to a cat show, but NOT expecting to buy a cat. She wants another Siamese, but doesn't care for the pointed faces of the "show-quality" cats. She wants one with a round face. Still, she's interested to observe a judge at work and a violent argument between the judge and an owner whose cat didn't get a ribbon. In animal shows, tempers run high and judges aren't always popular.
Neither are those who referee tennis matches. In the 1960's, tennis became a popular middle-class past-time. Frances and Richard Lockridge must have been bitten by the bug, since the last few books in the series feature tennis. In this book, they watch some amateur matches and a talented young player is deprived of the game by a persnickety linesman who keeps calling foot-faults. The young man explodes and threatens the linesman. To Pam's amazement, it's the same man who was threatened by an irate cat owner. Retired lawyer John Blanchard likes to live dangerously.
And he has strong opinions on topics of public interest, too. In the 1950's there were important medical breakthroughs, such as the polio vaccine. But those miracles were achieved at the cost of killing hundreds of animals during research and animal testing became a controversial topic. In New York City, one group has been vocal against testing on animals and Mr. Blanchard writes a scathing denunciation of them to the "New York Times." Now Floyd Ackerman, the passionate leader of the group, is after Blanchard's scalp, too.
When someone brains Blanchard in his apartment, it's easier to say who isn't a suspect than who is. Complicating matters is the fact that Blanchard was a wealthy man and the old friends' whose daughter is the main beneficiary of his will REALLY need the money. So who dunnit?
This isn't my favorite book in this series. I found the tennis talk boring and I was irritated at the authors' heavy-handed denunciation of anti-vivisectionists, who are painted as nut-cases and animals-haters who discount the benefits of medical advances. Today, the objection to animal testing (especially of cosmetics) has become a mainstream movement, but even then I can't believe that they were as loony a group as they seem in this book. I've no objection to writers injecting their political beliefs into their novels, but some attempt should be made to be even-handed.
Still, it's a good mystery. A record THREE times does it appear that Captain Bill Weigand of the NYPD and his trusty side-kick Sgt. Mullins have the murderer identified, but each time the plot takes a twist and another suspect has to be eliminated. A policeman's lot is not an easy one. The solution is startling and completely believable, but only if you've put the clues together properly. So you get to pit your wits against a wily murderer AND sweat it out as Pam North gets herself in yet another perilous situation. Speaking of cats.... That woman must have more lives than a very lucky one. I love this series and am sorry to be so near to the end of it. If you like clever mysteries from times gone past, you should investigate this series.
November 23, 2022
John Blanchard was an attorney, cat fancier, tennis enthusiast, and extremely wealthy, so when someone murders him, there is an abundance of suspects. Blanchard has made a few enemies over the years, and there are also several people who stand to profit substantially from his estate. Nine suspects in all, by this reader's count, provide Homicide Inspector Weigand with a great many lines of investigation. Of course, as any fan of the Pam and Jerry North series could have predicted, it is Pam who discovers the identity of the killer, to her peril.
Since Jerry North is a publisher and Pam has no official job description (It's the mid-20th century.), the Lockridges had to solve the Amateur Sleuth Problem, to wit: How to get a non-policeman involved in the crime and its ongoing investigation? Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot were invariably consulted by an official constabulary that came, however grudgingly, to appreciate their genius. But the Norths have more in common with Ellery Queen, a writer by profession who happened to be the son of a police inspector. Pam and Jerry are good friends with Weigand--they socialize with him and his wife--and also have a knack for being at the coincidentally right place at the improbably right time. Throw in Pam's curiosity and intuition and another healthy dose of serendipity, and you have the makings of an amateur detective novel. But the Lockridges are too intelligent to simply fall into the usual narrative of brilliant amateur trumps unimaginative professional; they show respect for the investigative procedures and discipline of professional law enforcement, and Weigand is usually not far behind Pam in solving the mystery.
This is a lighthearted series meant to provide escape and entertainment, not probe the dark workings of the human heart. The banter of the Norths, the fumblings of Sergeant Mullins, and the idiosyncratic nature of witnesses and suspects all add to the fun.
Since Jerry North is a publisher and Pam has no official job description (It's the mid-20th century.), the Lockridges had to solve the Amateur Sleuth Problem, to wit: How to get a non-policeman involved in the crime and its ongoing investigation? Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot were invariably consulted by an official constabulary that came, however grudgingly, to appreciate their genius. But the Norths have more in common with Ellery Queen, a writer by profession who happened to be the son of a police inspector. Pam and Jerry are good friends with Weigand--they socialize with him and his wife--and also have a knack for being at the coincidentally right place at the improbably right time. Throw in Pam's curiosity and intuition and another healthy dose of serendipity, and you have the makings of an amateur detective novel. But the Lockridges are too intelligent to simply fall into the usual narrative of brilliant amateur trumps unimaginative professional; they show respect for the investigative procedures and discipline of professional law enforcement, and Weigand is usually not far behind Pam in solving the mystery.
This is a lighthearted series meant to provide escape and entertainment, not probe the dark workings of the human heart. The banter of the Norths, the fumblings of Sergeant Mullins, and the idiosyncratic nature of witnesses and suspects all add to the fun.
January 24, 2025
The Judge is Reversed is a short mystery that is the perfect length to piecemeal over lunch breaks or read in one setting. Within the murder mystery genre, I’d say this book is light on gore and couldn’t be campier. This book represents the period in which it was written (1960s) and I will be light on any social commentary, as it is a product of its time.
Chapter one was rough, so much so I almost put the book down. The authors were trying to represent the dynamic between the Norths, in which the couple cut each other off and finish each other’s sentences, but this results in indecipherable dialogue. Thankfully, this only affects the first chapter. The Norths acting as sleuths or in some sort of consulting capacity to the detectives wasn’t believable. While charming and offbeat, with a penchant for cocktails, they felt more like the bumbling sidekicks, rather than the ones breaking the case. It would have been a stronger book if the main protagonists had been the detectives and not the Norths.
The authors shined when building their settings, and I enjoyed how they set up the murder. My favorite character was the victim; they did a great job fleshing them out and tying the distinct parts of the victim’s life back to the murder. While I didn’t like the Norths as protagonists, I did like them as characters involved with the case through happenstances. They would have made for an interesting red herring. Overall, I liked the book for the potential it could have had, not for what it is.
It is worth noting that this is one book out of a very large series, so I am reviewing it in a vacuum.
Chapter one was rough, so much so I almost put the book down. The authors were trying to represent the dynamic between the Norths, in which the couple cut each other off and finish each other’s sentences, but this results in indecipherable dialogue. Thankfully, this only affects the first chapter. The Norths acting as sleuths or in some sort of consulting capacity to the detectives wasn’t believable. While charming and offbeat, with a penchant for cocktails, they felt more like the bumbling sidekicks, rather than the ones breaking the case. It would have been a stronger book if the main protagonists had been the detectives and not the Norths.
The authors shined when building their settings, and I enjoyed how they set up the murder. My favorite character was the victim; they did a great job fleshing them out and tying the distinct parts of the victim’s life back to the murder. While I didn’t like the Norths as protagonists, I did like them as characters involved with the case through happenstances. They would have made for an interesting red herring. Overall, I liked the book for the potential it could have had, not for what it is.
It is worth noting that this is one book out of a very large series, so I am reviewing it in a vacuum.
March 28, 2019
See Karen and Nancy's reviews. Published in 1960. Although somewhat dated, I did not find that "Mr. and Mrs." North was poorly executed, nor the fact that Mr. North hardly contributed, considering when it was written / published. I, too, really liked the repartee between the Norths'; the kind, casual way they talked, and I really enjoyed the way they finished each other's sentences. Lovely!
The characters are all well -formed. We are introduced to Madeline Somers(?) at a cat show. She is the owner of The Breeders' Nook. The Judge at that show, John Blanchard, is killed soon afterward. Graham Latham made some bad investments and can barely keep his estate together. His daughter, Hilda, was engaged to John, but dumped him and ran off with a much younger man, the muscular tennis player, Doug Mears. Either way, she stood to inherit a lot of money, which her father could use. There is Oscar Gebhardt "Gebby" DVM. Then Floyd Akerman hangs himself, after placing an urgent, frightened call to the police. Together Bill Weigand and the North's solve the case. With cat hairs. And the Norths find Winkle, their next darling little Siamese. Very satisfactory!
The characters are all well -formed. We are introduced to Madeline Somers(?) at a cat show. She is the owner of The Breeders' Nook. The Judge at that show, John Blanchard, is killed soon afterward. Graham Latham made some bad investments and can barely keep his estate together. His daughter, Hilda, was engaged to John, but dumped him and ran off with a much younger man, the muscular tennis player, Doug Mears. Either way, she stood to inherit a lot of money, which her father could use. There is Oscar Gebhardt "Gebby" DVM. Then Floyd Akerman hangs himself, after placing an urgent, frightened call to the police. Together Bill Weigand and the North's solve the case. With cat hairs. And the Norths find Winkle, their next darling little Siamese. Very satisfactory!
November 10, 2017
The Mr. and Mrs. North books are very tame mysteries by today's standards, but they are great fun for those folks like me who enjoy a whiff of mid-Century Manhattan and its cocktail culture. I get a kick out of the North's spending a very considerable amount of time mixing martinis and chatting over their cocktails. This and their cab rides through Manhattan are fun to experience through the series.
I am amused that the author bills these books as MR. and Mrs. North mysteries. Mr. North, apparently a successful publisher, seems to contribute very little to the puzzle-solving. The quirky cachet of the couple is that Mrs. North has great intuition and seems to sense when something is amiss.
This book was particularly fun for me because it was cat-centric. Like Mrs. North, I am a cat lover and find the house empty without one (mine currently is cat-less). There are loads of Red Herrings in this story, but it was a fun romp.
I am amused that the author bills these books as MR. and Mrs. North mysteries. Mr. North, apparently a successful publisher, seems to contribute very little to the puzzle-solving. The quirky cachet of the couple is that Mrs. North has great intuition and seems to sense when something is amiss.
This book was particularly fun for me because it was cat-centric. Like Mrs. North, I am a cat lover and find the house empty without one (mine currently is cat-less). There are loads of Red Herrings in this story, but it was a fun romp.
May 13, 2017
I read a number of my e-books on a trip, and they are starting to run together in my mind. This was a typical Mr. & Mrs. North book, with the added fillip of cats. Pam North's beloved Martini has died, and she is thinking of getting another cat. (There is no mention of Gin and Sherry, who were in previous books?) She goes to a cat show to get ideas, and meets one of the judges, who later turns up dead. She also meets a woman who sells cats, and when she follows up on that, gets embroiled in the mystery - and more trouble.
December 22, 2019
Early Bird Book Deal | Goodbye, pretty Martini kitty | The basics behind the killer's motivation are an old trope in mystery novels. Agatha Christie used it twice, and others followed her example. So it was a little surprising when Bill didn't catch it right away.
January 19, 2018
re-reading series
March 30, 2021
I thought the resolution was out of left field, or maybe I missed an important point.
September 12, 2017
For my full review click the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
June 22, 2013
A rather run-of-the-mill mid-century mystery in the “Nick and Nora” style. Pamela and Jerry North note that John Blanchard, lawyer, cat fancier and occasional umpire for amateur tennis matches, is prone to making enemies. So when he is found with his head bashed in, there is no dearth of suspects. The rabid anti-vivisectionisit whom Blanchard ridiculed in a letter to the New York Times? The amateur tennis player whose bid to go professional was thwarted by Blanchard’s by-the-book umpiring? The young woman who had recently transferred her affections from Blanchard to the tennis player? In the best amateur detective tradition, Pamela and Jerry solve the mystery while shopping for a new cat, having lunch at the Algonquin, shopping at Saks and having many, many cocktails. The best part of the book for me was not so much the mystery as the occasional glances in how people lived in the 1950s.
June 5, 2016
One of the better late books. After the Norths lose their only cat, they go looking for a new family member. Of coups this leads to murder.
April 24, 2017
Maybe I'm being generous giving this genre mystery 3 stars. It's not bad and a very quick read, just maybe not worth time. The Internet Archive series of the "North's" half hour shows entertain more and are indeed brief.
This was my first of the books after hearing the radio shows. Dunno if I'll try more.
This was my first of the books after hearing the radio shows. Dunno if I'll try more.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews