The Spoiler by Domenic Stansberry (1987)

An itinerant reporter stumbles on baseball and arson in a small city in Western Massachusetts.

Mystery Review: The Spoiler combines America's two national pastimes: baseball and murder. Frank Lofton is short, balding, in his late thirties, thinks too much and consistently makes poor decisions. He doesn't know his son by his first marriage, his second marriage has fallen apart, his career as a reporter is marginal, and he's chasing a story in which people who know too much are dying. Did I mention he makes poor decisions? Seems his only joy in life is going to the ballpark to watch the Holyoke Redwings lose ballgames. Frank is the unlikely hero of this introspective, noir, and hardboiled mystery about a Massachusetts town with dying industry and too many abandoned warehouses burning. The story is a slow build. Stansberry paints a careful portrait of town and characters, as Frank spends many pages mulling over the ramifications of the many moving parts he's discovered. Typically for noir there's an aptly named femme fatale, though unusually the reader gets to share some of her thoughts. After a lengthy set-up, the ending comes fast, furious, and unexpected. The Spoiler was the first novel by Domenic Stansberry, who's written a number of other mysteries, including The Confession (2004), from the popular Hard Case Crime series. Stansberry dedicated The Spoiler to Adam Hammer, a surrealist poet and talented baseball player who died in a car accident three years before the novel was published. Adam's book of poetry, Deja Everything, is reviewed on GR (3.75) and Amazon (5.0).  [4★]

American Troubadours by Mark Brend (2001)

A retrospective of nine little known, folkish musicians from the Sixties.

Nonfiction Review: American Troubadours is subtitled "groundbreaking singer-songwriters of the 60s," but most weren't influential and aren't remembered today. Features an odd group of nine musicians, which except for being white, male, folk music-adjacent, and having a recording career that began between 1963 and 1968, don't have a lot in common. Four died young, most had short musical careers (which happens when you die young) ending in the Seventies, three or four were noted songwriters, four or five were talented singers. Three were named Tim, two each Tom and David. Not many boys' names in the Sixties. Most people have never heard of David Ackles, David Blue, Tom Rapp, or Tim Rose. Some folks may be at least vaguely familiar with (those folks who lived through the Sixties and remember the Sixties) Tim Hardin ("If I Were a Carpenter"), Fred Neil ("Everybody's Talking"), Phil Ochs ("Changes," "There But for Fortune"), Tom Rush ("No Regrets"). Tim Buckley may be better known as the father of Jeff Buckley, who had a hit with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." I enjoyed reading about the various artists, some with tragic careers, some who weren't especially nice, some with a lot of talent that they couldn't sustain. American Troubadours is lushly produced on heavy stock with a Foreword and an Introduction, a generous color picture gallery of the artists, well-done biographies of six to eleven (large) pages for each, an illustrated discography in color, a well annotated discography (with star ratings), a key to various other people mentioned in the book and to other artists of the time, and an index. The processing was done in Malaysia and Hong Kong so it's high quality. A first rate production if one doesn't mind the relatively short biographies (they were long enough for me) and the idiosyncratic choice of subjects. There are no women or people of color -- in a group of nine wouldn't you expect at least one? Just because I'm that way, if someone is interested in a sequel to this book they might consider Judee Sill, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Patrick Sky, Judy Roderick, Richie Havens, Carolyn Hester, Karen Dalton, Janis Ian, Richard and Mimi Fariña, Julie Felix, and Judy Henske among about a hundred other artists who weren't too famous, but had interesting careers back in the day. There are few others who were so unfamous that I just can't quite remember their names at the moment ... . Despite all my harping, I'll admit that as a bedsit guitarist, I have happily tried the excellent songs of Hardin, Neil, and Rush. American Troubadours is interesting, but far from necessary. A quite well done oddity. Unless you're a huge fan of one or more of these artists, in which case it won't be quite enough.  [3★]

Chess: East and West, Past and Present by Charles K. Wilkinson & Jessie McNab Dennis (1968)

A sampling of the great  creativity and diversity of chess sets from across the ages and around the world. 

Nonfiction Review: Chess: East and West, Past and Present is the hard-cover catalogue of an exhibition of chess pieces and sets shown at the Brooklyn Museum in 1968 and sponsored by that institution and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the bulk of which is portrayed in here. Most of the works are from the Gustavus A. Pfeiffer Collection, and what's displayed is about a third of the Metropolitan's collection. Who knew the Met collected chess sets? The earliest pieces are from the Sixth or Seventh Centuries to the Ninth and Eleventh Centuries, with the most recent from the 20th Century up to 1944. The sets are made in a wide variety of materials from ivory, bone, wood, amber, iron, silver, ammunition cartridges, and just about anything else the human mind can conceive. Sets are presented from every region on earth -- Indigenous Americans from Mexico and Alaska, Nigeria and Algeria, Japan, China, Burma, Malaya, India, as well as virtually every country in Europe. There are representational sets, designed as figures whether animals or human. These often portray competing armies such Christians and Muslims, Communists and Capitalists, Prussians and Hungarians, Good and Evil, and concepts such as the Conversion of California, The Discovery of America, Shakespeare, Cowboys and Indians, even Blondes and Brunettes. Some of the sets are clearly partisan and intended to make political or social statements. An unusual way to evaluate history and society. There are also the more commonly used "conventional" or abstract designs, meaningful only to those who understand the motif -- such as the most common Staunton style. In all there are 108 styles of pieces or sets, proving the aptness of the title, Chess: East and West,  Past and Present. The introduction is authoritative, thorough, and interesting, covering a wide variety of themes regarding the history of chess and pieces. For the player, addict, or collector this is an eye-opening book showing great diversity and creativity, and some of the sets (Alice in Wonderland) are great fun. Copies are available second hand. In the "if wishes were horses" category, the book could've benefited from more color plates, there are a few but not enough and the character of the various pieces and sets don't come through well in black and white. But then the catalogue would've cost a fortune.  [4★]

"The Avenging Chance" by Anthony Berkeley (1929)

A complimentary box of chocolates leads to tragedy.

Story Review: "The Avenging Chance" is the original kernel of Anthony Berkeley's much expanded novel The Poisoned Chocolates Case (1929). In both a man's wife dies after inadvertently receiving a poisoned box of chocolates. The novel has a different solution than the short story (and different character names). In fact, the novel lavishly provides no less than six reasonable explanations to the mystery, including the resolution from "The Avenging Chance," which is one of the "wrong" theories. Unlike the novel, the story is short, concise, and to the point, efficiently wrapping up a perfect enigma. Oddly, the story and the novel were published the same year, but the novel though written second was apparently published first. A shame since the story provides a sort of red herring for the novel. In a more perfect world "The Avenging Chance" and The Poisoned Chocolates Case would always be published together.  [4★]

Two-Way Murder by E.C.R. Lorac (2021)

A previously unpublished novel presenting murder in the fog on a rural road near the south coast of England.

Mystery Review: Two-Way Murder was apparently written around 1956, but "lost" until it was published by the British Library in 2021 as by E.C.R. Lorac (1884-1958), although she'd planned to use the name "Mary Le Bourne." Thanks to Martin Edwards for his helpful Introduction. This novel doesn't feature either of her long time series detectives Inspector Macdonald or Julian Rivers. Instead we have a duo of Inspector Turner and Inspector Waring from the local police, making it the odd standalone for Lorac (or her alter ego, Carol Carnac). The novel appears at least somewhat unfinished in that it could have used a final good editing to remove the last-draft evidences. Two-Way Murder also desperately needed a map of the region as much of the novel consists of repeatedly driving though a maze of roads and country lanes in a way that quickly becomes complicated. The novel was a step forward for Lorac in technique. She uses a shifting narrator or "detective," turning from Macbane to Waring to feisty housekeeper Alice Ridley, all of whom dig into the mystery. She also uses sets of "doubles," balancing the Rosemary Reeve a powerful and terrible termagant with Dilys Maine, the quiet and obedient. There's also Inspector Turner who operates by the book, one step at a time, in comparison and contrast with Inspector Waring who's instinctive and holistic. Two-Way Murder is a clever mystery, with an interesting cast of characters, family difficulties and a little romance along with a theme on the ethics of withholding information from the police. This fits well with the work of the Golden Age group Allingham, Christie, Marsh, and Sayers, and perhaps others like Christianna Brand, Gladys Mitchell, and Mary Roberts Rinehart are due for a rediscovery. And that's just the women! Lorac's books are a little less tidy and tight than Christie's, but she can certainly be spoken about in the greater list of UK (and US) mystery writers.  [4★]

Murder by Matchlight by E.C.R. Lorac (1945)

A ghostly murderer strikes during a blackout in wartime London.

Mystery Review: Murder by Matchlight has Chief Inspector Macdonald (in his 26th book) investigating a murder that occurred in front of witnesses of a victim who doesn't exist. E.C.R. Lorac (1894-1958) vividly captures the war's effects on London, the Blitz and combined feelings of fear and defiance, the blackouts and sudden deaths and bombed-out streets. This isn't simply a setting but inextricably intertwined with the stories of the characters' lives and integral to the mystery itself. There are a lot of coincidences in this rather Baroque mystery well balanced by the interesting and idiosyncratic characters. In Murder by Matchlight we learn that Macdonald was an Oxford man as were so many of his detecting peers, such as Wimsey, Fell, and Alleyn. As usual Lorac also brings forth a philosophical theme for the reader to ponder while reading, here the validity of vigilantism. Whether it's ever acceptable to take the law into our own hands, whether the death of a bad person is no loss, whether the end justifies the means. In each of her books Lorac develops a moral issue for consideration. Her books always begin better than they end and there are some clumsy moments in Murder by Matchlight -- Lorac's plots are never as tidy as Christie's, but whose are, anyway. This volume also includes a very short story by Lorac from 1953, "Permanent Policeman," that turns on a matter of hairdressing that's less revelatory and relevant now, and has been used by others since.  [3½★]

A Taste for Poison by Neil Bradbury (2022)

An accessible and entertaining handbook and history of eleven toxins.

Nonfiction Review: A Taste for Poison is a book one may feel somewhat self-conscious about reading, especially if you have an elderly but wealthy great-uncle in Michigan. This is a perfect companion guidebook for mystery readers. Bradbury acknowledges Agatha Christie several times, noting that she used one poison alone (cyanide) to kill off eighteen characters in her books. Being a "trained and certified pharmacist during World War I" prepared her well for such plot twists. A Taste for Poison is a quick read and includes numerous true-crime recapitulations of the many notorious poisonings of history, including the Borgias (though not Socrates). Some examples ripped from recent headlines. A section is included explaining in granular detail how each poison works at the molecular level in the organs, as well as the symptoms and visible effects (some horrific) on the body. Readers will be able to determine the accuracy of the narrative descriptions of poisonings by their favorite crime authors. Budding mystery writers will find this invaluable. Also mentioned in passing is the "poison garden" of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland (owned by the 12th Duke thereof) which contains "more than one hundred different species of deadly plants." Although hemlock wasn't mentioned in the book I'm sure it's in the garden. In the past, poisonings were often attributed to natural causes such as infectious diseases with similar symptoms. Unfortunately, even in suspicious cases there was no way to detect the presence of poison. Now, however, examiners can determine both the presence and quantity of poison in a body. Bradbury asserts that murder by poison is rarer now, but still occurs although "the likelihood of getting away with such murders in the present day is almost nonexistent." Whew! A Taste for Poison is simultaneously informative, light hearted, and horrifying. Photographs are included. With numerous additional toxins available, there's the opportunity for a sequel.  [5★]