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Murder by Magic
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1947
About the author
Amelia Reynolds Long
74 books6 followersAka Amelia R. Long, A.R. Long, Mordred Weir, Peter Reynolds, Adrian Reynolds, Patrick Laing, Kathleen Buddington Coxe (with Edna McHugh)
Amelia Reynolds Long (November 25, 1904 - March 26, 1978) was an American detective fiction and science fiction writer and novelist. Her story, "The Thought-Monster" was made into the 1958 film Fiend Without a Face. She co wrote the 1936 novel Behind the Evidence with William L. Crawford under the combined pseudonym Peter Reynolds. Some of her stories appeared under the byline "A. R. Long".
Amelia Reynolds Long (November 25, 1904 - March 26, 1978) was an American detective fiction and science fiction writer and novelist. Her story, "The Thought-Monster" was made into the 1958 film Fiend Without a Face. She co wrote the 1936 novel Behind the Evidence with William L. Crawford under the combined pseudonym Peter Reynolds. Some of her stories appeared under the byline "A. R. Long".
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 17, 2022
I purchased this book from 1946 with a bunch of other mystery/pulp novels at a paperback show. I was looking for a mystery that would be entertaining. This book was, but it did take a while to set things in motion.
Private eye Stephen Carter has been hired to look in on some possible underhandedness by a flimflam man trying to bilk rich Mrs. Cravens from her fortune. Carter is hired by Mr. Carter, who has his own income and has never touched any of his wife's money, to see if Hassan Bey, and eastern mystic, is using his mumbo jumbo to get money from her. Carter reluctantly visits the house and meets the rest of the characters and is there the night Mr. Craven is murdered.
Carter's brother is the District Attorney, so that helps break the story up into different lines of inquiry, but he makes the biggest breakthrough a little over halfway through the book. I liked the suspects and was surprised by the elimination of one them, again a little over halfway through the book.
Who the killer is and their motive for the murder is good, though it did move this tale from pure mystery into pulp, because it is a tad corny. However, I did have a good time reading this. Sadly, this book was crumbling with each page I turned, so I won't be able to pass it on to another.
Private eye Stephen Carter has been hired to look in on some possible underhandedness by a flimflam man trying to bilk rich Mrs. Cravens from her fortune. Carter is hired by Mr. Carter, who has his own income and has never touched any of his wife's money, to see if Hassan Bey, and eastern mystic, is using his mumbo jumbo to get money from her. Carter reluctantly visits the house and meets the rest of the characters and is there the night Mr. Craven is murdered.
Carter's brother is the District Attorney, so that helps break the story up into different lines of inquiry, but he makes the biggest breakthrough a little over halfway through the book. I liked the suspects and was surprised by the elimination of one them, again a little over halfway through the book.
Who the killer is and their motive for the murder is good, though it did move this tale from pure mystery into pulp, because it is a tad corny. However, I did have a good time reading this. Sadly, this book was crumbling with each page I turned, so I won't be able to pass it on to another.
Displaying 1 of 1 review