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Captain Heimrich #10
Practise to Deceive
Hardcover book.
- GenresMystery
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1957
41 people want to read
About the author
Richard Lockridge
126 books25 followersAn American writer of detective fiction, Richard Lockridge's frequent collaborator was his wife Frances Lockridge, who co-wrote the Mr. and Mrs. North mystery series and other popular books.
The couple also published under the shared pseudonym Francis Richards.
The couple also published under the shared pseudonym Francis Richards.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 13, 2021
Captain Heimrich is on the case again when wealthy "old" woman (42!) is stabbed to death in a motel. Heimrich's lady-love, Susan Faye, is asked to visit the Senley mansion--bringing fabric samples for a redecoration project. Hurricane Doris is playing havoc with the weather and when Susan's appointment is changed to Friday night, she finds herself stranded between the washed out bridge leading onto the Senley property and the road home with water too deep to drive through. There is nothing for it but to stop for the night at the Crescent Court Motel.
Susan usually travels with her Great Dane, Colonel, and when Colonel begins barking in the middle of the night Susan knows something isn't right. She looks out into night to see a figure running away from the motel and an open doorway a few rooms down from hers. Inside is Mrs. Senley, her prospective client, but Mrs. Senley is a prospective client no more. She is dead from a stab wound to the heart.
Heimrich and Sergeant Forniss arrive and they find that the fact that Mrs. Senley and Susan were both at the hotel was not the only oddity of the night. Mrs. Senley is currently on husband number three (a much younger man, this time). He was caught at home--on the other side of the washed-out bridge. But husbands number one and two were also at the Crescent Court Motel and each claim to have received a note from Olive Senley requesting their presence at the motel. Are they both telling the truth? Did one arrange for the other's presence as a red herring for the police? Or perhaps they both have been brought along as cover for the mysterious Mr. X? When another body is found drowned in the swollen stream nearby, Heimrich has cause to review the facts of the case...and to remember on particular statement made early in the investigation.
Heimrich's reconstruction of the "how" is good--even though there's little chance of proving his theory. We're left wondering at the end whether the prosecution's case is going to be solid enough to bring in a verdict of guilty. Overall, a solid read--though not one of the absolute best Heimrich books.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
Susan usually travels with her Great Dane, Colonel, and when Colonel begins barking in the middle of the night Susan knows something isn't right. She looks out into night to see a figure running away from the motel and an open doorway a few rooms down from hers. Inside is Mrs. Senley, her prospective client, but Mrs. Senley is a prospective client no more. She is dead from a stab wound to the heart.
Heimrich and Sergeant Forniss arrive and they find that the fact that Mrs. Senley and Susan were both at the hotel was not the only oddity of the night. Mrs. Senley is currently on husband number three (a much younger man, this time). He was caught at home--on the other side of the washed-out bridge. But husbands number one and two were also at the Crescent Court Motel and each claim to have received a note from Olive Senley requesting their presence at the motel. Are they both telling the truth? Did one arrange for the other's presence as a red herring for the police? Or perhaps they both have been brought along as cover for the mysterious Mr. X? When another body is found drowned in the swollen stream nearby, Heimrich has cause to review the facts of the case...and to remember on particular statement made early in the investigation.
Heimrich's reconstruction of the "how" is good--even though there's little chance of proving his theory. We're left wondering at the end whether the prosecution's case is going to be solid enough to bring in a verdict of guilty. Overall, a solid read--though not one of the absolute best Heimrich books.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
June 6, 2020
Gift card | Worth the trouble it took to get | I've been reading the series in order, on sale, and for some reason this is the only book in the series that isn't on kindle. But knowing it was important to Heimrich's burgeoning personal life, I just couldn't skip it. Glad I went to the trouble of finding a used copy. I thought it was fairly clear whodunit, but it was very tangled (as the title would lead you to expect) and it was interesting to watch the Captain work it out while also figuring out his love life.
May 6, 2018
Next in the Captain Heimrich series, obtained through inter-library loan. And while there is a secondary murder in this story also, it happens pretty much right away and has nothing to do with Heimrich's propensity of giving his suspects enough rope to hang themselves regardless of who is endangered. Though, this is maybe because in this story the most likely person to be in danger is the captain's new love interest....
July 28, 2010
Another Heimrich Mystery- This time a wealthy lady (who at the age of 42 is considered old!)is murdered at a hotel. Suspects include her younger husband (who was at the mansion and unable to do the deed since the storm took the bridge out), ex number 1 who has been extorting money from her since their divorce, and ex number 2 who seems to be still in love with her and by the way was supposed to be staying in the same room with her!
Stormy weather, and stormy emotions brew in this mystery. Also Heimrich and his love interest grow closer together! Great descriptions in this book.
Stormy weather, and stormy emotions brew in this mystery. Also Heimrich and his love interest grow closer together! Great descriptions in this book.
March 31, 2011
Heimrich in love
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews