Midsummer Nightmare

by Christopher Hale

Novel.

Genres: Mystery

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1945

About the author

Christopher Hale was the pseudonym of Frances Moyer Ross Stevens (1895-1948), an American writer. Her series character was Lieutenant Bill French. This Michigan sleuth was featured in thirteen novels including Deadly Ditto (1948).

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia Warburton is the confidential secretary to Sybrand Jennesma, senior of two brothers who own the Jennesma furniture factory. Sybrand and his brother Gerrit are looking to branch out into the automobile industry. Gerrit, the inventor in the family, is developing a new, smaller engine that will conserve fuel in this war-time era. They have invited the influential Senator North to inspect the work so far in the hopes that he will advise a major investor to take the plunge and finance their endeavors.

Olivia and her assistant Winifred Leslie are living in a cottage on the Jennesma estate. There's quite a crowd of people (future suspects) milling about the estate. There's Sybrand's wife Myrtilla, the Jennesma's sister Hilda Peradine and husband number four, Eddie, Dirk Adams--manager of the Jennesma factory, Jason Kimball who handles publicity for the Jennesma furniture business, Jerrold Corbin--one of Hilda's ex-husbands who still holds out hope of inheriting something should dear old Hilda pass on, and Tillie, faithful servant to the Jennesmas who can't stand the sight of anyone who isn't family.

All is going smoothly with the Senator's visit until the Jennesma brothers begin receiving threatening notes. The anonymous writer claims that the brothers have stolen the engine idea and demands that they share any wealth...or else. But when they refuse to follow instructions about placing an ad in the paper (to indicate their willingness) they aren't the immediate target. The first victim in this murderous nightmare is their sister Hilda and the circumstantial evidence points to Olivia. Senator North has fallen hard for the young woman and is determined to prove her innocent...and he'll plow through Lieutenant Bill French of the State Police to do so, if necessary. More deaths follow and though the net still tightens round Olivia, there's plenty more suspicion to go around. Winnie (Winifred) is acting strangely, Dirk can't explain certain activities, and Eddie seems to have been up to no-good--burning something in the bathroom (possibly a missing will?).

This really was an unexpected delight. The book is set in a fictional area just outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is an area I'm fairly well acquainted with as we traveled through that part of the state quite often on visits to my maternal grandmother in White Cloud (north of Grand Rapids). Hale does a good job describing the area and made me feel like I was on familiar ground. She also introduces some very interesting characters--the double romance storyline was well-done, considering that she brought the two couples together fairly quickly. And I was glad to see the relationships sorted out satisfactorily. The plot is a good one--I almost got the right answer, but didn't take my ideas quite far enough. The plotting was so well done that I'm going to be on the hunt for more Lt. French novels.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place in Michigan, along a river. An engine is invented that is small but extremely powerful and two brothers using their own estate land- have a small factory to work on the invention. The two brothers live in one home and the other belongs to the sister. There is one small cottage and here is where Ms. Warburton. works with a young assistant to keep records and communications.

The only thing with this set up is that the brothers and sister seem to have quirks all their own. There is also a Senator who is reviewing the invention for (most likely the government.). Then there is murder, and threats and suspicion.

The story is told mostly from Ms. Warburton’s eyes. But she isn’t sleuthing about. There is a police Inspector French who is but we don’t see much of what he’s doing. So as a mystery, it felt very much like a mystery without much detecting. Though Ms. Warburton and Winnie (her assistant) do stumble about and uncover various bit of information. In the end- it’s a harrowing finish.

Also, there are some love sub-plots running through the story as well. They didn’t detract from the story for me. I did find them funny at times.

[Bea McTamney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thrift shop find. I bought it for the aesthetics. Published in 1945, it has an interesting title and the old black hardcover looks good on my bookshelf. I read the book in just a couple of days. Very well told murder mystery. Kept me in suspense until the very last page.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olivia Warburton and her assistant Winnie live in a cottage on the estate of her employer, furniture tycoon Sybrand Jennesma. When the body of someone Olivia disliked a great deal is found, all the clues seem to point to her. A recent recurrence of her sleepwalking leaves her uncertain of her own innocence. Senator North, who is on a business visit to Jennesma and his brother, is infatuated with Olivia, but a secret from her past keeps her from accepting his proffered help. Fortunately, Lieutenant French of the State Police is on hand to disentangle the situation, though there are more crimes before he reaches a conclusion.