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Mr. & Mrs. North #16
Dead as a Dinosaur
When a paleontologist is murdered, Mr. and Mrs. North go digging for his killer
The office of Dr. Orpheus Preson is filled with remains, the bones of long dead dinosaurs. He waves one of them at the NYPD detective, demanding the police stop the person who’s been sending workmen to his house—an endless parade of bricklayers, butlers, French tutors, and tree surgeons, none of whom Preson hired, and all of whom expect payment. There’s nothing law enforcement can do, which means it’s time to call the only two people in New York who can help: Pamela and Jerry North.
A fashionable literary couple who’s made a habit of solving mysteries between martinis, the Norths have known Dr. Preson since Jerry published his first book. The amateur detectives vow to do what they can for the perturbed paleontologist, but it’s too little too late. When Dr. Preson is found murdered, the Norths will find that the poor man had more than one kind of skeleton in his closet.
The office of Dr. Orpheus Preson is filled with remains, the bones of long dead dinosaurs. He waves one of them at the NYPD detective, demanding the police stop the person who’s been sending workmen to his house—an endless parade of bricklayers, butlers, French tutors, and tree surgeons, none of whom Preson hired, and all of whom expect payment. There’s nothing law enforcement can do, which means it’s time to call the only two people in New York who can help: Pamela and Jerry North.
A fashionable literary couple who’s made a habit of solving mysteries between martinis, the Norths have known Dr. Preson since Jerry published his first book. The amateur detectives vow to do what they can for the perturbed paleontologist, but it’s too little too late. When Dr. Preson is found murdered, the Norths will find that the poor man had more than one kind of skeleton in his closet.
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
47 people are currently reading
123 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 25, 2022
The Norths, Again!
It’s Jerry North who’s getting involved in this situation with the death of a renowned paleontologist.
Dr. Preson is convinced that someone is trying to drive him crazy so that he cannot complete the sequel to his book.
All kinds of strange things are happening and now someone has poisoned his sister.
Things become so confusing that it is believed that he is causing all of the “crackpot” shenanigans that are stirred up.
As usual, once Pam North gets involved, the lunacy ups ten notches and danger steps in.
The usual hijinks and mystery caper with Pam North stealing the show.
It’s Jerry North who’s getting involved in this situation with the death of a renowned paleontologist.
Dr. Preson is convinced that someone is trying to drive him crazy so that he cannot complete the sequel to his book.
All kinds of strange things are happening and now someone has poisoned his sister.
Things become so confusing that it is believed that he is causing all of the “crackpot” shenanigans that are stirred up.
As usual, once Pam North gets involved, the lunacy ups ten notches and danger steps in.
The usual hijinks and mystery caper with Pam North stealing the show.
April 16, 2020
Pleasant enough diversion for attenuated attention-span-afflicted brains.
Not the most challenging of mysteries, though I got the identity wrong. Cui bono is still the first thought to have in family-centered stories; in this one, the beneficiary is not the family, but the point remains valid if stretched.
I object to Pamela North's general foolishness, when the fact is she's a deeply observant, very intelligent person shines through until the writers remember she's meant to be foolish. "Of its time" best sums up the final results, and not always in a good way. Gender politics, as is so often the case, diminish the pleasures to be had in older stories.
Not the most challenging of mysteries, though I got the identity wrong. Cui bono is still the first thought to have in family-centered stories; in this one, the beneficiary is not the family, but the point remains valid if stretched.
I object to Pamela North's general foolishness, when the fact is she's a deeply observant, very intelligent person shines through until the writers remember she's meant to be foolish. "Of its time" best sums up the final results, and not always in a good way. Gender politics, as is so often the case, diminish the pleasures to be had in older stories.
February 1, 2023
When reading the blurb about this book, I wasn’t sure I would like it. I’m glad I decided to give it a chance. It turned out to be my favorite in this series so far. The short description doesn’t do it justice. The emphasis on paleontology and pre-historic creatures seems as if it might be a bit tedious but turns out to be one of the most fascinating features of the case. It’s certainly different from the average mystery.
In this entry in the long running, Mr. and Mrs. North mystery series, Orpheus Preson, PhD has written a surprisingly popular book entitled “The Days Before Man,” published by Jerry North’s publishing house. When things begin to go haywire for Dr. Preson, it’s natural for Jerry and his wife, Pam, to get involved. Someone is trying to gaslight Preson, or are they? Maybe he has lost his mind or is that simply what someone else would like everyone to think? The North’s efforts to sort it all out take on added urgency when Dr. Preson is murdered.
Everything comes to a wild climax in the museum where Preson worked. From the viewpoint of police sergeant Mullins, “What you needed to be was three cops, maybe four, Mullins thought. When you got one of these screwy ones (with the Norths in it) it was no good to be just one sergeant of detectives. You kept an eye on two people and followed them to this god-awful barn and then the place got full up with people, all acting as if they’d gone nuts.”
In the end everything makes some kind of sense and all culprits are brought to heel. It’s one of those books I will want to read again in the future.
In this entry in the long running, Mr. and Mrs. North mystery series, Orpheus Preson, PhD has written a surprisingly popular book entitled “The Days Before Man,” published by Jerry North’s publishing house. When things begin to go haywire for Dr. Preson, it’s natural for Jerry and his wife, Pam, to get involved. Someone is trying to gaslight Preson, or are they? Maybe he has lost his mind or is that simply what someone else would like everyone to think? The North’s efforts to sort it all out take on added urgency when Dr. Preson is murdered.
Everything comes to a wild climax in the museum where Preson worked. From the viewpoint of police sergeant Mullins, “What you needed to be was three cops, maybe four, Mullins thought. When you got one of these screwy ones (with the Norths in it) it was no good to be just one sergeant of detectives. You kept an eye on two people and followed them to this god-awful barn and then the place got full up with people, all acting as if they’d gone nuts.”
In the end everything makes some kind of sense and all culprits are brought to heel. It’s one of those books I will want to read again in the future.
February 2, 2017
Wonderfully eccentric characters in this one and an interesting premise. From nuisance classified ads to dinosaur bones, this one has some interesting twists and turns that kept me intrigued all the way through.
May 3, 2010
Unlike many of the North mysteries, the murder victim doesn't die for a while. There are layer upon layer of strange events that eventually add up to "death." This is followed by the strange and wonderful discoveries. The Lockridges do a great job of creating the most interesting characters and the leads by this point have also matured. A short enjoyable mystery.
August 17, 2019
There are more advanced weapons, but a stone club still does the job.
Dr. Orpheus Preson seems an unlikely addition to the North’s social life. Their usual friends are young, sophisticated New Yorkers who enjoy witty banter during a good dinner at Charles with a martini or three beforehand. Dr. Preson is a slight, elderly man with a small chin beard and conspicuous trifocle glasses. He’s a respected authority on prehistoric animals - not the jumbo reptiles, but the smaller mammals that ran from them. He’s undeniably eccentric, but he’s done the impossible. He’s written a really readable book about a complicated, academic subject usually covered by boring textbooks. Published by Gerald North Inc, the first volume is selling well and Dr. Preson is hard at work on the second.
Pam and Jerry have gotten fond of the intense, shy little man and are sorry to hear about his problem. Someone is putting ads in local newspapers in his name, resulting in floods of phone calls about dog boarding and pony stabling. Not to mention the train of masons, butlers, tailors, and midgets showing up at his apartment expecting employment. No joke for a man who does much of his detailed work at home. The interruptions are driving him crazy, but when someone breaks in and takes the labels off a collection of fossilized bones, that’s the last straw.
An appeal to the NYPD elicits a polite shrug, but then Dr. Preson’s sister drops in and drinks some milk from his fridge. The phenobarbital-laced milk puts her in the hospital and suddenly the police are very interested indeed. Then Dr. Preson becomes ill after drinking milk. Honestly, it’s enough to put you off dairy products permanently.
Is someone playing a childish prank or is actual harm intended? Dr. Preson’s family consists of an unmarried sister, a widowed brother, and a grown niece and nephew. They all live together outside of the city and relations seem to be cordial, but all of them are as tightly wound as Dr. Preson. Furthermore, they’re openly disturbed about his financial arrangements with the Broadly Institute where he’s Head Curator of Mammal Fossils.
The Broadly is part natural history museum and part research facility. Dr. Preson has been making generous donations from his inherited fortune and has announced that he intends to leave all his money to the Institute. Now even those with money like to inherit more. And a will can be overturned if it can be proved that the person who wrote it was insane at the time. Both good points to remember.
We think of academicians as being remote and dedicated, but they’re just as ambitious as any other professionals and their feuds can be bitter and long-standing. There’s competition for jobs and grants and the most highly respected academic institution still needs hard cash to keep going. So who’s after the big bucks - Dr. Preson’s family or his distinguished colleagues?
Of course Pam and Jerry get deeply involved, Pam enthusiastically and Jerry very much against his better judgement. The Broadly with its many connecting offices and dark corners can be a dangerous place and someone who’s murdered once has nothing to lose by murdering again. The final scene goes on too long, but the story is a good one and the characters are entertaining. Not the very best Mr and Mrs. North mysteries, but well worth your time.
Dr. Orpheus Preson seems an unlikely addition to the North’s social life. Their usual friends are young, sophisticated New Yorkers who enjoy witty banter during a good dinner at Charles with a martini or three beforehand. Dr. Preson is a slight, elderly man with a small chin beard and conspicuous trifocle glasses. He’s a respected authority on prehistoric animals - not the jumbo reptiles, but the smaller mammals that ran from them. He’s undeniably eccentric, but he’s done the impossible. He’s written a really readable book about a complicated, academic subject usually covered by boring textbooks. Published by Gerald North Inc, the first volume is selling well and Dr. Preson is hard at work on the second.
Pam and Jerry have gotten fond of the intense, shy little man and are sorry to hear about his problem. Someone is putting ads in local newspapers in his name, resulting in floods of phone calls about dog boarding and pony stabling. Not to mention the train of masons, butlers, tailors, and midgets showing up at his apartment expecting employment. No joke for a man who does much of his detailed work at home. The interruptions are driving him crazy, but when someone breaks in and takes the labels off a collection of fossilized bones, that’s the last straw.
An appeal to the NYPD elicits a polite shrug, but then Dr. Preson’s sister drops in and drinks some milk from his fridge. The phenobarbital-laced milk puts her in the hospital and suddenly the police are very interested indeed. Then Dr. Preson becomes ill after drinking milk. Honestly, it’s enough to put you off dairy products permanently.
Is someone playing a childish prank or is actual harm intended? Dr. Preson’s family consists of an unmarried sister, a widowed brother, and a grown niece and nephew. They all live together outside of the city and relations seem to be cordial, but all of them are as tightly wound as Dr. Preson. Furthermore, they’re openly disturbed about his financial arrangements with the Broadly Institute where he’s Head Curator of Mammal Fossils.
The Broadly is part natural history museum and part research facility. Dr. Preson has been making generous donations from his inherited fortune and has announced that he intends to leave all his money to the Institute. Now even those with money like to inherit more. And a will can be overturned if it can be proved that the person who wrote it was insane at the time. Both good points to remember.
We think of academicians as being remote and dedicated, but they’re just as ambitious as any other professionals and their feuds can be bitter and long-standing. There’s competition for jobs and grants and the most highly respected academic institution still needs hard cash to keep going. So who’s after the big bucks - Dr. Preson’s family or his distinguished colleagues?
Of course Pam and Jerry get deeply involved, Pam enthusiastically and Jerry very much against his better judgement. The Broadly with its many connecting offices and dark corners can be a dangerous place and someone who’s murdered once has nothing to lose by murdering again. The final scene goes on too long, but the story is a good one and the characters are entertaining. Not the very best Mr and Mrs. North mysteries, but well worth your time.
September 5, 2017
I didn't intend to write a review of this series until I finished all 26 installments (minus the prequel), but I think I'll take a minute now to do so. These books are more like crime genre long short stories (novellas, maybe) than they are novels, and I'm reading them more out of a cultural interest rather than for breezy entertainment--though sometimes they offer that, which I like. The Norths are a slightly less affluent and somewhat more prosaic version of Nick and Nora Charles, but they are equally hard drinking, as are their NYPD homicide detective friends. Lt/Capt Bill Weigand and his dept do most of the legwork and actually solve the crimes, but Jerry, and (mostly) Pam participate in both. Pam, while eventually insightful, has quite a knack for getting stalked and hit on the head by murderers, although Jerry has had his share of concussions, too. You won't find character development or depth here, but I don't expect it. The quality and originality of the stories varies by book. This wasn't one of the better ones, although it started off with a lot of potential, and could have been more fun. This lighthearted series is exactly what I am looking for right now, so I'm letting "Dead as a Dinosaur" slide! ;)
February 28, 2020
Dr. Preson, a leading mammalogist from the Broadly Institute of Paleontology, is sitting looking at the New York City detective with total exasperation on his face. Someone is placing newspaper ads in his name promising employment and reimbursement for travel expenses. People keep calling his phone and knocking on his door. The jobs have included butlers, little people, and tree surgeons. Dr. Preson asks the detective, why would he need a tree surgeon in his rented rooms in New York City hotel? He has no idea who would persecute him in this way. All of these interruptions are interfering with writing his new book that Mr. Gerald North is waiting to publish as a follow up to his recent best seller. The detective says that he sympathizes with him, but they just don’t have the police manpower to investigate events of this nature. Poor Dr. Orpheus Preson! Then, he is found in a coma....
I loved this book’s story structure. Both the beginning and ending are longer than usual. The main character is not killed at the very beginning of the book, but he is lead through many trials. The end of the book has a prolonged madcap chase scene through an office building fit for a movie. Happy Reading!
I loved this book’s story structure. Both the beginning and ending are longer than usual. The main character is not killed at the very beginning of the book, but he is lead through many trials. The end of the book has a prolonged madcap chase scene through an office building fit for a movie. Happy Reading!
May 7, 2017
I am a great fan of Mr. and Mrs. North, but this was not my favorite in the series. Way, way too much time on a foot chase in the dark corridors of a natural history museum. Pages and pages and pages of wandering around in dark rooms. I prefer them chatting over their cases in the bar of the Algonquin.
December 11, 2019
Early Bird Book Deal | I didn't enjoy this as much as I usually enjoy the series, until the completely silly Scooby Doo hallway chase segment at the end. | Something about the structure of this felt off, I wasn't connected with any of the characters. But I did get a kick out of ten people evading each other in and out of rooms in the same building, so that helped make up for the rest.
May 5, 2022
Pam and Jerry chase a murderer in a natural science museum, with, naturally, a T. Rex skeleton in the Great Hall. The usual chaos and muddled investigation ensues. I didn't figure out who dun it; but, my suspect was involved. As always, I enjoyed this entry in the Mr. and Mrs. North series. Recommended.
December 23, 2022
Not actually very impressed overall
Pam figured out the thing that was totally obvious to me. I had the main mystery figured out quickly. Perhaps murder in these manners are just so much more seen and/or written about. Or maybe it was just a weak murder plot. And, damn, they drink a lot.
Pam figured out the thing that was totally obvious to me. I had the main mystery figured out quickly. Perhaps murder in these manners are just so much more seen and/or written about. Or maybe it was just a weak murder plot. And, damn, they drink a lot.
May 25, 2018
Very interesting story. Kept me reading trying to figure out who the bad guy was I enjoy a good mystery that keeps me wanting to read more and not able to easily figure out the plot or the ending long before I get there.
I also enjoy Mr. and Mrs. North as the characters in the mix.
I also enjoy Mr. and Mrs. North as the characters in the mix.
November 18, 2018
Not one of my favorites. I found the whole end a bit like a farce. And it was all a bit overly silly.
July 20, 2021
I just couldn't get into this book at all. I did like the plot and the mystery but it was just so boring to me, idk if it was me or the book or what, but it was not a book I would recommend to anyone
June 24, 2023
A fun mystery involving dinosaur bones, unwanted newspaper ads, reconstructed fossils, poisoned milk, contested wills, and a deadly game of cat-and-mouse inside a dark museum
July 24, 2023
Not one of the better ones. Lots of doors opening and closing. 🤷♀️
March 9, 2012
The action in Dead as a Dinosaur by Frances & Richard Lockridge starts out as "one of those things." As it seems to Detective Vern Anstey in the opening paragraph, he "realized that what he was up against was one of those things. New York was full of those things, and always had been and always would be. You jammed too many people too closely together, so that they could not move without pushing and shoving one another, and you got those things. Detective Anstey was always running into them; to run into them was, he sometimes thought, the purpose for which he had been created. He took a dim view of this, which did not in any way affect his attitude, which at the moment was one of efficient attention."
And what exactly is this particular "one of those things"? Well, someone seems to be having a great deal of fun at Dr. Orpheus Preson's expense. Putting out personal ads in the good doctor's name and asking for all sorts of interesting items and services--everything from tree surgeons to ponies and masons to midgets. Dr. Preson, an eminent mammologist and curator of the Broadly Institute, believes that someone is persecuting him to prevent him from finishing his latest book--a sequel to the ever-popular The Days Before Man. If so, then it's working. He hasn't been able to concentrate on his book at all.
But as the policeman points out, it's hard for them to really do anything. The doctor could change his phone number. He could contact all the papers and insist that they require identification before printing any more ads in his name. But as far as actually catching the crackpot behind the pranks...probably not going to happen.
Then things get a little more interesting. Someone puts phenobarbital in the doctor's milk and his sister who happens to stop by for a visit gets a nice healthy dose. Not enough to kill her, but enough to get a little more attention from the police. No sooner is she out of the hospital and recovered then the doctor gets a dose of the stuff himself...but he's not so lucky. Evidence comes to light that makes it seem like the doctor may have been planting the seeds of persecution himself and then misjudged the dose or committed suicide.
But, of course, things are screwier (to quote Sergeant Mullins) than that. Because the doctor's publisher was none other than North Books and so Pam & Jerry North get involved in the case. Pretty soon Pam is following up her belief that "the little man" wasn't crazy and that something just isn't right somewhere. It all ends in a giant game of hide-and-seek in the labyrinthine corridors of the Broadly Institute and Pam on display in a diorama from the prehistory of the world.
Once again, the Lockridges provide great fun in the 1940/50s era New York City. The mystery is not incredibly intricate...and the wrap up is a bit unbelievable, but it just doesn't matter. It's a fun ride and a nice escape. I always enjoy sharing the adventures of Pamela North. Four stars.
And what exactly is this particular "one of those things"? Well, someone seems to be having a great deal of fun at Dr. Orpheus Preson's expense. Putting out personal ads in the good doctor's name and asking for all sorts of interesting items and services--everything from tree surgeons to ponies and masons to midgets. Dr. Preson, an eminent mammologist and curator of the Broadly Institute, believes that someone is persecuting him to prevent him from finishing his latest book--a sequel to the ever-popular The Days Before Man. If so, then it's working. He hasn't been able to concentrate on his book at all.
But as the policeman points out, it's hard for them to really do anything. The doctor could change his phone number. He could contact all the papers and insist that they require identification before printing any more ads in his name. But as far as actually catching the crackpot behind the pranks...probably not going to happen.
Then things get a little more interesting. Someone puts phenobarbital in the doctor's milk and his sister who happens to stop by for a visit gets a nice healthy dose. Not enough to kill her, but enough to get a little more attention from the police. No sooner is she out of the hospital and recovered then the doctor gets a dose of the stuff himself...but he's not so lucky. Evidence comes to light that makes it seem like the doctor may have been planting the seeds of persecution himself and then misjudged the dose or committed suicide.
But, of course, things are screwier (to quote Sergeant Mullins) than that. Because the doctor's publisher was none other than North Books and so Pam & Jerry North get involved in the case. Pretty soon Pam is following up her belief that "the little man" wasn't crazy and that something just isn't right somewhere. It all ends in a giant game of hide-and-seek in the labyrinthine corridors of the Broadly Institute and Pam on display in a diorama from the prehistory of the world.
Once again, the Lockridges provide great fun in the 1940/50s era New York City. The mystery is not incredibly intricate...and the wrap up is a bit unbelievable, but it just doesn't matter. It's a fun ride and a nice escape. I always enjoy sharing the adventures of Pamela North. Four stars.
November 19, 2010
Jerry North gets involved when one of his authors, eccentric mammalogist Orpheus Preson, complains that someone is putting classified ads in the papers, asking all sorts of people to come to his apartment. But the matter turns more serious when something sinister is found in Preson's milk. It's enough to bring the police, in the person of Bill Weigand, on the scene. Naturally, Pam North is on the scene as well.
March 6, 2009
I enjoyed the characters and the glimpses of Manhattan lifestyle in the 1940's. I have read all the Norths' Series,find them a great escape and like their relationship.
March 31, 2011
familiar but fun
March 30, 2017
Old fashion?
I remembered that my parents watch the TV show when I was very young. I enjoyed the book but I thought it was a little overwritten. I may try another.
I remembered that my parents watch the TV show when I was very young. I enjoyed the book but I thought it was a little overwritten. I may try another.
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