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Hildegarde Withers #12
Nipped in the Bud
A comedian is dead, a witness is missing, and only Miss Withers can set things right
In comedy, timing is everything. If Tony Fagan were a better comic, perhaps he would’ve known when to keep his mouth shut. After weeks of jokes at the expense of businessman Winston H. “Junior” Gault, the sponsor of Fagan’s television show, Fagan is found with his head bashed in, and Gault is charged with the murder. The case seems open and shut, but Gault has the money to buy himself an acquittal. The only witness against him is Ina Kell—a small-town dreamer who came to New York to find fame—and she’s disappeared.
It’s up to Hildegarde Withers, a retired schoolteacher with expertise in solving crime, to find the vanished witness. Ina may have come to New York seeking excitement, but she didn’t deserve to get caught in the line of fire.
In comedy, timing is everything. If Tony Fagan were a better comic, perhaps he would’ve known when to keep his mouth shut. After weeks of jokes at the expense of businessman Winston H. “Junior” Gault, the sponsor of Fagan’s television show, Fagan is found with his head bashed in, and Gault is charged with the murder. The case seems open and shut, but Gault has the money to buy himself an acquittal. The only witness against him is Ina Kell—a small-town dreamer who came to New York to find fame—and she’s disappeared.
It’s up to Hildegarde Withers, a retired schoolteacher with expertise in solving crime, to find the vanished witness. Ina may have come to New York seeking excitement, but she didn’t deserve to get caught in the line of fire.
- GenresMystery
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1951
40 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Palmer
91 books31 followersPseudonyms Theodore Orchards, Jay Stewart
Stuart Palmer (1905–1968) was an American author of mysteries. Born in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Palmer worked a number of odd jobs—including apple picking, journalism, and copywriting—before publishing his first novel, the crime drama Ace of Jades, in 1931. It was with his second novel, however, that he established his writing career: The Penguin Pool Murder introduced Hildegarde Withers, a schoolmarm who, on a field trip to the New York Aquarium, discovers a dead body in the pool. Withers was an immensely popular character, and went on to star in thirteen more novels, including Miss Withers Regrets (1947) and Nipped in the Bud (1951). A master of intricate plotting, Palmer found success writing for Hollywood, where several of his books, including The Penguin Pool Murder, were filmed by RKO Pictures Inc.
Stuart Palmer (1905–1968) was an American author of mysteries. Born in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Palmer worked a number of odd jobs—including apple picking, journalism, and copywriting—before publishing his first novel, the crime drama Ace of Jades, in 1931. It was with his second novel, however, that he established his writing career: The Penguin Pool Murder introduced Hildegarde Withers, a schoolmarm who, on a field trip to the New York Aquarium, discovers a dead body in the pool. Withers was an immensely popular character, and went on to star in thirteen more novels, including Miss Withers Regrets (1947) and Nipped in the Bud (1951). A master of intricate plotting, Palmer found success writing for Hollywood, where several of his books, including The Penguin Pool Murder, were filmed by RKO Pictures Inc.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 6, 2020
By far one of the best Hildegarde Withers mysteries I've read in some time.
Hildy returns to New York after a prolonged vacation in California due to a bad case of asthma, which she tells Inspector Oscar Piper is due to "those awful stogies you chain-smoke from dawn until midnight." She quickly finds herself caught up in a wild, confusing mystery that is not resolved until almost the very last page. Just when you think you know who did it, you find out you were wrong.
It is very obvious to Piper that though she has mostly recovered from her illness, Hildy is depressed. His cure for that, of course, is to get her involved with another murder case. TV personality Tony Fagan hosted a variety show sponsored by Gault Foods. On the night of his last show, an hour before the broadcast aired, Fagan learned that Gault Foods had decided not to renew his contract. Not surprising since Fagan had consistently insulted his sponsor with statements like, "It is time for a brief word about our sponsors, bless their black, money-mad little hearts." That turns out to be a mild statement compared to what comes right after when he launches into an angry, vicious, downright libelous tirade against Winston "Junior" Gault, Jr. and Junior's fiancee, Dallas Trempleau, a wealthy, wannabe singer.
The show is live and no stops Fagan's verbal attack. Junior, Dallas, and their friends are watching the show. Junior explodes and goes hunting for Fagan, but doesn't find him. Fagan, who had been somewhat drunk during the whole affair, is sobered up with black coffee and sent to apologize to Junior, who promptly punches him in the jaw -and then throws a party to celebrate. Later that night, Fagan is found dead - beaten to death. There doesn't seem to be any doubt as to who is responsible, but Hildy is not so sure.
Ina Kell, newly arrived in New York to pursue her dreams to be a star, found Fagan's body and gave a statement implicating Junior, whom she saw fleeing the scene. Now Ina is missing. Had she gotten cold feet or was she kidnapped? Hildy has her own ideas and her investigation soon takes her and her faithful poodle Talleyrand to Tijuana, where she enlists the aid of a very clever Mexican street urchin named Vito.
The story is fast-moving and clever. Like I said at the beginning, just when you think you know who did it, you find out you were wrong. Of course, there is Palmer's trademark humor like the telegram that Hildy sends to Oscar:
The "red hairy kell" is a dig at Hardesty, the assistant DA, who has a crush on the missing witness, Ina Kell. Typical Hildegarde.
The Hildegarde Withers books are always a great deal of fun and I've never been disappointed in them. If you can, check out "A Very Missing Person," a 1972 TV movie starring Eve Arden (Hildegarde Withers) and James Gregory (Inspector Oscar Piper). It's based on the last Hildegarde Withers book, Hildegarde Withers Makes the Scene, which was completed after Palmer's death by Fletcher Flora. It pops up every now and then on online. It's dated, but still amusing.
"From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggitted beasties
And things that go Boomp in the night
Oh Lord deliver us..."
Old Scottish Book of Common Prayer
Hildy returns to New York after a prolonged vacation in California due to a bad case of asthma, which she tells Inspector Oscar Piper is due to "those awful stogies you chain-smoke from dawn until midnight." She quickly finds herself caught up in a wild, confusing mystery that is not resolved until almost the very last page. Just when you think you know who did it, you find out you were wrong.
It is very obvious to Piper that though she has mostly recovered from her illness, Hildy is depressed. His cure for that, of course, is to get her involved with another murder case. TV personality Tony Fagan hosted a variety show sponsored by Gault Foods. On the night of his last show, an hour before the broadcast aired, Fagan learned that Gault Foods had decided not to renew his contract. Not surprising since Fagan had consistently insulted his sponsor with statements like, "It is time for a brief word about our sponsors, bless their black, money-mad little hearts." That turns out to be a mild statement compared to what comes right after when he launches into an angry, vicious, downright libelous tirade against Winston "Junior" Gault, Jr. and Junior's fiancee, Dallas Trempleau, a wealthy, wannabe singer.
The show is live and no stops Fagan's verbal attack. Junior, Dallas, and their friends are watching the show. Junior explodes and goes hunting for Fagan, but doesn't find him. Fagan, who had been somewhat drunk during the whole affair, is sobered up with black coffee and sent to apologize to Junior, who promptly punches him in the jaw -and then throws a party to celebrate. Later that night, Fagan is found dead - beaten to death. There doesn't seem to be any doubt as to who is responsible, but Hildy is not so sure.
Ina Kell, newly arrived in New York to pursue her dreams to be a star, found Fagan's body and gave a statement implicating Junior, whom she saw fleeing the scene. Now Ina is missing. Had she gotten cold feet or was she kidnapped? Hildy has her own ideas and her investigation soon takes her and her faithful poodle Talleyrand to Tijuana, where she enlists the aid of a very clever Mexican street urchin named Vito.
The story is fast-moving and clever. Like I said at the beginning, just when you think you know who did it, you find out you were wrong. Of course, there is Palmer's trademark humor like the telegram that Hildy sends to Oscar:
HAVING WONDERFUL TIME. WISH YOU WERE HERE. HAPPY HUNTING GROUND FOR AMATEUR CONCHOLOGIST. HAVE FOUND A MEASLED COWRY, A LEFT-HANDED WHELK, TWO HAIRY TRITONS, A SPIKED TREMPLETTE AND A RED HAIRY KELL. WOULD PROFESSOR HARDESTY LIKE THE LATTER FOR HIS COLLECTION?
HILDEGARDE
The "red hairy kell" is a dig at Hardesty, the assistant DA, who has a crush on the missing witness, Ina Kell. Typical Hildegarde.
The Hildegarde Withers books are always a great deal of fun and I've never been disappointed in them. If you can, check out "A Very Missing Person," a 1972 TV movie starring Eve Arden (Hildegarde Withers) and James Gregory (Inspector Oscar Piper). It's based on the last Hildegarde Withers book, Hildegarde Withers Makes the Scene, which was completed after Palmer's death by Fletcher Flora. It pops up every now and then on online. It's dated, but still amusing.
November 18, 2020
Another great Hildegarde Withers yarn from Stuart Palmer. The murder of a TV star in his New York apartment after a bitter row with the sponsor he tore into on air eventually leads to a showdown in Tijuana.
A characteristic blend of mystery and humor, it had me guessing right up to the end. And some of the comedic passages, such as the business at the dog track, are laugh out loud funny.
A characteristic blend of mystery and humor, it had me guessing right up to the end. And some of the comedic passages, such as the business at the dog track, are laugh out loud funny.
August 17, 2023
Never underestimate a girl who yearns for the spotlight.
It's 1951 and television is taking over. Critics complain bitterly that it's called a "medium" because nothing on it is well done, but every American who can afford a set and get a station signal is "glued to the tube." Typical is acerbic comedian Tony Fagan's variety hour - singers, dancers, and assorted entertainers, with Tony insulting them all.
He also insults the program sponsors and it's gotten him in trouble before. When he's told that Gault Frozen Foods is dropping him, everyone figures it's the end of his career. The loud-mouthed loose cannon responds with a hilariously insulting on-air diatribe against Winston "Junior" Gault, the company president. Worse, most of the things he says are at least partly true.
Later that night, Gault visits Tony's apartment to administer a well-deserved shellacking. But when the cops find the body the next day, Tony's head has been crushed by the ever-popular blunt object and he's deader than vaudeville.
The fight may have been mano y mano, but there are lots of dames in this one. There's Tony's wife, Ruth. They were partly divorced, but she still loved him and wants his murderer punished. There's beautiful Thallie Gordon, who sings on Tony's show and keeps him company at night. She's a lousy singer, but the camera loves her curves.
There's Junior Gault's socialite girlfriend Dallas Trempleau, who dumps him and leaves town after his arrest. There's a green-as-grass small town girl who's come to New York hoping to parley her good looks and shy charm into an exciting, glamorous life. What could be more exciting than finding a dead celebrity, after seeing his killer leaving the building?
And finally there's Miss Hildegarde Withers, retired schoolteacher who's been living in California collecting sea shells and giving her asthma a rest. Now she and her enormous poodle Tally are back and her old frenemy NYPD Inspector Oscar Piper wants her to stay. So he explains that the iron-clad case against Junior Gault is slipping away from him and he needs her help.
One witness joins the military and is shipped out. Another can't be put on the stand because of mental health issues. And pretty Ina Kell has disappeared. If they have to let Junior go, the public will scream that the police are giving preferential treatment to a rich boy. Criticism of the police is really nothing new.
Plus Gault has hired defense attorney Sam Bordin, notorious for getting his clients off the hook no matter how guilty they are. "Sasha" Bordin is a former student of Miss Withers, who's not surprised he became a defense lawyer. Even in the third grade, he could argue with great conviction when he was telling the truth and even more convincingly when he was lying. Miss Withers is almost hoping he'll win this case. Tony Kagan was a bully and all good teachers hate a bully.
In a strange twist, the action leaves NYC and heads to Tiajuana, Mexico, that sordid gambling and saloon hell just south of the border. There Tally tries to beat the greyhounds at their own game and Miss Withers acquires a new sidekick in savvy street-kid Vito. Together, they find an unlikely pair who are connected to the murder. Who is hiding whom and why?
The conclusion is wildly complicated and only completely believable if you're not too picky. Palmer's charm was not in meticulous plotting, but in the wonderful characters he created. All that matters is that Hildy is back in the Big Apple and the insults between the two old sparring partners are as inventive and funny as ever.
This is a great series and I'm sorry it's not longer. Palmer may not have been a role-model, but he had a talent for making murders entertaining.
It's 1951 and television is taking over. Critics complain bitterly that it's called a "medium" because nothing on it is well done, but every American who can afford a set and get a station signal is "glued to the tube." Typical is acerbic comedian Tony Fagan's variety hour - singers, dancers, and assorted entertainers, with Tony insulting them all.
He also insults the program sponsors and it's gotten him in trouble before. When he's told that Gault Frozen Foods is dropping him, everyone figures it's the end of his career. The loud-mouthed loose cannon responds with a hilariously insulting on-air diatribe against Winston "Junior" Gault, the company president. Worse, most of the things he says are at least partly true.
Later that night, Gault visits Tony's apartment to administer a well-deserved shellacking. But when the cops find the body the next day, Tony's head has been crushed by the ever-popular blunt object and he's deader than vaudeville.
The fight may have been mano y mano, but there are lots of dames in this one. There's Tony's wife, Ruth. They were partly divorced, but she still loved him and wants his murderer punished. There's beautiful Thallie Gordon, who sings on Tony's show and keeps him company at night. She's a lousy singer, but the camera loves her curves.
There's Junior Gault's socialite girlfriend Dallas Trempleau, who dumps him and leaves town after his arrest. There's a green-as-grass small town girl who's come to New York hoping to parley her good looks and shy charm into an exciting, glamorous life. What could be more exciting than finding a dead celebrity, after seeing his killer leaving the building?
And finally there's Miss Hildegarde Withers, retired schoolteacher who's been living in California collecting sea shells and giving her asthma a rest. Now she and her enormous poodle Tally are back and her old frenemy NYPD Inspector Oscar Piper wants her to stay. So he explains that the iron-clad case against Junior Gault is slipping away from him and he needs her help.
One witness joins the military and is shipped out. Another can't be put on the stand because of mental health issues. And pretty Ina Kell has disappeared. If they have to let Junior go, the public will scream that the police are giving preferential treatment to a rich boy. Criticism of the police is really nothing new.
Plus Gault has hired defense attorney Sam Bordin, notorious for getting his clients off the hook no matter how guilty they are. "Sasha" Bordin is a former student of Miss Withers, who's not surprised he became a defense lawyer. Even in the third grade, he could argue with great conviction when he was telling the truth and even more convincingly when he was lying. Miss Withers is almost hoping he'll win this case. Tony Kagan was a bully and all good teachers hate a bully.
In a strange twist, the action leaves NYC and heads to Tiajuana, Mexico, that sordid gambling and saloon hell just south of the border. There Tally tries to beat the greyhounds at their own game and Miss Withers acquires a new sidekick in savvy street-kid Vito. Together, they find an unlikely pair who are connected to the murder. Who is hiding whom and why?
The conclusion is wildly complicated and only completely believable if you're not too picky. Palmer's charm was not in meticulous plotting, but in the wonderful characters he created. All that matters is that Hildy is back in the Big Apple and the insults between the two old sparring partners are as inventive and funny as ever.
This is a great series and I'm sorry it's not longer. Palmer may not have been a role-model, but he had a talent for making murders entertaining.
December 11, 2022
I only have to books left
I really hope she and Oscar reunite. I hope Oscar retires to LA to be a part-time PI. The could be sidekicks. Though they would probably kill each other quickly.
I really hope she and Oscar reunite. I hope Oscar retires to LA to be a part-time PI. The could be sidekicks. Though they would probably kill each other quickly.
January 8, 2022
Not sure who recommended this author or book but it's pretty far into the series. The main characters were pretty endearing but I found the mystery a bit clumsy. Ok read.
June 7, 2022
Although I found the earlier Withers books enjoyable I didn't even finish this. I thought the banter between Oscar and Hildegarde had grown tiresome.
February 2, 2021
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
January 16, 2014
Very good one.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews