What do you think?
Rate this book
Henry Gamadge #14
And Dangerous to Know
mystery novel
167 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
66 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Daly
34 books54 followersElizabeth Daly (1878-1967) was born in New York City and educated at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania and Columbia University. She was a reader in English at Bryn Mawr and tutored in English and French. She was awarded an Edgar in 1960. Her series character is Henry Gamadge, an antiquarian book dealer.
Daly works in the footsteps of Jane Austen, offering an extraordinarily clear picture of society in her time through the interactions of a few characters. In that tradition, if you knew a person's family history, general type, and a few personal quirks, you could be said to know everything worth knowing about that person. Today the emphasis is on baring the darkest depths of psycho- and socio-pathology; contemporary readers raised on this style may find Ms. Daly both elitist and somewhat facile. But fans of classic movies and whodunits know that a focus on polished surfaces brings with it the possibility of hidden secrets and things unsaid; for those who disdain the obvious confessional style of today, the Gamadge books have much to recommend them.
Elizabeth Daly now seems sadly forgotten by many which a shame as all her books are superbly crafted and plotted, indeed she counted none other than Agatha Christie as one of her fans. She published sixteen books all of which featured her main series character Henry Gamadge. He is a bibliophile and expert on rare books and manuscripts which makes her books particularly appealing to fans of the bibliomystery. There was some disparity between UK and US releases some being published out of sequence, the bibliography shown follows the US editions which are the true firsts. Murder Listens In and Shroud for a Lady are re-titled reissues of earlier books.
Daly works in the footsteps of Jane Austen, offering an extraordinarily clear picture of society in her time through the interactions of a few characters. In that tradition, if you knew a person's family history, general type, and a few personal quirks, you could be said to know everything worth knowing about that person. Today the emphasis is on baring the darkest depths of psycho- and socio-pathology; contemporary readers raised on this style may find Ms. Daly both elitist and somewhat facile. But fans of classic movies and whodunits know that a focus on polished surfaces brings with it the possibility of hidden secrets and things unsaid; for those who disdain the obvious confessional style of today, the Gamadge books have much to recommend them.
Elizabeth Daly now seems sadly forgotten by many which a shame as all her books are superbly crafted and plotted, indeed she counted none other than Agatha Christie as one of her fans. She published sixteen books all of which featured her main series character Henry Gamadge. He is a bibliophile and expert on rare books and manuscripts which makes her books particularly appealing to fans of the bibliomystery. There was some disparity between UK and US releases some being published out of sequence, the bibliography shown follows the US editions which are the true firsts. Murder Listens In and Shroud for a Lady are re-titled reissues of earlier books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 12, 2023
Early Bird Book Deal | Essentially the same review as the rest of the series, with the added bonus of not having a single sympathetic character, from murder victims to grieving family to killer.
July 29, 2017
New York City was home to long-established families who lived in fine houses and passed on properties from generation to generation. One such family, the Dunbars, suddenly find themselves in the newspapers (horrors!) when one of the daughters inexplicably disappears. The family was gathered in the city house because of the funeral of a relation, Mrs. Woodworth, who suffered a stroke in her country home.
Henry Gamadge learns about the vanished woman at second hand, when one the Dunbars' legal advisers, Robert MacCloud, stops to share the tale of Alice Dunbar's absence. His broad hints that Gamadge might like to investigate tease the detective into exploring a few ideas. He quickly discerns that Aunt Woodworth's death may not be as straightforward as it seemed… and that Miss Alice Dunbar, family dogsbody, had apparently expected to inherit from her aunt, only to have the aunt leave everything to some veterans' hospital. Could the two events be connected? And who was the mysterious "landscape architect" who talked his way into Woodworth's good graces, while somehow managing to avoid anyone else at the house getting a good look at him?
Daly's mysteries are very enjoyable at this point in the series. Gamadge is smart, thoughtful and observant, and good company for anyone who enjoys being led merrily down the garden path by a clever storyteller. Beware of red herrings and what Alfred Hitchcock used to call the MacGuffin--the thing that all characters seem to be pursuing. With Daly, it's seldom clear whodunnit or why until the closing chapter. Do expect to be surprised...
Henry Gamadge learns about the vanished woman at second hand, when one the Dunbars' legal advisers, Robert MacCloud, stops to share the tale of Alice Dunbar's absence. His broad hints that Gamadge might like to investigate tease the detective into exploring a few ideas. He quickly discerns that Aunt Woodworth's death may not be as straightforward as it seemed… and that Miss Alice Dunbar, family dogsbody, had apparently expected to inherit from her aunt, only to have the aunt leave everything to some veterans' hospital. Could the two events be connected? And who was the mysterious "landscape architect" who talked his way into Woodworth's good graces, while somehow managing to avoid anyone else at the house getting a good look at him?
Daly's mysteries are very enjoyable at this point in the series. Gamadge is smart, thoughtful and observant, and good company for anyone who enjoys being led merrily down the garden path by a clever storyteller. Beware of red herrings and what Alfred Hitchcock used to call the MacGuffin--the thing that all characters seem to be pursuing. With Daly, it's seldom clear whodunnit or why until the closing chapter. Do expect to be surprised...
March 30, 2018
Another slueth that I had never heard of and found in a 2nd hand bookstore. Mr. Henry Gamadge. Picks the mystery up where the police are left wanting. All very British old school - my favorite style. Written in 1949 and every page a treat. Elizabeth Daly has you in her grip til the end. Try it.
August 5, 2022
Alice Dunbar comes from a family who has plenty of money but is careful spending it. They live in an old brownstone that has belonged to the family for a very long time. The parents are very proper in their behaviour and expect the same from their two daughters.
Alice’s life is dreary at best. A spinster who spends time running errands for the household, her social life is nil. Abigail Tanner, Alice’s newly widowed sister who is staying with the family, is used to a very social life and can’t wait till she can return to her home and her ‘friends.’
It is July and the family would normally be at their cottage in Cape Cod, but a great-aunt has passed away and Mr. Dunbar is the executor of the estate. The parents have chosen to close the Cape Cod place to save money while they are back in New York.
Alice goes missing shortly after the great-aunt’s funeral. The strange thing is that she buys some cheap clothing to dress in. Her wardrobe is all high quality, so why the change? The story line takes the reader into the other world of Alice.
The police can’t seem to figure it out, so they call in Henry Gamadge. What he uncovers is even more surprising. It seems she has been leading a double life!
This is another book from the Henry Gamadge series and another enjoyable read.
Alice’s life is dreary at best. A spinster who spends time running errands for the household, her social life is nil. Abigail Tanner, Alice’s newly widowed sister who is staying with the family, is used to a very social life and can’t wait till she can return to her home and her ‘friends.’
It is July and the family would normally be at their cottage in Cape Cod, but a great-aunt has passed away and Mr. Dunbar is the executor of the estate. The parents have chosen to close the Cape Cod place to save money while they are back in New York.
Alice goes missing shortly after the great-aunt’s funeral. The strange thing is that she buys some cheap clothing to dress in. Her wardrobe is all high quality, so why the change? The story line takes the reader into the other world of Alice.
The police can’t seem to figure it out, so they call in Henry Gamadge. What he uncovers is even more surprising. It seems she has been leading a double life!
This is another book from the Henry Gamadge series and another enjoyable read.
May 2, 2019
Henry Gamadge is called in by a friend of the family to unofficially look into the disappearance of one of the daughters of a painfully respectable family. Murder follows, of course.
This is my second Elizabeth Daly book and I'm enjoying her writing so far, neat if not impossible puzzles and an attractive milieu. What's more, these books are good brisk reads that don't suffer from excess padding.
This is my second Elizabeth Daly book and I'm enjoying her writing so far, neat if not impossible puzzles and an attractive milieu. What's more, these books are good brisk reads that don't suffer from excess padding.
July 4, 2022
A little slow-paced, and I never quite got into the characters, but some well-placed misdirection gave this one some extra interest. The culprit was pretty obvious to me, and I doubt that real police officers would stand by and watch while Gamadge tried to get evidence/a confession, but all in the name of drama I suppose.
August 10, 2024
The surprise endings are usually not unexpected since the formula for such novels has been used frequently. The charm of Miss Daly’s books lie in her characters and nice descriptions of places and people. It is a pleasant diversion.
August 29, 2022
This was the 14th mystery in Edgar-Award-winner Elizabeth Daly's series featuring bibliophile detective Henry Gamadge. When an old friend of Gamadge's wife Clara disappears following an aunt's funeral, Gamadge begins a search.
September 8, 2007
Alice Dunbar leads a boring, respectable life. But somehow she manages to get herself murdered. Henry Gamadge is called in by the family to investigate who killed her and why.
June 28, 2012
I do love Elizabeth Daly's writing, and the Gamadge mysteries are always quality, classic stuff.
May 27, 2012
Nice mystery with a great detective, who works slyly.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews