A Death in a Town

by Hillary Waugh

Sally Anders is dead--raped and beaten to death. A pretty teenager in a nice, quiet town. Too nice; too quiet; too much is hidden. But that quiet is about to explode under the spotlight of the police investigation.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Aka Elissa Grandower (5 books), H. Baldwin Taylor (3 books), Harry Walker (1 book).

Hillary Baldwin Waugh was a pioneering American mystery novelist. In 1989, Waugh was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.

During his senior year at Yale, Waugh enlisted in the United States Navy Air Corps and, after graduation, received his aviator's wings. He served in Panama for two years, flying various types of aircraft. While in military service, Waugh turned his hand to creative writing, completing and publishing his first novel Madam Will Not Dine Tonight in 1947. He quickly published two more novels, but they were not very well received.

In 1949, as the result of reading a case book on true crime, Waugh decided to explore a realistic crime novel. With the cooperation of his fiancée, who was a student at Smith College, Waugh set his police procedural Last Seen Wearing... in a fictional women's college. Published in 1952, the book was a significant success and is now considered a pioneering effort exploring relentless police work and attention to detail.

After Last Seen Wearing..., Waugh went on to publish more than thirty-five additional detective novels, many aptly described as "hard boiled". Pseudonyms include "Elissa Grandower," "Harry Walker" and "H. Baldwin Taylor."

Waugh married Diana Taylor, and the couple had three children. Waugh died on December 8, 2008.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, excellent! This is the second mystery I've read by Hillary Waugh and I loved both of them. Such a unique way of presenting a mystery. The first was Last Seen Wearing, which I enjoyed very much. This was no different. Basically the plot revolves around the murder and rape of a young teenage girl in a small town in Connecticut. The way this is presented is via a series of interviews of the town citizens, from the family of the murdered girl through various others. As well, there are records of meetings of the police board and the town council. He portrays small town attitudes and how they change as the investigation drags on. Racism and other attitudes of intolerance begin to come to the fore; innocents are accused and their lives turned upside down. And the ending is so surprising and almost had me out of breath. I found this to be one of those books I couldn't put down. As it developed, I had to read a few more pages, then a few more, until I had to get to the end. I can't recommend more. (5 stars)

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read an ancient, browning paperback copy of this without looking at the front of the book, and assumed by the gender stereotyping and outmoded social views that it was written and published around 1950. It was actually published for the first time in 1990 so must have been an anomaly then. It actually read like a radio serial from the 1930s or 40s with a bit of drama and a large number or voices. It wasn't bad, just not as immediate or gripping as I expected. 2 1/2 stars.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Christie said of her book ABSENT IN THE SPRING (a non-mystery published under a pseudonym) "It was a book I HAD to write." I suspect Hillary Waugh felt the same about this book, even though he knew it would be a disappointment to some of his fans. This is no tightly-written police procedural showing the shrewd, tenacious police chief and his men slowly and remorselessly closing in on a killer. This book was written to spotlight a phenomenon that Waugh had observed over decades - the fact that any serious crime (particularly a murder) sets off shock waves that affect far more than the victim and the victim's family.

The small town of Crockford, Connecticut seems caught in a time warp. Although it's 1968, the lovely town green with a church on three of the four corners could be a scene from colonial times. It's a town where doors are left unlocked and no one worries about children going places unaccompanied. Where Yale professors buy homes for the small town atmosphere and the easy drive to New Haven. Where there's no child abuse, no illegal drugs, and no racism. Where the men are prosperous professionals and their wives are, well, wives.

But the brutal rape and murder of a quiet, well-behaved teen-aged girl starts the shock waves. A drifter catches a lucky break and suddenly friends and neighbors are wondering how much they really know about each other. Like fellow New Englander Shirley Jackson, Waugh knew the panic and savagery that lie just below the surface of civilization. And once events are set in motion, the results are horrific and lives are destroyed.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have Waugh's others, but it's a well-written and thought provoking book. I think he accomplished what he set out to do and no writer can ask for more than that. It's worth digging up a copy and reading it.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sixteen year old Sally Anders seems to have a normal life. She sings in the church choir, babysits, and has occasional fights with her younger brother. However, when she doesn't return home from babysitting, a search is made. Her body is found near the house where she was babysitting. She had been raped and murdered.

The story is told in brief sequences of people's thoughts and reactions to Sally's murder. It tells a picture of a small town which has a ficticious name but is actually Guilford, Connecticut, where the author lived and held public office.

Waugh gives the reader a step by step account of what the people were doing at the time of the murder and the following days. Little by little, clues are given as to who the guilty person might be.

The story is told in the first person and reads more like a group of newspaper clippings. As result, there is little sympathy for the character and little suspense.

The book was written in 1989 which was the year the author, Hillary Waugh was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent mystery story to me is one that grabs the reader's attention from the start, often by presenting the crime or an intriguing puzzle. "A Death in a Town" does that from the very beginning. The book tells the story of the rape and murder of a Sally Anders, age 16 in whose body was found outside the house where she was babysitting.

What I liked about this book is that every chapter is about a suspect that might have been involved with the murder of this child. It is if you are spectator in the room when the police are interviewing that individual. The story is told in brief sequences of people's thoughts and reactions to Sally's murder. Innocent people are accused and ruined as investigation proceeds. Lots of suspense as Waugh's approach focuses on the step-by-step process of police investigation, ultimately leading to a satisfying reveal rather than a letdown. Just an excellent murder mystery.

[James S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Death in a Town is a deft and moving novel about a murder and its consequences. Waugh was 70 when this was written, which is hard to believe because his 1st-person portrayals of teenagers are convincing. He is excellent at getting into his characters' mentalities, and his method of telling the story feels very up-to-date, even though it's from 1990. Finally, there is a delicious irony which only emerges at the ending of the book.

4.5 stars. Highly recommended.

[Catherine Meza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hillary Waugh wrote this one when he was in his sixties and had changed a bit with the times. A slice of life in a Connecticut town as a brutal murder reveals the fault lines behind the placid facade.

[Nancee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sally Anders is raped and murdered in a small town. A wanderer is suspected but when it turns out he didn't do it, rumors of other people in town who could have done it spread rapidly. Individuals and families are changed forever by these rumors. How fast ugliness can spread and the damage it can do...

[Toesnorth's mom]

very good! has written tons of books