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Pierre Chambrun Mystery #3
The Evil That Men Do
A gang of jet-setting slanderers cause havoc at the stately Beaumont Hotel
Under the stern eye of manager Pierre Chambrun, life at the Beaumont runs with the efficiency of a Swiss watch. So reliable is the service at New York’s finest hotel that guests could set their timepieces to the movements of its bellhops. But a wrench is about to be thrown into this perfect mechanism—a redhead named Doris Standing. Standing is queen of the jet set, that army of playboys and party girls who tour the world in search of a good time. Lately, she and her gang have found a vicious kind of fun, exposing the misdeeds—real or imagined—of the rich and powerful. When this cruel young woman checks in to the Beaumont, Chambrun and his press man, Mark Haskell, take note. Because where Standing touches down, good men will be destroyed.
Under the stern eye of manager Pierre Chambrun, life at the Beaumont runs with the efficiency of a Swiss watch. So reliable is the service at New York’s finest hotel that guests could set their timepieces to the movements of its bellhops. But a wrench is about to be thrown into this perfect mechanism—a redhead named Doris Standing. Standing is queen of the jet set, that army of playboys and party girls who tour the world in search of a good time. Lately, she and her gang have found a vicious kind of fun, exposing the misdeeds—real or imagined—of the rich and powerful. When this cruel young woman checks in to the Beaumont, Chambrun and his press man, Mark Haskell, take note. Because where Standing touches down, good men will be destroyed.
- GenresMystery
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1966
16 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Pentecost
241 books20 followersHugh Pentecost was a penname of mystery author Judson Philips. Born in Massachusetts, Philips came of age during the golden age of pulp magazines, and spent the 1930s writing suspense fiction and sports stories for a number of famous pulps. His first book was Hold 'Em Girls! The Intelligent Women's Guide to Men and Football (1936). In 1939, his crime story Cancelled in Red won the Red Badge prize, launching his career as a novelist. Philips went on to write nearly one hundred books over the next five decades.
His best-known characters were Pierre Chambrun, a sleuthing hotel manager who first appeared in The Cannibal Who Overate (1962), and the one-legged investigative reporter Peter Styles, introduced in Laughter Trap (1964). Although he spent his last years with failing vision and poor health, Philips continued writing daily. His final novel was the posthumously published Pattern for Terror (1989).
His best-known characters were Pierre Chambrun, a sleuthing hotel manager who first appeared in The Cannibal Who Overate (1962), and the one-legged investigative reporter Peter Styles, introduced in Laughter Trap (1964). Although he spent his last years with failing vision and poor health, Philips continued writing daily. His final novel was the posthumously published Pattern for Terror (1989).
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 22, 2014
These old mysteries are my favorites. They need thought to solve and the author plays square with the reader. Great fun
August 22, 2021
Shows it's age both in plot, setting and absence of politically correctness
August 31, 2022
I am enjoying these books so much. I know that they are not politically correct and you do wince sometimes but the story is good and justice is done at the end which is very satisfying.
July 20, 2023
Fun, Fast read.
Very good plot with the ending appearing out of the blue. It read quickly and was spellbinding. Pierre Chambrun is a favorite of mine.
Very good plot with the ending appearing out of the blue. It read quickly and was spellbinding. Pierre Chambrun is a favorite of mine.
February 24, 2025
A good read, although dated, of course. Helped to read most of it in one sitting.
January 8, 2025
This series centered around a luxury hotel in New York City in the 1960s is a comfort read for me. The books are shorter and feature mysteries, usually deaths, through the eyes of the hotel's Public Relations director. The series is named for the manager of the hotel, who is also a prime figure.
Written in the late 60s, there are definitely some ideas that might not be considered appropriate in today's world, but those show how slowly, sometimes, change comes in our society. In this volume, the action centers around a group of "celebrities" that are always doing "jokes," etc., that might not be found funny to the individuals they prey upon (or hotel staff that must deal with their antics). The minute I began this one, it made me think of today's "influencers" that sometimes go for shock value, rather than kindness. One of this crew enjoys pretending he is going to possibly shoot himself with his own Russian roulette antics. He is later found dead of a gunshot in one of the hotel rooms and the action begins. Much more occurs, including other deaths, amnesia, romance, and power plays. I just enjoyed the flow.
I'll be reading the next, of course. If I keep enjoying the stories I can be comforted by the fact that there are twenty-two volumes in the series.
Written in the late 60s, there are definitely some ideas that might not be considered appropriate in today's world, but those show how slowly, sometimes, change comes in our society. In this volume, the action centers around a group of "celebrities" that are always doing "jokes," etc., that might not be found funny to the individuals they prey upon (or hotel staff that must deal with their antics). The minute I began this one, it made me think of today's "influencers" that sometimes go for shock value, rather than kindness. One of this crew enjoys pretending he is going to possibly shoot himself with his own Russian roulette antics. He is later found dead of a gunshot in one of the hotel rooms and the action begins. Much more occurs, including other deaths, amnesia, romance, and power plays. I just enjoyed the flow.
I'll be reading the next, of course. If I keep enjoying the stories I can be comforted by the fact that there are twenty-two volumes in the series.
October 19, 2022
I read everything I could find by Mr Pentecost as an older teen and until he stopped publishing. Mr Chambrun was my first book crush back at the start. Reread again this year on my Kindle.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews