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Benny Cooperman #1
The Suicide Murders
Myrna Yates was cool and attractive--a real society lady--and in trouble. Benny Cooperman, a private eye in Grantham, Ontario, Canada with a hard head and a tender heart, was ready to help her in any way he could. Her concern? Whether her husband Chester was having an affair. But when Ches commits suicide the day Benny begins his investigation, our detective realizes he may be dealing with something beyond a simple family affair.
Probing into the curious circumstances surrounding the death, Benny finds himself in the midst of a strange group of people--one that involves a mysterious psychiatrist, eminent but shady citizens, and soon, a few more suicides. Or are they murders?
Librarian's note: characters, settings, etc. have been completed for the series of 12 novels and 2 novellas: #1. The Suicide Murders (1980), #2. The Ransom Game (1981), #3. Murder On Location (1982), #4. Murder Sees The Light (1984), #5. A City Called July (1986), #6. A Victim Must Be Found (1988), #7. Dead And Buried (1990), #7A. The Whole Megillah (1991) (a novella), #8. There Was An Old Woman (1993), #9. Getting Away With Murder (1995), #10. The Cooperman Variations (2001), #10A. My Brother's Keeper (2001) with co-author Eric Wright (a novella), #11. Memory Book (2005), and #12, East Of Suez (2008). A thirteenth, Over the River, was scheduled for 2018 but never came out.
Probing into the curious circumstances surrounding the death, Benny finds himself in the midst of a strange group of people--one that involves a mysterious psychiatrist, eminent but shady citizens, and soon, a few more suicides. Or are they murders?
Librarian's note: characters, settings, etc. have been completed for the series of 12 novels and 2 novellas: #1. The Suicide Murders (1980), #2. The Ransom Game (1981), #3. Murder On Location (1982), #4. Murder Sees The Light (1984), #5. A City Called July (1986), #6. A Victim Must Be Found (1988), #7. Dead And Buried (1990), #7A. The Whole Megillah (1991) (a novella), #8. There Was An Old Woman (1993), #9. Getting Away With Murder (1995), #10. The Cooperman Variations (2001), #10A. My Brother's Keeper (2001) with co-author Eric Wright (a novella), #11. Memory Book (2005), and #12, East Of Suez (2008). A thirteenth, Over the River, was scheduled for 2018 but never came out.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
22 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Howard Engel
32 books29 followersHoward Engel was a pioneering, award-winning Canadian mystery and non-fiction author. He is famous for his Benny Cooperman private-eye series, set in the Niagara Region of Ontario.
He and Eric Wright are two of the authors responsible for founding Crime Writers Of Canada. He had twins Charlotte and William with authoress, Marian Engel. He has a son, Jacob, with his late wife, authoress Janet Hamilton: with whom he co-wrote "Murder In Space".
A stroke in 2001 famously caused "alexia sine agraphia". It was a disease that hampered Howard's ability to comprehend written words, even though he could continue to write! He retired in Toronto, where he continued to inspire and mentor future authors and writers of all kinds. Maureen Jennings, creator of the Murdoch novels and still-running television series, is among them.
Unfortunately, he died of pneumonia that arose after a stroke. True animal-lovers: Howard's beloved living cat, Kali, is included by their family in his obituary.
He and Eric Wright are two of the authors responsible for founding Crime Writers Of Canada. He had twins Charlotte and William with authoress, Marian Engel. He has a son, Jacob, with his late wife, authoress Janet Hamilton: with whom he co-wrote "Murder In Space".
A stroke in 2001 famously caused "alexia sine agraphia". It was a disease that hampered Howard's ability to comprehend written words, even though he could continue to write! He retired in Toronto, where he continued to inspire and mentor future authors and writers of all kinds. Maureen Jennings, creator of the Murdoch novels and still-running television series, is among them.
Unfortunately, he died of pneumonia that arose after a stroke. True animal-lovers: Howard's beloved living cat, Kali, is included by their family in his obituary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 12, 2018
What a thrill, when books are better than we think! I didn’t guess that Howard Engel is so funny! This is my favourite discovery. I saw a much later mystery, “The Memory Book”, 2005, on a charity table and decided: “It’s Canadian and it’s $1.00”. That set me on finding this début. Benny Cooperman is a private investigator in another wholly Canadian setting. I like Howard's hero more than Eric Wrights’: loveable, not a curser. He is a spry forty like me and interacting with his parents stirs up the greatest hilarity. I love Eric’s series but Charlie Salter is a disgruntled curmudgeon, ill-fitted to his family. Benny is friendly and fun: a low income guy taking his best, honest shot in his hometown.
Except featuring modern Canada, he reminds me of Rex Stout’s Archie, without being smarmy. These are standard adult mysteries, neither ‘hardboiled’ nor ‘cozy’. Benny is intelligent, tough enough to push his way past obstacles, and genuinely cares about justice. A woman hires him to investigate her husband’s unexplained meetings. He dies after Benny trails him. This is an extraordinarily good mystery with origins in the past, clashing in confusion with several present day personages. It is exciting, emotional, the outcome is satisfying, and truly pulls you in.
Howard’s writing is masterful! Astute without being fancy, yet I marvel at his succinct, creative observations of tiny things. They are conveyed in rapid asides that never detract from the flow of progress and conversation; likewise when sharing scenery and information. Benny’s parents are the pièce de résistance. Couch potato to the nth degree, his Mom habitually, rhetorically offers to serve a salad and ignores Benny’s fruitless acceptance! Enjoying Howard’s work so much makes me glad I own the sequel, “Ransom Game”. I will explore bookstores for the others!
Except featuring modern Canada, he reminds me of Rex Stout’s Archie, without being smarmy. These are standard adult mysteries, neither ‘hardboiled’ nor ‘cozy’. Benny is intelligent, tough enough to push his way past obstacles, and genuinely cares about justice. A woman hires him to investigate her husband’s unexplained meetings. He dies after Benny trails him. This is an extraordinarily good mystery with origins in the past, clashing in confusion with several present day personages. It is exciting, emotional, the outcome is satisfying, and truly pulls you in.
Howard’s writing is masterful! Astute without being fancy, yet I marvel at his succinct, creative observations of tiny things. They are conveyed in rapid asides that never detract from the flow of progress and conversation; likewise when sharing scenery and information. Benny’s parents are the pièce de résistance. Couch potato to the nth degree, his Mom habitually, rhetorically offers to serve a salad and ignores Benny’s fruitless acceptance! Enjoying Howard’s work so much makes me glad I own the sequel, “Ransom Game”. I will explore bookstores for the others!
October 13, 2025
4 Stars. What a great start for Benny Cooperman! Engel created Benny, a private eye, in 1980; there are 12 novels and 2 novellas in the series. His city, Grantham, is a stand-in for St. Catharines, Ontario, a small Canadian city located about 20k on the Queen Elizabeth Way west of Niagara Falls. And ninety minutes from Canada's biggest city, Toronto, further down the road. Benny is trouble prone, always bumping into the police and not in a nice way. He's sarcastic and funny, with Jewish parents who moan about him living in a hotel and his lack of prospects for respectable work. They worry even more that he might be dating a shiksa. The story? A woman visits Benny's office with a tale of woe. She thinks her husband Chester Yates, an important businessman, is having an affair. He's absent without cause every Thursday afternoon. Benny tracks him to the office of psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Zekerman and reports back to Myrna that she needn't be concerned about an affair. Then Chester is found shot dead but it doesn't look like murder. Suicide? After that, complications galore! I really enjoyed the difficulties Benny gets into. Next, it's #2 for me! (Jul2021/Oc2025)
April 2, 2021
I have read a few of Howard Engel's Benny Cooperman's mysteries. It's such an enjoyable crime series. This may have been a reread (if so it was many years ago) but I finally got to the 1st book, The Suicide Murders. It's an excellent intro to the series. We meet Benny Cooperman, a struggling PI in the fictional town of Grantham Ontario, on the Niagara Escarpment, near Niagara Falls.
Benny works out of a small office, living off divorce cases and sometimes help researching estate issues for his cousin, Melvyn. His office is the floor above a somewhat drunken podiatrist, Frank Bushmill. Benny lives in a local motel, above the bar. He still goes to dinner at his parent's home on Fridays. His favorite meal is chopped egg on toast at the local diner. (Benny in a bit of a nutshell)
Myrna Yates arrives at Benny's office as Benny worries about the future. She suspects her husband Chester, a successful real estate developer, is having an affair. She wants Benny to follow her husband as he seems to leave his office every Thursday, lying about his whereabouts. Benny follows him and discovers he is going to see a psychiatrist. Before he has time to advise Myrna, the news reports that Chester is found dead in his office, presumably having committed suicide.
Benny is suspicious and continues to investigate, with Myrna's approval. Benny has run ins with one cop, who believes in the suicide presumption and lays on Benny. As well, a friend of Chester, William Allen Ward, a city adviser, also pressures Benny, even to the point of having his heavies take Benny for a bit of a ride. Benny, while maybe not the best of detectives, perseveres and continues his investigation.
There are various threads in this mystery; blackmail, a past history of crime by some suspects, shady real estate deals..... Benny plugs away. He may not be in the league of Lew Archer or Sam Spade, real hard-boiled gumshoes, (Benny is more soft - boiled) but he's not easily intimidated and can run fairly quickly when he's threatened.
I never expect anything really deep in a Benny Cooperman mystery and he does seem to pull threads together fairly easily, but it doesn't really matter. I like his relationship with various police detectives, specifically Pete Staziak and Chris Savas, a sort of mutual respect. There are other deaths and a quite touching ending (I thought) and overall it was an entertaining, involving mystery with interesting characters and a satisfying story. An excellent intro to a good series. (4 stars)
Benny works out of a small office, living off divorce cases and sometimes help researching estate issues for his cousin, Melvyn. His office is the floor above a somewhat drunken podiatrist, Frank Bushmill. Benny lives in a local motel, above the bar. He still goes to dinner at his parent's home on Fridays. His favorite meal is chopped egg on toast at the local diner. (Benny in a bit of a nutshell)
Myrna Yates arrives at Benny's office as Benny worries about the future. She suspects her husband Chester, a successful real estate developer, is having an affair. She wants Benny to follow her husband as he seems to leave his office every Thursday, lying about his whereabouts. Benny follows him and discovers he is going to see a psychiatrist. Before he has time to advise Myrna, the news reports that Chester is found dead in his office, presumably having committed suicide.
Benny is suspicious and continues to investigate, with Myrna's approval. Benny has run ins with one cop, who believes in the suicide presumption and lays on Benny. As well, a friend of Chester, William Allen Ward, a city adviser, also pressures Benny, even to the point of having his heavies take Benny for a bit of a ride. Benny, while maybe not the best of detectives, perseveres and continues his investigation.
There are various threads in this mystery; blackmail, a past history of crime by some suspects, shady real estate deals..... Benny plugs away. He may not be in the league of Lew Archer or Sam Spade, real hard-boiled gumshoes, (Benny is more soft - boiled) but he's not easily intimidated and can run fairly quickly when he's threatened.
I never expect anything really deep in a Benny Cooperman mystery and he does seem to pull threads together fairly easily, but it doesn't really matter. I like his relationship with various police detectives, specifically Pete Staziak and Chris Savas, a sort of mutual respect. There are other deaths and a quite touching ending (I thought) and overall it was an entertaining, involving mystery with interesting characters and a satisfying story. An excellent intro to a good series. (4 stars)
September 28, 2017
3.5 stars for this old-style gum shoe detective book, first of a series. I bumped into this author at the library shelf while reading another author in the "E" section and I was intrigued to read of his stroke and reading problem afterwards. My intro, then, was a later book after his stroke as well as a standalone I enjoyed very much on Conan Doyle. I was disappointed to learn that the well-stocked Chicago Public Library only owns a few of the Benny Cooperman books. Eureka, praise the Lord...or? Turns out this is available on Kinde Unlimited, my subscription with Amazon that usually disappoints.
There is a good amount of mystery, humour and action to attract those who enjoy this older style of PI work before internet, cell phone, DNA, etc. Instead of typing some favorite quotes I set a few of my highlights to be read with the warning that just the first highlight is free of "spoiler" content.
There is a good amount of mystery, humour and action to attract those who enjoy this older style of PI work before internet, cell phone, DNA, etc. Instead of typing some favorite quotes I set a few of my highlights to be read with the warning that just the first highlight is free of "spoiler" content.
September 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this detective story. The author's style was energetic and propelled me forward - very hard to put down. The plot was complex, but details were revealed at perfectly-paced intervals, so I was not overwhelmed by the information. The characters, while not well-developed, were still memorable. The conclusion of the mystery was surprising and satisfying. I look forward to spending more time with Benny Cooperman.
January 18, 2025
Un giallo vecchio stile con il classico detective americano, dove si può trovare di tutto un po': ricatti, loschi affari immobiliari, un suicidio che suicidio non è... Oltre a questo mettete una buona dose di umorismo, azione e descrizioni alquanto bizzarre.
Ogni tanto mi piace rispolverare questi vecchi gialli, dove l'investigatore fa un lavoro alla vecchia maniera, senza ausilio di internet, cellulari, prove del dna e tutte le diavolerie moderne, riuscendo a risolvere il caso con lavoro fisico e buon acume.
Piacevole.
Ogni tanto mi piace rispolverare questi vecchi gialli, dove l'investigatore fa un lavoro alla vecchia maniera, senza ausilio di internet, cellulari, prove del dna e tutte le diavolerie moderne, riuscendo a risolvere il caso con lavoro fisico e buon acume.
Piacevole.
November 20, 2009
I think I will do the whole series he wrote with Benny Cooperman. Lots of scenery from "Grantham" aka St. Catharines.
July 30, 2018
I read this book years ago for an undergrad English class. I enjoyed it then, even though I did not particularly enjoy the class. I enjoyed it much more this time around.
I enjoy Benny's self-deprecating humour that keeps him human (and generally fits the genre), but which is not so ridiculous that he is neurotic. I generally liked the plot and ending.
I will read (and re-read) others of this series.
I enjoy Benny's self-deprecating humour that keeps him human (and generally fits the genre), but which is not so ridiculous that he is neurotic. I generally liked the plot and ending.
I will read (and re-read) others of this series.
October 31, 2019
An old-school mystery where the genre is played straight, but once I stopped expecting some twist I really started to enjoy the mystery and the writing and the characters.
August 28, 2015
The cops said Chester killed himself. The gun was there, and he had powder burns on his head, powder on his hand. Everything tested out right. But he’d ordered himself a brand new bicycle just two hours earlier. Does a suicide do that? And then there was the very lovely wife that had been to see Cooperman, our detective protagonist, just before the unfortunate event, concerned that her man had perhaps been unfaithful. She’s caught him lying to her, and that makes a lady suspicious.
These things leave a guy like Cooperman with questions. True, he’s not a cop: “Me? I’m just a peeper. Divorce is my meat and potatoes.” But when something stinks, it’s in Cooperman’s nature to go find the source of the smell and air it out. And when others die after Chester, it makes Cooperman, who’s nobody’s fool, ask even more questions.
I received the DRC for this vintage novel, now available digitally, from Net Galley and Open Road Integrated Media. It became available for sale August 24, so you can get it now.
Engel is an experienced writer, and as he plays the thread out, with murder upon murder integrated deftly into the everyday life of Benny Cooperman, he strikes an excellent balance, building suspense and driving the plot forward with the occasional humorous reflection to keep things from becoming too ugly to be fun for the reader. And his character descriptions are particularly memorable, as with this local politician:
“He was a big man by anybody’s scale. His face looked like a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, with a huge portion of nose in the middle. “
There were a couple of moments when the predictable occurred, but it wasn’t so dead obvious—excuse the pun—as to be an eye-roller. Rather, I experienced the satisfaction of having seen it coming and been right. And to me, as long as there isn’t too much of it, and there wasn’t, that is a sign that the writer has been fair to his audience. There are no sudden introductions of new characters during the last ten percent of the novel that change the solution in a way impossible to predict, and a lot of us like working the puzzle as we read. There are a couple of sexist references—“the kind of girl”, “bimbo”—that were commonly used in 1980 when this was first published that I didn’t care for, but they were infrequent enough that I was able to make a note to myself, and then continue to read and enjoy the story. In the end, the wry humor and up-tempo plot line makes this one a winner.
Although there are vague sexual references and infidelity is part of the plot, there is no graphic sex that should prevent a parent of a precocious adolescent mystery maven from handing the book down once they have finished it themselves. It’s hard to call any story that contains multiple murders a cozy mystery, but this one is in or near that ballpark.
Altogether a satisfying read.
These things leave a guy like Cooperman with questions. True, he’s not a cop: “Me? I’m just a peeper. Divorce is my meat and potatoes.” But when something stinks, it’s in Cooperman’s nature to go find the source of the smell and air it out. And when others die after Chester, it makes Cooperman, who’s nobody’s fool, ask even more questions.
I received the DRC for this vintage novel, now available digitally, from Net Galley and Open Road Integrated Media. It became available for sale August 24, so you can get it now.
Engel is an experienced writer, and as he plays the thread out, with murder upon murder integrated deftly into the everyday life of Benny Cooperman, he strikes an excellent balance, building suspense and driving the plot forward with the occasional humorous reflection to keep things from becoming too ugly to be fun for the reader. And his character descriptions are particularly memorable, as with this local politician:
“He was a big man by anybody’s scale. His face looked like a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, with a huge portion of nose in the middle. “
There were a couple of moments when the predictable occurred, but it wasn’t so dead obvious—excuse the pun—as to be an eye-roller. Rather, I experienced the satisfaction of having seen it coming and been right. And to me, as long as there isn’t too much of it, and there wasn’t, that is a sign that the writer has been fair to his audience. There are no sudden introductions of new characters during the last ten percent of the novel that change the solution in a way impossible to predict, and a lot of us like working the puzzle as we read. There are a couple of sexist references—“the kind of girl”, “bimbo”—that were commonly used in 1980 when this was first published that I didn’t care for, but they were infrequent enough that I was able to make a note to myself, and then continue to read and enjoy the story. In the end, the wry humor and up-tempo plot line makes this one a winner.
Although there are vague sexual references and infidelity is part of the plot, there is no graphic sex that should prevent a parent of a precocious adolescent mystery maven from handing the book down once they have finished it themselves. It’s hard to call any story that contains multiple murders a cozy mystery, but this one is in or near that ballpark.
Altogether a satisfying read.
July 21, 2020
PI novels are generally not my thing. But since Benny is licensed rather than the "amateur sleuth" type, it was more like he was a real detective. The style and tone of the book was still a bit light and fluffy like cozy mysteries that feature PIs, but it took itself seriously and didn't shy away from the gorier details. Benny is definitely one of the more unique characters I've come across for a protagonist, especially within the mystery genre. I don't know if PI novels contrast with police procedurals like this all the time, but it was nice in a way, while at the same time being a little surprising. Benny is a bit overweight and not that well in shape, and you think he'd need to be both in order to keep up with his work. But, he usually handles divorces, not murders, so maybe not.
I was originally really happy to come across this title because it's Canadian, and most of the tropes I hate in mysteries are not present in this book. But I don't know if it was just how long it took me to read it or what, but every time I picked up the book to continue it, I had a very hard time remembering which characters went with which names, who had most recently done what, and even as I was reading scenes at the time, I often struggled with why Benny was talking to certain people or going certain places or how he connected things. Maybe if I read it again I'd clue into more, but I'm not invested in it enough to lend my time to it a second time around.
I bought the first three books, so I'll give the second book a try and see how it goes. This series has a LOT of books, but I don't know if it's a series I would pursue beyond this book had I not bought more than one. It was something different, a very good palate cleanser if you will, but not something I would want to pursue long term genre wise.
I was originally really happy to come across this title because it's Canadian, and most of the tropes I hate in mysteries are not present in this book. But I don't know if it was just how long it took me to read it or what, but every time I picked up the book to continue it, I had a very hard time remembering which characters went with which names, who had most recently done what, and even as I was reading scenes at the time, I often struggled with why Benny was talking to certain people or going certain places or how he connected things. Maybe if I read it again I'd clue into more, but I'm not invested in it enough to lend my time to it a second time around.
I bought the first three books, so I'll give the second book a try and see how it goes. This series has a LOT of books, but I don't know if it's a series I would pursue beyond this book had I not bought more than one. It was something different, a very good palate cleanser if you will, but not something I would want to pursue long term genre wise.
June 12, 2017
I saw this book on Scribd and thought "That sounds familiar." I read it anyway. Sure enough, I'm pretty sure I read this back in the 80s when I read lots more mystery novels than I do now.
Benny Cooperman is a private detective. He meets a mysterious woman who's worried that her husband might be cheating on her. Then her husband turns up dead, apparently a suicide. Or is it??? Hijinks ensue.
This is a fairly standard mystery. Benny Cooperman is probably the best part of it. He's the kind of detective that used to be more common than now, I think. He's a bit wry and self-deprecating, living a not-very-exciting life apart from his PI work.
The writing feels a little dated now, and not just because of the references to using dimes to make phone calls from phone booths. I still liked it well enough. I think I read other books by this author back in the 80s, but in 2017, I think I'll move on to something else.
Benny Cooperman is a private detective. He meets a mysterious woman who's worried that her husband might be cheating on her. Then her husband turns up dead, apparently a suicide. Or is it??? Hijinks ensue.
This is a fairly standard mystery. Benny Cooperman is probably the best part of it. He's the kind of detective that used to be more common than now, I think. He's a bit wry and self-deprecating, living a not-very-exciting life apart from his PI work.
The writing feels a little dated now, and not just because of the references to using dimes to make phone calls from phone booths. I still liked it well enough. I think I read other books by this author back in the 80s, but in 2017, I think I'll move on to something else.
April 14, 2021
I can't decide if I liked this book or not. Even though I enjoy mysteries, I don't usually go for the hard-boiled 'Private Eye' books. I've read a few, but not many.
That being said, Benny Cooperman is a likeable enough guy and wicked smart. His parents crack me up! I like that Benny is EXTREMELY flawed, and is perfectly happy to be that way. The jury is out if I'll read any of the other eleven books that Howard Engel wrote about Benny, but I would like to see some of the characters return in future adventures.
Regarding the plot, now, that is a whole different ball of wax! Wow! I didn't pick up on who actually committed the murders until the end. Engel is good at giving his readers a 'glimpse' of a possible solution. Instead of giving big ole' red herrings, he gives you a pink guppy to see what you make of it. That alone may make me come back and read the next book in the series.
That being said, Benny Cooperman is a likeable enough guy and wicked smart. His parents crack me up! I like that Benny is EXTREMELY flawed, and is perfectly happy to be that way. The jury is out if I'll read any of the other eleven books that Howard Engel wrote about Benny, but I would like to see some of the characters return in future adventures.
Regarding the plot, now, that is a whole different ball of wax! Wow! I didn't pick up on who actually committed the murders until the end. Engel is good at giving his readers a 'glimpse' of a possible solution. Instead of giving big ole' red herrings, he gives you a pink guppy to see what you make of it. That alone may make me come back and read the next book in the series.
July 21, 2015
Wondering if her husband is having an affair, Myrna Yates taps Benny Cooperman to investigate – soon after, her husband is dead, an apparent suicide – but hours before he died, he bought a new 10-speed bike – would a potential suicide buy himself a gift like that?
And then Benny discovers Chester, her husband, was seeing a therapist, and when he tries to talk to the therapist, the therapist threatens him, and then calls Benny up to talk – but when Benny gets there, the therapist has been murdered.
Other deaths follow and Benny begins to realize that there is a nest of corruption that leads back to the past if only he can uncover it.
No page turner, lacking the suspense needed to propel a mystery, full of dusty jokes old when Moses was a pup, this mystery needed a good editor to remove the many boring bits.
And then Benny discovers Chester, her husband, was seeing a therapist, and when he tries to talk to the therapist, the therapist threatens him, and then calls Benny up to talk – but when Benny gets there, the therapist has been murdered.
Other deaths follow and Benny begins to realize that there is a nest of corruption that leads back to the past if only he can uncover it.
No page turner, lacking the suspense needed to propel a mystery, full of dusty jokes old when Moses was a pup, this mystery needed a good editor to remove the many boring bits.
December 28, 2020
This is a new series to me, one that I had seen read by others on Goodreads. Set in Ontario, Canada it is a story in a similar vein as Mickey Spillane or Philip Marlow, here he is called Benny Cooperman. Not such a strong character but a determined Private Investigator who follows up the supposed suicide of a local businessman and finds the inevitable "can of worms". Some violence but not gorry, some attractive women but no sex or heavy drinking. Sounds sanitised but it is not just a good days read on a cold wet day and not being able to get out or meet anyone due to the Covid restrictions.
I'll make this a four-star as I did enjoy the book.
I'll make this a four-star as I did enjoy the book.
December 15, 2014
PI Benny Cooperman plies his trade in a small Canadian city near Niagara Falls and depends on divorce work to keep his head above the water. When the subject of his latest case though commits suicide he decides to look a bit closer. Benny is a pretty likable character and the plot was reasonably well done. A good series debut.
September 19, 2017
While you don't have to have lived in St. Catharines, ON to appreciate this series, it helps.
It's a wonderful series. Instead of a hard-boiled detective, you've got a 'chopped-egg on white toast' detective.
I have, I think, the whole series in paper, and am starting to get ebook copies, as they're far more convenient.
It's a wonderful series. Instead of a hard-boiled detective, you've got a 'chopped-egg on white toast' detective.
I have, I think, the whole series in paper, and am starting to get ebook copies, as they're far more convenient.
November 16, 2019
A great page-turner!
January 9, 2023
3,5. A cynical detective living in squalor and a pretty fabulous cast of rich folks - I got onto the murderer a little too quickly for my tastes but I enjoyed this anyway
May 26, 2021
Not my typical mystery novel. Howard Engel told the tale of Chester 's suicide - no wrong; it was murder. Coleman based his theory initially because Chester bought a bike. Who buys a bike and then kills himself? That fact bagged at Benny Cooperman into looking deeper. Benny finds various clues but how do all the pieces fit together? An enjoyable read. I'm my mind I pictured Benny to look like Columbo.
January 31, 2014
An interesting pulpy little mystery, the first of the "Benny Cooperman" series. The Jewish shtick is a little hard to take, but not too overdone. The problem is that Cooperman is a "peeper" private eye and his courage, commitment and insights are all a bit unbelievable. The convoluted plot doesn't help either. I will pass on this author for now.
March 2, 2022
Benny's a lovable curmudgeon. He has an iffy relationship with his parents, but does make the effort to have dinner with them once a week. There's a hilarious scene where his mother angry makes a brisket. While that cut of meat is forgiving, I doubt it's that forgiving.
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September 2, 2012Another "ok" book.... interesting characters but it didn't really grab my attention.
November 4, 2013
3.5 stars
A pleasurable read. Benny is funny and smart. The book is a little dated, but sort of fun in a retro mystery way.
A pleasurable read. Benny is funny and smart. The book is a little dated, but sort of fun in a retro mystery way.
November 5, 2014
Boring. Don't waste your time.
March 13, 2016
This is a good PI novel, and I did enjoy discovering a new author in the genre (new to me, anyway).
April 14, 2016
A cleverly plotted "gumshoe" mystery with a likeable Canadian (Jewish) private eye. A poignant but satisfying ending. I am on to Book #2.
August 21, 2020
Enjoyed this novel
August 9, 2021
Compelled suicide, I imagined the story like it from the title. However, the story is not such the whodunnit variant. Canadian particular locality is an element of story, thus I read.
November 1, 2021
Score One for the Little Guy; My Review of The Suicide Murders
Meet Benny Cooperman, Ontario-based private eye. He doesn’t eschew divorce cases like Nero Wolfe; they’re his bread and butter. He doesn’t lift weights and box like Spenser; his best defense against an ambush by three goons is to cut and run. He doesn’t even have a bottle of whiskey in his filing cabinet; just a dried apricot and another piece of fruit that should’ve been thrown out weeks ago. Cooperman’s not too tall, bespectacled, with a receding hairline, and visits his retired parents every Friday (or tries to) like a good Jewish boy should. His biggest strength is his persistence; Cooperman doesn’t know when to quit.
When Benny is hired by Myrna Yates, the wife of well-to-do contractor Chester Yates, he assumes it’s just another possible divorce case, since she suspects her husband of infidelity, but Cooperman quickly discovers that he’s just seeing a therapist on the sly. Case closed. Only, a couple of hours later, Chester Yates is dead, an apparent suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, at one shop that Yates walked into on his way to his shrink during an all-too-brief surveillance, Benny discovers that Yates had bought a brand-new, tenspeed bike, not exactly the act of a despondent man looking to end it all. Before long, despite almost everyone telling him to drop it, Cooperman finds himself mired in a web of corruption, blackmail, murder, and old sins casting some very long, ugly shadows.
Engel sets the scene well, creating a likeable, world-weary protagonist in Benny Cooperman, taking the old trope of the private investigator in over his or her head, and turning it on its ear to give it new life.
Still, for all his dogged determination, Benny never quite seems to come out on top in his personal life: his parents never seem all that happy with him; he lives alone in a hotel room; he’s office neighbors with an alcoholic podiatrist eager for his company; even the bagel place he frequents never has bagels on hand when he’s there.
All the same, I look forward to reading about Benny Cooperman’s next case. Three stars.
Meet Benny Cooperman, Ontario-based private eye. He doesn’t eschew divorce cases like Nero Wolfe; they’re his bread and butter. He doesn’t lift weights and box like Spenser; his best defense against an ambush by three goons is to cut and run. He doesn’t even have a bottle of whiskey in his filing cabinet; just a dried apricot and another piece of fruit that should’ve been thrown out weeks ago. Cooperman’s not too tall, bespectacled, with a receding hairline, and visits his retired parents every Friday (or tries to) like a good Jewish boy should. His biggest strength is his persistence; Cooperman doesn’t know when to quit.
When Benny is hired by Myrna Yates, the wife of well-to-do contractor Chester Yates, he assumes it’s just another possible divorce case, since she suspects her husband of infidelity, but Cooperman quickly discovers that he’s just seeing a therapist on the sly. Case closed. Only, a couple of hours later, Chester Yates is dead, an apparent suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, at one shop that Yates walked into on his way to his shrink during an all-too-brief surveillance, Benny discovers that Yates had bought a brand-new, tenspeed bike, not exactly the act of a despondent man looking to end it all. Before long, despite almost everyone telling him to drop it, Cooperman finds himself mired in a web of corruption, blackmail, murder, and old sins casting some very long, ugly shadows.
Engel sets the scene well, creating a likeable, world-weary protagonist in Benny Cooperman, taking the old trope of the private investigator in over his or her head, and turning it on its ear to give it new life.
Still, for all his dogged determination, Benny never quite seems to come out on top in his personal life: his parents never seem all that happy with him; he lives alone in a hotel room; he’s office neighbors with an alcoholic podiatrist eager for his company; even the bagel place he frequents never has bagels on hand when he’s there.
All the same, I look forward to reading about Benny Cooperman’s next case. Three stars.
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