The Brass Ring

by Lewis Padgett

A murder mystery co-authored by Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore writing under the pseudonym of Lewis Padgett.

217 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Lewis Padgett was the joint pseudonym of the science fiction authors and spouses Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore, taken from their mothers' maiden names. They also used the pseudonyms Lawrence O'Donnell and C.H. Liddell, as well as collaborating under their own names.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewis Padgett was the pseudonym used by husband-and-wife pulp writers C.L. Moore and Henry Kuttner for much of their collaborative work. They were primarily known for their work in the science fiction and fantasy field; Moore was the creator of Jirel of Joiry, perhaps the greatest early female heroic fantasy character, as well as Northwest Smith, one of the great adventurers of the pulp spaceways, whereas Kuttner produced a large body of well-received sf short works. This mystery novel is not typical of their best-remembered stories, but I enjoyed it very much. It does a good job of balancing being a comedic mystery on the one hand, and a very dark noir-ish story on the other. There are a couple of references to Nick and Nora Charles, the wonderful Hammett characters (famously portrayed by William Powell and Myrna Loy in a long-running film series), and the detective hero of this book and his wife play off of (and against) these icons. The Brass Ring has an interesting plot with some clever twists and turns, as well as well-drawn characters who somehow don't turn out to be what you expect them to be. The resolution is a bit on the dark and depressing side, as are some of the depictions through-out- it was the pulpy '40s when men were men and women were dames and everybody always needed a drink, after all- but I'm sure it would be enjoyed by fans of the noir niche, as well as by those who enjoy Kuttner and Moore.