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Jeff and Haila Troy Mystery #2
If the Shroud Fits
When a photo shoot turns deadly, Jeff and Haila Troy lanuch another madcap investigation in this 1941 comedy mystery. Second book in series.
- GenresMystery
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1941
17 people want to read
About the author
Kelley Roos
54 books6 followersJoint pseudonym. Audrey Kelley Roos [1912-1982] & William Roos [1911-1987] were a married couple who wrote about a a married couple; their series detectives were Jeff and Haila Troy, aided by NY Lieutenant George Hankins. Roos also wrote some non-series mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 19, 2020
If the Shroud Fits (1941) by Kelley Roos is the story of murder in the world of advertising photography. It opens with Haila Troy, new bride of mere months, waiting for hubby Jeff to come home (hopefully with news of a job). While she's waiting, Julie--a friend from Haila's modeling days--drops by. Julie is clearly in a nervous state and she desperately wants to consult Jeff. Since his success in dealing with the mystery in Made Up to Kill, she's sure that he can handle whatever mysterious thing might be going on. Haila finally convinces her friend that she doesn't know where Jeff is, nor when he'll be home and why not get her mystery off her chest while she's here?
It winds up that Julie had a very odd experience in the dark room of Photo Arts, the photography studio where she works as a designer. Mac and Kirk (co-owners) had a big shoot that day. An advertising photo shoot that could make their reputation. Everything had gone well and Julie had gone into the dark room to retrieve a list of props. She was in a hurry and knew exactly where it was, so didn't bother turning on the light. She suddenly became aware that she wasn't alone in the room...
When you hear a noise that has danger in it, you can sense that danger somehow. (p.10)
The noise startled her, but then she noticed an odd smell--a smell she only identified later as chloroform. That's when she got nervous. Because she was sure that someone had murder on their mind and she didn't know who would be the killer and who would be victim. Obviously not her--because he or she had their chance when she called out "Who's there?" But they didn't take advantage of the moment...they just slipped quietly out while she was having a case of the jim-jams.
As Haila's trying to calm her down, the phone rings and it's the studio--the pictures have been ruined and they're going to have to do the whole thing over. Haila tells Julie that she must go and let Mac & Kirk know what happened and she (Haila) will come as soon as possible with Jeff. Well...Jeff doesn't come and Haila decides she must go without him. As soon as she gets there, Julie tells her it's all okay; she'll explain later; and Haila can just go home. Before Haila can get any sense out of her, she's (Haila) roped into taking the place of a missing model and the shoot once again goes well. That is...until everyone is changing back into their street clothes and Mrs. Isabelle Fleming, the star of the piece, is found stabbed to death before the mirror in her dressing room.
When the police show up, it doesn't take them long to fasten on Mac as first suspect. He's married to the victim's niece and only heir. The niece will now inherit a nice bundle and the photo studio is badly in need of an influx of cash. Various other clues seem to point in his direction as well. But Haila...and Jeff, once he arrives on the scene, are convinced that there's more to this murder (and the one that follows) than meets the eye. And it's up to them keep Mac out of the electric chair.
Okay...I've been mulling over my review (for much longer than intended) and I'm just not sure about what I think of this one. One question I had right off the bat--how did they know to call the Troy's apartment to find Julie at the beginning? I mean, Julie was all worried that somebody at that photo shoot was a killer and she didn't know who. She also didn't tell anybody about her encounter in the dark room, so I can't imagine she announced to everybody: "Hey, I'm gonna go over to the Troy's place for a quick consultation." But that's minor. And really, most of my quibbles with this one are. The humor falls flat--especially the wise-cracking policeman who at times seem to be doing a weak imitation of good cop/bad cop. Haila really doesn't hold up her end of the couple detective business very well. And...that ending. Seriously?
On the plus side: I particularly liked the setting. I thought the photo shoot made an interesting backdrop for the murder. It gave us a closed group of suspects, and with characters milling about--getting into and out of outfits for the photo shoot, wandering in and out of the dark room, and, of all things, doing cartwheels--it's no wonder it was difficult to figure out who grabbed the knife and when. And overall we get a good feel for the time period--from the agency itself to the elaborate dining set that gave background for the photo shoot tableau to the streets of New York to the various apartments belonging to the suspects. I also enjoyed the scenes where Jeff was present--a shame he was missing for a good portion of the first half. ★★★ for a middle-of--the--road mystery.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
It winds up that Julie had a very odd experience in the dark room of Photo Arts, the photography studio where she works as a designer. Mac and Kirk (co-owners) had a big shoot that day. An advertising photo shoot that could make their reputation. Everything had gone well and Julie had gone into the dark room to retrieve a list of props. She was in a hurry and knew exactly where it was, so didn't bother turning on the light. She suddenly became aware that she wasn't alone in the room...
When you hear a noise that has danger in it, you can sense that danger somehow. (p.10)
The noise startled her, but then she noticed an odd smell--a smell she only identified later as chloroform. That's when she got nervous. Because she was sure that someone had murder on their mind and she didn't know who would be the killer and who would be victim. Obviously not her--because he or she had their chance when she called out "Who's there?" But they didn't take advantage of the moment...they just slipped quietly out while she was having a case of the jim-jams.
As Haila's trying to calm her down, the phone rings and it's the studio--the pictures have been ruined and they're going to have to do the whole thing over. Haila tells Julie that she must go and let Mac & Kirk know what happened and she (Haila) will come as soon as possible with Jeff. Well...Jeff doesn't come and Haila decides she must go without him. As soon as she gets there, Julie tells her it's all okay; she'll explain later; and Haila can just go home. Before Haila can get any sense out of her, she's (Haila) roped into taking the place of a missing model and the shoot once again goes well. That is...until everyone is changing back into their street clothes and Mrs. Isabelle Fleming, the star of the piece, is found stabbed to death before the mirror in her dressing room.
When the police show up, it doesn't take them long to fasten on Mac as first suspect. He's married to the victim's niece and only heir. The niece will now inherit a nice bundle and the photo studio is badly in need of an influx of cash. Various other clues seem to point in his direction as well. But Haila...and Jeff, once he arrives on the scene, are convinced that there's more to this murder (and the one that follows) than meets the eye. And it's up to them keep Mac out of the electric chair.
Okay...I've been mulling over my review (for much longer than intended) and I'm just not sure about what I think of this one. One question I had right off the bat--how did they know to call the Troy's apartment to find Julie at the beginning? I mean, Julie was all worried that somebody at that photo shoot was a killer and she didn't know who. She also didn't tell anybody about her encounter in the dark room, so I can't imagine she announced to everybody: "Hey, I'm gonna go over to the Troy's place for a quick consultation." But that's minor. And really, most of my quibbles with this one are. The humor falls flat--especially the wise-cracking policeman who at times seem to be doing a weak imitation of good cop/bad cop. Haila really doesn't hold up her end of the couple detective business very well. And...that ending. Seriously?
On the plus side: I particularly liked the setting. I thought the photo shoot made an interesting backdrop for the murder. It gave us a closed group of suspects, and with characters milling about--getting into and out of outfits for the photo shoot, wandering in and out of the dark room, and, of all things, doing cartwheels--it's no wonder it was difficult to figure out who grabbed the knife and when. And overall we get a good feel for the time period--from the agency itself to the elaborate dining set that gave background for the photo shoot tableau to the streets of New York to the various apartments belonging to the suspects. I also enjoyed the scenes where Jeff was present--a shame he was missing for a good portion of the first half. ★★★ for a middle-of--the--road mystery.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
November 10, 2020
Pretty entertaining and humorous in parts. I like the relationship between the husband and wife "detective" team. Written from the wife's point of view.
January 9, 2017
A mystery set in an advertising photography studio in Manhattan in the late 1950s. Haila Troy, newly married actress and ex-model, receives a frantic visit from her friend Julie. Julie, who is a stylist/dogsbody at a photography studio run by two cheerful bohemians, Mac and Kirk, is distraught because during a photo shoot earlier that day, she had the distinct impression that there was a stranger in the dark room - a stranger who left a smell of chloroform behind him. So Julie is convinced that someone was trying to murder one of the participants in the shoot -one of the studio employees or the models. Haila tries to calm her down and accompanies her back to the studio when it appears that the shot needs to be redone. She even stands in for one of the models who shows up an hour late. The shoot goes off without problems... but one of the models, a socialite who had condescended to participate in the shoot as a favor to her niece, Mac's wife, is found murdered in her dressing room. So Julie was right after all and there was murder being planned. Haila and her husband Jeff, an amateur sleuth, investigate the antecedents of all the models and of the relationship between the dead socialite, her niece and Mac's precarious finances. Julie disappears, an empty bottle of chloroform is found...
The mystery itself was OK, and I enjoyed the inside peek into the work of an advertising studio in the 1950s. What didn't work was the ending, which is totally depending on a relationship between two of the suspects that was never even hinted at. So I felt that the authors (this is a husband-and-wife writing team) didn't play fair with the reader. Hence no more than two stars.
The mystery itself was OK, and I enjoyed the inside peek into the work of an advertising studio in the 1950s. What didn't work was the ending, which is totally depending on a relationship between two of the suspects that was never even hinted at. So I felt that the authors (this is a husband-and-wife writing team) didn't play fair with the reader. Hence no more than two stars.
Want to read
November 24, 200711/23/07 rec via bookmooch
July 6, 2014
Good mystery with great characters and plot. However, the ending left me flat. I don't want to spoiler anything for anyone but it didn't work for me.
June 13, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews