Case Pending: A Lieutenant Luis Mendoza Mystery

Lieutenant Luis Mendoza #1

by Dell Shannon

Case Pending, first published in 1960, is author Dell Shannon's first book in the long-popular Lieutenant Luis Mendoza mystery series. Mendoza has the distinction of being one of the first portrayals of a Latino police officer as well as being an early example of a police procedural novel.

The plot begins with the discovery of a murdered girl. From the book's dust-jacket: “The girl's battered body was found in an empty lot in a Southern California city. Though Detective-Sergeant Hackett disliked his superior on the case, Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, he had to respect the way Mendoza started out to find who had killed the girl. There were almost no clues, it seemed, even after the police had identified the victim—Elena Ramirez, whose hair was peroxided and who had been killed on her lonely way home from a roller-skating rink. Then later there was the doll—a large, expensive doll that seemed to have vanished. And, unknown to Mendoza, there was young Martin Lindstrom, big for his age, a good student, who found a spot of blood on the sleeve of his jacket and thought to himself miserably, not again, not again. But when he brought his worries to his strict, hard-working mother, she told him to be quiet, to forget it, to get on with his homework. Dell Shannon, whose first mystery this is, has written an engrossing, moving story of a most believable and horrible crime, and the people in the novel are people such as one might find in any Southern California town, people whose skins are varied in color and whose backgrounds are everyday poor and middle-class, respectable and less so. And she has created in Luis Mendoza a working policeman of real distinction.” Dell Shannon was a pseudonym for Elizabeth Linington (1921-1988), who wrote more than 80 crime fiction books.

Genres: Mystery, Procedural, Crime, Classics

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Pseudonym of Elizabeth Linington.

Barbara "Elizabeth" Linington (March 11, 1921 – April 5, 1988) was an American novelist. She was awarded runner-up scrolls for best first mystery novel from the Mystery Writers of America for her 1960 novel, Case Pending, which introduced her most popular series character, LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza. Her 1961 book, Nightmare, and her 1962 novel, Knave of Hearts, another entry in the Mendoza series, were both nominated for Edgars in the Best Novel category. Regarded as the "Queen of the Procedurals," she was one of the first women to write police procedurals — a male-dominated genre of police-story writing.

Besides crime, Linington also took interest in archaeology, the occult, gemstones, antique weapons and languages. Linington was also a conservative political activist who was an active member of the John Birch Society

Reviews

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1960, author Barbara Elizabeth Linington, under the pseudonym Dell Shannon, released Case Pending, a police procedural somewhat different from Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct series, but in its own way just as good. Case Pending received runner-up for Best First Mystery Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, and the next couple she wrote in the groundbreaking Lt. Luis Mendoza series, were also nominated for various awards. Over time, Dell Shannon — for those who knew the writer of this fine series was a woman — became known as Queen of the Procedurals, to McBain’s King of the Procedurals.

Having read many efforts in the Mendoza police procedurals many years ago, I revisited the series with the first effort, Case Pending, and remembered why I enjoyed them so much. Besides breaking ground by having the main character be Hispanic, there was a distinctness about the series in the manner Linington chose to present them. They straddled the line between traditional mystery storytelling and police procedural storytelling, which was just being defined by McBain. The Lt. Mendoza stories always had involving side stories which intersected with the main case in some way, though not always evident until the end. They also contained subtle psychological insights (sort of P.D. James-extra light) into not only the main characters, but often those surrounding the crime or crimes being investigated. In some ways, these were just as much short novels as they were police procedurals. Linington was a fine writer, walking the high-wire between the two, and seldom faltering. The Lt. Mendoza series makes a nice contrast to the grittier 87th Precinct novels of McBain.

Not recalling much of Case Pending (it had been decades since I read it) I found it to be terrific. Because it is the first in the series, Mendoza is still single here, Linington defining his character, and setting the template and tone for the series. To her great credit, since there must have been pressure to have Mendoza be exemplary, she writes him as very likable but also flawed. He dresses above his pay grade, for example, drives a Ferrari — albeit a 13 year old Ferrari — and is a bit of a womanizer (which will change as the series progresses and he becomes a family man). He is also more than a touch vain, though he is quite aware of this weakness.

Linington paints Mendoza as an excellent detective, a man not uncaring, but mostly doing his job and taking pride in doing it well. Mendoza isn’t crazy about puzzles and solving them, which makes him refreshingly different from other more traditional cozy detectives. He is compelled, however, to solve crimes because he doesn’t like leaving things undone. Case Pending is also brave — for its time period — in that it flat-out shows that while Mendoza will work with equal vigor to solve the individual murders of two very different girls, he secretly views one of the murders as a greater tragedy, because that girl was going to amount to something, while the other was most likely not. This honest assessment of how police privately view crime, especially because it is coming from a Hispanic cop, is quite bold for the time period.

As Mendoza, along with his subordinate Hackett, attempt to tie the slayings of the two girls together on the slimmest of evidence, because Mendoza has a hunch, two separate stories begin to subtly interplay with his investigation. One concerns a couple of young boys and a mother, the other a man in a jam whose only way out may be murder. When Mendoza discovers one of the girls had complained of being watched by someone at the skating rink, and then a new doll she’d just purchased went missing from the crime scene, the other stories start to tie in with the case he’s working on. Mendoza also meets pretty Alice in this first entry, and begins to court her.

I highly recommend this if you like a blending of traditional mystery and police procedural. It is extremely well-done and quite involving. It is not, however, as gritty nor as fast flowing as Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series. In fact, it leans toward a cozy which just happens to be a police procedural as well. If you do enjoy it, there are a slew of them available on Kindle to supplement — and contrast — the grittier 87th Precinct series by Ed McBain.

On a footnote: the transfer of text to Kindle of this over fifty-year-old novel has some issues. While all the text is justified, there are quite a number of typos throughout which were not in the original. It is by no means even close to the worst I’ve seen, and it’s not as annoying because it’s generally easy to see what is meant or was supposed to be there. You will, however, run across it on a fairly regular basis with the Kindle version. Depending on your tastes, and your affinity for once popular series from prior decades, you might be ecstatic to discover an old/new series you’ll enjoy reading from time to time.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dell Shannon is not to be confused with Del Shannon (one L in Del), who was a rock n roll legend best known for his 1961 billboard #1 hit, Runaway. But, that’s not who we are talking about here. Dell Shannon was a pseudonym of Elizabeth Linington, back in the halcyon days of 1960, when apparently no one knew women could write compelling crime fiction other than cozies. Linington became known as the Queen of police procedurals and eventually penned some 28 books in her Lieutenant Luis Mendoza police procedural series, starting with “Case Pending, which was first published in 1960.

Now, the Library Of Congress is setting out new editions of classic crime books beginning with Case Pending. This edition comes complete with an introduction putting it in historical context and believe it or not footnotes for each chapter, setting out interesting details or even translating Mendoza’s Spanish phrases which can be found throughout the story. Some of the footnotes are interesting. Others rather unnecessary. This new edition has a cover of a doll collection, a rather odd and uncompelling choice for a crime novel. Although you’ll eventually understand the context for the cover, it wouldn’t have helped to sell many paperbacks back in the day.

Linington’s choice of Mendoza for her main character was a unique choice fifty years ago when finding a Hispanic homicide detective was a rarity. Times have changed in fifty years and that’s fairly common for the LAPD now. But, Mendoza was a quite a character who dressed to the nines, has a talent for talking to the ladies, and was famous for his hunches. Deduction is the key, I’ve heard someone say and Mendoza is a keen observer who never stops working a case and doggedly pursues every clue.

This is at heart a “procedural” and not necessarily action-packed. Linington dies a great job at realism with her dialogue and the way people interact. Nothing about her storytelling seems fake, phones, or contrived. In fact, she offers so much detail it often slows the reading.

In any case, a great introduction to an important series which is not as well known as it should be.

[Gary Sundell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I read in this series was number 23. It is fascinating to go back and read how the series started. We get to meet Lt. Luis Mendoza, his cat, Bast and Sgt. Hackett. Along the way we also are introduced to the future Mrs. Mendoza. Later books feature multiple cases some carry over into the following book. This is a fine start to the long running series.

[Linda Strong]

no review forthcoming

[Sep · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Case Pending" is the first novel in Shannon's Luis Mendoza series. It was published in 1960 and the reader follows the police as they look for clues through a Los Angeles of over fifty years ago. Shannon's characters reflect the urban mix of Los Angeles: white, Hispanic, and African American.

Delicate readers be advised that at that time the laws and society were different. One racist mandate is treated humorously, but in later books, homosexuality and abortion are considered crimes. Some issues are the same as they are today. Gangs in Shannon's world can be white, black or brown and desperate white, black or brown parents all struggle to keep their kids safe.

Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, who is fabulously wealthy (the book explains why), has felt uneasy about the murder of a young woman a year or so earlier that seems to have a connection with a recent murder. He starts interviewing friends and family searching for clues. This is not his only case. Shannon is described as one of the first procedural detective writers. Most policemen deal with several cases at the same time and the characters sometimes wish they were in a detective novel where there is only one murder to solve.

Luis tends to be bossy towards his newly met girl friend, Alyson Weir, but she's pretty feisty right back. She continues to be an ongoing character in later books.

[Carole Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon's excellent Lt. Mendoza series begins with this highly entertaining story that combines elements of traditional mystery with police procedural. I suspect this series was groundbreaking for the time in which it was written, beginning in 1960. The lead character, Mendoza, is Hispanic - and flawed at that. The investigation involves more than one case and we get insight into the thoughts and reasoning of the police officers and other characters as well, at least in this first installment. While not as fast moving or gritty as Ed McBain's excellent 84th Precinct series, which I also love, I enjoyed every page in this story. The detecting is riveting, character development keeps me coming back to further stories, and there's a twist I never saw coming. Lots to enjoy in this series of 36 books!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A police procedure that was written in 1960. The story is still good today. Be prepared to see The difference in The handling of the cases at that times. The characters are developed in depth and the reading flows smoothly. The first in a long series featuring Lt. Luis Mendoza and the Los Angels' Crimes Against People Department. It follows the members and their families along with the current crime. There are often several cases. One of two might be the completed in the next book. I have read this series several times and each time my attention is held.
In this one, a woman's s battered body is found in the street. Lt. Mendoza believes that same criminal who killed another girl 6 months earlier is the guilty party. An off shoot of the police department is one about locating missing fathers to enforce payment for their children. One of the latter officers has a personal problem with his adoption of a daughter. Lt. Mendoza meets Alison Weir in the course of his investigation. We learned how Mendoza became wealthy. These various themes are skillfully brought together. I highly recommend this book and series.

[Mary JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Case Pending years ago. I never reviewed it for Goodreads. However, I am going to start adding some of my older books. I want to introduce new readers to some older authors they may have missed. These are still pretty easy to find on Ebay and/or used bookstores.

Set in the 1960's, there is no DNA; cell phones or other modern goodies. But this still holds up as human nature does not change. The author creates good characters and interesting dialogue. Dell Shannon wrote over 30 "Mendoza" books so they were popular at the time.

Each book stands alone and can be read separately. Sometimes there is a passing reference to a previous book but it is not essential.

Recommended for anyone who wants to try a new author and a new series. Violence is not graphic; suitable for any interest reader age 14 on up. Try a couple and see if you like them.

Read before joining GR so dates unknown.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read several of these enjoyable Luis Mendoza police novels back in the 80s. Enjoyed them all!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a reprint of an older book when I started it, and it's really not my genre, but was an OK read. Centered on homicide detective Luis Mendoza in Los Angeles in the 60s, the book covers 2 murders that seem unrelated, but Mendoza sees a connection and follows it through.

This book was a hard-core police procedural- the reader gets just enough info about each character to understand why they are relevant, but the story is focused mostly on the police work. I didn't get a really good feeling of what any character was really LIKE, but I did see how they all fit together. There is some talk about race relations during that period of time, but that didn't resonate much with me, not having lived during that time period.

All in all, I hear that this was groundbreaking for the time and apparently sparked a whole series of books- if you are interested in historical police procedurals, I think you'll likely be more into it than I was.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kat]

review doesn't match book. case pending is Los Angeles detective fiction from the 1960's

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this 1960 book when it was announced as part of the Library of Congress's "Crime Classics" reissue series last year -- although I did not read that edition, which apparently has a lot of useful supplementary material, I read an old copy from the 1980s. It's the first of the incredibly long-running series of 38 books featuring Lt. Luis Mendoza, an independently wealthy Mexican-American police detective in Los Angeles. 

It's worth pausing for a moment to note that "Dell Shannon" was one of a number of pen names used by Elizabth Linington, who is considered the first female writer of police procedural novels. She wrote another series featuring a North Hollywood police detective, and a third series set in a suburban LA police department. Perhaps more interesting is that she was an activist for the John Birch Society, and so at the same time she was writing this series about a multicultural Los Angeles, with a non-white protagonist and careful attention to racial castes, she worked on behalf of an organization that campaigned against the Civil Rights Movement, and viewed it as the culmination of a long-gestating Soviet plot.

All that said, the arrogant, sharp dressing, Ferrari-driving, ladies man, Mendoza is an interesting character. This initial portrayal seems much more psychologically honest than most detective characters -- he is dismissive of many of the people he meets, finds some murder victims more sympathetic than others, and is often a jerk to his colleagues. Unlike so many other fictional detectives, he's not driven by a sense of justice, or the need to solve puzzles, rather, he's got an almost OCD obsession with everything being in its place, and so loose ends bug him.
The book takes a little while to get going and is a little clunky and confusing at first. There's the "main" murder of a woman walking home alone from a roller-rink, but a completely separate storyline involving a different unit that tries to track down husbands who've skipped out on their family. Apparently this was a thing back then -- if a woman with kids took welfare payments, the state would try and track down the missing parent to get them to pay support instead. But Mendoza is connected to someone in that unit, so there's a bit of crossover and it gets a little hard to track at times to track which cop in which unit is trying to track down whom and for what. There's also a third running thread following a neighborhood kid who's at the margins of the main stories, and so that's yet another piece.

At some point, Lt. Mendoza starts connecting this murder to a similar case a year previously in a completely different neighborhood. It's a little frustrating that there's no particular reason to connect the two beyond his "hunch" -- but one can see the early version of a police procedural play out as he tries to connect the dots by interviewing all kinds of people and tracking down unlikely clues. One of these is the posed teacher at a "charm school", whom he asks out (and I gather later in the series gets serious with). 

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the description of the late 1950s melting pot of Los Angeles, and the sense of mixed neighborhoods and a very transient population. There's a whole subplot about an African-American witness who is "passing" and whether or not she can reveal this to her friends. (It must also be mentioned that the treatment of women characters by men in this book is very much of its era, and often hovers in the uncomfortable to disgusting range.)On the whole, I'm glad I tried it out, but I'm not sure it grabbed me enough to read the next few in the series, much less all 37!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Case Pending is a modern American procedural gem (and the first in the Lt. Mendoza series) by Dell Shannon. Originally published in 1960, this re-format and re-release from Poisoned Pen Press is part of the Library of Congress Crime Classics series. It's 240 pages (in the print edition) and available in paperback and ebook formats. Other editions are available in other formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very early procedural and still has a fair bit of the feel of a traditional mystery (as well as the bones of a procedural). The series also stands out also for having a tough and intelligent (and rich) Hispanic main character. The story works well as a standalone (as far as I remember all the books in the series do). It's well written and well plotted with several disparate threads which keep readers engaged as they intertwine toward a satisfying denouement. There are a few unresolved threads at the end foreshadowing later stories.

The Los Angeles setting is well written, but dated (the book's 60 years old at this point). Some readers may find the racism and sexism of the time disturbing. There's not much graphic violence in the book and it should be considered PG rated.

This edition is enhanced by the inclusion of historical notes and background information as well as book club discussion guided question prompts. A foreword by Dr. Carla Hayden (Librarian of Congress) also provides some historical background context as well as an interesting and erudite introduction by Leslie Klinger.

Four stars. I enjoyed it enough to go chase down several of the later books in the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Diane K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was introduced to Dell Shannon through her book, DEATH BY INCHES, from a paper bag of used paperbacks my mom picked up for summer reading. I was fascinated by the cover; an actual photograph of a bloody butcher knife. The story grabbed my attention from the get-go--a woman complaining about judging a amateur art show, a kitchen full of cats, and suddenly into the midst of a homicide office. I had never read a procedural before, and the different cases being batted back and forth really held my attention--especially the central case. The ending was an eye-opener. I don't know that my mother ever actually read the book--I confiscated it for myself. In spite of references to past cases, it didn't occur to me then that this was one of a series. That revelation came some time later, and led to a long and enjoyable hunt that took decades to complete: the whole opus, neatly lined up on my shelf in chronological order. (Just like Mendoza would have had it!)

CASE PENDING, according to a forward by Dell Shannon, was originally intended as a stand-alone thriller, which may explain why the focus was on a single case. However, the Hispanic, cat-loving, ghetto-boy-turned-cop-turned millionaire, who stayed on the job because of his passion for order and completion, hit the ground running and refused to be filed away once the job was done. After several more books, Shannon acknowledged that the series was there to stay (and fun to do!) and began delving seriously into the background of the LAPD, Homicide Department, policework in general, etc, and the series became enhanced with accurate details. However, the books were good to begin with. Her characters are well drawn, and they change and develop appropriately over time. Some of the characters barely mentioned in this first book become well-known and loved in later books. The fact that Mendoza is a Hispanic Lieutenant in 1960 is astonishing; the fact that he stayed on the force after inheiriting his vulgar millions from a miserly grandfather is, admittedly, less than plausible, but it's fun! You do have to allow for the attitudes and beliefs of the times, and people tend to smoke like chimneys, but she has a feel for human nature and a way of presenting it that just feels spot on. The way several seemingly disparate storylines gradually weave together until a truly stunning conclusion is excellent.

I've just started rereading them again; I'm looking forward to a wonderful marathon!

[Jjanovyak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I re-visited this title out of curiosity. I'd read through a lot of this series in junior high, when I first started reading thrillers. Police procedurals became a favorite and the Lt. Mendoza books were a big part of that. Re-reading this led to some big surprises.

As has been the case with other books from the era, I was uncomfortable with the sexism. I was expecting it and still found myself wincing. Maybe "Ewww . . . " is the only response to make from this point in time. There's nothing explicit here, but the book describes a different atmosphere and it's icky. Thinking about why that's so will coninue to occupy me for a while.

I was expecting to have much the same reaction to the depiction of other social issues, but I was surprised. This book portrays racism, but it was pretty rewarding to see that the attitude was not accepting. A strong positive message about human equality runs through the whole thing, with expressions of racist thought by some characters clearly looked upon as small-minded or self-serving by other characters. An otherwise-extraneous subplot is devoted to it, and, of course, Lt. Mendoza's encounters on a daily basis uphold the ideal of equality.

SPOILER:
Mental health issues are not handled with even a smidgen of respect. The entire plot hinges on the depiction of mental health needs as shameful and frightening. That's hard to take in 2023.

The biggest surprise of all came to me when I looked up Dell Shannon. I've read so many hard-boiled Dell Shannon detective stories and never had any idea that this was a pseudonym for a female author. Elizabeth Linington was a wildly prolific writer who used this name and others, producing literally dozens of books. I was dumbfounded. Oh, my. I guess it's always good mental exercise to readjust when you find out you're dead wrong about something you felt sure of for 50 years.

I'm glad I revisited this book. I don't expect to go back through the whole series, but I do have one more on hold at my library.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1960, this must be one of the earliest police procedurals, and I am surprised how well it holds up.

This is the initial book in a series and introduces Luis Mendoza, a cop the likes of whom I doubt is seen in the mystery genre until decades later. First of all, Mendoza is Mexican-American, in an era when policemen and private investigators in fiction were Pretty consistently Caucasian. The rest of the force is also diverse, and one of Mendoza's Anglo colleagues understands Spanish. Second, he is distinctive as a person. A dapper guy in a charcoal homburg hat (unfortunately spelled "Hamburg" in the book). he drives a vintage Ferrari and "always buys the best." Like most law enforcement men in fiction, he is a bit of a loner, is tenacious and does not delegate authority. His men respect but do not especially like him. One terms him "a damned good cop, if a little erratic now and then."

The story unwinds slowly (even if this is a short book) but really accelerates to a memorable finish. To me, this is not the kind of mystery where the reader is given clues which make it possible to anticipate the ending. That usually annoys me, but somehow worked ok for me here, even if the explanation seems a bit beyond what happens in real life.

A fun read, for sure. A good story pretty well told, and an effective glimpse of mid-20th Century Los Angeles. I look forward to he rest of the series.

[Janet Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dell Shannon began writing LAPD's Lieutenant Luis Mendoza police procedural novels in the early 1960s. While they are a bit dated now, I occasionally revisit them for their interesting characterizations.
The author gives Luis Mendoza's life an unexpected twist: he is rich. How did this happen? His grandfather had invested in real estate before anyone realized the scope of Los Angeles' growth.
Thus, Luis can also indulge his two vices: gambling and womanizing.
After 17 years on the force, Luis has an unusual way of looking at life that gives him a unique style to solving crimes. Little does he know that during the investigation into the death of a charm school student, that he would become "charmed" by its owner.
Thus begins the modern Romeo's fall from grace. Yes, he ends up marrying Alison Weir, the lovely redhead, in a future, well written novel in this interesting series.
Dell Shannon is a pseudonym for a prolific author of various mystery series.

[Jared Castiglione · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a scene in the book where one of the main characters walks into a drug store because he needs change. His quarter having been converted to two dimes and a nickel, he can now use the pay phone on the street corner.

This book was first published in 1960 and, in many ways, shows its age. While old world stores and pay phones could be romanticized or even looked upon purely through nostalgic lenses, here, the backdrop and setting of the story is as out-dated as the vocabulary.

I wanted to like this book. I give it 3 stars as a “rounding up” from 2.5. The copy I read calls this book a “Library of Congress Crime Classic” written by the then “queen of the police procedural.”

The cases themselves were clever, and, maybe even unprecedented in 1960. However, to make it through and see it all unfold, asks a lot of today’s audience.

[Meredith L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Case Pending is a solid mystery novel. While some racial stereotypes took away some of the enjoyment, the overall plot was good. I enjoyed how both murders finally proved to be interconnected, and the culprit's motivation was interesting.
I wasn't particularly enamored by the Luis Mendoza, which is always frustrating when the title character of a series is a bit off-putting. He has Hercule Poirot's arrogance but seems to lack his charm. Perhaps later books will reveal him to be more compelling. I liked Morgan, another detective, whose personal struggles made him the most compelling character in the book.
Shannon's strongest attribute is the ability to portray the reality of police work: the pressures and caseloads that cause many delays and much frustration.
Case Pending is a nice beginning to this series.
God bless you all.

[Georgianne Georgiadis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1960 an author named Elizabeth Livington under the pseudonym Dell Shannon wrote Case Pending. The first book in A Lieutenant Luis Mendoza Mystery series that there are over 30 books written. Luis Mendoza is called to a crime scene that is almost identical to a murder that happened 6 months ago. As Luis goes through the motion of trying to solve the case he does so without being able to compare DNA evidence, being able to compare fingerprints and etc. He could not call headquarters because cell phones were not invented yet. He solved the crime by talking to witnesses, family, retracing day and the steps of the victim, having officers go door to door asking neighbors if they saw anything. The way many detectives/officers solved cases before the modern technology of today was invented.

[Frances Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had read this years ago because it’s an intriguing mystery story, but it’s so, SO dated! Women are called “girls” and everyone is constantly lighting a cigarette. It’s like Mad Men! Speech patterns very dated, too. Characters end many sentences with “,see?” No one talks like that anymore - sounds like an old James Cagney movie. Also very annoying that the author uses the word “round” when the correct word is “around.” That drove me nuts throughout the book. On the plus side, ahead of its time in that the protagonist is a very positively portrayed Mexican American police lieutenant.

I have this book as a four-in-one, which includes the first four volumes in this Luis Mendoza series and I do plan to read them all, probably right in a row. We’ll see how it goes.

[Josh Hitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this is the first book in the series, it's my second having got a hold of the second book, Ace of Spades, first. I did like that one, but I do believe this book is more interesting and better written overall.

Mendoza is a well thought out character and the mysteries in this one, though coincidental, isn't as much so as Ace of Spades. Overall really enjoyed this one though at times it did feel a little clunky. However the ending was nicely done even if it may have been a little too neat.

Highly recommended, will definitely read more in the series.

[Gary Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm getting old and my memory isn't quite what it was. Though it still is better than most people my age I am often told. See the thing is, I have read books by Del Shannon over the years featuring Detective Mendoza and enjoyed them immensely. I started reading this one and I'd say by Chapter 10 came to the realization that I had read it previously. That is why I generally stick to new releases and don't go back in time. Simple fact is that I don't have that much time to revisit unfortunately. It's a good book from a writer that improves as does lead Detective Mendoza over time.

[Craig Kingsman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Case Pending by Dell Shannon is part of the Library of Congress Crime Classics series. It's been interesting reading this series as it shows the history of American crime fiction. Case Pending was the first true police procedural by and American female author. It also has a Latin American protagonist, something unusual when the story was published in 1960.

However, this was one of the weaker books in the series. I found it difficult to track characters. The cuts between the different story lines was quite rough. And, the climax came out of nowhere.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last because I liked it.
It's an excellent and gripping story, a picture of a different age, that kept me hooked till the end.
Great characters and storytelling, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dell Shannon, an organized, prolific author, impresses with her first Luis Mendoza police procedural. Two police cases, thought unrelated, are developed with some insight into human psychology, but with a good building of tension to a surprising (to me) ending. If you are one of those mystery readers who want to have all the possible clues given (or at least hinted at), then this book doesn't give you that. But, it suited all the same.

[Karin Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this author years and years ago and really loved Detective Mendoza. Apparently I still do! This story involves the murder of a woman, some blackmail and some possibly illegal adoptions. This is the first Detective Mendoza book and I’m not sure how I missed it! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was written in 1960 and provides a fascinating glimpse of Los Angeles in that era. Making the lead detective a Latino was a bold move at the time, even if he is rich, educated, and sophisticated. However, I did not find that the characters ever came to life. The plot is a realistic but not particularly intriguing mystery.

[Dd Penners · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery was pretty good, but I disliked the blackmail business. It made me dread reading the book. The ending was interesting. I had mistakenly chosen others to be the murderer, so I enjoyed the surprise ending. The story was a bit disjointed, and I thought it overly long. I would not recommend this book

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A police procedural from the 1960s. A really good book, the detective is Mexican American, the atmosphere of 60 years ago is great. Characters are well drawn and so interesting. The author is a woman, Elizabeth Linington, who wrote many, many books under several pseudonyms. I loved this book, and must read more by this author. Highly recommend.