One Cried Murder: A Novel

by David Cooper Wall

This is the hardcover edition of my first book. Dembner printed 2,500 copies in the initial run and we sold a little more than half of them. Then I bought 100 wholesale which really made a big difference (you'd think they'd give the author a few, huh?), the rest went to remainders. The price was only $16.50 when it came out so I don't know how they can ask $17 for it now. Not that it matters because you can buy them all day long for about .25 cents a copy. I do it myself every now and then when I run low. It's the postage that kills you, though. Sometimes, it's almost five dollars. So, the best thing to do is download the digital edition for $2.99. Enjoy, and thank you for buying one of my books. I hope to have, Dead Last, back up for sale soon. Murder and mayhem in the world of NASCAR. I think you'll like it. best,David

229 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1990

Reviews

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shakespeare has been good for mystery writers in providing titles, and the title of this one is taken from that blood-drenched Scottish play, and like that play which no actor in his right mind will name while he appears in it, One Cried Murder weeps blood and horror. And also like the play, it's not a bad little story, full of plot twists, misdirection, dark secrets and foul deeds. It also has a narrator in David "Ham" Hamilton, an investigator working for an attorney, who often tries to come across as hard-boiled, but who is never quite believable in that role because he's a nice guy. Still, he can take a bullet (or two, or three, not to mention a tranquilizing dart) without whining too much, can mostly hold his own in a fight, and fire his gun accurately even as he feels the life seeping out of him and the world growing dark.

This book was written sixty years after the Golden Age, and even back then, suspension of disbelief was necessary to a degree to believe cops would invite a private investigator along to a murder. Though Wall gives Hamilton a quasi-official background (he used to work for the New York ME so got to know all the cops), he still has to fall back on the cop-as-personal-friend gambit to bolster the suspension of disbelief. Now, thirty years after the book was written, when detective shows have vanished from the telly and gumshoes are most disreputable than ever, the idea that Hamilton can insert himself into an investigation is an even harder pill to swallow. That makes for a few rough and distracting opening chapters, when focus is critical, but once past the awkwardness the force of Hamilton's narrative propels the reader through a fast-paced mystery that leads to a satisfying, if tragic, conclusion.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I wanted to like this more than I did. Not that it was bad, but I guess it didn't meet my expectations. It had promise..an off-Broadway production, young lead killed in his prime! Perfect!? The problem was that the story was a little loose and a bit long on suspects and also had a Abbott and Costello feel with who's on First! And seven deaths was a bit of an overkill. OK.