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First Gravedigger
An unscrupulous antiques dealer asks a murderous favor of an old friend In the city of Pittsburgh, Amos Speer is the king of antiques, and as heir apparent to his international empire, Earl Sommers is his prince. But Sommers is keen-eyed, ruthless, and not above cheating to stay on top. He steals from the company whenever he gets the chance, and has a standing invitation to Mrs. Speer’s bed. But when old man Speer turns on his former protégé, doing everything he can to drive him out of the business, Sommers’s thoughts turn to something truly revenge. An old friend appears at Sommers’s doorstep, stinking of whiskey and intending to kill himself. Before he does, Sommers persuades him to undertake one last getting rid of Amos Speer. It should be the perfect crime—but Sommers is about to learn there’s no such thing as a simple murder.
- GenresMystery
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1982
19 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Paul
99 books19 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Barbara Paul is an American writer of detective stories and science fiction. She was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1931 and was educated, inter alia, at Bowling Green State University and the University of Pittsburgh.
A number of her novels feature in-jokes: for example Full Frontal Murder borrows various names from the British TV series Blake's 7.
Barbara Paul is an American writer of detective stories and science fiction. She was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1931 and was educated, inter alia, at Bowling Green State University and the University of Pittsburgh.
A number of her novels feature in-jokes: for example Full Frontal Murder borrows various names from the British TV series Blake's 7.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 2, 2016
It is a testament to Barbara Paul's writing skills that I finished this dated mystery. The narrator is a liar, a thief, and an all around odious person. None of the characters are likable or sympathetic except the police officers, who are not well developed. But Paul did pull me along and make me want to know how the book would end.
This is not part of a series, so there's not really a need to knock yourself out trying to find it unless you are a Barbara Paul fan who really wants to read all her books.
Publisher description:
An unscrupulous antiques dealer asks a murderous favor of an old friend. In the city of Pittsburgh, Amos Speer is the king of antiques, and as heir apparent to his international empire, Earl Sommers is his prince. But Sommers is keen-eyed, ruthless, and not above cheating to stay on top. He steals from the company whenever he gets the chance, and has a standing invitation to Mrs. Speer’s bed. But when old man Speer turns on his former protégé, doing everything he can to drive him out of the business, Sommers’s thoughts turn to something truly priceless: revenge.
An old friend appears at Sommers’s doorstep, stinking of whiskey and intending to kill himself. Before he does, Sommers persuades him to undertake one last job: getting rid of Amos Speer. It should be the perfect crime—but Sommers is about to learn there’s no such thing as a simple murder.
This is not part of a series, so there's not really a need to knock yourself out trying to find it unless you are a Barbara Paul fan who really wants to read all her books.
Publisher description:
An unscrupulous antiques dealer asks a murderous favor of an old friend. In the city of Pittsburgh, Amos Speer is the king of antiques, and as heir apparent to his international empire, Earl Sommers is his prince. But Sommers is keen-eyed, ruthless, and not above cheating to stay on top. He steals from the company whenever he gets the chance, and has a standing invitation to Mrs. Speer’s bed. But when old man Speer turns on his former protégé, doing everything he can to drive him out of the business, Sommers’s thoughts turn to something truly priceless: revenge.
An old friend appears at Sommers’s doorstep, stinking of whiskey and intending to kill himself. Before he does, Sommers persuades him to undertake one last job: getting rid of Amos Speer. It should be the perfect crime—but Sommers is about to learn there’s no such thing as a simple murder.
October 10, 2016
“Hamlet: Whose grave’s this, sirrah?
First Gravedigger: Mine, sir.”
Earl arranges his employer’s murder and marries his widow ---and inherits the directorship of the Antique Business. And from the first sentence on to the very end of the book he truly, really does dig his own grave!
Which makes the quote in the front of the book most meaningful and just tickles me pink!
First Gravedigger: Mine, sir.”
Earl arranges his employer’s murder and marries his widow ---and inherits the directorship of the Antique Business. And from the first sentence on to the very end of the book he truly, really does dig his own grave!
Which makes the quote in the front of the book most meaningful and just tickles me pink!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews