The Red Carnelian

by Phyllis A. Whitney

A Chicago department store is the scene of gruesome crime in this mystery by a New York Times–bestselling Edgar Award winner.   Linell Wynn, copywriter for Chicago department store Cunningham’s, knows how to put a clever spin on everything. But she’s at a loss for words when, after closing time, she finds a corpse in a window display. There he is, as cold and lifeless as a mannequin, his skull pulverized with a golf valued store manager Michael “Monty” Montgomery. And while red might be the color for the new spring season, Linell never expected to see quite so much of it . . .   Linell had a history with the too-charming-to-be-believed victim—and being intimately acquainted with his cruel side has made her a suspect in his murder. But as everyone at Cunningham’s knows, finding someone who didn’t want Monty dead would be tough. When a second murder throws the store detective off track, Linell is plunged into the investigation. Now, she’s working after hours to find a killer, and she has more to lose than her job.   The recipient of an Agatha Award for Lifetime Achievement, “Phyllis Whitney is, and always will be, the Grand Master of her craft” (Barbara Michaels).  This ebook features an illustrated biography of Phyllis A. Whitney including rare images from the author’s estate.  

Genres: Mystery, Gothic, Romance, Fiction, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Phyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".

She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.

Reviews

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to find Phyllis A. Whitney's first adult novel! It encouraged me that she managed one-hundred novels and only started when she was my age of forty! Non-stop suspense propels a setting that has not been done like this but which is common, familiar territory. Anyone can picture where Linell is and this business Chicago location is so different. I love versatility and these are not the exotic gothic locations that would draw me years later, nor is this style. "The Red Carnelian", switched from "Red Is For Murder", is a police case.

The key players sweat and work everything out themselves. There is believable fear that is successfully unsettling in a benign, normally sterile place. I wanted to award four stars to its creativity and realistically bizarre clash of personalities. One background aspect of the end tumbled congruity for me. Even in 1943, I don't see a Father prohibiting an estranged Mother from telling a grown daughter who she is; especially when calling the one who Mothered her by a given name. It indicates she was not blotting out the biological Mother; a fly in the ointment that had me puckering a face in disagreement. However the balance is well-constructed novel, abounding with clues we go back over.

It furnishes a fantastic time capsule. There are hardly any giant department stores anymore and a lot of tasks became outsourced. The whole works wouldn't be run independently like this: with a sign-writer, set-painter, models, etc on their own floors. I enjoyed reading this, from the seat of someone who would delight in telling the authoress that this would not only break her into the adult market but that her titles in both demographics would win awards. Most incredible to tell her: she would go on publishing until 1997!

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great Phyllis A. Whitney story. I am glad I did this one on audio. It made the story even more suspenseful.

And 2020 The Year of Phyllis A. Whitney rolls on.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still a wonderful read

I first read this book back in the 1970's and loved it. Reading it again these many years later is still a joy. Her ability to build suspense and keep you reading is at the top of the charts.

[natura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recomendación importante: a poco que se pueda, mucho mejor leerla en versión original, o en alguna otra traducción, si es que la hay. Es horroroso tener que tragar expresiones como “personal de vitrinas”, en lugar de “escaparates”; “tapados”, por “¿abrigos de pieles?”, o “hesitar” por “dudar” o “vacilar”. Dejé de subrayar vocabulario mal traducido a partir de la pág. 2, porque es continuo, y aunque acabas acostumbrándote, desespera bastante.
La historia en sí es entretenida, como leer la prehistoria de las novelas policiacas actuales, con una trama enrevesada basada en oscuros tejemanejes del pasado de los protagonistas, figuras policiales típicamente inútiles para realizar su trabajo, investigadores aficionados que consiguen más con sus patadas a cualquier procedimiento policiaco básico que los detectives oficiales, y tirando de mucho sentimentalismo para explicar toda la acción.
La intriga está correctamente montada, siguiendo el sistema clásico de encadenar pequeños sucesos para ir completando un puzzle que se resuelve, por arte de magia, al final de la obra. Ganan los buenos, la narradora acaba felizmente emparejada y los muertos, como son los “malos” de la película, sin problema.
También es muy clásico ir desenmascarando a los diversos actores según avanza la trama, y descubrir que todos ocultan algo, no hay que fiarse de las apariencias y “nadie conoce a nadie”.
Pues eso, una historia muy clásica pero situada en un entorno no tan común y con buena trama. Aunque el misterio y los crímenes, vistos con ojos actuales, no son demasiado sorprendentes, salva los papeles con dignidad. Y dado el avance que ha experimentado el género en los últimos cincuenta años, recuperar la inocencia de los primeros tiempo resulta refrescante y divertido, aunque a ratos casi hueles a naftalina y no se distingue la rigidez de los maniquíes de la de algunos personajes.

[Leeanne G · Rating 4 out of 5]

You could say that choosing to read this book was a leap of faith. I picked it up in a box of free books only because I recognized the name Phyllis A. Whitney, and the note that she is the author of Skye Cameron. I only recognized the name due to seeing my friend Carolyn write reviews and comment on other people's reviews of books by this favourite author of hers. The cover and back of this edition of the book gave me no information on what it was about, just that it was action-packed and suspenseful. I decided to simply trust Carolyn’s taste in reading material, and I’m happy to say I really enjoyed this.

I think that The Red Carnelian is the first gothic romance I’ve ever read. Thankfully it was more action and suspense than romance. I am not used to reading very suspenseful stories and when the very first page immediately created an intense feeling of suspense and “suppressed horror,” I’ll admit that I started to wonder what I’d gotten myself into. While that feeling continued throughout the whole book it eased off at times, so I didn’t end up stressing myself out like I thought I might.

I think it helped that I really liked and connected to Linell. Her reactions to the murders, the PTSD it all caused, and the growing stress about how they were all going to pull through was very realistic, especially the PTSD. I don’t know that I could have still gone to work there everyday, after all that. Her inner strength, perseverance and determination are admirable. I also liked Sondo. She grew on me almost without me realizing it. She was not a very nice person but her individuality, creativity, determination and power were also inspiring. I did not expect her murder absence to be so upsetting, but that’s when I realized that I had come to like her. Ms. Whitney kept me on my toes trying to decide which characters were lying and why. I kept teetering back and forth between whether I believed characters like Bill and Chris were trustworthy or not.

I didn’t see the ending coming, but by flipping back through the book I was able to find and recognize many of the clues Ms. Whitney so surreptitiously placed. I can’t say I really enjoyed the murderer reveal but I greatly enjoyed everything leading up to it. I also really enjoyed the choice of setting. The way she intricately wove together this mystery in the unusual setting of a department store was truly fascinating. The descriptions of how big department stores like this were run (past tense since they are becoming rare) was exciting for me to learn about. It really was a team effort. After reading this I would love to go visit a big, old department store so that I can more accurately imagine the behind-the-scenes of it. Due to this setting, I got even more out of this story than entertainment.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its pretty obvious this is Phyllis Whitney's first book for adults. Its not that its bad, its still a pretty good story. But the style has grown and changed so much! This one is written almost in the voice of one of those dime novel detective Mickey Spillane novels. Not quite, but almost. Definitely different than her other novels.

But still a good satisfying story.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first novel by this master of romantic thrillers. Linell Wynn, writes copy for a large department store. When her former fiancee is murdered in the store window she becomes a suspect. There are lots of others who wanted to kill Michael Montgomery and now it's up to Linell to find out who the killer is before he or she kills again.

[Heather Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Whitney’s early books. It wasn’t your typical gothic romance, no castles, no moors, etc. The setting was a high end department store. Throughout the reading I kept envisioning the store in the old British series Are You Being Served. Not Whitney’s best, but I will remember it, as it was quite unique.

[Sue Klasing · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this was her first novel so I'll try not to be too hard on her or judge her too harsely. It was a bit dragged out and overly dramatized but a good ending. Maybe I'll try one of her later books.

[Sara Giacalone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. I had this one mostly figured out (knew who the killer was, if not why) almost as soon as the character was introduced. Am I that good, or was this book that bad? I'm not sure why I've become drawn to romantic thrillers but I know I can blame Mary Stewart.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing murder mystery.

[MV · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Phyllis A. Whitney's first murder mystery, originally titled "Red is for Murder". (It has often been marketed as a romantic suspense or gothic romance, but it is decidedly not a gothic.) The setting is a 1943 Chicago department store where people start turning up dead. Although it seemed clear who the murderer was off the bat (and I was ultimately correct), everyone else acted guilty enough for me to get thrown off more than once. There were other puzzle pieces I fit together early on, and the story then dragged while the heroine and her coworkers took their time figuring it out themselves. I enjoyed this overall, and loved the time capsule of a setting - with more details of how those glamorous golden age display windows worked than I would've thought I ever wanted to know!

[Anna Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I periodically forget my love of gothic writer Phyllis A. Whitney, which was first sparked when I stumbled upon a yellowed Scholastic edition of The Mystery of the Haunted Pool as a child. It was only much later that I learned she had written some 70+ books, mostly for adults. The Red Carnelian showcases her usual elements- a professional woman as protagonist and narrator, a cast of believable but wildly unique characters, ample suspense, plenty of 'don't go into the basement!' moments, and a solid plot twist. I was especially drawn to this book because it's set in a Chicago department store in the golden age, when stores had in-house artists, models, sign letterers (!) and when changes to window dressing was a major occasion. Whitney was known for doing extensive research before writing, and I'd love to know who she shadowed for this one! I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prolific romantic suspense novelist Whitney's first adult novel, originally published in 1943, is a straightforward mystery rather than the romantic suspense with which she was later identified. Young Linell Wynn, a copy writer in a downtown Chicago department store, becomes embroiled in solving a murder committed just before closing time. There's no question the victim deserved killing, but which one of the tight-knit community of creative types did it? Whitney adroitly exploits this now long-vanished setting, which will bring twinges of nostalgia to modern-day readers old enough to remember the kind of grand retail experiences (and their distinctive window displays) that no longer exist. It's a snappy whodunnit that moves right along. While I had part of the solution worked out, the author still surprised me.

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comfort read for me going back to Phyllis A Whitney's books. I dearly love her writing style, it is so smooth that the story flows effortlessly . For a change, the Red Carnelian happens in a department store with a host of colorful characters each with their own idiosyncrasies and eccentricities. Linell is sign writer for Cunningham's but also unfavorably who always ends up as someone to whom all kinds of dangers happens. She discovers the body of Michael in the window display during the closing hours and from then on the masks and faces of each of her colleague is torn open. With a small dose of romance added to the story line, this was the usual cozy read.

[Sewingdervish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the vaguest feeling that I had read this book before but I never did receive confirmation on that, I could have been getting the plot mixed up with a Essie Summers book involving a Draper's shop. I figured out who the murderer was fairly early and I don't know if it is because it was so obvious, because I am so clever, or if I have indeed read this book before. Overall it was a good read, fun to see how an old fashioned department store worked. A little predictable but fun.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Phyllis Whitney's first published novel. I liked the plot and was not able to pinpoint who done it for quite some time. Lots of red herrings. Maybe even too many and definitely too many characters. I might have been reluctant to read another of her books. Glad I started well into her writing career with books who had characters I cared about.

[Gaylee]

Very old book a neighbor loaned me. I so enjoyed it. Didn't end up being the person who I thought was killing. Good read. Some pages were missing as the book is older, but I didn't mind. Didn't seem to take away from the story. Music, gems and mannequins.

[Mary Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs Whitney is always a winner!

I have fallen in love, again, with the wonderful writing of Phyllis a. Whitney. Each book’s plot is unique, the characters diverse, the tension spellbinding. I want to read all of them.

[Lisa Greer · Rating 2 out of 5]

See my review and other gothic novels reviews here:

http://gothicked.blogspot.com

[Nisha D'lima · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprise gem, my first read of Phyllis Whitney, totally original book, loved the lack of pretence and sheer force of the denouement

[Debbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, fast read

[Lucia Hassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying old time who-done-it set and written in the 40s. Slim on characterization, but the mystery and setting in a Chicago department store kept my interest. I did not see what was coming : )

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was quite fascinating reading this first adult novel from the once "Queen of the American Gothics", first released as Red is for Murder in 1943. The setting in Chicago department store, Cunningham's, is to look at a bygone era, when people felt a degree loyalty to the store because they had probably met the owner at some stage.

Some of the attitudes were dated, but the story holds up quite well in the suspense stakes - these things often being a little predictable, but there were some twisty peregrinations before the denouement. I don't think the feeling of menace came across as strongly as it could, but maybe it did back in 1943, I can see a strong style emerging.

It would certainly have been a shocking thing to the employees when one of their number was murdered, to feel that their workplace was no longer a safe haven, & that personality clashes were no longer just a benign letting off of steam. I enjoyed the character interactions & the familial feel to it all.

(Linell Wynn, Bill Thorne, Michael Montgomery, Chris Gardner, Clara Drake, Helena Farnham, Sondo Norgaard, Sylvester Hering, Tony Salvador, Kieth Irwin, homicide detective McPhail.)

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much! This one really tested my suspension of disbelief. The characters made totally irrational decisions, and the police work was ridiculous. The love interest was rather annoying.
I did enjoy the portrait of Chicago in the ‘40s. Big department stores, streetcars, glamorous women…
The red motif was also exciting. Red jewels, nails, frocks, blood…wherever there’s red, it means trouble.
Elsa J. Radcliffe’s review, in Gothic Novels of the Twentieth Century: An Annotated Bibliography:

Linell, a copy writer at a large department store, discovers the murdered Michael Montgomery, the man who jilted her. A routine murder mystery. The first two chapters and the last one were plenty.

Her grade is D. I too thought this was a routine whodunit at first, and wondered why it would be considered Gothic at all, but deeper in, there were some Gothic elements of mood: strangeness, darkness, and creepiness, with rooms full of mannequins and staring plaster owls (are they what they seem?), Sondo the bizarre bohemian artist who holds a “murder party”, and dark pasts and secrets.

[Mary Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an ardent Phyllis A. Whitney devotee, this read completely fascinated me. Published in the early 1940s, it is one of her earliest efforts and is very different from what became her signature style and "formula".

The mystery is laid out with methodical pacing and an edge of horror. It reads like a study in the mechanics of how to write a mystery which makes sense as she was just finding her footing with the genre. The romantic element is also vastly different from her later novels with a tongue-in-cheek, bantering flavor.

The 1940s era in which it was written spills over into the story with colloquialisms of the period and cultural aspects. One example is the overreliance on the word, "queer", to indicate oddities.

All in all, this was a great read for me as an author studying the craft. But, since it's Phyllis, I think any reader would also enjoy it.

[Lisa Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very old fashioned view of women sounded more like something from the fifties than the seventies and while being set in a department store gave you a wide range of characters (and possible murderers) did not exactly get me excited. All of the people working in the store had difficulties with the murder victim but who's grievances were so bad that they would lead to murder? The heroine of the story is the jilted fiancee whom someone wants to frame but other people are meddling and one of the other characters is arrested. After being knocked out several times by the murderer (and still wanders around the store by herself picking up clues) you would think she would tell the police the truth and have somebody with her at all times. I have read Nancy Drew mysteries which were better than this one. I get her audience back then were not

[Miriam Roush · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read and enjoyed so many of Phyllis Whitney’s books during the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Imagine my surprise when I found The Red Carnelian, her first adult fiction written in the 1940’s. Although some of the language was a bit dated and the story had a different feel than her later books, I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and the mystery that kept me guessing until the end. The details about the department store were so intriguing, especially since department stores are not the majestic and artful institutions that they were back then. In fact, most of them are gone. I’m glad Ms. Whitney continued to write into her 90’s and had a good long life of 104 years. Her books have been a joy to me during much of my life. Thank you, Ms. Whitney!

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a little too much foreshadowing/narrator-talking-to-reader for my taste. It added to the suspenseful atmosphere but it also told me each upcoming beat in the story and made me feel like I already knew the answer to the mystery.

Also, the heroine dismisses one guy who gives her sound advice (Don’t go confront the murderer by yourself in a lonely place) as a “Cassandra.” I assume she is referencing Constant Threats Of Doom and forgetting that CASSANDRA WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE DOOM. I wanted to slap her upside the head.

Otherwise an enjoyable story. :)

[Pam Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought most of Whitney's books were of the gothic romance/suspense genre so was surprised when I picked this one up on a whim to discover its setting in a department store in the 40's. As one of the author's first books, the writing is somewhat stilted but still a very good read. The reader must remember that it was written in the early 40's for some of the descriptions, such as a "frock".

Linell Wynn's ex-boyfriend turns up in a display window--dead. Everyone who works in the store is a suspect, but Linell discovers some of her co-workers are not who they say they are!