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Arsenic and Old Men
When an autopsy reveals arsenic in the dead man’s stomach, “a few days” visit on Martha’s Vineyard to settle the affairs of his recently departed octogenarian Uncle Walt becomes a longer, more adventurous stay for Minnesota cartoonist Dave Jerome and his buddies, St. Paul Daily Dispatch reporter Warren “Mitch” Mitchell and photographer Alan Jeffrey. Because Uncle Walt was a former editor of the Daily Dispatch, Mitch and Al are ordered to stay on the Vineyard and report on the murder investigation. Dave stays with them in the “one for all and all for one” spirit of Alexandre Dumas’ Three Musketeers. But when another senior citizen, who claims to be either Teddy Roosevelt or Teddy Kennedy, turns up dead of arsenic poisoning, the puzzled investigators begin to identify more with the Three Stooges than the Three Musketeers. Toss in a naked lawyer on a clothing-optional beach and a dazzling duo of identical twin sisters holding Uncle Walt’s financial investments, and the troubled trio is faced with many questions that seem to have no answers.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2018
7 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Ickler
21 books7 followersWorked as newspaper reporter, columnist, editorial writer and editor in Minnesota and Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 2, 2019
An Absolute Hoot of a Mystery
Night City Editor Fred Donlin asked our intrepid journalist Mitch, “How do you and Al (Mitch’s photographer sidekick) always manage to dig up a body wherever you go?” Part of Mitch’s wily reply includes, “maybe we have a head for the dead.”
I don’t know about a head for the dead, but reading this installment of the Mitch and Al series, Arsenic and Old Men, is a ton of fun. Glenn Ickler is an amusing, clever writer who has a fine eye for characterization. Bounding about Martha’s Vineyard, Mitch, Al and their cartoonist buddy Dave are great company, prone to witticisms and playful humor. The trio steadily uncover the clues of a murder mystery that begins with the arsenic poisoning of Dave’s uncle Walt, takes the reader through another murder and a disappearance, and concludes with a climax that is both exciting and fun. The skillfully-plotted mystery keeps the reader guessing. Even better, Ickler has so many scenes that are absolute hoots, including the one with Walter’s ashes, the meanderings preceding the impending storm, the encounters with the gorgeous Jewell sisters, and the recurring interactions with Marty, the rental-car sales clerk.
As with Ickler’s previous Mitch and Al novels, I had a great time reading Arsenic and Old Men. The novel delivers both a well-wrought mystery and many laughs.
Night City Editor Fred Donlin asked our intrepid journalist Mitch, “How do you and Al (Mitch’s photographer sidekick) always manage to dig up a body wherever you go?” Part of Mitch’s wily reply includes, “maybe we have a head for the dead.”
I don’t know about a head for the dead, but reading this installment of the Mitch and Al series, Arsenic and Old Men, is a ton of fun. Glenn Ickler is an amusing, clever writer who has a fine eye for characterization. Bounding about Martha’s Vineyard, Mitch, Al and their cartoonist buddy Dave are great company, prone to witticisms and playful humor. The trio steadily uncover the clues of a murder mystery that begins with the arsenic poisoning of Dave’s uncle Walt, takes the reader through another murder and a disappearance, and concludes with a climax that is both exciting and fun. The skillfully-plotted mystery keeps the reader guessing. Even better, Ickler has so many scenes that are absolute hoots, including the one with Walter’s ashes, the meanderings preceding the impending storm, the encounters with the gorgeous Jewell sisters, and the recurring interactions with Marty, the rental-car sales clerk.
As with Ickler’s previous Mitch and Al novels, I had a great time reading Arsenic and Old Men. The novel delivers both a well-wrought mystery and many laughs.
December 30, 2021
A free copy of this book was provided to me by Online Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
You can find it here: Review of ”Arsenic and Old Men”
You can find it here: Review of ”Arsenic and Old Men”
October 9, 2019
Very enjoyable mystery that takes place on Martha's Vineyard.
March 30, 2020
This review first appeared on and was written for OnlineBookClub.org. It has been slightly edited here and the rating has been adjusted for a 5-star system, which is more common.
Arsenic and Old Men by Glenn Ickler is about the adventures of three gentlemen who, in the middle of vacationing with their lovely wives in Martha's Vineyard, suddenly find themselves in the middle of not just one, but two cases of murder by arsenic poisoning.
Warren 'Mitch' Mitchell is our main man here. He is an investigative journalist who writes for the St. Paul Daily Dispatch. Alan 'Al' Jeffrey is a photographer for the same paper, and is Mitch's so-called "twin" or partner in crime. Dave Jerome, a good friend of the two, is now a freelance cartoonist but once worked for the Daily Dispatch as well. The book starts when Dave's uncle, Walter 'Walt' Jerome, dies. Good old Walt has made a good fortune for himself by being the chief newspaper editor for so many years, and because he has no children, the closest living relative eligible for the inheritance is Dave. At first, everyone was sure it was heart attack that killed Walt, until the results of the required autopsy revealed something else. The three gentlemen worked hand-in-hand with the police, but the ending called for a different and a riskier approach.
One of the things I liked was the author's sense of humor. Almost each and every dialogue was filled with funny and appropriate sarcasm, and I couldn't have asked for more. I also liked how the story went from start to finish. There were no down times nor forced elements. The ending wasn't as surprising as I thought it would be, but it was far from boring also.
What I liked the most in this book was the depiction of loyalty to one's spouse, in spite of being right in the middle of a compromising situation. I loved how Mitch acted in one particular scene where he chose to keep his marriage vows intact even when it was so easy for him to fall into temptation.
The only thing I did not like was the typos. I'd be willing to let go most of them, but there were a few major errors. One of which is the name confusion between Al and Dave's wives, Carol and Cindy, respectively. There were dialogues and descriptions that I was sure were meant for Cindy, but were indicated as Carol's. Nevertheless, I'd still say that the book looks like it was professionally edited.
Arsenic and Old Men by Glenn Ickler is about the adventures of three gentlemen who, in the middle of vacationing with their lovely wives in Martha's Vineyard, suddenly find themselves in the middle of not just one, but two cases of murder by arsenic poisoning.
Warren 'Mitch' Mitchell is our main man here. He is an investigative journalist who writes for the St. Paul Daily Dispatch. Alan 'Al' Jeffrey is a photographer for the same paper, and is Mitch's so-called "twin" or partner in crime. Dave Jerome, a good friend of the two, is now a freelance cartoonist but once worked for the Daily Dispatch as well. The book starts when Dave's uncle, Walter 'Walt' Jerome, dies. Good old Walt has made a good fortune for himself by being the chief newspaper editor for so many years, and because he has no children, the closest living relative eligible for the inheritance is Dave. At first, everyone was sure it was heart attack that killed Walt, until the results of the required autopsy revealed something else. The three gentlemen worked hand-in-hand with the police, but the ending called for a different and a riskier approach.
One of the things I liked was the author's sense of humor. Almost each and every dialogue was filled with funny and appropriate sarcasm, and I couldn't have asked for more. I also liked how the story went from start to finish. There were no down times nor forced elements. The ending wasn't as surprising as I thought it would be, but it was far from boring also.
What I liked the most in this book was the depiction of loyalty to one's spouse, in spite of being right in the middle of a compromising situation. I loved how Mitch acted in one particular scene where he chose to keep his marriage vows intact even when it was so easy for him to fall into temptation.
The only thing I did not like was the typos. I'd be willing to let go most of them, but there were a few major errors. One of which is the name confusion between Al and Dave's wives, Carol and Cindy, respectively. There were dialogues and descriptions that I was sure were meant for Cindy, but were indicated as Carol's. Nevertheless, I'd still say that the book looks like it was professionally edited.
May 2, 2019
An Absolute Hoot of a Mystery
Night City Editor Fred Donlin asked our intrepid journalist Mitch, “How do you and Al (Mitch’s photographer sidekick) always manage to dig up a body wherever you go?” Part of Mitch’s wily reply includes, “maybe we have a head for the dead.”
I don’t know about a head for the dead, but reading this installment of the Mitch and Al series, Arsenic and Old Men, is a ton of fun. Glenn Ickler is an amusing, clever writer who has a fine eye for characterization. Bounding about Martha’s Vineyard, Mitch, Al and their cartoonist buddy Dave are great company, prone to witticisms and playful humor. The trio steadily uncover the clues of a murder mystery that begins with the arsenic poisoning of Dave’s uncle Walt, takes the reader through another murder and a disappearance, and concludes with a climax that is both exciting and fun. The skillfully-plotted mystery keeps the reader guessing. Even better, Ickler has so many scenes that are absolute hoots, including the one with Walter’s ashes, the meanderings preceding the impending storm, the encounters with the gorgeous Jewell sisters, and the recurring interactions with Marty, the rental-car sales clerk.
As with Ickler’s previous Mitch and Al novels, I had a great time reading Arsenic and Old Men. The novel delivers both a well-wrought mystery and many laughs.
Night City Editor Fred Donlin asked our intrepid journalist Mitch, “How do you and Al (Mitch’s photographer sidekick) always manage to dig up a body wherever you go?” Part of Mitch’s wily reply includes, “maybe we have a head for the dead.”
I don’t know about a head for the dead, but reading this installment of the Mitch and Al series, Arsenic and Old Men, is a ton of fun. Glenn Ickler is an amusing, clever writer who has a fine eye for characterization. Bounding about Martha’s Vineyard, Mitch, Al and their cartoonist buddy Dave are great company, prone to witticisms and playful humor. The trio steadily uncover the clues of a murder mystery that begins with the arsenic poisoning of Dave’s uncle Walt, takes the reader through another murder and a disappearance, and concludes with a climax that is both exciting and fun. The skillfully-plotted mystery keeps the reader guessing. Even better, Ickler has so many scenes that are absolute hoots, including the one with Walter’s ashes, the meanderings preceding the impending storm, the encounters with the gorgeous Jewell sisters, and the recurring interactions with Marty, the rental-car sales clerk.
As with Ickler’s previous Mitch and Al novels, I had a great time reading Arsenic and Old Men. The novel delivers both a well-wrought mystery and many laughs.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews