What do you think?
Rate this book
Benny Cooperman #6
A Victim Must Be Found
The irrepressible Grantham private detective Benny Cooperman, or does he call himself a private investigator?, becomes embroiled with the seamy side of the glittering Canadian art world after an old friend, an investor in the suddenly valuable works of a local painter, is murdered.
Let's see, some of the paintings of Wallace Lamb are missing; Benny's client is dead, and our favourite private whatever may be in over his head. Situation normal!
Librarian's note: characters, settings, etc. have been completed for the series of 12 novels and 2 novellas: #1. The Suicide Murders (1980), #2. The Ransom Game (1981), #3. Murder On Location (1982), #4. Murder Sees The Light (1984), #5. A City Called July (1986), #6. A Victim Must Be Found (1988), #7. Dead And Buried (1990), #7A. The Whole Megillah (1991) (a novella), #8. There Was An Old Woman (1993), #9. Getting Away With Murder (1995), #10. The Cooperman Variations (2001), #10A. My Brother's Keeper (2001) with co-author Eric Wright (a novella), #11. Memory Book (2005), and #12, East Of Suez (2008). A thirteenth, Over the River, was scheduled for 2018 but never came out.
Let's see, some of the paintings of Wallace Lamb are missing; Benny's client is dead, and our favourite private whatever may be in over his head. Situation normal!
Librarian's note: characters, settings, etc. have been completed for the series of 12 novels and 2 novellas: #1. The Suicide Murders (1980), #2. The Ransom Game (1981), #3. Murder On Location (1982), #4. Murder Sees The Light (1984), #5. A City Called July (1986), #6. A Victim Must Be Found (1988), #7. Dead And Buried (1990), #7A. The Whole Megillah (1991) (a novella), #8. There Was An Old Woman (1993), #9. Getting Away With Murder (1995), #10. The Cooperman Variations (2001), #10A. My Brother's Keeper (2001) with co-author Eric Wright (a novella), #11. Memory Book (2005), and #12, East Of Suez (2008). A thirteenth, Over the River, was scheduled for 2018 but never came out.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Howard Engel
32 books29 followersHoward Engel was a pioneering, award-winning Canadian mystery and non-fiction author. He is famous for his Benny Cooperman private-eye series, set in the Niagara Region of Ontario.
He and Eric Wright are two of the authors responsible for founding Crime Writers Of Canada. He had twins Charlotte and William with authoress, Marian Engel. He has a son, Jacob, with his late wife, authoress Janet Hamilton: with whom he co-wrote "Murder In Space".
A stroke in 2001 famously caused "alexia sine agraphia". It was a disease that hampered Howard's ability to comprehend written words, even though he could continue to write! He retired in Toronto, where he continued to inspire and mentor future authors and writers of all kinds. Maureen Jennings, creator of the Murdoch novels and still-running television series, is among them.
Unfortunately, he died of pneumonia that arose after a stroke. True animal-lovers: Howard's beloved living cat, Kali, is included by their family in his obituary.
He and Eric Wright are two of the authors responsible for founding Crime Writers Of Canada. He had twins Charlotte and William with authoress, Marian Engel. He has a son, Jacob, with his late wife, authoress Janet Hamilton: with whom he co-wrote "Murder In Space".
A stroke in 2001 famously caused "alexia sine agraphia". It was a disease that hampered Howard's ability to comprehend written words, even though he could continue to write! He retired in Toronto, where he continued to inspire and mentor future authors and writers of all kinds. Maureen Jennings, creator of the Murdoch novels and still-running television series, is among them.
Unfortunately, he died of pneumonia that arose after a stroke. True animal-lovers: Howard's beloved living cat, Kali, is included by their family in his obituary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 9, 2018
I never heard of Howard Engel until I found this book in a charity shop. Which is odd, because Engel is a big writer in Canada. It's strange how many North Americans know more about British literature than they do about writers on their own continent.
So this was my first read of Engel's sleuth Benny Cooperman. And, it also happend not to be the first book in the series. Granted there was the series carryover, but it also was able to stand on its own.
It took place in Ontario, Canada near the Niagra Falls. So more than likely I have been to the area that this story is based around. And the main theme of this instalment was art theft and Canadian artists.
Because I haven't read other books in this series I don't have anything else to compare it too. If I ever come across more of the Benny Cooperman series, I will certainly read them.
So this was my first read of Engel's sleuth Benny Cooperman. And, it also happend not to be the first book in the series. Granted there was the series carryover, but it also was able to stand on its own.
It took place in Ontario, Canada near the Niagra Falls. So more than likely I have been to the area that this story is based around. And the main theme of this instalment was art theft and Canadian artists.
Because I haven't read other books in this series I don't have anything else to compare it too. If I ever come across more of the Benny Cooperman series, I will certainly read them.
October 16, 2025
5 Stars. I remain uncertain what the title means, but I am 100% certain of Victim being the best in the Cooperman series so far. A good tale well written. Howard Engel has his craft down pat. Benny's in the United Cigar Store in Grantham, in reality St. Catharines, Ontario near Niagara Falls, having coffee. His friend Pambos Kiriakis, Greek Cypriot in origin, a fact you should not forget, approaches him. "I want to talk to you about a list." Pambos had been in possession of a list of paintings now belonging to the estate of Grantham art gallery owner Arthur Tallon of the Contemporary Gallery. Recently deceased via heart attack. The list contains names of well-known Grantham citizens to whom Tallon had loaned works by a local painter, Wallace Lamb. It has been stolen. So states Pambos. Can Benny locate the list and help recover the on-loan paintings? Pambos notes that 3 of the names on the list are locally prominent and that they include the multi-millionaire liquor distiller Jonah Abraham - he with the lovely daughter Anna who soon finds Benny very interesting. That includes me since volume #1, but in a much different way! (Jul2023/Oc2025)
October 8, 2017
Change is in the air for Benny. "Last week I heard that the United Cigar Store on St Andrew Street is closing down, that Ella Beames, my friend at the library, is being retired and after ten years I've had to leave my room at the City House."
United Cigar Store figures in most of these books that are centered in Grantham, a regular place for his morning coffee and lunches of chopped egg sandwiches. He lived in a motel room at City House for a ten-year spell and has now moved into his own apartment with kitchen and bathtub. Ella at the library has also been a mainstay as he relies on her research skills on many cases.
While struggling with stacks of packing boxes Benny meets up with old friend who asks him to take on a job with the added incentive of helping Benny organize his belongings.
The action takes place in Grantham and centers around people of influence who wish to hide their wheeling and dealing in works of art. Lives are lost and threatened, secrets uncovered and Benny holds a "reveal all" meeting in the home of a wealthy man who was his second client after the first was murdered.
There is less physical action and more cogitation in this book. Benny's head is a fun place to visit.
United Cigar Store figures in most of these books that are centered in Grantham, a regular place for his morning coffee and lunches of chopped egg sandwiches. He lived in a motel room at City House for a ten-year spell and has now moved into his own apartment with kitchen and bathtub. Ella at the library has also been a mainstay as he relies on her research skills on many cases.
While struggling with stacks of packing boxes Benny meets up with old friend who asks him to take on a job with the added incentive of helping Benny organize his belongings.
The action takes place in Grantham and centers around people of influence who wish to hide their wheeling and dealing in works of art. Lives are lost and threatened, secrets uncovered and Benny holds a "reveal all" meeting in the home of a wealthy man who was his second client after the first was murdered.
There is less physical action and more cogitation in this book. Benny's head is a fun place to visit.
October 15, 2017
I used to think our literature tended towards cultural stories. Howard Engel, Eric Wright, and Charlotte McLeod were the first mainstream authors to show me I could delight in mystery fiction here. Their series reward reading in sequence because a wonderful personal touch weaves in. You acquaint their families, habits, and ambitions. I'm certain that portraying impressions, instead of what characters do physically, is the key to becoming riveted. Authors waste our attention, pointing out that characters refill coffee or wine. Bringing us inside a protagonist's head and sticking with that lead character, guarantees that we forge an understanding with them and every page becomes compelling. We feel pleased merely to tune into Benny, who is likeable as well as relatable.
Unmarried, in his forties, not an invincible Don Juan but very smart; Benny detects details that crack mysteries. Being a private investigator means he is licensed to work on cases and is happily, neither the implausibly involved amateur, nor dry police officer we see too much. He struggles to earn money like many of us, loves his folks but wryly laughs off their quirks, and best of all this isn't another series in the USA or England. It features modern Canada. I was aware that this mystery seemed lighter on action but the personal viewpoint kept every page interesting and easily garnered five stars.
It is a bonus that Howard is a true writer, gifted with words that give us pause and laughter, who also weaves excellent mysteries. Calmer cases are realistic. We're privy to the interviewing, research, and intuition that solve them. Every novel is different. Sometimes Benny travels, sometimes an atmosphere is urgent or faster-paced. This politically-layered mystery explores paintings, coveted and illegally resold, for sums that a broke visionary does not receive. Howard's imagination is boundless.
Unmarried, in his forties, not an invincible Don Juan but very smart; Benny detects details that crack mysteries. Being a private investigator means he is licensed to work on cases and is happily, neither the implausibly involved amateur, nor dry police officer we see too much. He struggles to earn money like many of us, loves his folks but wryly laughs off their quirks, and best of all this isn't another series in the USA or England. It features modern Canada. I was aware that this mystery seemed lighter on action but the personal viewpoint kept every page interesting and easily garnered five stars.
It is a bonus that Howard is a true writer, gifted with words that give us pause and laughter, who also weaves excellent mysteries. Calmer cases are realistic. We're privy to the interviewing, research, and intuition that solve them. Every novel is different. Sometimes Benny travels, sometimes an atmosphere is urgent or faster-paced. This politically-layered mystery explores paintings, coveted and illegally resold, for sums that a broke visionary does not receive. Howard's imagination is boundless.
Want to read
April 12, 2015
February 9, 2022
I read this about 5 years ago, and set it aside for later re-read. All in all, I'll keep my original 3 star rating, maybe even a 3.5, if such a thing were allowed. It is in many ways a very good book: the plot is novel, the writing excellent, and there is a phalanx of fascinating and mostly well-developed characters. What threw me off is the protagonist-narrator. Engel seems to have channeled a lot of Columbo in developing Benny Cooperman, but here the sloppiness, social ineptness, and out-of-his-depth aspects are presented in the 1st person. So, by his own admission, our sleuth is just not very adept. And yet, he makes brilliant, subtle connections just when the plot needs them, and finds obscure clues, ditto. All in all, although it is a good fast read, I didn't really buy it.
July 7, 2022
I love this mystery series: It's set in "Grantham", a thinly veiled St. Catharines Ontario, my husband's hometown and where I worked for 20 years, lived for nearly a decade and made many life-defining decisions. St. Catharines is the closest I have to a hometown of my own. So I love the setting of the city and other areas in the Niagara region where it is located, and I love Benny Cooperman, the hapless P.I. who bumbles through it.
The mysteries themselves are uneven: some are wonderful, others so-so. A victim Must Be Found is one of the "mehs". I doubt it's worth reading for anyone who doesn't care about Benny or Grantham.
The mysteries themselves are uneven: some are wonderful, others so-so. A victim Must Be Found is one of the "mehs". I doubt it's worth reading for anyone who doesn't care about Benny or Grantham.
July 18, 2010
Benny Cooperman #7
November 5, 2018
Solid. Classic Engel. Enjoyable.
January 23, 2025
Benny Cooperman mystery and has usual he comes through.
December 25, 2025
nice noir pastiche. good fun
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews