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Duncan Maclain Mystery #3
The Odor of Violets
Meet Captain Duncan Maclain. Blinded during his service in the first World War, Maclain made up for his lack of vision by sharpening his other senses, achieving a mastery of the subtle unseen clues often missed by those who see only with their eyes. Aided by his dogs Schnucke and Driest, the Captain puts the intelligence-gathering techniques he learned in the Army to work, making a name for himself as New York City’s most sought-after private detective. Now it’s 1940, there’s a second World War breaking out, and Maclain is pulled into a case unlike any he’s investigated before.
The murder of an actor in his Greenwich Village apartment would cause a stir no matter the circumstances but, when the actor happens to possess secret government plans, and when those plans go missing along with the young woman with whom he was last seen, it’s sensational enough to interest not only the local police, but the American government as well.
Maclain suspects a German spy plot at work and, in a world where treasonous men and patriots are indistinguishable to the naked eye, it will take his special skills to sniff out the solution.
Reissued for the first time in over a half-century, Odor of Violets is the most well-known installment in the long-running Duncan Maclain series, which featured one of crime fiction’s earliest disabled detectives. The novel, filmed in 1942 as Eyes in the Night, is a classic hybrid of mystery and espionage fiction.
The murder of an actor in his Greenwich Village apartment would cause a stir no matter the circumstances but, when the actor happens to possess secret government plans, and when those plans go missing along with the young woman with whom he was last seen, it’s sensational enough to interest not only the local police, but the American government as well.
Maclain suspects a German spy plot at work and, in a world where treasonous men and patriots are indistinguishable to the naked eye, it will take his special skills to sniff out the solution.
Reissued for the first time in over a half-century, Odor of Violets is the most well-known installment in the long-running Duncan Maclain series, which featured one of crime fiction’s earliest disabled detectives. The novel, filmed in 1942 as Eyes in the Night, is a classic hybrid of mystery and espionage fiction.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1940
23 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Baynard H. Kendrick
58 books11 followersAlso wrote under the pseudonym Richard Hayward
Kendrick was an American lawyer and executive who became a full-time writer in 1932. His first mystery novel, Blood on Lake Louisa was published in 1934.
In 1914 Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army, one hour after that country declared war.
He married Edythe Stevens in 1919 and Jean Morris in 1971, and became an executive and manager of hotels and publishing companies. Kendrick was the organizer and only sighted member of the Blinded Veterans Association.
He was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and held membership #1. In the 1960s he retired to Florida.
Kendrick was an American lawyer and executive who became a full-time writer in 1932. His first mystery novel, Blood on Lake Louisa was published in 1934.
In 1914 Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army, one hour after that country declared war.
He married Edythe Stevens in 1919 and Jean Morris in 1971, and became an executive and manager of hotels and publishing companies. Kendrick was the organizer and only sighted member of the Blinded Veterans Association.
He was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and held membership #1. In the 1960s he retired to Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 9, 2025
The Crags was built high up on an eminence above the little town of Tredwill Village, west of Hartford, in the Connecticut hills. (First Line)
This is part of an American Mystery Classic series and I must say the narrative never stands still. You have the rich family from Connecticut to a man in New York that is framing himself for murder to a sunken submarine with men trapped.
The picture was broken...obscured by tiny lines...broken glass becomes opaque. Somehow he must strip away the cloudy inessentials and make the picture clear.
Our private detective Duncan Maclain (US Secret Service agent before WWII) was blinded in WWI by a gassing. Through extensive training his other senses were crafted into solving crimes with the help of Schnuke his guide and Driest for protection.
Maclain receives a Braille message about Germany and the city's power being shut off. Mr Tredwell has a plan for a bomb that causes several incidents for the family including mutliple crimes: Hit on the head, suffocations and a decapitation.
Where I heard it, or where I got it, I can't tell you, Colonel, but the odor of violets is that madman's favorite perfume!
The murder mystery is very entertaining. A combination of a spy thriller and a great mystery.
Motive? Not really sure but the spies are doing their worst. Duncan Maclain is a terrific character that Kendrick does a superb job with this detective and his skills (the puzzle).
Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. It was his experience during that war that led him to an encounter with “a blind British soldier who had the remarkable ability to tell Kendrick things about himself that exceeded what a sighted person might have known.” Kendrick never learned the soldier’s name and never saw him again.
I look forward to other mysteries by Baynard Kendrick including The Whistling Hangman and The Last Express. He wrote one also called Clear and Present Danger.
This is part of an American Mystery Classic series and I must say the narrative never stands still. You have the rich family from Connecticut to a man in New York that is framing himself for murder to a sunken submarine with men trapped.
The picture was broken...obscured by tiny lines...broken glass becomes opaque. Somehow he must strip away the cloudy inessentials and make the picture clear.
Our private detective Duncan Maclain (US Secret Service agent before WWII) was blinded in WWI by a gassing. Through extensive training his other senses were crafted into solving crimes with the help of Schnuke his guide and Driest for protection.
Maclain receives a Braille message about Germany and the city's power being shut off. Mr Tredwell has a plan for a bomb that causes several incidents for the family including mutliple crimes: Hit on the head, suffocations and a decapitation.
Where I heard it, or where I got it, I can't tell you, Colonel, but the odor of violets is that madman's favorite perfume!
The murder mystery is very entertaining. A combination of a spy thriller and a great mystery.
Motive? Not really sure but the spies are doing their worst. Duncan Maclain is a terrific character that Kendrick does a superb job with this detective and his skills (the puzzle).
Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. It was his experience during that war that led him to an encounter with “a blind British soldier who had the remarkable ability to tell Kendrick things about himself that exceeded what a sighted person might have known.” Kendrick never learned the soldier’s name and never saw him again.
I look forward to other mysteries by Baynard Kendrick including The Whistling Hangman and The Last Express. He wrote one also called Clear and Present Danger.
November 16, 2021
Odor of Violets (1940) by Baynard Kendrick is the third in the Captain Duncan Maclain series. Maclain is a private detective who lost his sight due to gassing in the First World War. He has gone through extensive training to help him enhance his other senses--especially hearing and smell. He also depends on two German Shepherd dogs--one acting as his guide dog in unfamiliar settings and the other serving as protection, having been trained to attack at the sight of weapons or threatening movements on the part of others.
This book finds Maclain working for the US Secret Service in the early days of WWII prior to America's entry into the war. Germany isn't taking the American neutrality for granted and has spies at work preparing to sabotage vital cities. They just need to get their hands on vital information about vulnerable points (the location of the city's power shut-off points, for example)--information that has been delivered to Maclain in a coded Braille message. But that's not all! Nazi spies are also trying to get information on a brand-new bomb sight that has been developed by Gilbert Tredwell. Life gets interesting when an actor-turned Secret Serviceman is killed with a poker (a man who just happened to have been the ex-husband of Mrs. Tredwell); Barbara Tredwell (daughter of the house) disappears--possibly kidnapped; and Bella Slater, the Tredwell's upstairs maid who isn't exactly what she seems, is killed with a very sharp battle axe. Maclain will have to follow the scent of violets if he is going to find the spies responsible for the deaths and who are behind the plot against America's cities.
Loved this mystery thriller starring a blind private eye. His heightened abilities (other senses) are much more believable than those of Max Carrados (a blind detective who first appeared in 1914). Where Carrados's ability to smell spirit gum and to read newsprint by touch seem more like parlor tricks, Maclain's abilities are explained through careful training. The book is an interesting combination of spy thriller and classic mystery. There are definitely clues to be followed and the sharp reader will spot those that identify the killer. Unlike many classic detective stories, the motive is never an issue--the motive is simply spycraft. The spies are Nazis and out to do their worst.
I definitely enjoyed Maclain as the hero and will be on the look-out for more in the series.
First published on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. thanks.
This book finds Maclain working for the US Secret Service in the early days of WWII prior to America's entry into the war. Germany isn't taking the American neutrality for granted and has spies at work preparing to sabotage vital cities. They just need to get their hands on vital information about vulnerable points (the location of the city's power shut-off points, for example)--information that has been delivered to Maclain in a coded Braille message. But that's not all! Nazi spies are also trying to get information on a brand-new bomb sight that has been developed by Gilbert Tredwell. Life gets interesting when an actor-turned Secret Serviceman is killed with a poker (a man who just happened to have been the ex-husband of Mrs. Tredwell); Barbara Tredwell (daughter of the house) disappears--possibly kidnapped; and Bella Slater, the Tredwell's upstairs maid who isn't exactly what she seems, is killed with a very sharp battle axe. Maclain will have to follow the scent of violets if he is going to find the spies responsible for the deaths and who are behind the plot against America's cities.
Loved this mystery thriller starring a blind private eye. His heightened abilities (other senses) are much more believable than those of Max Carrados (a blind detective who first appeared in 1914). Where Carrados's ability to smell spirit gum and to read newsprint by touch seem more like parlor tricks, Maclain's abilities are explained through careful training. The book is an interesting combination of spy thriller and classic mystery. There are definitely clues to be followed and the sharp reader will spot those that identify the killer. Unlike many classic detective stories, the motive is never an issue--the motive is simply spycraft. The spies are Nazis and out to do their worst.
I definitely enjoyed Maclain as the hero and will be on the look-out for more in the series.
First published on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. thanks.
August 1, 2021
I rarely read a book in one sitting, but I enjoyed this book so much, I just couldn't put it down, and ended up polishing it off in a single evening. Part mystery, part spy thriller, we follow blind Captain Duncan Maclain, and his two German Shepherds, Schnucke and Driest, as they attempt to solve a series of murders, and save New York City from a dastardly sabotage plot. I am normally not someone who seeks out thrillers, as they often come across as implausible and/or over the top, but it worked in this story.
I was also impressed by the research and attention to detail that Baynard Kendrick put into his blind detective. A veteran of WWI, he had been personally touched by his experiences with blinded soldiers, and spent much of his adult life heading up the Blinded Veterans Association. All of the skills that he endows his detective with were ones that he had either observed directly, or researched extensively to confirm its veracity. Maclain is not super-human, but the extent to which he was able to train his other senses was very impressive. Kendrick's goal was create an inspiring, yet realistic blind hero, which I think he achieves. I would happily read the other books featuring this detective and his dynamic doggo duo.
I was also impressed by the research and attention to detail that Baynard Kendrick put into his blind detective. A veteran of WWI, he had been personally touched by his experiences with blinded soldiers, and spent much of his adult life heading up the Blinded Veterans Association. All of the skills that he endows his detective with were ones that he had either observed directly, or researched extensively to confirm its veracity. Maclain is not super-human, but the extent to which he was able to train his other senses was very impressive. Kendrick's goal was create an inspiring, yet realistic blind hero, which I think he achieves. I would happily read the other books featuring this detective and his dynamic doggo duo.
December 7, 2020
This mystery was published in 1940. Oh my! How mystery novels have changed. It was a fun, quick read with old-fashioned prose.
September 12, 2022
Illuminating
Read
June 10, 2022Excellent story telling and exciting throughout. I even learned several new words that are mostly out of use today, but interesting none-the-less. Keep your Google search handy.
November 8, 2023
For me, this story is the best of the series so far. Intriguing and swiftly moving action packed plot which I immensely enjoyed!
“ I understand you were to bring some Braille instructions to me.”
“They’re here. The Naval Intelligence requests that you memorize and destroy them as soon as possible, Captain Maclain. There are five vital points in here where an organized crew might sabotage the light, power, water, and sewage of this city. You’re an ex-Army Intelligence officer…” Maclain reached out one hand and papers rustled crisply. He spread the Braille embossed sheets flat on his desk and began to move his fingers over the lines, reading skillfully. He heard the scratch of a match. Tobacco smoke reached his nostrils. The room was silent until he turned the last of the sheets.
“I think I have it,” he said. “The instructions are perfectly clear. In the improbable event that New York is plunged into darkness and communication cut off, I know exactly where I’m to go, what I’m to do, and the men I’m to contact.”
“Good!” said the other. “Colonel Gray, the head of our defense plans, believes your ability to get around with your dog invaluable. Even under war conditions, a blind man could pass unquestioned where others might be suspected and stopped immediately. The vulnerable spots mentioned in there are in code. Before I leave would you care to name their locations for me as given you personally by Colonel Gray? I’d like to be sure you know.”
The Captain leaned back in his chair and locked his hands behind his head. “Let’s say I know them and leave it there.” He smiled slowly. “Did part of your mission here tonight consist of testing me?”
“You’re a cautious man, Captain,” the other said quickly. “It’s a trait we like to see!…I regret I was late in arriving. I won’t detain you any longer.” Maclain heard the other rise. “The Army and Navy Intelligence both appreciate your co-operation. Colonel Gray suggested that I make myself known to you in case you might want further information after studying our instructions. I’m a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve, Captain Maclain, but you may have heard of me in my profession. I was on the stage for years—”
“Colonel Gray told me who you are,” said Maclain. “You underestimate your own fame. Anyone who ever attended a show has heard of Paul Gerente.”
“ I understand you were to bring some Braille instructions to me.”
“They’re here. The Naval Intelligence requests that you memorize and destroy them as soon as possible, Captain Maclain. There are five vital points in here where an organized crew might sabotage the light, power, water, and sewage of this city. You’re an ex-Army Intelligence officer…” Maclain reached out one hand and papers rustled crisply. He spread the Braille embossed sheets flat on his desk and began to move his fingers over the lines, reading skillfully. He heard the scratch of a match. Tobacco smoke reached his nostrils. The room was silent until he turned the last of the sheets.
“I think I have it,” he said. “The instructions are perfectly clear. In the improbable event that New York is plunged into darkness and communication cut off, I know exactly where I’m to go, what I’m to do, and the men I’m to contact.”
“Good!” said the other. “Colonel Gray, the head of our defense plans, believes your ability to get around with your dog invaluable. Even under war conditions, a blind man could pass unquestioned where others might be suspected and stopped immediately. The vulnerable spots mentioned in there are in code. Before I leave would you care to name their locations for me as given you personally by Colonel Gray? I’d like to be sure you know.”
The Captain leaned back in his chair and locked his hands behind his head. “Let’s say I know them and leave it there.” He smiled slowly. “Did part of your mission here tonight consist of testing me?”
“You’re a cautious man, Captain,” the other said quickly. “It’s a trait we like to see!…I regret I was late in arriving. I won’t detain you any longer.” Maclain heard the other rise. “The Army and Navy Intelligence both appreciate your co-operation. Colonel Gray suggested that I make myself known to you in case you might want further information after studying our instructions. I’m a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve, Captain Maclain, but you may have heard of me in my profession. I was on the stage for years—”
“Colonel Gray told me who you are,” said Maclain. “You underestimate your own fame. Anyone who ever attended a show has heard of Paul Gerente.”
May 30, 2013
Private eye Captain Duncan Maclain, so known for his military service in WWI, where he was also blinded, is investigating the murder of an actor named Paul Gerente, the ex-husband of Mrs. Thaddeus Tredwell, the fourth Mrs. Tredwell. The mister's daughter Babs had secretly been seeing him and she was now missing.
Maclain and his partner, Spud Savage, have a number of suspects. And even a man who lived one floor above the victim has confessed to the killing, claiming self-defense, and that one of the Tredwell maids can back his story, being a witness. She'll claim she wasn't there though.
And the daughter Babs has gone missing besides.
It doesn't take the blind man long, all his other senses sharpened from years of training, to figure the man's story doesn't hold up. The killing couldn't have happened the way he said.
Why did the man confess to a killing he couldn't have committed? And why involve an innocent girl?
Maclain moves into the Tredwell household with his two German Shepherds, Schnucke, his seeing eye animal, and Dreist, who serves more as a bodyguard to look into the matter.
Tredwell's son is an engineer working for the federal government out of a shop on the home property and has designed a bomb sight for the air service(the time is 1940-41 and America hasn't entered the war yet). He's working on an improved model and that may have something to do with all the goings on.
And then the second body turns up. Maclain, going to talk with another maid, finds her dead, beheaded!
An unusual P.I. novel involving a spy angle.
Maclain and his partner, Spud Savage, have a number of suspects. And even a man who lived one floor above the victim has confessed to the killing, claiming self-defense, and that one of the Tredwell maids can back his story, being a witness. She'll claim she wasn't there though.
And the daughter Babs has gone missing besides.
It doesn't take the blind man long, all his other senses sharpened from years of training, to figure the man's story doesn't hold up. The killing couldn't have happened the way he said.
Why did the man confess to a killing he couldn't have committed? And why involve an innocent girl?
Maclain moves into the Tredwell household with his two German Shepherds, Schnucke, his seeing eye animal, and Dreist, who serves more as a bodyguard to look into the matter.
Tredwell's son is an engineer working for the federal government out of a shop on the home property and has designed a bomb sight for the air service(the time is 1940-41 and America hasn't entered the war yet). He's working on an improved model and that may have something to do with all the goings on.
And then the second body turns up. Maclain, going to talk with another maid, finds her dead, beheaded!
An unusual P.I. novel involving a spy angle.
April 21, 2021
Phenomenal detective story! I love the main character and his special abilities he acquired by his disability. This story was a real page turner. Intrigue, murder, secrets, suspense, action, this book has it all. Among the best written detective novels I’ve read.
September 25, 2024
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featuring large clean images of the Dell paperback and Triangle Books hardcover.
Baynard Kendrick wrote 13 mysteries featuring blind detective Duncan Maclain, inspired by a friendship with a blinded soldier in the first World War. The Odor of Violets is the third, after The Last Express (1937), and The Whistling Hangman (1937).
The Crags is a large manor house built overlooking a small Connecticut town. Norma is the fourth wife of Thadeus Tredwill, a theatrical producer. Ten years ago she was married to stage actor Paul Gerente, and now she fears her young step-daughter Barbara has been seduced by Paul - there is a bottle of Black Violet perfume on her vanity, the kind Paul always gave her. Norma follows her to New York, hoping to convince them to stop, when she sees Barbara run out of his building. Arriving at his apartment, Norma finds him bludgeoned to death fireside. Barbara disappears that night - kidnapped or on the run, not to be found.
Captain Duncan Maclain arrives at the Tredwill house, ostensibly to find Barbara, but actually investigating top secret information leaks from son Gilbert Tredwill's basement lab. Gilbert works as an engineer for the Intelligence Department designing munitions at International Aircraft. In 1940, the radio is full of menace and vivid descriptions of the terror which has gripped the world, and although the plans are not stolen, they are leaked.
Everyone from sons Stacy and Gilbert, Thadeus and Norma, the inquisitive staff, nosy neigbours and guest Cheli Scott (writing a new play) are suspect, and everyone seems to know more than they let on. And, they were all in New York the night Paul was killed.
Wouldn't you like to know:
Why Gerente's neighbour quickly admitted to the killing, and why his girlfriend secured his guilt? Who was creeping in the Tredwill's basement, knocking Norma out with a falling bookcase? Why did the inquisitive maid lose her head - literally! How the munitions plans were leaked while locked in the safe? Why is there always the odor of violets? How is the advertisement from cosmetics firm House of Bonnee hiding a secret code? Who is an undercover spy - a counterspy - an FBI agent - a counterespionage agent - ex-intelligence - a saboteur - a cold blooded killer? After some deaths, druggings, and kidnapping of Maclain himself, this wraps up in an exciting Christmas Eve finale, where Maclain explains it all for those who got confused.
"He was blind, but it was the implacable blindness of justice."
Maclain is an ingenious and unique character, using his dogs Schnucke and Dreist as guiding hands, his keen facilities developed to know where you are in the room, what you are wearing, and how tall you are. He shoots with deadly accuracy, and like all good fictional detectives, has the uncanny knack of being one step ahead at all times.
I might like this more than it deserves. Kenrick has a verbose and florid use of language. There are far too many characters, and the pace is clunky - perhaps because it was serialized first. For 1940, there is bloody violence - decapitation, stabbings, close range shooting - and of course, I must mention the dated depiction of Maclain's negro chauffer Cappo. Invaluable and capable, he unfortunately speaks with the relaxed drawl of the time - "Yessah, he suttnly do."
The Odor of Violets was also published as Eyes In The Night, the title of the 1942 film starring Edward Arnold, Ann Harding and Donna Reed (rough copies can be streamed online). An entertaining film, it made a sleeker story based on the same characters. A second Duncan Maclain film was made in 1945, The Hidden Eye, based on the first Maclain mystery The Last Express.
Another popular mystery series was written by Kendrick under the name Miles Standish Rice, including Eleven of Diamonds (1936), The Iron Spiders (1936), and Death Beyond the Go-Thru (1938)
A romantic drama Lights Out was written by Kenrick in 1945, about a blinded soldier returning home, was made into a 1951 film Bright Victory.
Baynard Kenrick also wrote under the name Richard Hayward.
The Duncan Maclain detective mysteries are all easily available in print and eBook, including a free version of The Odor of Violets on Internet Archive.
featuring large clean images of the Dell paperback and Triangle Books hardcover.
Baynard Kendrick wrote 13 mysteries featuring blind detective Duncan Maclain, inspired by a friendship with a blinded soldier in the first World War. The Odor of Violets is the third, after The Last Express (1937), and The Whistling Hangman (1937).
The Crags is a large manor house built overlooking a small Connecticut town. Norma is the fourth wife of Thadeus Tredwill, a theatrical producer. Ten years ago she was married to stage actor Paul Gerente, and now she fears her young step-daughter Barbara has been seduced by Paul - there is a bottle of Black Violet perfume on her vanity, the kind Paul always gave her. Norma follows her to New York, hoping to convince them to stop, when she sees Barbara run out of his building. Arriving at his apartment, Norma finds him bludgeoned to death fireside. Barbara disappears that night - kidnapped or on the run, not to be found.
Captain Duncan Maclain arrives at the Tredwill house, ostensibly to find Barbara, but actually investigating top secret information leaks from son Gilbert Tredwill's basement lab. Gilbert works as an engineer for the Intelligence Department designing munitions at International Aircraft. In 1940, the radio is full of menace and vivid descriptions of the terror which has gripped the world, and although the plans are not stolen, they are leaked.
Everyone from sons Stacy and Gilbert, Thadeus and Norma, the inquisitive staff, nosy neigbours and guest Cheli Scott (writing a new play) are suspect, and everyone seems to know more than they let on. And, they were all in New York the night Paul was killed.
Wouldn't you like to know:
Why Gerente's neighbour quickly admitted to the killing, and why his girlfriend secured his guilt? Who was creeping in the Tredwill's basement, knocking Norma out with a falling bookcase? Why did the inquisitive maid lose her head - literally! How the munitions plans were leaked while locked in the safe? Why is there always the odor of violets? How is the advertisement from cosmetics firm House of Bonnee hiding a secret code? Who is an undercover spy - a counterspy - an FBI agent - a counterespionage agent - ex-intelligence - a saboteur - a cold blooded killer? After some deaths, druggings, and kidnapping of Maclain himself, this wraps up in an exciting Christmas Eve finale, where Maclain explains it all for those who got confused.
"He was blind, but it was the implacable blindness of justice."
Maclain is an ingenious and unique character, using his dogs Schnucke and Dreist as guiding hands, his keen facilities developed to know where you are in the room, what you are wearing, and how tall you are. He shoots with deadly accuracy, and like all good fictional detectives, has the uncanny knack of being one step ahead at all times.
I might like this more than it deserves. Kenrick has a verbose and florid use of language. There are far too many characters, and the pace is clunky - perhaps because it was serialized first. For 1940, there is bloody violence - decapitation, stabbings, close range shooting - and of course, I must mention the dated depiction of Maclain's negro chauffer Cappo. Invaluable and capable, he unfortunately speaks with the relaxed drawl of the time - "Yessah, he suttnly do."
The Odor of Violets was also published as Eyes In The Night, the title of the 1942 film starring Edward Arnold, Ann Harding and Donna Reed (rough copies can be streamed online). An entertaining film, it made a sleeker story based on the same characters. A second Duncan Maclain film was made in 1945, The Hidden Eye, based on the first Maclain mystery The Last Express.
Another popular mystery series was written by Kendrick under the name Miles Standish Rice, including Eleven of Diamonds (1936), The Iron Spiders (1936), and Death Beyond the Go-Thru (1938)
A romantic drama Lights Out was written by Kenrick in 1945, about a blinded soldier returning home, was made into a 1951 film Bright Victory.
Baynard Kenrick also wrote under the name Richard Hayward.
The Duncan Maclain detective mysteries are all easily available in print and eBook, including a free version of The Odor of Violets on Internet Archive.
July 29, 2022
I so enjoyed this book! It is apparently one of a series written by the author, and considered to be his best. I'm so glad it was reissued.
Captain Duncan Maclain, blinded in World War I, has learned how to hone and refine his other senses so well, that he has become a well-known and well-regarded private investigator in New York City in the early days of World War II. Having worked in intelligence during his service, he takes the things he learned there and applies them to his current work. He has two dogs - one, a Seeing Eye Dog named Schnuke, and another one, also a German Shepherd, named Dreist. They are extremely helpful to him.
In this book, there seem to be several things happening at once, but as it turns out, they are all interconnected. First, a popular actor is found murdered in his apartment - which is weird, because he had supposedly just visited Maclain at his apartment to drop off some important papers for work he is currently doing for the government, against the Nazis. Also, a prominent family fears their daughter has been kidnapped - a daughter who had been seeing the murdered actor romantically, and the actor had been previously married to the girl's stepmother. A son in the prominent family is working on a top secret design to help fight the war, and fears of espionage are high. Duncan Maclain is asked to help with all of this, and reading the ways in which he works and resolves things is just fascinating. The ending is just as complex as the whole story!
This book has so many things I like: 1) dogs, especially Seeing Eye Dogs; 2) New York during this time period, and the descriptions of places and people; 3) Maclain's partner has a great nickname for the time period - Spud; 4) when - due to problems in the investigation - Spud ends up in the hospital, Maclain visits along with Spud's wife Rena, and they all have a drink and a smoke in the hospital room. These are just some of the things that make these stories highly amusing to me, and allow me to picture the characters and places, having been a fan of old movies since childhood.
I recommend this book if you love reading stories from the Golden Age of Mysteries.
Captain Duncan Maclain, blinded in World War I, has learned how to hone and refine his other senses so well, that he has become a well-known and well-regarded private investigator in New York City in the early days of World War II. Having worked in intelligence during his service, he takes the things he learned there and applies them to his current work. He has two dogs - one, a Seeing Eye Dog named Schnuke, and another one, also a German Shepherd, named Dreist. They are extremely helpful to him.
In this book, there seem to be several things happening at once, but as it turns out, they are all interconnected. First, a popular actor is found murdered in his apartment - which is weird, because he had supposedly just visited Maclain at his apartment to drop off some important papers for work he is currently doing for the government, against the Nazis. Also, a prominent family fears their daughter has been kidnapped - a daughter who had been seeing the murdered actor romantically, and the actor had been previously married to the girl's stepmother. A son in the prominent family is working on a top secret design to help fight the war, and fears of espionage are high. Duncan Maclain is asked to help with all of this, and reading the ways in which he works and resolves things is just fascinating. The ending is just as complex as the whole story!
This book has so many things I like: 1) dogs, especially Seeing Eye Dogs; 2) New York during this time period, and the descriptions of places and people; 3) Maclain's partner has a great nickname for the time period - Spud; 4) when - due to problems in the investigation - Spud ends up in the hospital, Maclain visits along with Spud's wife Rena, and they all have a drink and a smoke in the hospital room. These are just some of the things that make these stories highly amusing to me, and allow me to picture the characters and places, having been a fan of old movies since childhood.
I recommend this book if you love reading stories from the Golden Age of Mysteries.
September 8, 2025
A vintage murder mystery-cum-spy thriller, I enjoyed this because the lead investigator is a blind man, formerly in the army, who lost his sight in a World War I skirmish and gas attack. Before this I had only read the Max Carrados stories by Ernest Brahmah which I liked very much.
Captain Duncan Maclain goes up higher in the glamour stakes because, apart from his own phenomenal sensitivity to sound (including silence), touch - he can feel a bearskin rub through his shod feet, he can detect clues through his sense of smell and taste. These are not inherited gifts. These have come by hard training, hours of patience, and a determination not to be cowed by disability.
Best of all, he has a seeing-eye dog and an attack dog by his side.
America watches the events in Europe as she hurtles with breakneck speed towards another, deadlier war, while hostile and sometimes foreign agents in the country try to penetrate its military and defence establishments for exotic secrets. Captain Maclain hates spies more than anyone else because of the damage they can on hundreds of thousands of civilians as well on the men in the front lines.
In ‘Odor of Violets’ (1941), Captain Maclain is called in to investigate an apparently simple murder, which the authorities feel has a deep-state background to it. The result is espionage plus vintage crime mystery, a complicated combination which few novelists would try. Kendrick pulls this off with minimal help from the police/ FBI. An attack dog, a trooper disguised as a footman, another as a small time crook, plus his own seeing eye dog, and his devoted chauffeur cum everything else. Finally, it is his own sense of smell that leads him to the espionage ring, and in the process, identify the killer/kidnapper.
The style was excellent, with the best throwaway line of all: “The worst murders in the history of crime were committed by a twelve-year-old boy.” But no clue thereafter, and no clue on the web, despite a listing of juvenile offenders on Wikipedia. Only Noah Claypole comes to mind, but he's fictional. Besides, he's not guilty of the “worst murders in the history of crime.”
Captain Duncan Maclain goes up higher in the glamour stakes because, apart from his own phenomenal sensitivity to sound (including silence), touch - he can feel a bearskin rub through his shod feet, he can detect clues through his sense of smell and taste. These are not inherited gifts. These have come by hard training, hours of patience, and a determination not to be cowed by disability.
Best of all, he has a seeing-eye dog and an attack dog by his side.
America watches the events in Europe as she hurtles with breakneck speed towards another, deadlier war, while hostile and sometimes foreign agents in the country try to penetrate its military and defence establishments for exotic secrets. Captain Maclain hates spies more than anyone else because of the damage they can on hundreds of thousands of civilians as well on the men in the front lines.
In ‘Odor of Violets’ (1941), Captain Maclain is called in to investigate an apparently simple murder, which the authorities feel has a deep-state background to it. The result is espionage plus vintage crime mystery, a complicated combination which few novelists would try. Kendrick pulls this off with minimal help from the police/ FBI. An attack dog, a trooper disguised as a footman, another as a small time crook, plus his own seeing eye dog, and his devoted chauffeur cum everything else. Finally, it is his own sense of smell that leads him to the espionage ring, and in the process, identify the killer/kidnapper.
The style was excellent, with the best throwaway line of all: “The worst murders in the history of crime were committed by a twelve-year-old boy.” But no clue thereafter, and no clue on the web, despite a listing of juvenile offenders on Wikipedia. Only Noah Claypole comes to mind, but he's fictional. Besides, he's not guilty of the “worst murders in the history of crime.”
June 20, 2025
A product of its time (1940), this was an okay read that started out to confuse me, settled in, then re-confused me near the end. Since it's about Nazi spies trying to destroy US infrastructure, a lot of the characters aren't what they claim to be and after a while I gave up trying to keep up with who was who. The ending was a bit too melodramatic and didn't fit the mold of a golden age whodunit. The edition I read contained a Foreword by the author on how he developed his blind detective which was more interesting than the book.
After reading this, I searched out the film based on it, called Eyes In the Night. A strange casting decision was using actor Edward Arnold to play Captain Maclain, who is described in the book as "tall, dark, strikingly handsome..." where Arnold was portly and not tall. The film definitely fits the "loosely based on" category, with none of the sleuthing by the blind detective in evidence, reducing the cast of characters by one dog, and abandoning any pretense of hiding the killers until the end. And not one mention of violets, which permeated the book (and was another thing that confused me throughout it.)
After reading this, I searched out the film based on it, called Eyes In the Night. A strange casting decision was using actor Edward Arnold to play Captain Maclain, who is described in the book as "tall, dark, strikingly handsome..." where Arnold was portly and not tall. The film definitely fits the "loosely based on" category, with none of the sleuthing by the blind detective in evidence, reducing the cast of characters by one dog, and abandoning any pretense of hiding the killers until the end. And not one mention of violets, which permeated the book (and was another thing that confused me throughout it.)
July 1, 2023
This is the first book that I've read in Bayard Kendrick's Duncan Malain series - I loved it. The main character had been blinded in the first world war, so he has perfected his other senses to function as a brilliant detective - along with the help of his two German Shepherds, as well as a good tough guy and his wife. I liked the intelligence and integrity of Maclain, making him a strong character with whom to identify. This story is written in 1940 and captures the strain of the preWWII years, especially for those who see what's coming but are not taken seriously by most of the public. What starts out as the murder of bounder pursuing an industrialist's daughter, with the industrialist's wife trying to protect the girl from her skunk of a former husband, swiftly takes a startling turn into espionage and more murder. You have to think to keep up as villains shift into heroes and sometimes back again. Along the way, there is also some unexpected and enjoyable humor. I especially enjoyed that the novel convincingly conveys the experiences of people living in that era.
October 9, 2021
Definitely dated but interesting to see how a blind detective could function. This is book three in the series but I don't think there were spoilers for the previous two, which are not available from my public library system.
This involves spies and is set in New York. Two themes not high on my read list.
I was not captivated by most of the characters, except the blind detective and his driver. They were not fully fleshed out and appeared to be walk-ons. Only Cameron has some reality to him. I was a bit shocked by the killing of Bella, and thought Mrs. T was pretty naive to rush after Babs and to go down to the basement alone at night when she heard a noise. Classic mistake.
I have a very bad sense of smell, so perhaps this was not the best plot for me. I will try another in the series.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
This involves spies and is set in New York. Two themes not high on my read list.
I was not captivated by most of the characters, except the blind detective and his driver. They were not fully fleshed out and appeared to be walk-ons. Only Cameron has some reality to him. I was a bit shocked by the killing of Bella, and thought Mrs. T was pretty naive to rush after Babs and to go down to the basement alone at night when she heard a noise. Classic mistake.
I have a very bad sense of smell, so perhaps this was not the best plot for me. I will try another in the series.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
January 27, 2023
I like reading vintage mysteries and this one sounded like a good one as it was deemed the best of this series and had been recently re-released. I liked the protagonist (and his dogs) and his partner. The introduction about the author and his background working with blind veterans was really interesting and lended credence to the story. Although it was a good wartime mystery set in early WWII days I thought the plot got a bit convoluted and hard to follow towards the end. Still, I would recommend it. An unusual detective worth reading. (There is some very dated dialogue from a black character that, although acceptable I guess in 1940, was offensive today. I kept in mind the publishing date as I got through that.)
October 19, 2021
The setup and the mystery were first-rate, but the closer the book got to the end, it kind of went downhill for me. Maclain was believable up to a point, and the rest of the characters were well drawn with just enough suspicion thrown about (though there were far too many police officers to keep straight). But once Maclain put his ‘plan’ into action, it rather turned from a satisfying mystery into kind of a hackneyed action movie. The denouement relied on too many suspense-genre clichés that were frankly unbelievable. Such a shame, because the first two thirds of the book were quite good, but the execution of the wrap up, not so much.
July 29, 2021
A quaint period piece, very much of the year 1940. Breezily written, it nevertheless never mentions Germany or Hitler, while referring to both indirectly. Its hero, the blind Duncan Maclain, has a bit of The Shadow about him, and having read many of those when I was a kid, I found myself sceptical of his "powers" as well as the last minute, slightly incredible rescues. Entertaining, but requires an ENORMOUS suspension of disbelief.
November 10, 2021
I really enjoyed the "noir" feeling this book put out. It was a bit convoluted at times, but well done. The character descriptions were great. The blind detectives ability to use his other senses was very interesting. Made me want to try some of his tricks to see if I could increase my awareness of things around me. I liked the fact that Duncan Maclain had two dogs, one to be his service animal and the other for protection.
February 26, 2022
This story was originally published in 1941.
Personally, the idea of a blind detective enticed me. Duncan Maclain is a WWI vet, who was blinded in combat. In a world where people do not always see what they should, Maclain sniffs out the truth with the help of his heightened sense of smell and his trusted guide dogs, a pair of German shepherds. The plot is expertly executed, as in the manner of a well-conceived traditional mystery tossed together with a spy thriller.
Personally, the idea of a blind detective enticed me. Duncan Maclain is a WWI vet, who was blinded in combat. In a world where people do not always see what they should, Maclain sniffs out the truth with the help of his heightened sense of smell and his trusted guide dogs, a pair of German shepherds. The plot is expertly executed, as in the manner of a well-conceived traditional mystery tossed together with a spy thriller.
August 17, 2021
This reissued mystery classic was first published in 1940 and includes mystery, murder, and espionage of a world on the brink of war. The undercurrent of patriotism and distain for Hitler is typical of the time. The historical references are easy enough to follow eighty years later. Not surprising that this is considered a classic.
May 4, 2023
Captain Duncan Maclain is an engaging and distinctive detective: he's blind, and does much of his detection through the acuity of his other senses (and his two dogs). But this story, of a Gernan spy ring operating in the U.S. during World War II, has too many characters and suspects (who all blend together) and a confounding, labyrinthian plot.
October 10, 2021
The Crags is crawling with murderers. Or spies. Maybe both, and Maclain has to sort it all out.
Overall it's pretty decent. Some action, at least one surprisingly flashy murder, more kidnappings than seems reasonable, an improbable number of spies, and two dogs.
Overall it's pretty decent. Some action, at least one surprisingly flashy murder, more kidnappings than seems reasonable, an improbable number of spies, and two dogs.
February 3, 2022
Written in the older style of mysteries where there aren’t new murders in every chapter. Such a relief.
However the last few chapters seemed rushed and a bit erratic after a nice pace before them.
Warning - violence well described.
However the last few chapters seemed rushed and a bit erratic after a nice pace before them.
Warning - violence well described.
December 1, 2021
Really enjoyed the story and characters. The mystery and spy drama was well done.
March 12, 2022
At first I thought this 1941 novel was going to be just a standard mystery, but it turned into quite the ripping yarn. Very enjoyable!
June 7, 2022
I loved this story with a blind detective. I liked the use of the seeing eye dogs. It takes place during World War II. I recommend this for fans of Samuel Spade, the Thin Man and Perry Mason
June 17, 2022
interesting but I will not read anything else in the series
November 22, 2022
I love classic mysteries from the 40s!
January 27, 2023
An errant daughter, spies, Nazis, confessions, and more than one murder that must be solved by a blind detective and his two dogs.
Mystery Review: The Odor of Violets demonstrates that author Baynard Kendrick (1894-1977) never met a complication he didn't try to incorporate. Wheels within wheels within wheels. First, start with blind detective, Duncan Maclain, ably assisted by his two German Shepherds. Maclain isn't the first fictional blind detective (see beloved though unrealistic Max Carrados), but he's the most credible. Then add a murder mystery, replete with spies, secret inventions, Nazis, war plans, and national intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, the Second World War rages in Europe. The U.S. hasn't yet entered -- but will soon if Duncan Maclain has his way. The first half of The Odor of Violets is slow as the story is set up with a series of disjointed events, some that are never linked up. The second half moves a little more quickly with the only caveat being that we never get close to the characters. There's little personal interest or humanity as some characters appear out of nowhere and then disappear. A blind detective may seem to be a gimmick, but the book earns its place as a genuine story without overly sensational tricks (as opposed to the superhuman Max Carrados who could read a newspaper with his fingertips). The author, although not blind, was heavily involved in organizations for the blind and even in 1940 fervently and wholeheartedly believed that the U.S. should enter the War. The Odor of Violets was made into a film in 1942 called Eyes in the Night, starring Edward Arnold. Arnold returned for a second installment as Barton Maclain in The Hidden Eye (1945). There was also an American television series, Longstreet (1971) based on the character. This is the third (of 12) in the Duncan Maclain series, but the first I've read. I'm planning to read more. [3½★]
Mystery Review: The Odor of Violets demonstrates that author Baynard Kendrick (1894-1977) never met a complication he didn't try to incorporate. Wheels within wheels within wheels. First, start with blind detective, Duncan Maclain, ably assisted by his two German Shepherds. Maclain isn't the first fictional blind detective (see beloved though unrealistic Max Carrados), but he's the most credible. Then add a murder mystery, replete with spies, secret inventions, Nazis, war plans, and national intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, the Second World War rages in Europe. The U.S. hasn't yet entered -- but will soon if Duncan Maclain has his way. The first half of The Odor of Violets is slow as the story is set up with a series of disjointed events, some that are never linked up. The second half moves a little more quickly with the only caveat being that we never get close to the characters. There's little personal interest or humanity as some characters appear out of nowhere and then disappear. A blind detective may seem to be a gimmick, but the book earns its place as a genuine story without overly sensational tricks (as opposed to the superhuman Max Carrados who could read a newspaper with his fingertips). The author, although not blind, was heavily involved in organizations for the blind and even in 1940 fervently and wholeheartedly believed that the U.S. should enter the War. The Odor of Violets was made into a film in 1942 called Eyes in the Night, starring Edward Arnold. Arnold returned for a second installment as Barton Maclain in The Hidden Eye (1945). There was also an American television series, Longstreet (1971) based on the character. This is the third (of 12) in the Duncan Maclain series, but the first I've read. I'm planning to read more. [3½★]
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