The Gun In Daniel Webster's Bust

Emily and Henry Bryce #1

by Margaret Scherf, Tom Schantz (Introduction), Enid Schantz (Introduction)

Daniel Webster's bust sat for three dusty years in the Lentenment Decorating Shop, looking down upon a group of charmingly eccentric characters, who inhabited the untidy place. They were Emily, the owner, a lively personality with a passion for painting and life. Henry, her assistant, who has eschewed women ever since his former wife threw coffee in his face; his sister Cornelia, a picturesque failure who resented everybody, and her husband James, an ex-Harvard man with a compulsion for brushing his teeth three times a day and a penchant for virtue. These people and Luke Simpson, proprietor of the antique shop downstairs, were all concerned when the well-dressed Mrs. Delaphine, their mutual enemy. became a corpse and Daniel became a temporary arsenal. The lady in question was an unpleasant biddy who invited murder and got a quick answer. The first in this comic mystery series featuring Emily and Henry.

Genres: Mystery

159 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Margaret Scherf is best known for her many humorous murder mysteries. Scherf's writing career spans from 1940 to 1978.Margaret Scherf's writing career came to an abrupt end in 1979 when she was killed by a drunken driver, south of Kalispell, Montana.

Reviews

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novella length comic mystery. It begins in the weeks before Christmas and ends Christmas eve. A "non" husband wife team loses a customer by gunshot, on the same day that Emily has gone over to the woman's home lured by a lunch (and then asked to do some free décor work.) It's New York City neighborhood atmosphere is wonderful- lots of local characters- everyone is on the make, to get a deal, sell on the side, and keep tabs on all their friends.

Emily and Henry (not married - this is a running joke) feel like they are modeled on the flighty woman and staid man detection team. I wondered if they were modeled on Mr. & Mrs. North- with the caveat that Mrs. North was NOT as flighty as Emily, also Henry did more of the footwork- whereas in the North mysteries it was Mrs. North.

The murder is curious- as everyone was trying to discover a motive and even who benefits. Enough mysterious event happen to draw both Emily and Henry's attention. A fun read, and a very vibrant world is created as well. Nice winter mystery.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When painter Emily finds a gun in a bust in her studio, she realizes it must have been used to kill one of her difficult clients.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a hardbound “Crime Club Selection” edition of this 1949 novel at Mysterious Bookshop on Warren Street on recent visit to Manhattan. And I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Set in and around my favorite Midtown East neighborhood and the NYPD’s 17th Precinct, this murder mystery features an intimate cast of quirky friends, neighbors, relatives, and business associates connected with a small interior decorating shop owned by Emily Murdock. It’s a terrific story, with a great New York sense of place (Penn Station at 3am, lunch at Gottlieb’s deli on Lexington, Lord and Taylor at Christmas), well-written, warm, and funny. (Although my wife remains puzzled how I can describe any murder mystery as “warm” or even “sweet.”) This was a very pleasant read, and I highly recommend it.

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely silly (not that I wasn't warned in the Introduction). Breezily written but the dialogue is so inane and it's hard to believe any real people talk would like that. There are so many incredible coincidences (mainly of disparate characters actually knowing each other and showing up in other character's apartments) that it was another strike against this book. Emily, the Decorator is one of the more annoying fictional heroines I've come across, and why Henry puts up with her (and why most of the other male characters pine after her) is a deeper mystery than the one outlined in the story. It was never explained why the damn gun was in the bust in the first place, either. Happily short, but not short enough.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meant to be madcap, and leans a little too heavily on comic dialogue and not heavily enough on moving the plot along. Decent way to pass the time if you haven't anything else going.