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Cool and Lam #7
Bats Fly at Dusk
A hot-headed PI’s missing person case leads to murder in this mystery by the creator of Perry Mason and author of Owls Don’t Blink .
Bertha Cool and Donald Lam make for an unlikely pair of private detectives. She’s a fifty-something-year-old widow built like a longshoreman with a mouth to match. Donald is a wiry ex-lawyer in his thirties with a face that’s a magnet for fists. Fortunately, he’s whip-smart. His brains have gotten him and his partner through the toughest of cases. However, with World War II on, he’s recently enlisted in the navy, leaving Bertha flying solo with her next client . . .
A blind beggar is searching for a young lady who disappeared after being hit by a car. Bertha’s certain she can handle a missing person case on her own, especially after her client asks her to break a hundred-dollar bill. But when her search yields murder, Bertha is suddenly flying blind. Now she must quickly locate a killer before everything comes crashing down.
“No one has ever matched Gardner for swift, sure exposition.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The best American writer, of course, is Erle Stanley Gardner.” —Evelyn Waugh
Bertha Cool and Donald Lam make for an unlikely pair of private detectives. She’s a fifty-something-year-old widow built like a longshoreman with a mouth to match. Donald is a wiry ex-lawyer in his thirties with a face that’s a magnet for fists. Fortunately, he’s whip-smart. His brains have gotten him and his partner through the toughest of cases. However, with World War II on, he’s recently enlisted in the navy, leaving Bertha flying solo with her next client . . .
A blind beggar is searching for a young lady who disappeared after being hit by a car. Bertha’s certain she can handle a missing person case on her own, especially after her client asks her to break a hundred-dollar bill. But when her search yields murder, Bertha is suddenly flying blind. Now she must quickly locate a killer before everything comes crashing down.
“No one has ever matched Gardner for swift, sure exposition.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The best American writer, of course, is Erle Stanley Gardner.” —Evelyn Waugh
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1942
44 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,354 books819 followersErle Stanley Gardner was an American lawyer and author of detective stories who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray, and Robert Parr.
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 14, 2017
The eighth entry in the series featuring L. A. detectives Donald Lam and Bertha Cool is set in 1942. World War II is under way and Donald, the firm's junior partner, is at sea in the Navy, battling America's enemies. Bertha, the senior partner, is at sea too, even though her feet are firmly planted on the ground back in Los Angeles. In spite of what Bertha might often think, Donald is really the brains of the outfit, and without him around, she's floundering badly.
As the book opens, a blind man comes into the office. A young woman who is always very nice to him was struck by a car right in front of the spot where the man sits selling pencils and other things. He's never known the woman's name and he would like Bertha to track her down and make sure that she's all right. When the guy flashes a thick wad of bills to pay the retainer, Bertha figures that this will be easy money in the bank--something that always interests her very much.
But, of course, the job won't be nearly as easy as it seems, especially when Bertha begins scheming to make some extra cash out of the deal. Donald would have this figured out over the lunch hour, but before long, Bertha is in way over her head. Bodies are falling left and right, and who's going to save her now?
This is another entertaining book in the series and it's the first in which police sergeant Frank Sellers makes an appearance. He will become a regular character and Donald's principal nemesis in the later books, much like Sergeant Holcomb is Perry Mason's nemesis in that series. No one will ever confuse Erle Stanley Gardner's novels with great literature, but they are, almost always, a fun way to lose two or three hours in an evening. This book is no exception.
As the book opens, a blind man comes into the office. A young woman who is always very nice to him was struck by a car right in front of the spot where the man sits selling pencils and other things. He's never known the woman's name and he would like Bertha to track her down and make sure that she's all right. When the guy flashes a thick wad of bills to pay the retainer, Bertha figures that this will be easy money in the bank--something that always interests her very much.
But, of course, the job won't be nearly as easy as it seems, especially when Bertha begins scheming to make some extra cash out of the deal. Donald would have this figured out over the lunch hour, but before long, Bertha is in way over her head. Bodies are falling left and right, and who's going to save her now?
This is another entertaining book in the series and it's the first in which police sergeant Frank Sellers makes an appearance. He will become a regular character and Donald's principal nemesis in the later books, much like Sergeant Holcomb is Perry Mason's nemesis in that series. No one will ever confuse Erle Stanley Gardner's novels with great literature, but they are, almost always, a fun way to lose two or three hours in an evening. This book is no exception.
August 4, 2023
Bats Fly at Dusk, the seventh novel in Gardner's 30-novel Cool and Lam series, his lesser-known series compared to his Perry Mason series, defies the whole premise of the series, the pair of mismatched private detectives. Published in 1942, when all able-bodied men are enlisting in defense of the country, the book opens with Donald Lam off in the Navy and Bertha Cool on her own without her brainy counterpart. Donald makes brief appearances though via telegrams from San Francisco. But, this is Bertha on her own, bumbling, greedy, sometimes a bit clueless. It is an interesting twist for the series to have Abbott without Costello or Laurel without Hardy. or Batman without Robin.
Bertha, even by herself, is loads of fun. "Fry me for an oyster," she exclaims, as well as "Pickle me for a herring." She calls people "little pipsqueaks" amd "mama's smart boy." Bertha, if you recall, is a heavyweight fireplug of a detective and, here, we get her doing the legwork, climbing the steps to an apartment, negotiating the steps one at a time with jerky steps. But, what makes her Bertha is how she "invades" a room and "dominates the situation." She is loud, abrasive, and just an all-around fun character.
The story revolves around a blind beggar who wants to know what happened to a young woman who walks by his corner daily, but appears to have been hit by a car. The blind man does not know her name or much about her, but is concerned. He does know she is twenty-five or twenty-six, slender, about 106 or 107 pounds, and about five feet, four inches tall.
The story gets a bit convoluted from there as the secretary, Josephine Dell, is not apparently interested too much in a settlement, although a mysterious stranger, Jerry Bollman, is interested in honing in on a settlement. Also, the secretary's employer, Harlow Milbers, mysteriously just died and she is unconcerned, but due to inherit some money.
When Bertha investigates the employer's family, she finds Paul Hanberry, who "seemed very much a masculine nonentity, drained dry by the relatively stronger personalities of the two women. He was of average height, average weight; a man who created no particular impression. As Bertha Cool expressed it afterward in her letter to Donald Lam, 'You could look at the guy twice without seeing him.'" It is marvelous descriptions like this that make Gardner's writing a pleasure to read.
Indeed, this story is chock-full of humorous asides, like the will where the dead employer calls his only living relative, a "damned hair-splitting hypocrite."
Eventually, by barging in here and there, Bertha discovers someone had been murdered. Bertha proves that she can operate on her own without the brainy Donald doing all the thinking and all the legwork.
Bertha, even by herself, is loads of fun. "Fry me for an oyster," she exclaims, as well as "Pickle me for a herring." She calls people "little pipsqueaks" amd "mama's smart boy." Bertha, if you recall, is a heavyweight fireplug of a detective and, here, we get her doing the legwork, climbing the steps to an apartment, negotiating the steps one at a time with jerky steps. But, what makes her Bertha is how she "invades" a room and "dominates the situation." She is loud, abrasive, and just an all-around fun character.
The story revolves around a blind beggar who wants to know what happened to a young woman who walks by his corner daily, but appears to have been hit by a car. The blind man does not know her name or much about her, but is concerned. He does know she is twenty-five or twenty-six, slender, about 106 or 107 pounds, and about five feet, four inches tall.
The story gets a bit convoluted from there as the secretary, Josephine Dell, is not apparently interested too much in a settlement, although a mysterious stranger, Jerry Bollman, is interested in honing in on a settlement. Also, the secretary's employer, Harlow Milbers, mysteriously just died and she is unconcerned, but due to inherit some money.
When Bertha investigates the employer's family, she finds Paul Hanberry, who "seemed very much a masculine nonentity, drained dry by the relatively stronger personalities of the two women. He was of average height, average weight; a man who created no particular impression. As Bertha Cool expressed it afterward in her letter to Donald Lam, 'You could look at the guy twice without seeing him.'" It is marvelous descriptions like this that make Gardner's writing a pleasure to read.
Indeed, this story is chock-full of humorous asides, like the will where the dead employer calls his only living relative, a "damned hair-splitting hypocrite."
Eventually, by barging in here and there, Bertha discovers someone had been murdered. Bertha proves that she can operate on her own without the brainy Donald doing all the thinking and all the legwork.
July 23, 2013
I wanted to give this book a five as a quintessential LA private eye tale, with our heroine being one Berth Cool. Her right hand man is in the Navy (published 1942), but he writes letters that point her in the right direction. In the end, the hard boiled take no prisoners attitude of Ms. Cool is much less effective that the approach taken by the brainy Donald Lam, who makes the police look good while he solves the case.
The book was written by Erle Stanley Gardner under the pen name AA Fair,and has good dialogue and a good plot. Highly readable. But I guess not a five.
The book was written by Erle Stanley Gardner under the pen name AA Fair,and has good dialogue and a good plot. Highly readable. But I guess not a five.
June 5, 2023
Another Cool and Lam mystery. This one is a little different in that it was written and published in 1942. Fair had Donald Lam, the actual detective in the series, join the Navy after Pearl Harbor.
Of course it's Lam who still actually solves everything, through telegrams and on a three-day pass from training, while Bertha Cool makes a mess of things while doing the footwork.
Fairly lightweight, but it's such a fun series that it's well worth a short read.
Of course it's Lam who still actually solves everything, through telegrams and on a three-day pass from training, while Bertha Cool makes a mess of things while doing the footwork.
Fairly lightweight, but it's such a fun series that it's well worth a short read.
February 13, 2017
Reading a Cool and Lam mystery always leaves one wondering why these sometimes comical and always cerebral and non-violent mysteries have not been made into a madcap mystery film starring one of today's comic geniuses as Bertha Cool? This period piece features Bertha Cool along with a slew of others pursuing a pot of gold chasing an accident victim and murders with a cameo appearance by Donald Lam.
The slow start and verbosity until the saga ramps up to its madcap finale rates this tale 3.5 stars.
The slow start and verbosity until the saga ramps up to its madcap finale rates this tale 3.5 stars.
November 16, 2012
This was typical A.A. Fair (Earl Stanley Gardner) material.. Bertha Cool meets a nice man who walks in off the street with an odd story and pretty soon she is embroiled in a murder mystery... (Lam is away, serving in the Navy because World War II is on) that involves a blind man, a pet bat, a car accident, and the murder of a wealthy writer.
Bertha Cool is a tough broad. She curses and fumes about almost everything, primarily money, because she is truly the cheapest woman in the world.
There is some great historical (NOW) flavor in this book as there is discussion of special flashlights for use during blackouts, driving a car during a "dim-out" and other stuff about World War II in America. Bertha's language is salty for a woman, but also includes silly things like "pickle me for a herring" that on one level are corny, but on another make for interesting characterization.
The fact that this is a fun read doesn't mean it was a great book. I figured out some of the important parts of the mystery before Bertha did.. but then, I said it was typical A.A. Fair material, so he uses sort of a common formula that he's used before and that gave me a huge hint towards part of the story.. the rest of it sort of came out of left field with the reader not being able to detect without the necessary info...
For example-- After the fact, we find out a story could not be true because of weather conditions on a certain date. After the fact, we discover some relationships, etc. So, he didn't exactly play fair, despite his pen name.
However, the most fun part of the book came in Bertha's tirade as she is released from an overnight stay in the jail. Honestly, the 2-3 page exchange between an angry Bertha Cool and the jail's patient matron was worth every minute I spent reading the book. Bertha is over-the-top angry and spouting off and the matron calmly keeps answering her in a reasonable tone.. and finally has the last word and boy was it funny to me. A really good comical scene that I enjoyed enough to read aloud to my wife, who laughed along with me. Perhaps the best part of any of the author's writings I've read to date.
Okay, the Perry Mason and Donald Lam\Bertha Cool books aren't great mysteries. They are pulpy fun, though.
Bertha Cool is a tough broad. She curses and fumes about almost everything, primarily money, because she is truly the cheapest woman in the world.
There is some great historical (NOW) flavor in this book as there is discussion of special flashlights for use during blackouts, driving a car during a "dim-out" and other stuff about World War II in America. Bertha's language is salty for a woman, but also includes silly things like "pickle me for a herring" that on one level are corny, but on another make for interesting characterization.
The fact that this is a fun read doesn't mean it was a great book. I figured out some of the important parts of the mystery before Bertha did.. but then, I said it was typical A.A. Fair material, so he uses sort of a common formula that he's used before and that gave me a huge hint towards part of the story.. the rest of it sort of came out of left field with the reader not being able to detect without the necessary info...
For example-- After the fact, we find out a story could not be true because of weather conditions on a certain date. After the fact, we discover some relationships, etc. So, he didn't exactly play fair, despite his pen name.
However, the most fun part of the book came in Bertha's tirade as she is released from an overnight stay in the jail. Honestly, the 2-3 page exchange between an angry Bertha Cool and the jail's patient matron was worth every minute I spent reading the book. Bertha is over-the-top angry and spouting off and the matron calmly keeps answering her in a reasonable tone.. and finally has the last word and boy was it funny to me. A really good comical scene that I enjoyed enough to read aloud to my wife, who laughed along with me. Perhaps the best part of any of the author's writings I've read to date.
Okay, the Perry Mason and Donald Lam\Bertha Cool books aren't great mysteries. They are pulpy fun, though.
March 14, 2018
I enjoy the Cool and Lam series in large part due to to contrast between Lam and the "hardboiled" PI more associated with the years these were written. Lam is decidedly not a tough guy. He's more of a Holmes style but without the attitude. The other highlight of these books for me is Gardener's plots are very convoluted but still feel planned unlike say Chandler, where the plot is convoluted and one suspects it doesn't really all hang together if overanalyzed. Most, at least all the early, Perry Mason books were all mined for the TV show, so discovering another series by Gardner with stories that didn't come pre-spoiled was a treat.
I'd been looking forward to this one however in large part because Lam is absent. It's 1942 and Lam has volunteered for the service and is away. Bertha Cool takes the stage as the main player here, and yet Lam manages to save the day via correspondence. The plot revolves around a blind man, a young woman struck by a car, and her deceased employer.
Unfortunately, this is probably the weakest of the series I've read so far, and I was a good chunk of the way through the book before I really felt engaged with the story. Due to various events of the past week, I'm not 100% sure if that's entirely down to the book, or my own distracted state when I began reading it. Nevertheless, Bertha, who I always enjoyed as Lam's boss in the previous books is somewhat less compelling on her own. Gardner fails to take the opportunity to go any deeper into her character, which I guess isn't unusual for a detective novel, but I was somewhat hoping the character would get more depth when taking center stage, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
I'd been looking forward to this one however in large part because Lam is absent. It's 1942 and Lam has volunteered for the service and is away. Bertha Cool takes the stage as the main player here, and yet Lam manages to save the day via correspondence. The plot revolves around a blind man, a young woman struck by a car, and her deceased employer.
Unfortunately, this is probably the weakest of the series I've read so far, and I was a good chunk of the way through the book before I really felt engaged with the story. Due to various events of the past week, I'm not 100% sure if that's entirely down to the book, or my own distracted state when I began reading it. Nevertheless, Bertha, who I always enjoyed as Lam's boss in the previous books is somewhat less compelling on her own. Gardner fails to take the opportunity to go any deeper into her character, which I guess isn't unusual for a detective novel, but I was somewhat hoping the character would get more depth when taking center stage, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
April 22, 2019
Our partnership of detectives Bertha Cool & Donald Lam is broken for this one; we're early in World War II, and Donald Lam has enlisted to do his part. This means business isn't good, because senior partner Bertha isn't what you would call "tactful" or "charismatic." You might call her abrasive, if not downright pig-headed, with apologies to the pig.
Fortunately, our client in this case can't see these flaws; he's blind. He's looking for a missing girl, name unknown, and Bertha is greedy enough (see "pig" comment above) to snatch at the chance, regardless of the obvious challenges. Which leads her down a convoluted road involving a car crash, an unscrupulous ambulance chaser, a maple syrup maker, related mistaken identities, murder, and potential forgeries. To find her way in this morass, she sends lengthy begrudging telegrams to Donald, who attempts to assist from afar, but of course she really doesn't want advice - she just wants him to come home and take the case off her hands. Bertha is basically working blind here - there's more than one bat in this story.
There's a legal twist or two (requiring quite the explanation from a guest star lawyer), and, as usual with this author, the resolution was quite the surprise for me. I found it a bit frustrated working with Bertha, in spite of the many personality traits we have in common; it was a relief whenever Donald chimed in.
Which he did, to clean up the kerfuffle that Bertha had made. It was almost like two separate stories: Bertha Runs Amok, and Donald Works Remote. I would rather work with Donald all the time, but it kept me reading.
Fortunately, our client in this case can't see these flaws; he's blind. He's looking for a missing girl, name unknown, and Bertha is greedy enough (see "pig" comment above) to snatch at the chance, regardless of the obvious challenges. Which leads her down a convoluted road involving a car crash, an unscrupulous ambulance chaser, a maple syrup maker, related mistaken identities, murder, and potential forgeries. To find her way in this morass, she sends lengthy begrudging telegrams to Donald, who attempts to assist from afar, but of course she really doesn't want advice - she just wants him to come home and take the case off her hands. Bertha is basically working blind here - there's more than one bat in this story.
There's a legal twist or two (requiring quite the explanation from a guest star lawyer), and, as usual with this author, the resolution was quite the surprise for me. I found it a bit frustrated working with Bertha, in spite of the many personality traits we have in common; it was a relief whenever Donald chimed in.
Which he did, to clean up the kerfuffle that Bertha had made. It was almost like two separate stories: Bertha Runs Amok, and Donald Works Remote. I would rather work with Donald all the time, but it kept me reading.
December 18, 2013
In another of A.A. Fair's grand adventures, we reenter the offices of the Cool and Lam Detective Agency, where our dynamic duo put their heads together to solve some of the most intricate criminal cases yet seen. Now, however, with Donald off to war, Mrs. Bertha Cool has no choice but to do her own legwork for the time being. At first, she doesn't think anything of it; after all, she was on her own before Lam barged into her life. But when a blind man looking to find a young girl comes in, waving a hundred dollars around, Bertha has no idea she has stumbled onto the biggest payday she's yet undertaken. With questionable wills, tame house-bats, and a shot in the dark, Bats Fly at Dusk is a wonderful read for any mystery fan.
December 5, 2024
Fry Me for an Oyster!
With Donald Lam in the Navy, it appears that Bertha Cool will have to solve two murders by herself. In the end, she receives some unexpected help. And when you find out the solution, you may echo Mrs. Cool’s words, “Fry me for an oyster! Pickle me for a herring!”
With Donald Lam in the Navy, it appears that Bertha Cool will have to solve two murders by herself. In the end, she receives some unexpected help. And when you find out the solution, you may echo Mrs. Cool’s words, “Fry me for an oyster! Pickle me for a herring!”
January 1, 2024
Unread shelf project 2024: book 1.
Bertha Cool reminds me of a 1940s version of Agatha Raisin, M. C. Beaton’s indomitable (and very messy) PI. I liked her. 😅
Bertha Cool reminds me of a 1940s version of Agatha Raisin, M. C. Beaton’s indomitable (and very messy) PI. I liked her. 😅
May 31, 2024
I enjoyed the setting and 1942 time. I will be reading more of this series.
October 16, 2024
Not bad. Not great.
August 11, 2022
"War is Hell."
General William Sherman said it and Bertha Cool of Cool and Lam, Confidential Investigations couldn't agree more. This time it's not the Civil War, but WWII that has raised its ugly head and made Bertha's always short fuse even shorter. The admitted brains of the outfit (disbarred lawyer Donald Lam) has had the nerve to join the Navy. Not that Bertha isn't patriotic, but how the hell can she run a profittable detective agency without the services of her partner? And as she keeps saying fondly, "What if something happens to the little bastard??!!" What indeed?
To add insult to injury, her hard-working typist Elsie Brand is becoming mildly rebellious, hinting that she's no longer willing to work long hours for Depression-Era pay. The war has created lots of new jobs and those jobs pay well. Bertha is a woman who parts with her money very reluctantly and she's not anxious to hire a new steno at war-time salaries. Then a blind man taps his way into the office and Bertha must concentrate on solving his problems and getting a fee out of him.
Rodney Kosling is a blind begger and a very unusual one. He's concerned about a young friend who was involved in a car accident and he wants Cool and Lam to find out if she's OK. $25 changes hands and Bertha is off and running.
Then (naturally) the plot thickens and there's a stuffy insurance lawyer, a sleezy lounger who saw the accident and wants to profit by it, an elderly dead guy who didn't think much of his only living relative, the relative he didn't think much of, and the servants who may have faked a will so that they can inherit a fortune. Then there's the possibility that the old gentleman was helped into the grave and one of the main characters comes to a messy end. Bertha is sure there's a clue SOMEWHERE that will break the case open, but where is it and how does she get there before the cops do?
The fun of this book is seeing Bertha Cool try to figure out "what would Donald do?" She knows that he cuts corners, but when she does the same, she lands in the slammer. And that fat insurance fee is still temptingly just out of reach.
We are introduced here to Sgt Frank Sellers, who becomes a recurring character in the Cool and Lam series. But here he's a smooth, James Bond type (Bertha hurls the insult "polysyllabic" at him), not the rough-diamond cop who'll become her affectionate sparring partner in later books. However, by the end of the book, things are heating up. Well, fry me for an oyster and can me for a sardine!
And that's one thing I like so much about this series. Erle Stanley Gardner knew that the Perry Mason books were his bread-and-butter and he didn't fool around with them. In the very first novel in that series, he seems to be feeling his way, but from that time on, Perry and Della and Paul Drake never change or deviate from their characters. In the Cool and Lam books, the author could relax, loosen his corset strings, and let the characters evolve and change to suit his fancy. In other words, he could have some fun.
And he did and so does the reader. This series was never printed in the quantities of the Perry Mason books. They're long out of print and used copies are hard to come by. I'd acquired only three and I'm a dedicated haunter of used book stores. That's why it's so wonderful that the Cool and Lam books are now (slowly) appearing as Kindle books. The quality varies, but on the whole they are entertainingly quirky and well-plotted. If you haven't dipped your toe in the water, you should.
General William Sherman said it and Bertha Cool of Cool and Lam, Confidential Investigations couldn't agree more. This time it's not the Civil War, but WWII that has raised its ugly head and made Bertha's always short fuse even shorter. The admitted brains of the outfit (disbarred lawyer Donald Lam) has had the nerve to join the Navy. Not that Bertha isn't patriotic, but how the hell can she run a profittable detective agency without the services of her partner? And as she keeps saying fondly, "What if something happens to the little bastard??!!" What indeed?
To add insult to injury, her hard-working typist Elsie Brand is becoming mildly rebellious, hinting that she's no longer willing to work long hours for Depression-Era pay. The war has created lots of new jobs and those jobs pay well. Bertha is a woman who parts with her money very reluctantly and she's not anxious to hire a new steno at war-time salaries. Then a blind man taps his way into the office and Bertha must concentrate on solving his problems and getting a fee out of him.
Rodney Kosling is a blind begger and a very unusual one. He's concerned about a young friend who was involved in a car accident and he wants Cool and Lam to find out if she's OK. $25 changes hands and Bertha is off and running.
Then (naturally) the plot thickens and there's a stuffy insurance lawyer, a sleezy lounger who saw the accident and wants to profit by it, an elderly dead guy who didn't think much of his only living relative, the relative he didn't think much of, and the servants who may have faked a will so that they can inherit a fortune. Then there's the possibility that the old gentleman was helped into the grave and one of the main characters comes to a messy end. Bertha is sure there's a clue SOMEWHERE that will break the case open, but where is it and how does she get there before the cops do?
The fun of this book is seeing Bertha Cool try to figure out "what would Donald do?" She knows that he cuts corners, but when she does the same, she lands in the slammer. And that fat insurance fee is still temptingly just out of reach.
We are introduced here to Sgt Frank Sellers, who becomes a recurring character in the Cool and Lam series. But here he's a smooth, James Bond type (Bertha hurls the insult "polysyllabic" at him), not the rough-diamond cop who'll become her affectionate sparring partner in later books. However, by the end of the book, things are heating up. Well, fry me for an oyster and can me for a sardine!
And that's one thing I like so much about this series. Erle Stanley Gardner knew that the Perry Mason books were his bread-and-butter and he didn't fool around with them. In the very first novel in that series, he seems to be feeling his way, but from that time on, Perry and Della and Paul Drake never change or deviate from their characters. In the Cool and Lam books, the author could relax, loosen his corset strings, and let the characters evolve and change to suit his fancy. In other words, he could have some fun.
And he did and so does the reader. This series was never printed in the quantities of the Perry Mason books. They're long out of print and used copies are hard to come by. I'd acquired only three and I'm a dedicated haunter of used book stores. That's why it's so wonderful that the Cool and Lam books are now (slowly) appearing as Kindle books. The quality varies, but on the whole they are entertainingly quirky and well-plotted. If you haven't dipped your toe in the water, you should.
September 22, 2019
Major characters:
Rodney Kosling - a blind street vendor
Josephine Dell - secretary to Marlow Milburs, accident victim
Harlow Milburs - deceased, historical author
Christopher Milburs - his nephew, a Vermont farmer
Nettie Cranning - Harlow's housekeeper
Eva Hanberry - Nettie's daughter
Paul Hanberry - Eva's husband
Myrna Jackson - Josephine's roommate
Jerry Bollman - a witness and wheeler-dealer
Bertha Cool - detective
Donald Lam - detective
Locale: Los Angeles, CA
Synopsis: Blind street vendor Rodney Kosling has struck up an acquaintance with an anonymous woman, who passes by him each day. Then she is struck by a car - but not seriously injured - and seems to disappear. Kosling hires Bertha Cool to locate her. Bertha finds the woman is secretary Josephine Dell, and is no longer passing down the street as her employer, Harlow Milburs, has died; ending her job in that area.
A witness to the accidenty, Jerry Bollman, makes overtures to Bertha that he has information which can reap a big insurance settlement from the accident.
Christopher Milburs, a Vermont farmer and only relative of the late Harlow, comes to town to handle his estate. Things are fishy, a suspect will is found and it could be a forgery perpetrated by housekeeper Nettie Cranning and her relatives.
Bertha goes to see Rodney Kosling and enters his home - which has no lights, he doesn't need them. She finds his pet bat flying around and the body of Jerry Bollman on the floor.
Bertha's partner, Donald Lam, is in the Navy but contributes to the investigation by frequent telegrams.
Review: This is one of the early Cool/Lam books and is a nice tight, cohesive read. There is a small cast of characters, and few of the red herrings, complications, and random walk-on walk-off cameos common in the later books. Bertha works hand in hand with the police, not as an adversary. The book has several unique aspects: the well developed character of the blind man and his explanations of how he manages his life, the interplay with the bat, and the appearance of Donald Lam only by telegram.
Rodney Kosling - a blind street vendor
Josephine Dell - secretary to Marlow Milburs, accident victim
Harlow Milburs - deceased, historical author
Christopher Milburs - his nephew, a Vermont farmer
Nettie Cranning - Harlow's housekeeper
Eva Hanberry - Nettie's daughter
Paul Hanberry - Eva's husband
Myrna Jackson - Josephine's roommate
Jerry Bollman - a witness and wheeler-dealer
Bertha Cool - detective
Donald Lam - detective
Locale: Los Angeles, CA
Synopsis: Blind street vendor Rodney Kosling has struck up an acquaintance with an anonymous woman, who passes by him each day. Then she is struck by a car - but not seriously injured - and seems to disappear. Kosling hires Bertha Cool to locate her. Bertha finds the woman is secretary Josephine Dell, and is no longer passing down the street as her employer, Harlow Milburs, has died; ending her job in that area.
A witness to the accidenty, Jerry Bollman, makes overtures to Bertha that he has information which can reap a big insurance settlement from the accident.
Christopher Milburs, a Vermont farmer and only relative of the late Harlow, comes to town to handle his estate. Things are fishy, a suspect will is found and it could be a forgery perpetrated by housekeeper Nettie Cranning and her relatives.
Bertha goes to see Rodney Kosling and enters his home - which has no lights, he doesn't need them. She finds his pet bat flying around and the body of Jerry Bollman on the floor.
Bertha's partner, Donald Lam, is in the Navy but contributes to the investigation by frequent telegrams.
Review: This is one of the early Cool/Lam books and is a nice tight, cohesive read. There is a small cast of characters, and few of the red herrings, complications, and random walk-on walk-off cameos common in the later books. Bertha works hand in hand with the police, not as an adversary. The book has several unique aspects: the well developed character of the blind man and his explanations of how he manages his life, the interplay with the bat, and the appearance of Donald Lam only by telegram.
Read
January 14, 2020A.A. Fair, as readers of Erle Stanley Gardner's novels know quite well, is one of Gardner's pen names. In this series of novels, which saw the first number published in 1939, Bertha Cool, a heavyset widow who runs her own detective agency, shows her lack of ingenuity in solving a crime. Her junior partner is 5'6" Donal Lam, always described as small, brainy, and quick-witted, has joined the Navy. Bats Fly at Dusk is set in 1942 during the early part of World War II. Cool, whose weakness is her greed, takes on a case where a blind man asks her to locate a woman, who has not stopped to chat with him at his street post since an auto accident occurred with his hearing. In the end, Bertha consults Lam by letter, and Donald replies by telegram from his base. Meanwhile, Bertha gets herself involved, a murder occurs. and she makes several blunders, thus learning she still needs Lam. Finally, the junior partner takes a weekend off and returns to LA, where he solves the badly messed-up case. The Cool and Lam agency wins plaudits with police sergeant Sellers, who becomes Lam's nemesis in later Fair books, just like Perry Mason has a police nemesis in Gardner's novels about the legal hero who became Raymond Burr in the long-running TV series, Perry Mason. Gardner, or Fair, offers another entertaining crime novel, and most readers will enjoy this one, too.
March 4, 2021
Murder, insurance fraud, missing persons, and a blind man is the only witness! AND Donald Lam went and joined the navy to help with the War effort (it was that time in history, to be sure, but what a great idea to send one of your key characters off to war & see how those left behind fare!) so Bertha Cool is on her own. Finally, via telegrams, Lam adds his two cents, but this time he's not on the scene, mixing it up with gorgeous young women on the make or getting himself pummeled by criminals.
Actually, some of this read a bit like a Perry Mason, because Lam was an attorney, and a possibly-faked will is a key part of the story. He keeps sending comments about the legal aspects of the case.
Did I mention the pet bat? How often does that come up in a mystery story?
As always, some of the editions of these books depict scantily clad women in semi-suggestive poses, none of which features in the novels. It was just marketing in the 40s & 50s.
Anyway, another good one, especially for Bertha Cool fans.
Actually, some of this read a bit like a Perry Mason, because Lam was an attorney, and a possibly-faked will is a key part of the story. He keeps sending comments about the legal aspects of the case.
Did I mention the pet bat? How often does that come up in a mystery story?
As always, some of the editions of these books depict scantily clad women in semi-suggestive poses, none of which features in the novels. It was just marketing in the 40s & 50s.
Anyway, another good one, especially for Bertha Cool fans.
September 1, 2022
This is the second Cool and Lam mystery I’ve read, and I’m a fan. More humor than in the Perry Mason series, if the mysteries aren’t as sophisticated.
Donald (Lam) had joined the Navy leaving Bertha (Cool) and Elsie to handle the detective agency.
Bertha is hired by a blind man to find a woman who may have been injured in an automobile accident.
Things quickly escalate we get two possible murders, a possible fraudulent will and a chiseler who gets the better of Bertha. Can an absent Donald save the day and deliver a fee to the greedy Bertha? Or will Bertha, shockingly, solve the matter on her own?
A Quick and fun read.
Donald (Lam) had joined the Navy leaving Bertha (Cool) and Elsie to handle the detective agency.
Bertha is hired by a blind man to find a woman who may have been injured in an automobile accident.
Things quickly escalate we get two possible murders, a possible fraudulent will and a chiseler who gets the better of Bertha. Can an absent Donald save the day and deliver a fee to the greedy Bertha? Or will Bertha, shockingly, solve the matter on her own?
A Quick and fun read.
July 18, 2016
This story is set during World War II in the Los Angeles area, and it's interesting to read about some of the details of West Coast life in that era, dim-out precautions on the use of headlights and even flashlights and the like. In this one our old pal Donald Lam, who is usually the brains and the leg man in this series, is serving in the Navy and absent from the scene, and it's his less interesting partner Bertha Cool who takes over as protagonist. So this was not the typical A. A. Fair page-turner.
August 9, 2020
Donald Lam is now in the navy which leaves Bertha back on her own. She agrees to work for a blind beggar who would like her to find a young woman who was hit by a car. Of course, that leads to multiple murders and Bertha trying to find her slice of several cakes. Donald is able to assist via telegrams.
July 10, 2022
Very good
A wonderful noir. We see why Eric Stanley Gardner is a master. This is the first but certainly not the last of his that I'll read. A small complaint. It's clear that the technology used to convert to Kindle is not foolproof. This book would certainly benefit from a good proofreading.
A wonderful noir. We see why Eric Stanley Gardner is a master. This is the first but certainly not the last of his that I'll read. A small complaint. It's clear that the technology used to convert to Kindle is not foolproof. This book would certainly benefit from a good proofreading.
April 3, 2023
Really enjoyed this one. Fair/Gardner often has convoluted plots and this is no different, but it had a number of unusual features, including the presence of a pet bat, the inner life of a blind person, which lifted the book above the others in my opinion. And Lam is back to wrap things up at the end.
April 20, 2020
A nice easy read. Gardner spent a lot of time in his regular profession and used that knowledge to craft his books. He told good stories with some twists and turns but lots of action and geared for the reader to sit and enjoy.
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July 13, 2016Excellent
August 16, 2018
Different book. Donald solves the case despite the fact he was in the navy!
April 7, 2021
Lam is solving the case through telegrams and letters!!
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