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Blackmail
Aging, embittered Inez Blaine wages an anonymous poison pen letter assault against several prominent bank employees but reserves her special letter-writing wrath for Lucia Rutyer, whose reputation, career, and life Inez wanted destroyed
- GenresMystery
First published January 1, 1958
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 27, 2017
I assume John Waters read this and was inspired to create the charatcer of Dottie Henckel in "Serial Mom." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAm6b...)
A very exciting bookstore discovery. The author, Doris Miles Disney, was prolific. I need a new mystery writer whose well I can visit many times. And this influenced my perception of the book. Because I knew there were so many more, "Blackmail" didn't need to stand on its own so long as it met a minimum standard. It did! Interesting characters, suspense, well-plotted, etc.
Kind of a basic mystery chapter book, spiced up by the use of a non-traditional protagonist (in this case a US postal inspector). Poor Lucia--a young single woman--is the victim of a series of poison pen letters. She could lose her job and her reputation. And then the letters begin to threaten violence. We know from the outset that the letters are coming from the mother of one of Lucia's past boyfriends who blames Lucia for her son moving away. Luckily for her, the US postal service doesn't allow its mail to be used for blackmail aand investigates the matter.
The scene where Madden, the postal inspector, has to recover the mail lost in a plane crash is totally amazing.
A very exciting bookstore discovery. The author, Doris Miles Disney, was prolific. I need a new mystery writer whose well I can visit many times. And this influenced my perception of the book. Because I knew there were so many more, "Blackmail" didn't need to stand on its own so long as it met a minimum standard. It did! Interesting characters, suspense, well-plotted, etc.
Kind of a basic mystery chapter book, spiced up by the use of a non-traditional protagonist (in this case a US postal inspector). Poor Lucia--a young single woman--is the victim of a series of poison pen letters. She could lose her job and her reputation. And then the letters begin to threaten violence. We know from the outset that the letters are coming from the mother of one of Lucia's past boyfriends who blames Lucia for her son moving away. Luckily for her, the US postal service doesn't allow its mail to be used for blackmail aand investigates the matter.
The scene where Madden, the postal inspector, has to recover the mail lost in a plane crash is totally amazing.
January 1, 2023
Postal Inspectors! Doris Miles Disney ensures that her books will be read for generations to come. I can’t wait to reread some of her books!
December 15, 2014
Hm, the back of this paperback declares Doris Miles Disney one of the greatest and most beloved mystery writers of her time. I think that that is not a reputation that persists. It's not bad but it's also not something that I would clamor for audiences to re-discover. I did very much appreciate that it centers on the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Unsung heroes! Or, something.
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October 30, 2009Postal Inspectors
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews