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Lieutenant Luis Mendoza #2
The Ace of Spades
The Ace of Spades continues the case histories of Mendoza, the Mexican detective of the Los Angeles Police Department. Lt. Mendoza specializes in homicides … he has brains, uncanny flair, wealth, a passion for justice and Abyssinian cats. He has a weakness for poker and Alison Weir, the central female character in his life.
Mendoza’s new case enters Homicide through the back door of Stolen Property … in this instance the old fashioned jalopy, belonging to the redhead Alison Weir.
The story fast becomes entrangled with importers, museums, and a mysterious Madam K.
A chance scrap of paper begins as exciting, detective chain of events, quickly leading to high tension as Mendoza realizes that the life of the woman he loves is in danger.
Mendoza’s new case enters Homicide through the back door of Stolen Property … in this instance the old fashioned jalopy, belonging to the redhead Alison Weir.
The story fast becomes entrangled with importers, museums, and a mysterious Madam K.
A chance scrap of paper begins as exciting, detective chain of events, quickly leading to high tension as Mendoza realizes that the life of the woman he loves is in danger.
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
25 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Dell Shannon
154 books23 followersPseudonym of Elizabeth Linington.
Barbara "Elizabeth" Linington (March 11, 1921 – April 5, 1988) was an American novelist. She was awarded runner-up scrolls for best first mystery novel from the Mystery Writers of America for her 1960 novel, Case Pending, which introduced her most popular series character, LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza. Her 1961 book, Nightmare, and her 1962 novel, Knave of Hearts, another entry in the Mendoza series, were both nominated for Edgars in the Best Novel category. Regarded as the "Queen of the Procedurals," she was one of the first women to write police procedurals — a male-dominated genre of police-story writing.
Besides crime, Linington also took interest in archaeology, the occult, gemstones, antique weapons and languages. Linington was also a conservative political activist who was an active member of the John Birch Society
Barbara "Elizabeth" Linington (March 11, 1921 – April 5, 1988) was an American novelist. She was awarded runner-up scrolls for best first mystery novel from the Mystery Writers of America for her 1960 novel, Case Pending, which introduced her most popular series character, LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza. Her 1961 book, Nightmare, and her 1962 novel, Knave of Hearts, another entry in the Mendoza series, were both nominated for Edgars in the Best Novel category. Regarded as the "Queen of the Procedurals," she was one of the first women to write police procedurals — a male-dominated genre of police-story writing.
Besides crime, Linington also took interest in archaeology, the occult, gemstones, antique weapons and languages. Linington was also a conservative political activist who was an active member of the John Birch Society
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 3, 2023
It occurs to me that so much time has passed since these books were written, they could qualify as historical fiction. How many out there can remember when cars arrived on the market with a really fancy update: automatic shifting?
Luis Mendoza being next door to a card shark, it's not surprising that a lot of the series titles refer to cards. However, in this case, "The Ace of Spades" is thieves' cant for a widow.
This second book is still limited to one single case, but it's a fascinating one. It's fun to watch them gathering the clues, checking them from all angles, making deductions or reasonable guesses, and moving closer and closer to the solution.
And it's fun. We have:
1) Alison Weir, Mendoza's new girlfriend, whose elderly car is stolen off a public street while surrounded by newer, better-running cars. Why?
2) a career criminal who has spent almost literally half his life behind bars and now, following his release after a 15-year stretch, finds that the world has changed just a little too much for him to handle.
3) a foreign widow, owner of a valuable stolen collection, who is currently negotiating its return, yet sees no reason why she should not collect the insurance for it, as well. After all, it was insured against theft, and it was stolen, right?
4) an insurance investigator, who has modeled himself on all the hard-boiled detectives ever written about; living hard, loving hard, drinking hard, and contemptuous of the naturally stupid local police.
5) a drug supplier, who takes the greatest care to keep his true vocation concealed behind a scrupulous front of honesty and goodwill.
6) a first-generation American with strong but reluctant ties to the old country, who sees the mysterious death of her fiance as an opportunity to start a new life with a good American name, smart American clothes, and a better job.
7) three different departments of police--Homicide, Robbery, and Narcotics, who narrowly avoid tripping over each other as they gather clues about three cases that seem to merging into one.
Top all this off with a one-night stand between a late-blooming Abyssinian cat and a precocious young Siamese tom ("this oversexed delinquent with rape in his eye....")
A very enjoyable read.
Luis Mendoza being next door to a card shark, it's not surprising that a lot of the series titles refer to cards. However, in this case, "The Ace of Spades" is thieves' cant for a widow.
This second book is still limited to one single case, but it's a fascinating one. It's fun to watch them gathering the clues, checking them from all angles, making deductions or reasonable guesses, and moving closer and closer to the solution.
And it's fun. We have:
1) Alison Weir, Mendoza's new girlfriend, whose elderly car is stolen off a public street while surrounded by newer, better-running cars. Why?
2) a career criminal who has spent almost literally half his life behind bars and now, following his release after a 15-year stretch, finds that the world has changed just a little too much for him to handle.
3) a foreign widow, owner of a valuable stolen collection, who is currently negotiating its return, yet sees no reason why she should not collect the insurance for it, as well. After all, it was insured against theft, and it was stolen, right?
4) an insurance investigator, who has modeled himself on all the hard-boiled detectives ever written about; living hard, loving hard, drinking hard, and contemptuous of the naturally stupid local police.
5) a drug supplier, who takes the greatest care to keep his true vocation concealed behind a scrupulous front of honesty and goodwill.
6) a first-generation American with strong but reluctant ties to the old country, who sees the mysterious death of her fiance as an opportunity to start a new life with a good American name, smart American clothes, and a better job.
7) three different departments of police--Homicide, Robbery, and Narcotics, who narrowly avoid tripping over each other as they gather clues about three cases that seem to merging into one.
Top all this off with a one-night stand between a late-blooming Abyssinian cat and a precocious young Siamese tom ("this oversexed delinquent with rape in his eye....")
A very enjoyable read.
August 23, 2018
The second book in the Lt. Luis Mendoza series, this one is not as effective as the first. It is still fun, largely because Mendoza is a compelling character. I have read a lot of police stories and can't think of another cop like him. He's a workaholic, which is not unusual in police procedurals, but also a dandy. He wears $300 suits (costly in 1961, I expect), $10 ties, drives a Facel Vega and never laves the office without his hat. he seems to have a more intimate relationship with his cat, Bast, than with his girlfriend, Alison Weir, who is a cardboard character in this particular book.
The fun in the book is in the dialog. Shannon does a fine job in capturing a variety of different speech patterns -- thugs, a French woman, Russian emigres, a Greek immigrant, etc all talk in idiosyncratic ways. Mendoza has his own patois, interspersing Spanish with English. Some of the Spanish is translated, and some is not. I read this with a www.spanishdict.com open just for the fun of knowing what he was saying.
The plot is pretty simple, but the book makes things way too complex. There are an awful lot of characters to follow -- almost twenty police men, seven crooks (one dead but still a character; his widow also appears briefly), two of whom are mentioned often but never appear, a Greek-American jeweler, a French heiress, an alcoholic insurance claims investigator, a batty Russian immigrant and her grandmother. It's a lot to keep straight and I was not always successful.
Despite the author being female, gender stereotyping is rampant. I guess one cannot fault the author; that was the limitation f American society all those years ago. And, of course, cigarettes are basic to social interaction.
A fast read, no masterpiece for sure, but fun in its way.
The fun in the book is in the dialog. Shannon does a fine job in capturing a variety of different speech patterns -- thugs, a French woman, Russian emigres, a Greek immigrant, etc all talk in idiosyncratic ways. Mendoza has his own patois, interspersing Spanish with English. Some of the Spanish is translated, and some is not. I read this with a www.spanishdict.com open just for the fun of knowing what he was saying.
The plot is pretty simple, but the book makes things way too complex. There are an awful lot of characters to follow -- almost twenty police men, seven crooks (one dead but still a character; his widow also appears briefly), two of whom are mentioned often but never appear, a Greek-American jeweler, a French heiress, an alcoholic insurance claims investigator, a batty Russian immigrant and her grandmother. It's a lot to keep straight and I was not always successful.
Despite the author being female, gender stereotyping is rampant. I guess one cannot fault the author; that was the limitation f American society all those years ago. And, of course, cigarettes are basic to social interaction.
A fast read, no masterpiece for sure, but fun in its way.
October 30, 2018
Mendoza's latest girlfriend Alison tells him that her old beat-up car was stolen. When she later finds a strange coin in it - someone's lucky piece? - he is only mildly interested. But when her garage and later her apartment are broken into, he begins to wonder if all of this has any bearing on one of his current cases. The body of a young Greek man, apparently dead of a heroin overdose, is found in an alley, he begins to ask questions. The population of suspects keeps growing, and things keep getting more and more convoluted, as he works with Traffic and Narcotics to try to sort things out. I had a little trouble following this one, primarily because of all the different crimes that keep getting involved with Mendoza's murder; plus there were several different POVs used here and there that kept me hopping. But all in all, it was a fascinating story. And his final mystery - where to find homes for the kittens his cat is going to present him with!
Also, I was nearly 3/4 done with the book before I finally found out the meaning of the Ace of Spades. I kept wondering about that.
Also, I was nearly 3/4 done with the book before I finally found out the meaning of the Ace of Spades. I kept wondering about that.
July 14, 2025
Extremely dated. Negative attitudes toward women abound. Interesting though convoluted mystery. Most of the chapters are understandable, but this author seems to feel compelled to include at least one chapter with the criminals talking in lingo that is meaningless. Between the outdated expressions and criminal jargon, it’s impossible to decipher what is being said. This is the second in this series and the second I’ve read and I experienced the same frustrations in reading both of them. I plan to soldier on - I have the first four novels in the series in one volume and I plan to read all of them - but as of right now, I need a break.
March 31, 2024
This 1960-era police procedural mystery is the second in a solid series. Set in Los Angeles, it features Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, a man who has but two flaws: gambling and womanizing. Because he inherited a fortune from his grandfather, he can indulge both.
Then he meets redheaded Alison Weir and one of his passtimes is stalled. This book opens with Allison's car being stolen. What is one to do, especially when she discovers that it was used to transport a murder victim!
Yes, this is Luis' case and he is not happy to have his lady love dragged into murder.
Then he meets redheaded Alison Weir and one of his passtimes is stalled. This book opens with Allison's car being stolen. What is one to do, especially when she discovers that it was used to transport a murder victim!
Yes, this is Luis' case and he is not happy to have his lady love dragged into murder.
June 16, 2025
While I didn't enjoy The Ace of Spades as much as the previous book, this is still a solid police procedural series and I hope to read many more. I know that in years past, I've read a few more later stories that I loved. I just didn't enjoy the criminal element in this one - some Greek characters, career criminals, and lots of them.
Luis Mendoza is a compelling character, with good secondary characters supporting him. This is a traditional police procedural and the fun is in the logical gathering/examination of clues.
Luis Mendoza is a compelling character, with good secondary characters supporting him. This is a traditional police procedural and the fun is in the logical gathering/examination of clues.
November 11, 2019
A nice little mystery and interesting characters. Couple of events were just too much coincidence to really get into, but the dialogue is witty and enjoyable so at least you care about keeping up with the characters and seeing how all the little details join together.
I figure I will try others in the series.
I figure I will try others in the series.
December 18, 2025
Alison Weir’s car is stolen near the LA County Art Museum. It is an inconvenience but the vehicle is found unharmed. Since Lieutenant Luis Mendoza works on homicide cases, he is not involved in investigating this crime – until he is.
August 14, 2017
In the second book of the Luis Mendoza story, a body is found in the streets and the apparent cause is a drug overdose. As the homicide unit begins to look into the case, Luis is not sure. Alison's car is stolen and the events around the car begin to blend into the death of the young man. Before long Luis is involved with stolen jewelry and insurance fraud. Will Luis solve the case before Alison is hurt? I highly recommend this book and series.
January 24, 2019
Unexceptional and dated.
June 22, 2019
Best of the police procedure mysteries.
Shannon shows how police procedure s finally get the mysteries solved . May be set in the 50's but still a very good read.
Shannon shows how police procedure s finally get the mysteries solved . May be set in the 50's but still a very good read.
December 27, 2024
Enjoyed reading the second book in the series.
But oh, the smoking! A different time.
But oh, the smoking! A different time.
March 5, 2017
"Ace" is the second Luis Mendoza book. Alison's car is stolen. The body of a blameless young immigrant shows up. Alison discovers an odd coin in her car. Do any of these clues connect?
May 24, 2014
#2 in the Luis Mendoza series. This 1961 police procedural is mild by today's standards but it was groundbreaking for a Latino Homicide Lt. and a female writer in a male dominated field. The homicide crew decides that a drug overdose is not an accident or suicide and now must find the murderer. Mendoza's girl has her car stolen (we'll find that it's because the car is an old standard shift) and recovered a few days later with a clue vital to bringing the two cases together.
A fun read and nostalgic because I last read this series when it was new.
Luis Mendoza series - The second case of Lt. Luis Rodolfo Vincente Mendoza, of the L. A. police, develops through an over-heroin-ed death, the whereabouts of a vanished treasure of coins -- and an over-issue of dope pushing. A clutch of law-breaking brothers, a foreigner out to best local hoods, and an intermixture of Greeks, keep this on a thoroughly international breakthrough, with Luis protecting himself -- and his girl.
A fun read and nostalgic because I last read this series when it was new.
Luis Mendoza series - The second case of Lt. Luis Rodolfo Vincente Mendoza, of the L. A. police, develops through an over-heroin-ed death, the whereabouts of a vanished treasure of coins -- and an over-issue of dope pushing. A clutch of law-breaking brothers, a foreigner out to best local hoods, and an intermixture of Greeks, keep this on a thoroughly international breakthrough, with Luis protecting himself -- and his girl.
November 9, 2014
Though young I lived in Los Angeles in 1961, when this book was published. The toponomy is correct -- Pico, Wiltshire Blvd and Exposition Park being judiciously scattered through the prose. But the 'feel', the sense of place, is not that of Los Angeles. The style is also a turgid reminder of a clotted stream of consciousness, even as the characters are not very credible other than as figures of straw. In short, I can't recommend this.
October 5, 2012
I imagine that even when this police procedural was written in 1961 it was already dated--the Los Angeles described here sounds like one from a decade earlier. The portrayal of crime syndicates are dated as well, and don't get me started on the simplistic female characters. Yet the Luiz Mendoza character is interesting to observe.
January 23, 2008
Great series, now obviously rather out of date. This is the first one.
February 17, 2016
Lt. Luis Mendoza, mystery
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews