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Lieutenant Luis Mendoza #26
Deuces Wild
Police procedural, a Luis Mendoza mystery, following the lives of the LAPD as the Mendoza twins disappear, and the men and women of the police must track down burglars, murderers, and assorted oddities. Realistic characterization.
- GenresMystery
184 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
21 people are currently reading
29 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 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 16, 2023
Looks like the same artist doing the cover of this paperback. Again waving the gun around!
It occurs to me that the publishers should take more care in doing their "blurbs". The story would have a much bigger shock if the reader wasn't aware of the impending kidnapping. As it is, the first time reader merely waits to see in what chapter it will finally happen.
I note that, for the second book in a row, Shannon is focusing on young criminal types. The book starts with a quotation from a book called THE CHILDREN OF DARKNESS. Here we again have the drifters, the free spirits, the drug use. However, whereas her previous characters were mostly hurting themselves, and other people by careless happenstance, the foursome that make up the main focus in this book are seriously dangerous people. They don't care in the slightest about other people; it's as though other people aren't even real.
We hear early on of a farm family whose daughters brought home some drifters they had recently met--only to have the group apparently go beserk and slaughter everyone. Some time later, a small pharmacy in a tiny town is heisted for a bit of cash and some drugs. They seem to be heading in the direction of L.A.
We meet our foursome: Thor Sigurdson, Ollie, Su-Su, and Tally (apparently named for Tallulah Bankhead). Thor is the one with ideas, although he is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is. Ollie is simply a slow-witted follower. Su-Su is a wild one; she ran away twice from her nice, comfortable, conventional home. After being brought back the second time, she ran far and kept on going. She doesn't especially care if she's alone or with others, but she admires Thor, at least for the moment. Tally has little interest in anything but her Tarot cards. The problem with being free and wild and going with the wind is that you need something to live on. Thor and Ollie were on a caper with some other men that went wrong (largely because Thor panicked and dropped the loot). They think that they can do something similar for themselves.
Mendoza is suffering from spring fever. In August. He's tired of everything. We also learn that Terry has inherited her father's persnickitiness; she gets upset over a tiny little bit of dirt on her dress. Recently, she and Johnny had been visiting the neighbors out the back way; their dog had had puppies.
Part of Mendoza's irritation is from a recent court trial, where he crossed swords with the defense attorney. He was displeased with the charges being lowered. An enterprising reporter wrote an article about the trial and the "Millionaire Cop". Mendoza has also unwittingly become the enemy of a ordinary little man, whose ordinary little family had been wiped out by a man setting fire to their apartment building. The case had been plea-bargained down to virtually nothing. Mendoza didn't like it either, but Arnold Berry seems to think the police have full responsibility in such matters. There's also the ex-con, out from a fifteen-year stretch, who has sworn to get even with Mendoza--somehow.
There's a case of a girl, seemingly shoved out of a car and over the guard rail of a bridge, and another of a minster found stabbed to death in his car. And a not-so-nice girl found dead in her rooms. A girl dead of an overdose. This one makes reference to "that TV program about the paramedics". You may remember that show; it was called "Emergency!"
This story is unusual because the reader gets more information than the police ever will. We have learned of the foursome. We learn of a man, whose dog recently had puppies, going off on a hunting trip with friends. We learn that the caper that Thor fouled up on had to do with kidnapping the wife of a bank manager and holding her for ransom. Actually, we think that we know more than we do; I, at least, was going on the assumption all through the book that our foursome was responsible for the berserk killing of the family from upstate. However, there is an incident when a couple out for the evening is killed in an auto accident by a group of kids all high on something. After taking them in and drying them out, the police find that it is THIS foursome that did the killings. (As if one foursome wasn't bad enough....)
A man has just come to the department to report the hitchhiker who had thrown herself out of his car, high on marijuana and thinking that she could fly, when Mendoza gets a call from home and races out the door....
They don't know if the twins have been kidnapped for ransom, or for more perverse reasons. They only know that they are gone. The following pages are intensely emotional and harrowing, with false accusations, false leads, a lengthy waste of time caused by a greedy opportunist, and the investigation going off in all sorts of directions. A seemingly unrelated case of a bank employee getting shot brings everything into focus--he had been told that his manager's wife and their children had been kidnapped. Only the manager is on vacation, and...they don't HAVE any children.
I did say that Thor was not as smart as he thought he was; the whole scenario has been a mess from start to finish. They didn't bother to make sure the bank manager was home; on trying to get an assistant at the bank to arrange the ransom, they accidently shot him; they're smart enough to rent quarters that have a bathroom--but it doesn't function really well; no thoughts about feeding their hostages; trying to force their hostage to sign a check (with a checkbook that has only stubs) they knock her out, and, apparently, dead.
Everything comes together in a rush; Tom and Phil Landers, traveling leisurely back from their honeymoon, unwittingly drive right into a terrifying climax that was SUPPOSED to be a quiet, carefully monitored dropping of a ransom--until the bank manager, who had appeared quite calm and reasonable about the situation, suddenly crashes in with no consideration for the hostages. If not for Terry's courage and Phil's swift reaction...I'm surprised that Mendoza didn't beat the stuffing out of the idiot bank manager. Giving that the children were present at the drop, I like to think that the manager had a few ghastly moments thinking that he had caused his wife's death, before learning that she was safe in a hospital.
All is well; the children quickly recover, and Mendoza...? Mendoza the agnostic heads out for early Mass! Which brings something else to mind: Mrs. MacTaggart has been struggling to get her gallant Spanish man safely back into the church (and no doubt will be quite full of herself after this!) She has also seen that the twins have been properly baptized and teaches them a little here and there. However, she doesn't seem to have the slightest interest or concern for Alison's beliefs. Just seems a little strange.
Oh, another point: Christine, the bank manager's wife, doesn't seem to have any idea who the Mendoza children are, despite the fact that they had regularly crept into her backyard to see the puppies. She didn't think to ask names? Perhaps it's because she's suffering from concussion, but she doesn't seem to have the slightest inkling.
This one really packs a punch.
It occurs to me that the publishers should take more care in doing their "blurbs". The story would have a much bigger shock if the reader wasn't aware of the impending kidnapping. As it is, the first time reader merely waits to see in what chapter it will finally happen.
I note that, for the second book in a row, Shannon is focusing on young criminal types. The book starts with a quotation from a book called THE CHILDREN OF DARKNESS. Here we again have the drifters, the free spirits, the drug use. However, whereas her previous characters were mostly hurting themselves, and other people by careless happenstance, the foursome that make up the main focus in this book are seriously dangerous people. They don't care in the slightest about other people; it's as though other people aren't even real.
We hear early on of a farm family whose daughters brought home some drifters they had recently met--only to have the group apparently go beserk and slaughter everyone. Some time later, a small pharmacy in a tiny town is heisted for a bit of cash and some drugs. They seem to be heading in the direction of L.A.
We meet our foursome: Thor Sigurdson, Ollie, Su-Su, and Tally (apparently named for Tallulah Bankhead). Thor is the one with ideas, although he is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is. Ollie is simply a slow-witted follower. Su-Su is a wild one; she ran away twice from her nice, comfortable, conventional home. After being brought back the second time, she ran far and kept on going. She doesn't especially care if she's alone or with others, but she admires Thor, at least for the moment. Tally has little interest in anything but her Tarot cards. The problem with being free and wild and going with the wind is that you need something to live on. Thor and Ollie were on a caper with some other men that went wrong (largely because Thor panicked and dropped the loot). They think that they can do something similar for themselves.
Mendoza is suffering from spring fever. In August. He's tired of everything. We also learn that Terry has inherited her father's persnickitiness; she gets upset over a tiny little bit of dirt on her dress. Recently, she and Johnny had been visiting the neighbors out the back way; their dog had had puppies.
Part of Mendoza's irritation is from a recent court trial, where he crossed swords with the defense attorney. He was displeased with the charges being lowered. An enterprising reporter wrote an article about the trial and the "Millionaire Cop". Mendoza has also unwittingly become the enemy of a ordinary little man, whose ordinary little family had been wiped out by a man setting fire to their apartment building. The case had been plea-bargained down to virtually nothing. Mendoza didn't like it either, but Arnold Berry seems to think the police have full responsibility in such matters. There's also the ex-con, out from a fifteen-year stretch, who has sworn to get even with Mendoza--somehow.
There's a case of a girl, seemingly shoved out of a car and over the guard rail of a bridge, and another of a minster found stabbed to death in his car. And a not-so-nice girl found dead in her rooms. A girl dead of an overdose. This one makes reference to "that TV program about the paramedics". You may remember that show; it was called "Emergency!"
This story is unusual because the reader gets more information than the police ever will. We have learned of the foursome. We learn of a man, whose dog recently had puppies, going off on a hunting trip with friends. We learn that the caper that Thor fouled up on had to do with kidnapping the wife of a bank manager and holding her for ransom. Actually, we think that we know more than we do; I, at least, was going on the assumption all through the book that our foursome was responsible for the berserk killing of the family from upstate. However, there is an incident when a couple out for the evening is killed in an auto accident by a group of kids all high on something. After taking them in and drying them out, the police find that it is THIS foursome that did the killings. (As if one foursome wasn't bad enough....)
A man has just come to the department to report the hitchhiker who had thrown herself out of his car, high on marijuana and thinking that she could fly, when Mendoza gets a call from home and races out the door....
They don't know if the twins have been kidnapped for ransom, or for more perverse reasons. They only know that they are gone. The following pages are intensely emotional and harrowing, with false accusations, false leads, a lengthy waste of time caused by a greedy opportunist, and the investigation going off in all sorts of directions. A seemingly unrelated case of a bank employee getting shot brings everything into focus--he had been told that his manager's wife and their children had been kidnapped. Only the manager is on vacation, and...they don't HAVE any children.
I did say that Thor was not as smart as he thought he was; the whole scenario has been a mess from start to finish. They didn't bother to make sure the bank manager was home; on trying to get an assistant at the bank to arrange the ransom, they accidently shot him; they're smart enough to rent quarters that have a bathroom--but it doesn't function really well; no thoughts about feeding their hostages; trying to force their hostage to sign a check (with a checkbook that has only stubs) they knock her out, and, apparently, dead.
Everything comes together in a rush; Tom and Phil Landers, traveling leisurely back from their honeymoon, unwittingly drive right into a terrifying climax that was SUPPOSED to be a quiet, carefully monitored dropping of a ransom--until the bank manager, who had appeared quite calm and reasonable about the situation, suddenly crashes in with no consideration for the hostages. If not for Terry's courage and Phil's swift reaction...I'm surprised that Mendoza didn't beat the stuffing out of the idiot bank manager. Giving that the children were present at the drop, I like to think that the manager had a few ghastly moments thinking that he had caused his wife's death, before learning that she was safe in a hospital.
All is well; the children quickly recover, and Mendoza...? Mendoza the agnostic heads out for early Mass! Which brings something else to mind: Mrs. MacTaggart has been struggling to get her gallant Spanish man safely back into the church (and no doubt will be quite full of herself after this!) She has also seen that the twins have been properly baptized and teaches them a little here and there. However, she doesn't seem to have the slightest interest or concern for Alison's beliefs. Just seems a little strange.
Oh, another point: Christine, the bank manager's wife, doesn't seem to have any idea who the Mendoza children are, despite the fact that they had regularly crept into her backyard to see the puppies. She didn't think to ask names? Perhaps it's because she's suffering from concussion, but she doesn't seem to have the slightest inkling.
This one really packs a punch.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2009
This was my favorite of the Mendoza books. The emotional intensity rang one hundred percent true.
June 30, 2008
Mendoza books are always enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews