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Lieutenant Luis Mendoza #13
Chance to Kill
Two heist men wanted for double homicide... the body of a young punk in an allly.. the corpse of a girl in the dry riverbed... in fact, everything more or less routine for Lt. Luis Mendoza and his colleagues in the Los Angeles Police Department.and then they got the news...The murdered girl was a police-woman of fine standing- one of their very own.This is the 13th in the series of Luis Mendoza mysteries, each more baffling and absorbing than the last.
- GenresMysteryProcedural
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
21 people are currently reading
22 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 2, 2024
Another fun Mendoza book. Had a couple of major cases they were working along with the assortment of other things. One was a young police woman was killed, and the squad had to figure out who did it with no suspects. Next was a young punk found in an alley shot dead but still had close to a hundred bucks in his wallet, couldn't find a motive. Both were interesting cases. I thought this book was slightly more hectic than the others to this point. Lots of smaller cases that when the names were brought up, I was having problems remembering who all the minor at best characters were.
Still highly recommended, all of the Mendoza novels are fun reads.
Still highly recommended, all of the Mendoza novels are fun reads.
April 25, 2023
This was the very last title I purchased to fill out my Dell Shannon bookshelf. I happened to get a British edition (Gollancz Thriller). Apparently they designed all their covers the same way--bright yellow, with the title and "Shannon" in red lettering, with a couple book review quotes in between.
There's a considerable assortment of cases. First and foremost (as far as the police are concerned) is the murder of one of their own, Policewoman Bettina Conway of Saul Goldberg's department. Was it a personal kill, or was it tied to a case she was working on? The most recent thing she had been involved with were the robberies of a number of well-to-do Negro families. There was also (but less plausibly pertaining to Conway's death) "Lightbulb Larry" who had made a number of break-ins but stole nothing but light bulbs. Mendoza is fairly certain that the killing was a personal one, because the killer went well out of his way to toss the body down into a dry river bed--like a piece of garbage.
Back in the homicide department, there was the shooting death of small-timer Eddy Taylor, a man who was of little use to anyone, including his mother, yet not bad enough to really be anyone's enemy. He was found in a alley with nearly a hundred dollars in his pocket. There are a couple of prison escapees doing a series of heists and leaving a couple dead people in their wake.
In the midst of all of this, a heat wave sets in.
So many of us take air-conditioning for granted, in our houses and our cars. In this place and time, it was an expensive luxury, and even Mendoza's fancy Ferrari did not come equipped with it. Aside from incidents of heat stroke, we see a couple horrifying vignettes of people driven over the edge by the unrelenting heat.
I was pleased to see at last the origin of Mendoza's strange enthrallment with the works of Rudyard Kipling. Chief of Police John Lockhart (Ret.), the tenacious officer who had helped to save Alison Weir from a killer rapist, recommends that Mendoza read Kipling to help him cope with the stresses of his work. Picking up an old edition that had belonged to Alison's father, Mendoza is thoroughly and irrevocably hooked within the first ten minutes. One of his favorite quotations will become "Too much Ego in his cosmos," because that so perfectly sums up so many of the criminals they have to deal with. Presumably Dell Shannon is also a fan of Kipling--and perhaps that explains her own sure touch when it comes to human nature.
Another side issue that I had read in a later book is traced to this one--practical Jason Grace, shopping for reliable transportation, inexplicably ignores all the fuel-efficient possibilities out there and goes for a little French racer, called the Elva. ("She goes.") Virginia Grace thinks it's ridiculous, but as long as he's happy....
Angel Hackett is working on a campaign to convince Art to allow her to get the house air-conditioned. (Remember, this was back before a woman would say, "It's my money, and I'm going to have it done, and that's final.") She lays a guilt trip on him--after all, he gets to escape to his office and the lovely air-conditioning there, while his wife and children suffer at home. This almost convinces him, until Mendoza thoughtlessly mentions how much it would cost. It's only after hearing about some of those heat-wave incidents, and discovering that Daddy's Own Sheila has heat rash, that Hackett is persuaded.
Most of the cases get solved eventually, and some leave you shaking your head. One actually finds Piggott swearing for the first time in the history of the opus!
The hunt for Conway's killer gets frustrated in many directions, but with a useful tip, and the assistance of a young patrolman who is going to go far, Mendoza finally catches up. The motivation is so head-bangingly stupid, I almost wished I could get into the book and give that arrogant fat-head a good kick down south. "Too much Ego in his cosmos...."
Indeed.
There's a considerable assortment of cases. First and foremost (as far as the police are concerned) is the murder of one of their own, Policewoman Bettina Conway of Saul Goldberg's department. Was it a personal kill, or was it tied to a case she was working on? The most recent thing she had been involved with were the robberies of a number of well-to-do Negro families. There was also (but less plausibly pertaining to Conway's death) "Lightbulb Larry" who had made a number of break-ins but stole nothing but light bulbs. Mendoza is fairly certain that the killing was a personal one, because the killer went well out of his way to toss the body down into a dry river bed--like a piece of garbage.
Back in the homicide department, there was the shooting death of small-timer Eddy Taylor, a man who was of little use to anyone, including his mother, yet not bad enough to really be anyone's enemy. He was found in a alley with nearly a hundred dollars in his pocket. There are a couple of prison escapees doing a series of heists and leaving a couple dead people in their wake.
In the midst of all of this, a heat wave sets in.
So many of us take air-conditioning for granted, in our houses and our cars. In this place and time, it was an expensive luxury, and even Mendoza's fancy Ferrari did not come equipped with it. Aside from incidents of heat stroke, we see a couple horrifying vignettes of people driven over the edge by the unrelenting heat.
I was pleased to see at last the origin of Mendoza's strange enthrallment with the works of Rudyard Kipling. Chief of Police John Lockhart (Ret.), the tenacious officer who had helped to save Alison Weir from a killer rapist, recommends that Mendoza read Kipling to help him cope with the stresses of his work. Picking up an old edition that had belonged to Alison's father, Mendoza is thoroughly and irrevocably hooked within the first ten minutes. One of his favorite quotations will become "Too much Ego in his cosmos," because that so perfectly sums up so many of the criminals they have to deal with. Presumably Dell Shannon is also a fan of Kipling--and perhaps that explains her own sure touch when it comes to human nature.
Another side issue that I had read in a later book is traced to this one--practical Jason Grace, shopping for reliable transportation, inexplicably ignores all the fuel-efficient possibilities out there and goes for a little French racer, called the Elva. ("She goes.") Virginia Grace thinks it's ridiculous, but as long as he's happy....
Angel Hackett is working on a campaign to convince Art to allow her to get the house air-conditioned. (Remember, this was back before a woman would say, "It's my money, and I'm going to have it done, and that's final.") She lays a guilt trip on him--after all, he gets to escape to his office and the lovely air-conditioning there, while his wife and children suffer at home. This almost convinces him, until Mendoza thoughtlessly mentions how much it would cost. It's only after hearing about some of those heat-wave incidents, and discovering that Daddy's Own Sheila has heat rash, that Hackett is persuaded.
Most of the cases get solved eventually, and some leave you shaking your head. One actually finds Piggott swearing for the first time in the history of the opus!
The hunt for Conway's killer gets frustrated in many directions, but with a useful tip, and the assistance of a young patrolman who is going to go far, Mendoza finally catches up. The motivation is so head-bangingly stupid, I almost wished I could get into the book and give that arrogant fat-head a good kick down south. "Too much Ego in his cosmos...."
Indeed.
March 18, 2019
As a police procedural, this is ok. The number of incidents with which Mendoza's homicide unit has to deal has skyrocketed compared to previous books in the series. There are five major cases ,but at least as many minor ones which are solved more simply and quickly. This time, the number of cases and individuals involved in them was sometimes hard to follow.
In addition, reading this series in order gives one a mini-course in social history.
For instance, there was almost no African American presence, for instance, in the earliest books. Jason, who is black, joined the homicide squad a couple of books ago. But now we see urban racial conflict in L.A., as well as crimes against the black middle class, and even a black female police officer. Shannon seems comfortable only with the middle class, regardless of race. The term "Negro" continues in this book, and the n-word appears once.
As with other books about the 1960's, people smoke all the time, and routinely have cocktails at lunch (sometimes more than one).
I am put off a bit by Shannon's continued complaints about the changes in law which protected suspects. Mendoza and other s mention their frustration more than once. That does not bother me; their frustration is understandable and police work is hard. What I would prefer, however, is to see some sense that there is also a case for protecting the rights of suspects. Mendoza also complains about L.A. rioters: "on you and me they were living."
Anyway, the procedural aspect of the story is, as usual, artfully executed, but the politics can be one-sided and heavy-handed.
In addition, reading this series in order gives one a mini-course in social history.
For instance, there was almost no African American presence, for instance, in the earliest books. Jason, who is black, joined the homicide squad a couple of books ago. But now we see urban racial conflict in L.A., as well as crimes against the black middle class, and even a black female police officer. Shannon seems comfortable only with the middle class, regardless of race. The term "Negro" continues in this book, and the n-word appears once.
As with other books about the 1960's, people smoke all the time, and routinely have cocktails at lunch (sometimes more than one).
I am put off a bit by Shannon's continued complaints about the changes in law which protected suspects. Mendoza and other s mention their frustration more than once. That does not bother me; their frustration is understandable and police work is hard. What I would prefer, however, is to see some sense that there is also a case for protecting the rights of suspects. Mendoza also complains about L.A. rioters: "on you and me they were living."
Anyway, the procedural aspect of the story is, as usual, artfully executed, but the politics can be one-sided and heavy-handed.
April 29, 2024
It's September in this 13th Dell Shannon police procedural set in Los Angeles. Unfortunately the cooler weather that the police department has anticipated soon develops into a heat wave. With it, tempers shorten and a crime wave ensues. So, too, does conflict arise at home.
Lieutenant Luis Mendoza may live in luxury (complete with air conditioning) but he is soon in hot water with wife Alison. Her friend Angel Hackett has been on a mission to have air conditioning installed in her older home...before Luis tells his top sargeant, and Angel's husband, just how expensive the AC cost him.
Now, amidst trying to solve a rash of robberies, Hackett must deal with an upset wife. But it is Angel who solves her own problem, despite Mendoza's attempts to backpedal about the cost versus the merits of AC. Angel is too tired to cook for her husband because the house is hot and Hackett's beloved children are suffering from heat rash. Angel quickly gets her AC.
And the cases at work continue to pile up as two seemingly unconnected homicides occur. The police work overtime to solve all their cases to a satisfying conclusion
As usual, this book is a mixture of humorous events at home and the more serious work of crime solving on the job.
Good addition to a fun to read series.
Lieutenant Luis Mendoza may live in luxury (complete with air conditioning) but he is soon in hot water with wife Alison. Her friend Angel Hackett has been on a mission to have air conditioning installed in her older home...before Luis tells his top sargeant, and Angel's husband, just how expensive the AC cost him.
Now, amidst trying to solve a rash of robberies, Hackett must deal with an upset wife. But it is Angel who solves her own problem, despite Mendoza's attempts to backpedal about the cost versus the merits of AC. Angel is too tired to cook for her husband because the house is hot and Hackett's beloved children are suffering from heat rash. Angel quickly gets her AC.
And the cases at work continue to pile up as two seemingly unconnected homicides occur. The police work overtime to solve all their cases to a satisfying conclusion
As usual, this book is a mixture of humorous events at home and the more serious work of crime solving on the job.
Good addition to a fun to read series.
March 20, 2021
Warning: This book was written in the '60s and therefore is not politically correct. You may be offended by words like colored or Negro. There is also a misogynistic attitude toward the female half of things. (Don't get me started on multiple orientations, please.) But if you can see past these things to police work without today's technology, you'll enjoy this book. I still love Luis, Alison, their twins, Mairi, their housekeeper, and the cats. El Senor is still drinking rye; Bast is still attacking people with her claws out... And I wish Higgins had asked Mary Dwyer out sooner... Recommended with above provisos.
April 3, 2020
I love to read Dell Shannon's books. This is a 1967 mystery featuring the L.A.P.D. Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza.
This book is a police procedural where there are several threads of the plot. A great cast of characters. Lots of police action. Lots of family interaction. Lots of interesting things to think about.
This book is a police procedural where there are several threads of the plot. A great cast of characters. Lots of police action. Lots of family interaction. Lots of interesting things to think about.
April 30, 2018
Read several of these enjoyable Luis Mendoza police novels back in the 80s. Enjoyed them all!
June 3, 2024
Beyond a doubt the dullest murder mystery I've ever read. There was little action and the characters kept complaining about not having air conditioning in their homes.
November 29, 2025
Fascinating insight into attitudes in the 60"s in America.
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
August 13, 2024
Written on 1967 and it shows. Racist, sexist, body-shaming and condescending, and worst of all, nobody speaks in complete sentences!!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews