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Mr. & Mrs. North #20
Death of an Angel
PUTTING A SHOW ON BROADWAY CAN BE BLOODY MURDER!
Even an indisputable smash hit. Act I: the show's chief angel — its richest investor — engages the leading lady in an offstage romance. Act II: he makes a very final exit!
Pam and Jerry North spotlight a stellar cast of suspects in the dramatic denouement of this DEATH OF AN ANGEL.
Even an indisputable smash hit. Act I: the show's chief angel — its richest investor — engages the leading lady in an offstage romance. Act II: he makes a very final exit!
Pam and Jerry North spotlight a stellar cast of suspects in the dramatic denouement of this DEATH OF AN ANGEL.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
30 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Frances Lockridge
96 books48 followersFrances Louise (Davis) Lockridge wrote popular mysteries and children's books with husband Richard Lockridge. They also published under the shared pseudonym Francis Richards.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 15, 2022
Pam & Jerry North find themselves plunged into a mystery in the theater world. Sam Wyatt, one of the writers in the North Publishing stable, has written a play called "Around the Corner" that has set Broadway on fire. And the Norths, for the first time ever, have played angel (in a very small way) and invested a small amount in the production. The show's star, Miss Naomi Shaw, shines in the production and it has just hit the 100th show milestone. The "nut" (initial production cost) is about to be paid off and that means that the profits are finally going to start pouring in. If everything goes right, Wyatt will have Hollywood studios fighting for film rights and the producer Wesley Strothers will finally have his big hit after a run of near-misses.
But then Bradley Fitch--wealthy playboy, polo star, and one of the show's biggest angels--throws a wrench into everybody's plans. Having gained access to the actors and, most particularly, the actresses, he's fallen hard for the play's star. He chooses the 100th night celebration party to announce that he and Naomi are going to be married.
"Going to seal your girl, cousins....Put her in my pocket."
And by that he means steal her right off the stage, in mid-run. The show will close and there will be no more standing room only crowds panting to see Broadway's biggest hit. He blithely suggests that they can just get another girl and go on with the show. But everyone knows that there's no way anyone could step into a role that Naomi Shaw had so clearly made her very own.
Naturally, a lot of people are pretty upset when the announcement is made. Sam Wyatt isn't precisely ecstatic to watch Hollywood dreams fade. Wesley Strothers is pretty sore that his big hit (finally!) won't run another night. Jasper Tootle, Naomi's agent, is pretty put out that he won't be getting a percentage on her contracts any more. The other leads in the play, Phyllis Barnscott and Sidney Castle, aren't exactly thrilled to see the possibility of Broadway stardom going down the drain. But it isn't only professional feathers that get ruffled. Fitch's relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have counted on the perennial bachelor remaining single. After all, they're his nearest and dearest and most likely to benefit under his will...if he finally ties the knot then their dreams of owning that lovely penthouse apartment will go up in smoke. And...there's Naomi's ex-husband who stalks out of the 100th show celebration turned engagement party like he still has a personal stake in matters.
Well, of course, somebody decides this situation just won't do. So, the morning after Fitch throws a stag party to celebrate his forthcoming nuptials, his housekeeper finds him dead with the remains of a hangover cure beside him. A deadly dose of oxalic acid added to his pick-me-up has ended the threat to Broadway's latest hit. Enter Acting Captain Bill Weigand and Lieutenant Mullins who just happen to be on load to Homicide East (due to a rash of emergency leaves). Of course, the Norths are in it too--from their connection to the playwright to the fact that one of their monogrammed cocktail napkins is found in Fitch's apartment. Bill naturally keeps them up-to-date on proceedings and Sam Wyatt keeps popping in to have his hand held--he's absolutely certain the cops are going toss him in jail at any moment.
This outing marks one of the few times that Pam is wrong. She normally jumps to the right solution, though following her thought processes is usually a bit tricky. But this time she is very surprised by Bill's selection of culprit. I have to say (even though I have read this before) that I was too. I was absolutely sure I had seen through the red herrings to correct culprit...only to be wrong. In fact, I'm pretty certain I picked the same person that I picked the last time. Again, thinking I'd cleverly avoided the pitfalls of false clues. Another fun outing with the Norths.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
But then Bradley Fitch--wealthy playboy, polo star, and one of the show's biggest angels--throws a wrench into everybody's plans. Having gained access to the actors and, most particularly, the actresses, he's fallen hard for the play's star. He chooses the 100th night celebration party to announce that he and Naomi are going to be married.
"Going to seal your girl, cousins....Put her in my pocket."
And by that he means steal her right off the stage, in mid-run. The show will close and there will be no more standing room only crowds panting to see Broadway's biggest hit. He blithely suggests that they can just get another girl and go on with the show. But everyone knows that there's no way anyone could step into a role that Naomi Shaw had so clearly made her very own.
Naturally, a lot of people are pretty upset when the announcement is made. Sam Wyatt isn't precisely ecstatic to watch Hollywood dreams fade. Wesley Strothers is pretty sore that his big hit (finally!) won't run another night. Jasper Tootle, Naomi's agent, is pretty put out that he won't be getting a percentage on her contracts any more. The other leads in the play, Phyllis Barnscott and Sidney Castle, aren't exactly thrilled to see the possibility of Broadway stardom going down the drain. But it isn't only professional feathers that get ruffled. Fitch's relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have counted on the perennial bachelor remaining single. After all, they're his nearest and dearest and most likely to benefit under his will...if he finally ties the knot then their dreams of owning that lovely penthouse apartment will go up in smoke. And...there's Naomi's ex-husband who stalks out of the 100th show celebration turned engagement party like he still has a personal stake in matters.
Well, of course, somebody decides this situation just won't do. So, the morning after Fitch throws a stag party to celebrate his forthcoming nuptials, his housekeeper finds him dead with the remains of a hangover cure beside him. A deadly dose of oxalic acid added to his pick-me-up has ended the threat to Broadway's latest hit. Enter Acting Captain Bill Weigand and Lieutenant Mullins who just happen to be on load to Homicide East (due to a rash of emergency leaves). Of course, the Norths are in it too--from their connection to the playwright to the fact that one of their monogrammed cocktail napkins is found in Fitch's apartment. Bill naturally keeps them up-to-date on proceedings and Sam Wyatt keeps popping in to have his hand held--he's absolutely certain the cops are going toss him in jail at any moment.
This outing marks one of the few times that Pam is wrong. She normally jumps to the right solution, though following her thought processes is usually a bit tricky. But this time she is very surprised by Bill's selection of culprit. I have to say (even though I have read this before) that I was too. I was absolutely sure I had seen through the red herrings to correct culprit...only to be wrong. In fact, I'm pretty certain I picked the same person that I picked the last time. Again, thinking I'd cleverly avoided the pitfalls of false clues. Another fun outing with the Norths.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
Read
April 25, 2009This was cute. A sweeter, less noir version of the Nick and Nora mysteries.
February 28, 2016
One of the better books relying more on clues than intuition. Pam is uncharacteristically wrong in her determination of who did it. Enjoyable.
November 1, 2019
The play's a hit, but then an angel throws in a BIG monkey wrench.
Frances and Richard Lockridge were transplanted mid-westerners who became quintessential New Yorkers. They loved Broadway and many of their mysteries involve the theater world. It's normally not my favorite setting, but this one is a corker. It's got some fine characters and enough red herrings to keep all of Norway fed for six months.
"Around the Corner" isn't a great play and Naomi Shaw isn't a great actress, but the combination is the sort of magic that sometimes happens on stage. It's a hit and tickets are selling out months in advance. Novelist-turned-playwright Sammy Wyatt is bemused to have written a hit play and his agent Jasper Tootle is thrilled. In 1955, 6% of $30,000 per week is a fortune and 10% of THAT is enough to richly reward a theatrical agent's efforts.
Miss Shaw is receiving a king's ransom for her starring role and her supporting players are well-paid, too. Producer Wesley Strothers is looking forward to success after a long series of near-misses. The really big money is ahead because the initial production costs must be paid off and Sammy Wyatt stands to profit when the play becomes sufficiently well-established to start a bidding war for movie rights. The party that marks the 100th performance is just the beginning and nothing can stop the gravy train now.
Nothing except a good-natured, oblivious investor (an "angel" in theater jargon) who falls in love with the leading lady and wants to marry her. AND he expects her to retire from acting, which means "Around the Corner" will go bust. To put it mildly, everyone is stunned. Or suicidal. Or homicidal. Or all three.
Bradley Fitch has no idea what all the fuss is about. The only child of elderly parents who left him a fortune, he's never had to struggle and can't imagine the panic he's causing. He moves happily between his huge Park Avenue apartment, his country home, and his Florida retreat. He plays polo and throws parties and chases women. The money he invests on Broadway is chump change, designed to get access to beautiful actresses. He's always had everything he wants and assumes that nothing will ever stand in his way. Surrounded by tough, hungry theater people, Bradley is a baby goat staked out to attract tigers. And soon he meets the same fate.
Captain William Weigand of the NYPD has a hard time narrowing down the list of suspects. Naomi Shaw looks like a school girl, but she has a past and it's caught up with her. Ex-husbands aren't always reasonable, are they? Bradley Fitch has at least two former girl friends. They're wildly dissimilar types, but one of them could have killed him for deciding to marry Naomi. Not to mention a couple of relatives who profit from Fitch's death and who REALLY need the money.
Then there are all the people whose dreams of fame and fortune will be ruined if Naomi marries and retires - the writer, his agent, the producer, the cast, and the other investors, which include Sammy Wright's publisher and friend Jerry North and his wife Pam. Bradley's housekeeper seems fond of him, but is she really? Did she see or hear something that put her in danger or did that pleasant, motherly lady try a bit of blackmail?
There are cats, of course. Three in the North's apartment, one embroidered on their monogrammed cocktail napkin found beside the body, and one who belongs to the housekeeper, but who roams Bradley Fitch's huge apartment. Some people are allergic to cat dander and some have an irrational dislike of cats. Not many men still wear straw hats, but one of the suspects does. Was his hat cleaner the fatal weapon? And why would a murdered woman have a tea towel knotted up in her hand? Like I said, red herrings abound.
I think this is one of the best in a very good series. The authors make the tight-knit, obsessive world of the New York theater come alive. It's not just a way of making a living, but a way of life. And it engulfs the people in it and cuts them off from the outside world and from reality as the rest of us know it. This is a fine mystery and I never came close to guessing the identity of the killer, but I enjoyed it all the way.
Frances and Richard Lockridge were transplanted mid-westerners who became quintessential New Yorkers. They loved Broadway and many of their mysteries involve the theater world. It's normally not my favorite setting, but this one is a corker. It's got some fine characters and enough red herrings to keep all of Norway fed for six months.
"Around the Corner" isn't a great play and Naomi Shaw isn't a great actress, but the combination is the sort of magic that sometimes happens on stage. It's a hit and tickets are selling out months in advance. Novelist-turned-playwright Sammy Wyatt is bemused to have written a hit play and his agent Jasper Tootle is thrilled. In 1955, 6% of $30,000 per week is a fortune and 10% of THAT is enough to richly reward a theatrical agent's efforts.
Miss Shaw is receiving a king's ransom for her starring role and her supporting players are well-paid, too. Producer Wesley Strothers is looking forward to success after a long series of near-misses. The really big money is ahead because the initial production costs must be paid off and Sammy Wyatt stands to profit when the play becomes sufficiently well-established to start a bidding war for movie rights. The party that marks the 100th performance is just the beginning and nothing can stop the gravy train now.
Nothing except a good-natured, oblivious investor (an "angel" in theater jargon) who falls in love with the leading lady and wants to marry her. AND he expects her to retire from acting, which means "Around the Corner" will go bust. To put it mildly, everyone is stunned. Or suicidal. Or homicidal. Or all three.
Bradley Fitch has no idea what all the fuss is about. The only child of elderly parents who left him a fortune, he's never had to struggle and can't imagine the panic he's causing. He moves happily between his huge Park Avenue apartment, his country home, and his Florida retreat. He plays polo and throws parties and chases women. The money he invests on Broadway is chump change, designed to get access to beautiful actresses. He's always had everything he wants and assumes that nothing will ever stand in his way. Surrounded by tough, hungry theater people, Bradley is a baby goat staked out to attract tigers. And soon he meets the same fate.
Captain William Weigand of the NYPD has a hard time narrowing down the list of suspects. Naomi Shaw looks like a school girl, but she has a past and it's caught up with her. Ex-husbands aren't always reasonable, are they? Bradley Fitch has at least two former girl friends. They're wildly dissimilar types, but one of them could have killed him for deciding to marry Naomi. Not to mention a couple of relatives who profit from Fitch's death and who REALLY need the money.
Then there are all the people whose dreams of fame and fortune will be ruined if Naomi marries and retires - the writer, his agent, the producer, the cast, and the other investors, which include Sammy Wright's publisher and friend Jerry North and his wife Pam. Bradley's housekeeper seems fond of him, but is she really? Did she see or hear something that put her in danger or did that pleasant, motherly lady try a bit of blackmail?
There are cats, of course. Three in the North's apartment, one embroidered on their monogrammed cocktail napkin found beside the body, and one who belongs to the housekeeper, but who roams Bradley Fitch's huge apartment. Some people are allergic to cat dander and some have an irrational dislike of cats. Not many men still wear straw hats, but one of the suspects does. Was his hat cleaner the fatal weapon? And why would a murdered woman have a tea towel knotted up in her hand? Like I said, red herrings abound.
I think this is one of the best in a very good series. The authors make the tight-knit, obsessive world of the New York theater come alive. It's not just a way of making a living, but a way of life. And it engulfs the people in it and cuts them off from the outside world and from reality as the rest of us know it. This is a fine mystery and I never came close to guessing the identity of the killer, but I enjoyed it all the way.
September 30, 2017
In Mr. & Mrs. North and the Poisoned Playboy (originally published as Death of an Angel in 1955), Frances & Richard Lockridge's amateur sleuth couple find themselves plunged into murder at the theater. One of North's authors, Samuel Wyatt, has turned playwright and his show Around the Corner has just racked up its 100th show. With the lovely Miss Naomi Shaw in the lead, its success is guaranteed and it's just possible Wyatt and the rest of the company are on their way to the big time.
But then Bradley Fitch, well-known wealthy playboy, chooses the 100th night celebration party to announce that he and Naomi Shaw are going to be married.
"Going to steal your girl, cousins....Put her in my pocket."
And he means just that. He's going to marry her and take her off the stage. Just like that. No more packed houses at Around the Corner. No more ticket sales. Because, despite Fitch saying they can get another girl, there just isn't another Naomi Shaw and Miss Shaw has made that part so much her own that no one could step in and keep the play's momentum going.
So, it's not unreasonable that a lot of people see red when the wedding bells start ringing. Sam Wyatt isn't exactly delighted to know that his shares won't be pouring in. Wesley Strothers, the producer of the show, isn't particularly thrilled with the idea either. Jasper Tootle, Naomi's agent, isn't delighted to know that his percentage is going to evaporate. Phyllis Barnscott and Sidney Castle, also leads in the play, are a little miffed that their bread and butter may be in short supply soon as well. And, then, there are other matters. Fitch's relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson--who have counted on the perennial bachelor remaining a bachelor and remembering his family appropriately when it comes to wills and things--aren't really all that excited to see him ready to settle down.
And somebody decides to act on their feelings. The morning after Fitch throws a stag party to celebrate his forthcoming nuptials, his housekeeper finds him dead with the remains of a hangover "cure" beside him. Somebody added a dose of oxalic acid to his pick-me-up and ended the threat to Broadway's latest hit. Enter Acting Captain Bill Weigand and Lt. Mullins who just happen to be on loan to Homicide East (due to a rash of emergency and regular leaves) to take up the case. Of course, the Norths are in it too--from their connection to the playwright to the appearance of one of their monogrammed (!) cocktail napkins in the dead man's apartment--and are kept thoroughly up-to-date on the proceedings by Bill...and by Sam Wyatt (who's sure the cops are going to clap the cuffs on him any minute.
This one is great fun for those of us who like fair-play mysteries. It is more fairly-clued than most of the Lockridge books and careful readers will be able to spot the right clues among the red herrings. It also marks one of the few times that Pam is wrong--she normally "jumps" to the right solution, though following her thought processes may be a bit tricky, but this time she is very surprised by Bill's selection of culprit. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the witty dialogue and interactions of our recurring characters. Sam is a bit of a sad-sack, but close association with the Norths does seem to help.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
But then Bradley Fitch, well-known wealthy playboy, chooses the 100th night celebration party to announce that he and Naomi Shaw are going to be married.
"Going to steal your girl, cousins....Put her in my pocket."
And he means just that. He's going to marry her and take her off the stage. Just like that. No more packed houses at Around the Corner. No more ticket sales. Because, despite Fitch saying they can get another girl, there just isn't another Naomi Shaw and Miss Shaw has made that part so much her own that no one could step in and keep the play's momentum going.
So, it's not unreasonable that a lot of people see red when the wedding bells start ringing. Sam Wyatt isn't exactly delighted to know that his shares won't be pouring in. Wesley Strothers, the producer of the show, isn't particularly thrilled with the idea either. Jasper Tootle, Naomi's agent, isn't delighted to know that his percentage is going to evaporate. Phyllis Barnscott and Sidney Castle, also leads in the play, are a little miffed that their bread and butter may be in short supply soon as well. And, then, there are other matters. Fitch's relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson--who have counted on the perennial bachelor remaining a bachelor and remembering his family appropriately when it comes to wills and things--aren't really all that excited to see him ready to settle down.
And somebody decides to act on their feelings. The morning after Fitch throws a stag party to celebrate his forthcoming nuptials, his housekeeper finds him dead with the remains of a hangover "cure" beside him. Somebody added a dose of oxalic acid to his pick-me-up and ended the threat to Broadway's latest hit. Enter Acting Captain Bill Weigand and Lt. Mullins who just happen to be on loan to Homicide East (due to a rash of emergency and regular leaves) to take up the case. Of course, the Norths are in it too--from their connection to the playwright to the appearance of one of their monogrammed (!) cocktail napkins in the dead man's apartment--and are kept thoroughly up-to-date on the proceedings by Bill...and by Sam Wyatt (who's sure the cops are going to clap the cuffs on him any minute.
This one is great fun for those of us who like fair-play mysteries. It is more fairly-clued than most of the Lockridge books and careful readers will be able to spot the right clues among the red herrings. It also marks one of the few times that Pam is wrong--she normally "jumps" to the right solution, though following her thought processes may be a bit tricky, but this time she is very surprised by Bill's selection of culprit. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the witty dialogue and interactions of our recurring characters. Sam is a bit of a sad-sack, but close association with the Norths does seem to help.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
February 14, 2019
In this Mr. and Mrs. North mystery, an angel-someone who sponsors a play-is killed, and there are plenty of suspects. The victim, wealthy Bradley Fitch, announces his engagement to Naomi Shaw, the star of a hit play that he's backed. Once she marries him, Naomi will retire from acting. When Bradley meets his end, there are plenty of suspects, including the play's author. Was he killed for love? Money? Or revenge?
One of the delights in reading a Mr. and Mrs. North book is the dialogue. Pam North's disconnected thoughts often confuse the heck out of her listeners, including her husband. It's as if she's channeling Gracie Allen.
One of the delights in reading a Mr. and Mrs. North book is the dialogue. Pam North's disconnected thoughts often confuse the heck out of her listeners, including her husband. It's as if she's channeling Gracie Allen.
March 18, 2020
Rating 3.5 stars This book involves the death of a Broadway play financial backer similar to the 4th book in the series “Death on the Aisle”. However, the characters are quite different between the two books. The plots even have a different feel. Read both books and decide for yourself. I promise it won’t feel like a repeat. After reading 20 books in the series, I still am not bored with the Norths and their friends. On to the next book...
December 25, 2017
This book describes the NYC theater scene in the 1950's with farcical portrayals of actors, directors and writers. In fact, some of the comments about writers reminded me of some of Agatha Christie's comments about writers. Some writers like to make fun of themselves.
Although Death of an Angel appears to be a Mr. and Mrs. North mystery, they have very little to do with the solving of two murders (three, if you count a cat). In fact,
Overall, it was not the best of the North mystery series.
Although Death of an Angel appears to be a Mr. and Mrs. North mystery, they have very little to do with the solving of two murders (three, if you count a cat). In fact,
Overall, it was not the best of the North mystery series.
January 29, 2018
Sadly the last book in the Mr. & Mrs. North series. They have some other shorter series plus some that Richard wrote solo. They are not as readily available though I own a few. Have requested the first two in the next series through ILL from the library.
June 3, 2017
This was a fun Mr. and Mrs. North book. One of my favorites of the ones I've read so far. I didn't guess who the killer was. I like being surprised.
December 18, 2019
Early Bird Book Deal | A cat was shot and killed, and that's all I have to say about it.
January 14, 2024
A good mystery, a brutal murder, and a tricky frame up. Weigand and the Norths put the pieces together
May 8, 2024
Very enjoyable book from a very enjoyable series.
August 18, 2025
Just okay. There are too many characters in a jumble at the end.
February 10, 2017
Ah, now this was a great read! Bill Weigand was rather brilliant as he investigated the murder of a theatre's "Angel" (one who invests money in a production). Pam had some good, if wacky-sounding insights, some of which made me giggle, while Jerry was overwhelmed by the editing of one of the most tedious books in the universe, Dorian was lovely as usual, and the cats were ornery. There were some great characters amongst the theatre folk as well.
November 22, 2011
quick fun classic
October 20, 2015
My first foray into reading the Mr. & Mrs. North series of mysteries, although I vaguely remember the 1950s TV series. Good fair-play traditional mystery set in the NY theater world.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews