Introducing C.B. Greenfield

C. B. Greenfield #1

by Lucille Kallen

Book by Kallen, Lucille

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

183 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Donated a pittance to local library for this 1979 mystery set in a small village a bit North of NYC. It was worth that donation. This was officially withdrawn from their collection and deservedly so.
Snooty and nonsensical .. I was forced into skip reading.
I was surprised to see that there are more in this series !

[Paul Raymer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It depends on why you read a book. To be entertained. To be taken on a journey with the author and the characters. To watch a craftsman weave the words and the plot.
This is not a major work and the story line is light. But the words are memorable. For example:
"It was not a bad morning, chilly but clear and sunny. The sky looked newly washed after the rain and wore its small, puffy white clouds with an air of having just dressed up for a party. It was the kind of morning that transmuted the mysteries of the night before into lighthearted fantasies and the fears into foolishness. I began to doubt the significance of the circumstantial evidence . . .."
It is a shame that Lucille Kallen is no longer with us. Who knows what she could have created.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greenfield is the editor of a small weekly in exurban Connecticut, who is resolved to find the hit-and-run driver who injured one of his delivery boys. Told by his friend, employee, and somewhat disgruntled Watson, the story of his pursuit is a treat for music lovers, as both Greenfield, the narrator, and one of the suspect are lovers of chamber music who play whenever they can find a third for a trio. This book was written back in the 1970's, and I have to confess that I kept thinking of how much easier their lives would have been had they had cell phones!

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucille Kallen was the lone woman on the writing team for Sid Caesar's 'Your Show of Shows' (1950-1954) and only turned to fiction when the show was canceled. As far as I can tell she only wrote the 5 mysteries in the C.B. Greenfield series. She passed away from cancer in 1999 at the age of 76.

The story is set in fictional Sloan's Ford NY. The Sloan's Ford Reporter is run by C.B. (Charlie) Greenfield, a retired NBC staff writer, from the downstairs floor of his old home. I enjoyed the opening introduction Ms. Kallen wrote describing Charlie -

'He swiveled slowly around, to an accompaniment of associated squeals and groans, and regarded me from behind his large horn-rimmed glasses. He was a long, slope-shouldered, mournful-looking man, with wispy gray hair and the face of a dignified basset hound. His movements were supremely deliberate and his pronouncements infinitely calculated; he moved through life like a man who found himself crossing a gorge on a high wire without a net. His expression suggested he was resigned to this unaccountable infamy of fate, but, as I’ve said, the expression of benign and gentle melancholy was totally deceptive. He had been known to cut an ego to ribbons while giving the perfect impersonation of a kindly old country doctor handing out lollipops.'

Maggie Rome his only reporter, married with 2 sons in college and a dog named George, Helen Deutsch, a chunky middle-aged lady, and Calli Dohanis, tall and skinny with black hair and a very flamboyant dresser, are among his small staff. Peter Kittell is the young boy who delivers papers on his bicycle.

One night on her way home Maggie comes across the crumpled body of Peter and his mangled new bike laying in the middle of the road. A hit and run. Charlie takes it very personally and is determined to get to the bottom of it. In the process there are other little Sloan Ford secrets that come to light and another mystery to solve.

I loved the relationship between Charlie and Maggie and the wonderful tete-a-tete between them. I also enjoyed the odd assortment of characters that become part of the story as they search for the hit and run driver. Great plot, lots of humor, likeable characters and a great ending. Leaves you wanting to return to Sloan's Ford. Can't wait to get to the other 3 I have in the series.

[Michael Mallory · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a real disappointment. Author Lucille Kallen was once a writer for Sid Caesar, but had this book been a TV script, Caesar would have rewritten it before rejecting it. There is no particular story here, just a lot of running around in a small town, with stereotypes instead of characters, including an eccentric newspaper editor who is one-half of the sleuth team, but who is so obnoxious he should be the victim; the narrator, the other half of the sleuth team, a woman who is slavishly devoted to her obnoxious boss, but who spends a lot of time forgetting clues and information, only to remember them when the plot demands it; and a boorish, disagreeable, washed-up novelist who is from Central Casting, right down to his leather elbow patches. Kallen also demonstrates the annoying habit of giving characters very similar names -- Andrew, Andrea, Arthur, Charlie, Calli, Catherine -- so it's sometimes hard to figure out who is who. What's more, the book is not funny. You can tell that it wants to be funny, and it tries to be funny, but the high point of wit is having one character donstandwy dawking drue huh dose because of a never-ending head cold. Maybe the subsequent books in the series are better, but this one is not worth the time.

[Patressa Kearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. Lucille Kallen, a one-time comedy writer for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows," wrote fine mysteries, too, and there's plenty of sophisticated, witty humor in them. Main character C. B. Greenfield and his reluctant sidekick Maggie Rome are both well-developed characters. Greenfield is gruff, snobby, crusty, smart, classical music loving, and sometimes lovable, even if a bit of a misogynist. Rome is amiable, intelligent, and long-suffering but doesn't let her boss, Greenfield, run roughshod over her either. They solve small-town yet complicated mysteries while producing the local newspaper, The Sloan's Ford Reporter. Lots more literate, intelligent, and enjoyable than it sounds.

[Cynthia Bemis Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the author loves to deeply describe clothing, food, weather and such, a reader will find this book similar to a "Murder, She Wrote" episode. It's a pleasant look at people, motives and amateur sleuthing brought to us by former TV writer for Imogene Coca, Lucille Kallen. I learned about Kallen while researching for my podcast, Advanced TV Herstory. While I am grateful Kallen found success writing novels, I do think she would have been a fun contributor to "Murder, She Wrote."

Enjoy it and know you can recommend it to a reader who is fearful of triggers and gore or doesn't appreciate foul language.

[Temple Dog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is first in the C.B. Greenfield series.

I must confess, I read Kallen's Tanglewood Murder before I read this one. It's a much better book.

In this introduction to the C.B. Greenfield character, you see the breadcrumbs of Kallen's potential.

I actually think the series should be called Maggie Rose. Mags plays the Watson to Greenfield's Sherlock.

The book is an easy read, but somewhat tedious. Mags elaborates far too verbosely on scenic and sartorial details for my taste.

But, it's not totally predictable, a plus, it's witty an even bigger plus and as a prequel, it sets up the rest of the series quite nicely.

TD recommends.

[Georgina]

A fun find from a little library.

[Rebecca Skelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

201 pgs. Not a super mystery. Old school
Newspaper man sniffing out the truth.

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I pretty much read the C. B. Greenfield books by Lucile Kallen backwards--or mixed-up--or something. I started with The Tanglewood Murder, meandered my way to A Little Madness (the last book in the series), and have now finished up with Introducing C. B. Greenfield. In which, guess what? Kallen introduces us to Charles Benjamin Greenfield, editor and owner of the Sloan's Ford Reporter, and his star reporter and side-kick Maggie Rome.

When Peter Kittle, the newspaper's only delivery boy, is the victim of a hit-and-run accident, Greenfield takes it upon himself to track down the coward who would leave a twelve-year-old hurt and, possibly dying, in the road. He convinces Maggie to play Watson to his Holmes and soon the two newshounds have another mystery to unravel. One of their prime suspects, author Julian Tragar, goes missing--leaving behind an expensive Mercedes, a bloody iron bar, and evidence that something heavy was dragged down to the nearby river. Did Peter's parents take matters into their own hands and attack someone they thought had injured their boy? Or are there others with a reason to want Julian Tragar out of the way?

I have to say that I kind of wish that I had quit while I was ahead. The Tanglewood Murder (#2 in the series) was a really fun read. The interplay between Greenfield and Maggie was just right and the mix of amateur detective work was right on target. This introductory book just doesn't work as well for me. I suppose part of it is that the characters aren't as settled as they are in number two--Greenfield seems way more grumpy and unwilling to share his theories with Maggie and Maggie doesn't really seem all that inquisitive. Especially given the fact that she's a reporter and it's kind of her job to ask questions and ferret out answers.

I'm glad I read this one for completion's sake (and a big thanks to Peggy Ann for sending me her copy when she was done with it!). But I'm afraid that it's a mere ★★ outing.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read about this as being a "forgotten mystery classic" from the seventies and it was compared to one of my favorite series-Nero Wolfe. Where I have found Nero Wolfe sort of "timeless", this book seemed very 70's and I really didn't like any of the characters very much. The "Nero Wolfe" is the editor of a small town newspaper who is crazy about music and his "Archie" is a married 40 something female reporter. There are only a few titles in this series-the author was a writer for Your Show of Shows.