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Mr. & Mrs. North #2
Murder Out of Turn
For Mr. and Mrs. North, there’s no vacation from murder
In a remote cabin far from New York City, Jerry and Pamela North are getting killed. On the brink of annihilation, they grit their teeth and battle back. In a moment, the fight is finished—and the Norths are named mixed doubles champions. It’s a happy moment during a splendid vacation, but off the tennis court, all is not well. After an afternoon of fun and games, the evening’s entertainment will be murder.
Mr. and Mrs. North have invited their closest friends—an ex-aviator, a mysterious doctor, and New York Police Department’s own Lt. William Weigand—to join them on this glittering retreat, but the joviality ends when Weigand finds Helen Wilson lying across the path, a knife buried in her neck. A member of the group surely killed her, and unless the Norths act quickly, the murderer will strike again.
Murder Out of Turn is the 2nd book in the Mr. and Mrs. North Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
In a remote cabin far from New York City, Jerry and Pamela North are getting killed. On the brink of annihilation, they grit their teeth and battle back. In a moment, the fight is finished—and the Norths are named mixed doubles champions. It’s a happy moment during a splendid vacation, but off the tennis court, all is not well. After an afternoon of fun and games, the evening’s entertainment will be murder.
Mr. and Mrs. North have invited their closest friends—an ex-aviator, a mysterious doctor, and New York Police Department’s own Lt. William Weigand—to join them on this glittering retreat, but the joviality ends when Weigand finds Helen Wilson lying across the path, a knife buried in her neck. A member of the group surely killed her, and unless the Norths act quickly, the murderer will strike again.
Murder Out of Turn is the 2nd book in the Mr. and Mrs. North Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1941
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280 people want to read
About the author
Frances Lockridge
95 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 - 30 of 60 reviews
August 11, 2021
The Busybodies Are At It Again!
Mrs. and Mr. North are on vacation in the wilds of New York State with their friends. Everyone appears to be having a wonderful time until someone goes and get herself murdered.
Before everyone can get over finding her body, someone else decides to get some attention by getting herself murdered, too.
Enter Lieutenant Wiegand, and his partner Mullins, to investigate. But with the Norths there, they don’t stand a chance of investigating alone.
Another clever whodunnit that will throw clues in every direction and leave you glad the Norths are there to help you solve this mystery.
A fantastic four stars ✨
Mrs. and Mr. North are on vacation in the wilds of New York State with their friends. Everyone appears to be having a wonderful time until someone goes and get herself murdered.
Before everyone can get over finding her body, someone else decides to get some attention by getting herself murdered, too.
Enter Lieutenant Wiegand, and his partner Mullins, to investigate. But with the Norths there, they don’t stand a chance of investigating alone.
Another clever whodunnit that will throw clues in every direction and leave you glad the Norths are there to help you solve this mystery.
A fantastic four stars ✨
May 27, 2017
The second book in the series finds the Norths and their new friend Lt. Bill Weigand of NYC Homicide on vacation in a cabin campground. Weigand is walking on path from one cabin to another and literally stumbles on a dead body. Weigand ends up helping the local state police detective in the investigation. The Norths' cabin is used for questioning the suspets g8ving them opportunity to get involved as well. Then a second murder occurs. A solid golden age mystery.
July 3, 2013
Second in the Mr. and Mrs. North mystery series set in late 1930s New York City---although it's primarily based at Lone Lake---and revolving around a curious couple: Jerry North, an editor with Kensington & Brown, and Pam North, a housewife.
My Take
You could consider this a step back in time for more than just the setting, as it is also a step back in writing style with its very stagey manner as the Lockridges tell us where everyone is going, doing...or dying. It's also different from other 1930s-era stories I've read in its character interaction with an almost suburban group of people who enjoy partying. And it's so true to its era. Well, obviously, since the Lockridges are writing contemporary stories!
It's a group of friends who meet on weekends over the summer in this primitive collection of cabins with showers that are fed from the lake...yup, cold water, brrrrr. Too bad the cold showers don't cool down those passions.
It would be interesting to learn just why Dorian is so passionately anti-hunting. Something has to have happened when her father was arrested and tried. I'm also curious, in this time period, if the police truly would have discussed a case and taken suggestions from a civilian couple.
Considering the number of times Weigand and Heimrich are surprised by someone listening outside the window, you'd'a thunk they'd'a checked around the outside of the cabin or set a guard.
It's a lot of wild goose chases and imminent murder. Worse, the Lockridges provided all the clues---they even send you back to look over the critical slip---and I still didn't pick up on it.
It's also a possible romance for Weigand.
The Story
Weigand's first introduction to his fellow campers is a vicious tennis match followed by a party with drinking and dancing. On the surface, everyone seems quite happy and laidback. It's as the interviews continue that all the dirt, expectations, and hopes emerge.
The Characters
The Norths have an active social life and are enjoying summer weekends up at the lake. Gerald "Jerry" seems more laid back while Pam is bright but with a tendency to leap in nonstraight lines. Pete, their cat, has come on vacation with them.
Detective Lieutenant William Weigand is an acting captain now, and he's heading off on vacation to "Ireland"! Detective Mullins who's very fond of rye and leaping to conclusions, gets commandeered. Their boss is Deputy Chief Artemus O'Malley.
Frank Ireland runs a gas station near the cabins where the Norths are staying at Lone Lake. Bram Van Horst owns the land and the cabins. Marvin is a farmer who does odd jobs for Van Horst.
Fellow campers include:
Jean Corbin is a hard-hitting account executive in advertising; Thelma Smith is not Jean's friend and do we ever get a mouthful about that; Hardie Saunders broke off from Bell, Halpern, & Bell with a major account; John Blair is Corbin's current boyfriend; Dr. James Harlan Abel was a potential boyfriend which his wife, Evelyn, wasn't keen on; Helen Wilson was Clayton Hunt's confidential secretary forced to testify against him (she dies first when Hardie kills her for finding him in Jean's cabin) and stood to inherit a chunk of money; her mother, Mrs. Wilson, stays at the lake all summer-long and takes care of her daughter's guests; Arthur Kennedy; Dorian Hunt, a fashion illustrator, is Hunt's angry daughter who hates policemen---and Weigand thinks she moves with an "odd and challenging perfection of balance"; Jane and Ben Fuller (we met them in The Norths Meet Murder , 1); the Askews; and, Hanscomb.
Lieutenant Heimrich is with the State Police and is in charge of the investigation. Sergeant Kelty is his second-in-command. Nurses Frazier and Carlin work at the hospital.
J.K. Bell is the second Bell and dances around the issues. You'd think he was alive today with all the concern he shows over not blacking someone's character.
The Cover
The cover is a plain linen broken into a one-quarter vertical band of black on the left and the remaining three-quarters a red. The spine is where you'll find the title.
The title is too accurate, for she is a Murder Out of Turn.
My Take
You could consider this a step back in time for more than just the setting, as it is also a step back in writing style with its very stagey manner as the Lockridges tell us where everyone is going, doing...or dying. It's also different from other 1930s-era stories I've read in its character interaction with an almost suburban group of people who enjoy partying. And it's so true to its era. Well, obviously, since the Lockridges are writing contemporary stories!
It's a group of friends who meet on weekends over the summer in this primitive collection of cabins with showers that are fed from the lake...yup, cold water, brrrrr. Too bad the cold showers don't cool down those passions.
It would be interesting to learn just why Dorian is so passionately anti-hunting. Something has to have happened when her father was arrested and tried. I'm also curious, in this time period, if the police truly would have discussed a case and taken suggestions from a civilian couple.
Considering the number of times Weigand and Heimrich are surprised by someone listening outside the window, you'd'a thunk they'd'a checked around the outside of the cabin or set a guard.
It's a lot of wild goose chases and imminent murder. Worse, the Lockridges provided all the clues---they even send you back to look over the critical slip---and I still didn't pick up on it.
It's also a possible romance for Weigand.
The Story
Weigand's first introduction to his fellow campers is a vicious tennis match followed by a party with drinking and dancing. On the surface, everyone seems quite happy and laidback. It's as the interviews continue that all the dirt, expectations, and hopes emerge.
The Characters
The Norths have an active social life and are enjoying summer weekends up at the lake. Gerald "Jerry" seems more laid back while Pam is bright but with a tendency to leap in nonstraight lines. Pete, their cat, has come on vacation with them.
Detective Lieutenant William Weigand is an acting captain now, and he's heading off on vacation to "Ireland"! Detective Mullins who's very fond of rye and leaping to conclusions, gets commandeered. Their boss is Deputy Chief Artemus O'Malley.
Frank Ireland runs a gas station near the cabins where the Norths are staying at Lone Lake. Bram Van Horst owns the land and the cabins. Marvin is a farmer who does odd jobs for Van Horst.
Fellow campers include:
Jean Corbin is a hard-hitting account executive in advertising; Thelma Smith is not Jean's friend and do we ever get a mouthful about that; Hardie Saunders broke off from Bell, Halpern, & Bell with a major account; John Blair is Corbin's current boyfriend; Dr. James Harlan Abel was a potential boyfriend which his wife, Evelyn, wasn't keen on; Helen Wilson was Clayton Hunt's confidential secretary forced to testify against him (she dies first when Hardie kills her for finding him in Jean's cabin) and stood to inherit a chunk of money; her mother, Mrs. Wilson, stays at the lake all summer-long and takes care of her daughter's guests; Arthur Kennedy; Dorian Hunt, a fashion illustrator, is Hunt's angry daughter who hates policemen---and Weigand thinks she moves with an "odd and challenging perfection of balance"; Jane and Ben Fuller (we met them in The Norths Meet Murder , 1); the Askews; and, Hanscomb.
Lieutenant Heimrich is with the State Police and is in charge of the investigation. Sergeant Kelty is his second-in-command. Nurses Frazier and Carlin work at the hospital.
J.K. Bell is the second Bell and dances around the issues. You'd think he was alive today with all the concern he shows over not blacking someone's character.
The Cover
The cover is a plain linen broken into a one-quarter vertical band of black on the left and the remaining three-quarters a red. The spine is where you'll find the title.
The title is too accurate, for she is a Murder Out of Turn.
April 9, 2018
Bill Weigand finds himself on a busman's holiday in Murder Out of Turn (1941) by Frances & Richard Lockridge, the second in the series featuring Pam and Jerry North as well as their favorite policeman. Having met the Norths in The Norths Meet Murder, Weigand has become friends with the couple and accepted an invitation to join them at their lake cottage cabin on the banks of Lone Lake for a bit of well-deserved R&R. The setting is picturesque, the autumn leaves are colorful and lovely, and the evening hours around the lake are serene and peaceful. He has just gotten introduced to the folks in the neighboring cabins, including the beautiful Dorian Hunt who has a mysterious aversion to policemen (or, as she refers to them, hunters) and attended his first party with them all when he goes out for a bit of fresh air and stumbles upon the body of one of the charming and popular young women.
Helen Wilson has been viciously killed with a knife to the neck and at first it is difficult to see why anyone would have wanted to murder the charming woman. When the State Police arrive--in the person of Lieutenant Merton Heimrich (and crew)--the two policemen beginning digging and discover that there are many people who may have wanted Helen dead--from those who benefit under a will to which she would have been the primary legatee to the beautiful Dorian Hunt whose father was hunted by policeman and was convicted in part by the testimony of his secretary....Helen Wilson. But then a second female camper is killed by a booby-trapped fire and it becomes difficult to decide who should have died first. Did the unpleasant Jean Corbin witness something connected to Helen's death...thus leading to her own fiery death? Or did Helen see somebody setting up the booby trap and have to be eliminated before she could realize the importance of what she saw? In other words, was somebody murdered out of turn?
This a particularly good entry in the North series for a number of reasons. Most importantly, because it introduces both Lt. Heimrich and Dorian Hunt. Heimrich would later feature in his own series with his first book coming out in 1947. It's difficult to decide whether the Lockridges intended for him to become a series character or not in this first outing. I tend to think not--he is most definitely overshadowed by Weigand here, even though Bill is clearly out of his jurisdiction. Heimrich tends to follow the city policeman's lead and Heimrich's characteristic methods of investigation are definitely not on display. I think it a good bet that once the Lockridges had set several mysteries (ten or so) in New York City, they found that it might be good to shake things up with some murder and mayhem in the rural areas.
The book also provides the moment for Bill Weigand to meet his future wife, Dorian. Not a very encouraging introduction to be sure--to find that a young woman pretty much hates the sight of policemen when one just happens to be a policeman. But Bill and Dorian work their way towards a more friendly footing as the book comes to a close and it's easy to see (even for those who don't know a wedding is in the cards) that they will be seeing more of each other in the future.
More things to like about the book: The plot itself. Clues are laid down and the observant reader has every chance to solve it along with Weigand and Heimrich. The characters are interesting and drawn well--even if some of them are more sketches than full portraits. And there's a quite exciting denouement waiting at the end. The biggest drawback--how slow our good lieutenants are to figure out that it just might not be a good idea to hold interviews beside an open window. Just how many times do you need proof that "X" must have overheard your interviews with "A" and "B" and....before you stop providing opportunities for "X" to do that?
But, overall, a highly entertaining mystery and the Norths do well with their characters out of their natural NYC habitat.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Helen Wilson has been viciously killed with a knife to the neck and at first it is difficult to see why anyone would have wanted to murder the charming woman. When the State Police arrive--in the person of Lieutenant Merton Heimrich (and crew)--the two policemen beginning digging and discover that there are many people who may have wanted Helen dead--from those who benefit under a will to which she would have been the primary legatee to the beautiful Dorian Hunt whose father was hunted by policeman and was convicted in part by the testimony of his secretary....Helen Wilson. But then a second female camper is killed by a booby-trapped fire and it becomes difficult to decide who should have died first. Did the unpleasant Jean Corbin witness something connected to Helen's death...thus leading to her own fiery death? Or did Helen see somebody setting up the booby trap and have to be eliminated before she could realize the importance of what she saw? In other words, was somebody murdered out of turn?
This a particularly good entry in the North series for a number of reasons. Most importantly, because it introduces both Lt. Heimrich and Dorian Hunt. Heimrich would later feature in his own series with his first book coming out in 1947. It's difficult to decide whether the Lockridges intended for him to become a series character or not in this first outing. I tend to think not--he is most definitely overshadowed by Weigand here, even though Bill is clearly out of his jurisdiction. Heimrich tends to follow the city policeman's lead and Heimrich's characteristic methods of investigation are definitely not on display. I think it a good bet that once the Lockridges had set several mysteries (ten or so) in New York City, they found that it might be good to shake things up with some murder and mayhem in the rural areas.
The book also provides the moment for Bill Weigand to meet his future wife, Dorian. Not a very encouraging introduction to be sure--to find that a young woman pretty much hates the sight of policemen when one just happens to be a policeman. But Bill and Dorian work their way towards a more friendly footing as the book comes to a close and it's easy to see (even for those who don't know a wedding is in the cards) that they will be seeing more of each other in the future.
More things to like about the book: The plot itself. Clues are laid down and the observant reader has every chance to solve it along with Weigand and Heimrich. The characters are interesting and drawn well--even if some of them are more sketches than full portraits. And there's a quite exciting denouement waiting at the end. The biggest drawback--how slow our good lieutenants are to figure out that it just might not be a good idea to hold interviews beside an open window. Just how many times do you need proof that "X" must have overheard your interviews with "A" and "B" and....before you stop providing opportunities for "X" to do that?
But, overall, a highly entertaining mystery and the Norths do well with their characters out of their natural NYC habitat.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
April 11, 2019
Jerry and Pam North invite their new friend Lieutenant William Weigand to join them on vacation at Lone Lake, a campground 60 miles northeast of New York City, then rural Upstate instead of the commuter suburb it would be today. Set right when War World II was brewing, this second novel in the series was as delicious as the first.
While there, Weigand meets the Norths’ fellow campers, some friends and some newcomers. One of the campers, the pretty, ambitious Jean Corbin wants her way at the ad agency where she works and with men and doesn’t let much stand in her way. But it’s not Jean who’s murdered after a party held that first night, her throat slashed: It’s the inoffensive Helen Wilson. As the young Mrs. North phrased it, it was the wrong girl. To tell more would be to ruin this excellent sequel from a bygone era that’s a delight decades later.
While there, Weigand meets the Norths’ fellow campers, some friends and some newcomers. One of the campers, the pretty, ambitious Jean Corbin wants her way at the ad agency where she works and with men and doesn’t let much stand in her way. But it’s not Jean who’s murdered after a party held that first night, her throat slashed: It’s the inoffensive Helen Wilson. As the young Mrs. North phrased it, it was the wrong girl. To tell more would be to ruin this excellent sequel from a bygone era that’s a delight decades later.
May 22, 2020
The Norths make extended cameos in this one, and don't do a whole lot of sleuthing until the end. Jerry sacrifices himself to get inadvertently assaulted by the criminal toward the end, but somehow he survives long enough to almost get killed by his wife's driving. Lt. Weigand is again the main character and takes up most of the narrative time. While this is a decent story and refreshingly free of Crispin-like tendentiousness, it's a lot of words for very little story. Much of the investigation is space-filling red herring gathering, plus endless conversations rehashed multiple times for little positive effect. Lt. Weigand falls in love, women are viewed as strong and vibrant yet ultimately objects for strong men to bully around (by most characters in the book), and the Norths spend most of the book off screen and drinking while incompetent Country Policemen prove feckless compared to Big City Detectives. It was "okay," indeed.
July 2, 2021
Am I still on Team Pamela-North-Is-Neurodivergent-As-Hell-And-Jerry-Loves-Her-For-It?
I don't know, you tell me...
"Mrs. North finished, 'you're crazy, Jerry. If anybody's going to kill you, I'm going to be there.'"
"Then he [Jerry] decided that he would not, under these rather appalling circumstances, distract Pam North from the business which rested, so hazardously, in her hands... He would finally tell her how well her mind worked, he thought. If they lived, of course."
But on to more general matters: holy mother of overcrowded mysteries, Batman!
Fun fact: I tried to read this book twice. I picked it up once, got halfway through before realizing I couldn't tell the suspects apart, went back and re-read the book from the beginning, STILL couldn't tell the suspects apart, and just continued along anyway because regardless of how cute and affirming Pam and Jerry's marriage is, I was NOT re-starting this book a third time!
However, I don't mean to imply that my experience with this book was all negative, there were things about it that I like as well.
-I like that everyone had both motive and opportunity.
-I like that Bill Weigand was the first one to solve the case (followed almost instantly by Pam and finally, by Jerry - don't worry Jerry, at least you're pretty!) because too often in murder mysteries about non-police officers who just happen to exist on the periphery of a statistically improbable number of murders, the novices easily outclass the professionals close to 100% of the time and close to 100% of the time it pulls me out the narrative and reminds me that I'm reading a book.
-I like that the authors were confident in the intelligence of the reader and told them exactly where to look to solve the case themselves, because the mystery was less about WHO (I couldn't tell them apart anyway) and more about WHY.
-I like that this series always seems to insist on giving the reader singular, odd, and idiosyncratic cocktail ideas.
-I like that they circumvented the "detective falls for the conventionally attractive and alluring murderer" trope.
-I like that they introduced several possible motives for the murders and that the stupidest, most trivial one turned out to be the truth.
...so while I found my victim-related, all-these-rich-people-seem-like-the-same-person-to-me face-blindness frustrating, all the reasons I love these books were still present: Pam being the brains AND the impulsive one, Jerry being in awe of his wife, subverting mystery tropes all over the place, and creating a fantasy world where a possibly definitely neurodivergent 40s housewife is not only only respected and listened to, but actively sought out by multiple experts for her expertise and admitted "different" way of thinking.
Honestly, if you still can't figure out why I like these books, that's one mystery I can't solve for you.
I don't know, you tell me...
"Mrs. North finished, 'you're crazy, Jerry. If anybody's going to kill you, I'm going to be there.'"
"Then he [Jerry] decided that he would not, under these rather appalling circumstances, distract Pam North from the business which rested, so hazardously, in her hands... He would finally tell her how well her mind worked, he thought. If they lived, of course."
But on to more general matters: holy mother of overcrowded mysteries, Batman!
Fun fact: I tried to read this book twice. I picked it up once, got halfway through before realizing I couldn't tell the suspects apart, went back and re-read the book from the beginning, STILL couldn't tell the suspects apart, and just continued along anyway because regardless of how cute and affirming Pam and Jerry's marriage is, I was NOT re-starting this book a third time!
However, I don't mean to imply that my experience with this book was all negative, there were things about it that I like as well.
-I like that everyone had both motive and opportunity.
-I like that Bill Weigand was the first one to solve the case (followed almost instantly by Pam and finally, by Jerry - don't worry Jerry, at least you're pretty!) because too often in murder mysteries about non-police officers who just happen to exist on the periphery of a statistically improbable number of murders, the novices easily outclass the professionals close to 100% of the time and close to 100% of the time it pulls me out the narrative and reminds me that I'm reading a book.
-I like that the authors were confident in the intelligence of the reader and told them exactly where to look to solve the case themselves, because the mystery was less about WHO (I couldn't tell them apart anyway) and more about WHY.
-I like that this series always seems to insist on giving the reader singular, odd, and idiosyncratic cocktail ideas.
-I like that they circumvented the "detective falls for the conventionally attractive and alluring murderer" trope.
-I like that they introduced several possible motives for the murders and that the stupidest, most trivial one turned out to be the truth.
...so while I found my victim-related, all-these-rich-people-seem-like-the-same-person-to-me face-blindness frustrating, all the reasons I love these books were still present: Pam being the brains AND the impulsive one, Jerry being in awe of his wife, subverting mystery tropes all over the place, and creating a fantasy world where a possibly definitely neurodivergent 40s housewife is not only only respected and listened to, but actively sought out by multiple experts for her expertise and admitted "different" way of thinking.
Honestly, if you still can't figure out why I like these books, that's one mystery I can't solve for you.
August 15, 2013
1941, #2 Mr & Mrs North, police Lt Weigand, NYC and rural NY state. A nice woman "with prospects" gets messily murdered at a holiday camp and then a nasty woman gets herself even more nastily killed; Weigand's busman's holiday leads to romance for him and a tightly plotted tale for the reader. Classic, very early police procedural style, four stars.
When the Norths invite Bill Weigand up to their lake camp for a long summer weekend, neither they nor he expected to find themselves mixed up in another murder mystery (their second), but it turns out to be extremely lucky for most of the participants that Weigand was on the spot. Not so lucky for the murderer, though...
Nice character portraits of artsy types of the period and place - NYC ~1940 - this has a decidedly pre-war feel to it, with society folks Having a Good Time partying and playing at their lake cabins, with the resultant intrigue and gossip. Most of the people are interesting and/or entertaining (the Lockridges have a very dry - but effective - sense of humor) and while most of the portraits are slight, several are quite vivid, particularly the lovely Dorian, for whom Bill falls awfully hard, awfully fast (not like him at all...). But there's a minimum of "meet cute" here, with both of them behaving like literate and reasonably grown-up adults, well, most of the time.
And this tale serves to also introduce us to Inspector Heimlich, State Police, who becomes a wonderful series character in his own right later on, but is definitely second wheel to Weigand here. We mostly go along with Lt Weigand as he sleuths around the camp and then follows-up in NYC. And except for the ending itself, the Norths don't participate much more than the other involved characters do. This was the norm in this series for many years - the majority of the crime-solving was actually done by Weigand, not the Norths, despite the tv show and movies about them. But both Norths, especially Pam, shine in the final chase scene back to the campground, which is a stunner, breathtakingly paced and beautifully written.
BOTTOM LINE:
Extremely good classic mystery, with wonderful characterizations and a thriller of an ending; very good stuff.
When the Norths invite Bill Weigand up to their lake camp for a long summer weekend, neither they nor he expected to find themselves mixed up in another murder mystery (their second), but it turns out to be extremely lucky for most of the participants that Weigand was on the spot. Not so lucky for the murderer, though...
Nice character portraits of artsy types of the period and place - NYC ~1940 - this has a decidedly pre-war feel to it, with society folks Having a Good Time partying and playing at their lake cabins, with the resultant intrigue and gossip. Most of the people are interesting and/or entertaining (the Lockridges have a very dry - but effective - sense of humor) and while most of the portraits are slight, several are quite vivid, particularly the lovely Dorian, for whom Bill falls awfully hard, awfully fast (not like him at all...). But there's a minimum of "meet cute" here, with both of them behaving like literate and reasonably grown-up adults, well, most of the time.
And this tale serves to also introduce us to Inspector Heimlich, State Police, who becomes a wonderful series character in his own right later on, but is definitely second wheel to Weigand here. We mostly go along with Lt Weigand as he sleuths around the camp and then follows-up in NYC. And except for the ending itself, the Norths don't participate much more than the other involved characters do. This was the norm in this series for many years - the majority of the crime-solving was actually done by Weigand, not the Norths, despite the tv show and movies about them. But both Norths, especially Pam, shine in the final chase scene back to the campground, which is a stunner, breathtakingly paced and beautifully written.
BOTTOM LINE:
Extremely good classic mystery, with wonderful characterizations and a thriller of an ending; very good stuff.
September 3, 2023
3.5 stars. Good writing, snappy dialog, and a great recipe for a sherry martini.
Here's the bit where the sherry martini is presented. BUT — if you're going to read the book, do not view this spoiler. This delightful chapter is the perfect palate cleanser between two tension-filled scenes.
Here's the bit where the sherry martini is presented. BUT — if you're going to read the book, do not view this spoiler. This delightful chapter is the perfect palate cleanser between two tension-filled scenes.
July 31, 2020
If GR gave 1/2 stars, this would be 3 1/2.
December 17, 2017
Frances Lockridge's Mr. and Mrs. North books comprise one of those uncanny series where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts. At least for this reader, none of the books are particularly memorable, or a really interesting story, BUT taken together they are different.
. . . they are a fabulous look at life in New York in the 1940's and '50's;
. . . they are a portrait of a very compatible mid-century marriage;
. . . they demonstrate the joy of "working" and playing with good friends;
. . . and, least of all they are period murder mysteries.
The importance of this particular book to the series is that the North's detective friend meets his future wife. For readers (like me) who do not experience the books in sequence, this is a critical book to fill in the blanks. It also stands out because in most of the later books that I've read (and i have read perhaps a dozen in the series) the role of the police is official and investigatory, but in general their "smarts" do not solve the murder. Mrs. North usually does. This book is an exception and I found it interesting as a clue in how the characters develop, as well as how the balance of power in the investigations shift.
So, this was a fun caper with the North's rusticating in the woods. Also, a critical book for anyone who wants to really delve in to this series.
. . . they are a fabulous look at life in New York in the 1940's and '50's;
. . . they are a portrait of a very compatible mid-century marriage;
. . . they demonstrate the joy of "working" and playing with good friends;
. . . and, least of all they are period murder mysteries.
The importance of this particular book to the series is that the North's detective friend meets his future wife. For readers (like me) who do not experience the books in sequence, this is a critical book to fill in the blanks. It also stands out because in most of the later books that I've read (and i have read perhaps a dozen in the series) the role of the police is official and investigatory, but in general their "smarts" do not solve the murder. Mrs. North usually does. This book is an exception and I found it interesting as a clue in how the characters develop, as well as how the balance of power in the investigations shift.
So, this was a fun caper with the North's rusticating in the woods. Also, a critical book for anyone who wants to really delve in to this series.
September 5, 2019
Unexpected. That's what this series is. Unexpected.
You'll start reading one and think, "It's good. Not outstanding, but entertaining." Then something (a character, a bit of dialogue, or a plot twist) will come along and knock your socks off. Unexpected.
This is the second book in the series and we discover that those quintessential New Yorkers Pam and Jerry North rent a cabin two hours outside the city to spend weekends in the country. A mysterious Dutchman named Van Horst bought a hundred acres with a stream running through it, dammed the stream to produce Lone Lake, and built rustic cabins around it.
And I mean RUSTIC, brother. No phones, electricity, or running water. Kerosene lamps provide light and open fireplaces provide heat. A pipe running from a natural spring provides a community shower (very refreshing in summer; bone-chilling in September) and each cabin has an outhouse for personal matters. The inhabitants are New York City professionals who can afford to rent a cabin all year. They canoe, swim, and play tennis during the day. At night they get together and drink. There are no children in sight.
The North's friend Lt. Bill Weigand of the NYPD has come up for a long weekend. He's enjoying his vacation until he stumbles over a body. And the next morning, there's another one. A cop is never really off-duty.
If you're expecting Andy and Barney to investigate, don't hold your breath. Many rural counties then didn't have sheriffs. But all of them had State Troopers and every Trooper battalion had a Serious Crimes Unit headed by a lieutenant. Lt. Heimrich is intelligent, intense, and grimly competent. Richard Lockridge was so taken with Lt. Heimrich that he wrote a series about him. (Which I intend to read if I live long enough to finish the Mr and Mrs North books.)
The first thing Lt. Heimrich does is disabuse Lt. Weigand of the notion that he's on vacation. If big-city cops are going to be discovering bodies in Heimrich's jurisdiction, then by golly they're going to help figure out who killed that body. Besides, these people are all New Yorkers who work and play together in the city. So Weigand is in charge of investigating there to find out which threads lead us to what conclusions. Weigand borrows Sergeant Mullins and the chase is on.
Two young women are dead. One is a sweet, popular girl who's just gotten some good news. The other is a successful advertising executive whose ruthless behavior makes enemies - personal and professional. Both detectives figure that one death was intended and the other was the killer protecting himself/herself. But which is which?
The locals never appear with the highly entertaining exception of one Henry Marvin. He's a hard-drinking no-count who figures into the plot in two ways. For one thing, he tells Heinrich and Weigand that Von Horst murdered his wife and hid her body under the floor of one of the cabins. For another thing, he doesn't sell kindling. Doesn't sound important, but (trust me) the whole plot hinges on the fact that Henry Marvin doesn't sell kindling.
It's a fine mystery. It even has a heart-pounding car chase. At one time or another, practically every character looks like the killer. And by the time the two lieutenants figure out which one it is, there's almost a third murder.
This is a very good book in an excellent series. The characters are beautifully well-drawn and the writing is outstanding. Both Frances and Richard Lockridge started out as reporters and Richard once wrote advertising copy. No one can write like a man whose profession is convincing us to buy stuff we can't afford and don't even want all that much. The plot is convoluted, but the authors are scrupulous about giving us all the clues. All you have to do is put them together and come up with an answer. I only hope you're better at it than I am.
You'll start reading one and think, "It's good. Not outstanding, but entertaining." Then something (a character, a bit of dialogue, or a plot twist) will come along and knock your socks off. Unexpected.
This is the second book in the series and we discover that those quintessential New Yorkers Pam and Jerry North rent a cabin two hours outside the city to spend weekends in the country. A mysterious Dutchman named Van Horst bought a hundred acres with a stream running through it, dammed the stream to produce Lone Lake, and built rustic cabins around it.
And I mean RUSTIC, brother. No phones, electricity, or running water. Kerosene lamps provide light and open fireplaces provide heat. A pipe running from a natural spring provides a community shower (very refreshing in summer; bone-chilling in September) and each cabin has an outhouse for personal matters. The inhabitants are New York City professionals who can afford to rent a cabin all year. They canoe, swim, and play tennis during the day. At night they get together and drink. There are no children in sight.
The North's friend Lt. Bill Weigand of the NYPD has come up for a long weekend. He's enjoying his vacation until he stumbles over a body. And the next morning, there's another one. A cop is never really off-duty.
If you're expecting Andy and Barney to investigate, don't hold your breath. Many rural counties then didn't have sheriffs. But all of them had State Troopers and every Trooper battalion had a Serious Crimes Unit headed by a lieutenant. Lt. Heimrich is intelligent, intense, and grimly competent. Richard Lockridge was so taken with Lt. Heimrich that he wrote a series about him. (Which I intend to read if I live long enough to finish the Mr and Mrs North books.)
The first thing Lt. Heimrich does is disabuse Lt. Weigand of the notion that he's on vacation. If big-city cops are going to be discovering bodies in Heimrich's jurisdiction, then by golly they're going to help figure out who killed that body. Besides, these people are all New Yorkers who work and play together in the city. So Weigand is in charge of investigating there to find out which threads lead us to what conclusions. Weigand borrows Sergeant Mullins and the chase is on.
Two young women are dead. One is a sweet, popular girl who's just gotten some good news. The other is a successful advertising executive whose ruthless behavior makes enemies - personal and professional. Both detectives figure that one death was intended and the other was the killer protecting himself/herself. But which is which?
The locals never appear with the highly entertaining exception of one Henry Marvin. He's a hard-drinking no-count who figures into the plot in two ways. For one thing, he tells Heinrich and Weigand that Von Horst murdered his wife and hid her body under the floor of one of the cabins. For another thing, he doesn't sell kindling. Doesn't sound important, but (trust me) the whole plot hinges on the fact that Henry Marvin doesn't sell kindling.
It's a fine mystery. It even has a heart-pounding car chase. At one time or another, practically every character looks like the killer. And by the time the two lieutenants figure out which one it is, there's almost a third murder.
This is a very good book in an excellent series. The characters are beautifully well-drawn and the writing is outstanding. Both Frances and Richard Lockridge started out as reporters and Richard once wrote advertising copy. No one can write like a man whose profession is convincing us to buy stuff we can't afford and don't even want all that much. The plot is convoluted, but the authors are scrupulous about giving us all the clues. All you have to do is put them together and come up with an answer. I only hope you're better at it than I am.
July 2, 2023
Review Summary: Another story mostly about Lt. Weigand in which the title character are more like asides (and are technically possible suspects). Drifts and floats for a good bit and then snaps to a decently exciting ending. For those that might want to see a more American variation of the landed gentry murder mystery.
=== Review ===
I barely remember much about my reading the first novel in this series which I read...four years ago!? Good god, Covid rewrote my recollection of time, huh? I thought it had been only a year or so. At any rate, looking at my review I noted it was interesting for its details about its early 20th century New York and the way it was essentially a Lt. Weigand novel with the Norths being suspects turned slightly into sidekicks. This latter fact is true here, as well. This is entirely a Weigand novel, told from his perspective and flavored by his thoughts and feelings. He is a good character. Perhaps a touch too serious, given to paragraphs of ruminations on what it means to be a policeman and what justice means to a society, which is why characters like the Norths and his sergeant, Mullins, help to give a bit of humanity.
On the former aspect, the novels as a snapshot of a time period, the results are a bit more mixed. The society folk are actually on a somewhat rustic retreat and a lot of the societal asides are flavored by this. There are multiple discussions of using kerosene as lighter fluid to start their daily fires — which becomes a major plot point — and a variety of glances towards a genteel cutthroatness of the advertising world back in town. There is one moment where the narrative pauses to have a bartender discuss the recipe of a different sort of martini — using sherry instead of vermouth — that had so much attention aimed at it that I thought it might end up being a clue but it probably was just something the Lockridge's fancied IRL
The novel spends a lot of time gathering clues once the murder occurs (and the other murder, and then another attempted murder in the way these things go). From a technical standpoint, it seems a bit ironic to say it was too much but it felt like. Especially when at least one "twist," that someone was listening in, happens multiple times. At least three. Looking back, it is fairly neat to learn than all the clues needed to solve the case were given to the reader as well as the detective. You may not be able to solve the murder with the clues but the Lockridge's play fair. It gives the whole book a kind of game design flavor. Funnily enough, the authors* toss in a footnote to remind the reader when it is time to get to the climax.
And the climax works. There's lots of chases and crashes and screams and a few gunshots. It all was just a swirl or road names and broad descriptions. Little made exact sense to someone who is not from the era and place, but it worked.
Again, I look forward to continuing the series but my investment in Weigand will eventually, presumably, go to waste as the Norths take over their own series. Or maybe they do not. I really do not know.
===========
* The way I understand, the wife mostly wrote the story idea and short outline and the husband wrote most of the actual text.
=== Review ===
I barely remember much about my reading the first novel in this series which I read...four years ago!? Good god, Covid rewrote my recollection of time, huh? I thought it had been only a year or so. At any rate, looking at my review I noted it was interesting for its details about its early 20th century New York and the way it was essentially a Lt. Weigand novel with the Norths being suspects turned slightly into sidekicks. This latter fact is true here, as well. This is entirely a Weigand novel, told from his perspective and flavored by his thoughts and feelings. He is a good character. Perhaps a touch too serious, given to paragraphs of ruminations on what it means to be a policeman and what justice means to a society, which is why characters like the Norths and his sergeant, Mullins, help to give a bit of humanity.
On the former aspect, the novels as a snapshot of a time period, the results are a bit more mixed. The society folk are actually on a somewhat rustic retreat and a lot of the societal asides are flavored by this. There are multiple discussions of using kerosene as lighter fluid to start their daily fires — which becomes a major plot point — and a variety of glances towards a genteel cutthroatness of the advertising world back in town. There is one moment where the narrative pauses to have a bartender discuss the recipe of a different sort of martini — using sherry instead of vermouth — that had so much attention aimed at it that I thought it might end up being a clue but it probably was just something the Lockridge's fancied IRL
The novel spends a lot of time gathering clues once the murder occurs (and the other murder, and then another attempted murder in the way these things go). From a technical standpoint, it seems a bit ironic to say it was too much but it felt like. Especially when at least one "twist," that someone was listening in, happens multiple times. At least three. Looking back, it is fairly neat to learn than all the clues needed to solve the case were given to the reader as well as the detective. You may not be able to solve the murder with the clues but the Lockridge's play fair. It gives the whole book a kind of game design flavor. Funnily enough, the authors* toss in a footnote to remind the reader when it is time to get to the climax.
And the climax works. There's lots of chases and crashes and screams and a few gunshots. It all was just a swirl or road names and broad descriptions. Little made exact sense to someone who is not from the era and place, but it worked.
Again, I look forward to continuing the series but my investment in Weigand will eventually, presumably, go to waste as the Norths take over their own series. Or maybe they do not. I really do not know.
===========
* The way I understand, the wife mostly wrote the story idea and short outline and the husband wrote most of the actual text.
December 31, 2022
One of my favorite things about the North mysteries is how thoroughly they place you in upper-middle-class New York in the 1940's-50's. This second adventure shows the Norths on vacation in their upstate camp community, where the usual gang has gathered for tennis, cocktails, and escape from the city heat. The Norths have invited their new friend Bill for the first time, and the authors deal with his integration to the group with impressive thoughtfulness. The same is true of Bill's first meeting with a distrustful young woman who proves important in future adventures. While TV adaptations of the time portray Pam North as a flighty scatterbrain, that's not how the Lockridges write her. I vote for neurodivergent, a concept not defined at the time. Jerry both loves her for it and is baffled by it, but I really love their companionable relationship. The puzzle in this book is somewhat overwrought, and the mode of death for one victim shows that the authors don't shy away from gruesome details. Still, I love the setting, the quips, the cocktail recipes, and the nuanced view of life at the time.
June 27, 2019
Is a homicide detective ever truly on vacation? Lt. Bill Weigand, who befriended the Norths in “The Norths Meet Murder”, has been invited to their cabin at Lone Lake where they spend their summer weekends. It was supposed to be a relaxing time meeting their friends, but instead a woman has been found murdered on the first night while a party was going on. Bill realizes he wasn’t paying attention to the comings and going of the party guests. He knows that he is supposed to be on vacation, it is not his jurisdiction, and he just meet most of the people that afternoon. It still bothers him that he can’t remember everyone. He’ll have to compare notes with Mr. and Mrs. North. Another book in this beloved series is off and running with suspects galore. Enjoy!
August 19, 2020
I’m not shocked this series fell out of favor.
The second entry into the Mr. and Mrs. North series again features them as minor characters. Given the bloated number of characters, their presence seemed all the more unnecessary: they weren’t suspects or crucial witnesses or even required for solving the murders.
Their sole purpose was to give an excuse for a NYPD detective to be on a vacation at an upstate lake when a murder occurred. It doesn’t help that the whondunit puzzle didn’t entirely fit together.
When I’m sold on a series on the basis that it’s about a cocktail-swilling couple solving murders in 1930s New York, that’s what I want to read about. Not recommended.
The second entry into the Mr. and Mrs. North series again features them as minor characters. Given the bloated number of characters, their presence seemed all the more unnecessary: they weren’t suspects or crucial witnesses or even required for solving the murders.
Their sole purpose was to give an excuse for a NYPD detective to be on a vacation at an upstate lake when a murder occurred. It doesn’t help that the whondunit puzzle didn’t entirely fit together.
When I’m sold on a series on the basis that it’s about a cocktail-swilling couple solving murders in 1930s New York, that’s what I want to read about. Not recommended.
May 13, 2019
Survey reward rental (free) | A bit sudden to wrap up but still enjoyable. | It was as if the authors got tired of plotting out motives for everyone and just decided to finish the book. I knew that one character was innocent, because another review here mentioned that this was the book in which that character first appeared. If they'd be back, they're not the killer, so that made some aspects obvious.
September 14, 2021
This nice little mystery will keep your interest for a few days. Pam and Jerry North move into the background for this one leaving NYPD Lt. Bill Weigand as the main character and the subject of a romantic subplot. The nice, neat solution is built on solid if somewhat dull detective work. This isn't a classic parlor puzzle. It's a basic police procedural with Pam and Jerry as interested observers. The action-packed ending is worthy of a TV police drama. It's enjoyable but not brilliant.
December 1, 2019
This book is reminiscent of the screwball comedies set in the '30s and '40s. Since the story is set in that era, it rings true to the time, but it doesn't make it easier to follow. There's a lot of vernacular and slang that didn't survive the era. Nonetheless, Pam, Jerry, and the detective Bill are colorful and interesting by turns. The plot turns enough to keep you guessing until the end.
November 11, 2020
Probably more like 3 1/2 stars. I was not familiar with this series, but apparently it was very popular in the 40s and 50s. This is a classic ‘ who done it’ written in 1941. Sometimes it’s nice to read a mystery in which the Internet, cellphones or DNA matches play no part. Jerry and Pam North are no Nick and Nora Charles, but there is an interesting plot, sprightly dialogue and a cat.
September 4, 2023
Second in the series sees the Norths and Weigand and Mullins fleshed out more fully and introduces Captain Heimrich who will get his own series soon enough. In this book, an upstate New York campground becomes a killing ground as secrets abound and far too many suspects need looking into. In the end, of course, the mystery is solved and explained.
July 31, 2019
Fire, fire, everywhere.
Plenty of action and plenty of suspects. Always challenging to find a solution, but with relentless conjuring the dilution comes in sight. Great read. Thanks.
KenB
Plenty of action and plenty of suspects. Always challenging to find a solution, but with relentless conjuring the dilution comes in sight. Great read. Thanks.
KenB
April 13, 2020
I do think this series is charming. It's well written, evokes the era and is generally an excellent cozy type mystery. I do love the fact that every time someone stands still they end up drinking a cocktail. So much fun.
July 20, 2021
Not as strong as the initial book in this series. In this story far far FAR too much time is spent describing driving around. It went from 'establishing a mood' to 'automobile advertisement' after the 15th or so page of descriptives. Hopefully the 3rd book is stronger.
December 31, 2021
Super convoluted
I appreciate the subtlety of everyone have means and at least a little motive. But this was just overly convoluted. Still love the North’s though the stores seem to more about Bill. I wonder if it will always be like that?
I appreciate the subtlety of everyone have means and at least a little motive. But this was just overly convoluted. Still love the North’s though the stores seem to more about Bill. I wonder if it will always be like that?
May 12, 2022
A series of murders and attacks plague a community of summer visitors at some rustic lake cabins. This mysterious case is resolved with conversations, hunches, deductions, and cocktails, not to mention much fast driving. And since the Norths are involved, a decided sense of fun.
May 9, 2017
Good light mystery
I like these mysteries. They hold my interest and are fast reads. I will buy as many as I can when they go on sale. 😊
I like these mysteries. They hold my interest and are fast reads. I will buy as many as I can when they go on sale. 😊
March 13, 2018
Sooo boring!
September 1, 2018
A fun read
Pam North is A fun "detective". The thought processes given by the Lockridges remind me of Gracie Allen. Interesting twists.
Pam North is A fun "detective". The thought processes given by the Lockridges remind me of Gracie Allen. Interesting twists.
March 23, 2019
I actually picked up on clues! Me! I never do that! I feel smug.
Enjoyable, brisk read, with amusing characters.
Enjoyable, brisk read, with amusing characters.
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