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Murder On the Way
An ancient château in Haiti is the scene of one of the most blood-curdling series of murders in the history of the island. Who was the murderer—man, beast or some supernatural being?
An artist and his girlfriend attend her uncle's funeral on the island of Haiti, where they encounter the deep vein of Voodoo superstition. The legend of living souls trapped in dead bodies becomes a frightening reality as they witness a Zombie resurrection. The tale, by the well-traveled pulp fiction author Theodore Roscoe, captured his sense of awe and terror surrounding such a monster in the very place that would have given rise to it. His first-hand experience during his travels in Haiti taught him of such legends and he used them effectively in Murder on the Way!
Thus, well before the Zombie came to represent today's flesh-eating cinematic monster of lore, Roscoe's story (published by the New York Dodge Publishing Company in 1935) unravels impossible shootings, inexplicable disappearances, and the stirrings of rebellion. These are the background elements for this most unforgettable weekend house-party in the heart of Zombie madness.
An artist and his girlfriend attend her uncle's funeral on the island of Haiti, where they encounter the deep vein of Voodoo superstition. The legend of living souls trapped in dead bodies becomes a frightening reality as they witness a Zombie resurrection. The tale, by the well-traveled pulp fiction author Theodore Roscoe, captured his sense of awe and terror surrounding such a monster in the very place that would have given rise to it. His first-hand experience during his travels in Haiti taught him of such legends and he used them effectively in Murder on the Way!
Thus, well before the Zombie came to represent today's flesh-eating cinematic monster of lore, Roscoe's story (published by the New York Dodge Publishing Company in 1935) unravels impossible shootings, inexplicable disappearances, and the stirrings of rebellion. These are the background elements for this most unforgettable weekend house-party in the heart of Zombie madness.
- GenresMystery
ebook
First published January 1, 1935
About the author
Theodore Roscoe
76 books8 followersTheodore Roscoe (1906–1992) was an American biographer and writer of adventure, fantasy novels and stories. Roscoe's stories appeared in pulp magazines including Argosy, Wings, Flying Stories, Far East Adventure Stories, Fight Stories, Action Stories and Adventure. A collection of his stories, The Wonderful Lips of Thibong Linh, was published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. in 1981.
Roscoe was commissioned by the United States Naval Institute to write the detailed and massive histories United States Submarine Operations in World War II (1949) and United States Destroyer Operations in World War II (1953). He subsequently wrote several other books on naval history including The Trent Affair, November, 1861: U.S. detainment of a British ship nearly brings war with England (1972).
Roscoe was commissioned by the United States Naval Institute to write the detailed and massive histories United States Submarine Operations in World War II (1949) and United States Destroyer Operations in World War II (1953). He subsequently wrote several other books on naval history including The Trent Affair, November, 1861: U.S. detainment of a British ship nearly brings war with England (1972).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 23, 2019
Full review at classicmystery.blog
February 21, 2022
Coming in spooky as the 15th most recommended murder mystery for this Death of the Reader's 2021 season is Murder On The Way! by Theodore Roscoe, a story of zombies, magic, impossible locked room mysteries, and romance!
When I was first recommended Murder On the Way by friend of the show Jim Noy of In GAD We Trust I wasn’t sure what to think. A pulpy murder mystery from the 1930’s starring a bizarre undead roaming the moss-covered halls? That sounds ridiculous. And then I took another moment to think about what sorts of movies I like to watch with my friends and poke friendly fun at, and I figured this would be right up my alley. Murder on the Way may sit low on the totem pole of this year’s stories, but it is a roller coaster of hilariously absurd violence and plot twists that don’t make half as much sense as they probably should. Allow me to explain…
Theodore Roscoe is by no means a well known author, but his pulpy murder mystery is part of a certain genre of fiction that is endlessly entertaining, I think a cult classic might be the best term to describe the tome that lies before me now. We begin with a simple setup, our everyman protagonist Edwin Edward Cartershall, alias Cart, is trying desperately to finish up a portrait of his charming love interest, Patricia Pete Dale, when a letter arrives informing them that one Uncle Eli, that being the Uncle of Pete, has died and left their Haiti-based mansion Morne Noir in Pete’s careful hands. Unfortunately, in a blinding twist that nobody ever seems to see coming. Uncle Eli has invited a large number of strange and probably criminal individuals, including but not limited to an old Nazi soldier, a moustache-twirling deserter of the US military, two characters who I can only describe as a racist caricature, and a punk. That last one was taken straight from the character list, he’s about as important as he sounds.
The gatherers for the funeral of Eli are essentially told that whoever manages to survive until the next morning while living inside of the mansion will become its owner, and so begins a night murder, mistrust and mayhem as the local bumbling police led by Lieutenant Nemo Narcisse attempt to keep control of the situation. Spoiler alert, he does not. The story becomes almost a parody of classic country house murders like And Then There Were None, with there being no question that whatever horrible fate awaits these self-proclaimed mourners is what they deserve for their past crimes. Much of what Pete and Cart spend their time doing is surviving, but the reader can also start to form a better picture of the ‘why’ of it all. The plot for this one doesn’t end up being dramatically complicated at all, but at least it is consistent. Even when the topic of magic is brought to the forefront and witches begin summoning pistols from their britches, the novel maintains a level of consistency in its own insanity and indulgence in the violence and strangeness of the situation. The whole scene backed by the pounding of the drums in the distance, manned by the natives of the island in which our heroes are trapped.
This is about as far as I can get without addressing the Toadstool in the room. Due to the era in which it was published and the author’s insistence on embracing the more abrasive tropes of pulp fiction, the story has far too much racism in it for my liking, it makes it difficult to recommend even if I did enjoy the story for its merits, it is the same quality that makes it so entertaining that makes it hard to swallow. The characters of the widow Gladys and her son Toadstool (these both being major characters and of colour) in particular are described both physically and behaviorally to be as abhorrent to the reader as possible, they are both physically and emotionally abusive towards each other, and the characters of colour aren’t too much better. The natives on the island are either stupid or bloodthirsty, or both, although I do have it on good authority that Roscoe travelled to Haiti in order to research Voodoo for his text, something that does come across with some authenticity thanks to the effort he has clearly gone to. I think it is less a product of intentional racism and more a product of taking the tropes to the extreme and not rolling back when we begin to charge off of a cliff.
Murder on the Way is a novel that I greatly enjoyed reading as a piece of murder mystery history, and it was the first novel on Death of the Reader which we got to read along with a guest expert, Mr Jim Noy, who is always welcome in the DotR mansion. I would like to recommend this text to anyone who enjoys a sprinkling of insanity along with their murder mystery and who can ignore some of the mistakes of a writer of a bygone age.
Thanks to Jim Noy, who was responsible for this book's latest reprinting, for connecting us with copies and joining us to discuss it on the show.
When I was first recommended Murder On the Way by friend of the show Jim Noy of In GAD We Trust I wasn’t sure what to think. A pulpy murder mystery from the 1930’s starring a bizarre undead roaming the moss-covered halls? That sounds ridiculous. And then I took another moment to think about what sorts of movies I like to watch with my friends and poke friendly fun at, and I figured this would be right up my alley. Murder on the Way may sit low on the totem pole of this year’s stories, but it is a roller coaster of hilariously absurd violence and plot twists that don’t make half as much sense as they probably should. Allow me to explain…
Theodore Roscoe is by no means a well known author, but his pulpy murder mystery is part of a certain genre of fiction that is endlessly entertaining, I think a cult classic might be the best term to describe the tome that lies before me now. We begin with a simple setup, our everyman protagonist Edwin Edward Cartershall, alias Cart, is trying desperately to finish up a portrait of his charming love interest, Patricia Pete Dale, when a letter arrives informing them that one Uncle Eli, that being the Uncle of Pete, has died and left their Haiti-based mansion Morne Noir in Pete’s careful hands. Unfortunately, in a blinding twist that nobody ever seems to see coming. Uncle Eli has invited a large number of strange and probably criminal individuals, including but not limited to an old Nazi soldier, a moustache-twirling deserter of the US military, two characters who I can only describe as a racist caricature, and a punk. That last one was taken straight from the character list, he’s about as important as he sounds.
The gatherers for the funeral of Eli are essentially told that whoever manages to survive until the next morning while living inside of the mansion will become its owner, and so begins a night murder, mistrust and mayhem as the local bumbling police led by Lieutenant Nemo Narcisse attempt to keep control of the situation. Spoiler alert, he does not. The story becomes almost a parody of classic country house murders like And Then There Were None, with there being no question that whatever horrible fate awaits these self-proclaimed mourners is what they deserve for their past crimes. Much of what Pete and Cart spend their time doing is surviving, but the reader can also start to form a better picture of the ‘why’ of it all. The plot for this one doesn’t end up being dramatically complicated at all, but at least it is consistent. Even when the topic of magic is brought to the forefront and witches begin summoning pistols from their britches, the novel maintains a level of consistency in its own insanity and indulgence in the violence and strangeness of the situation. The whole scene backed by the pounding of the drums in the distance, manned by the natives of the island in which our heroes are trapped.
This is about as far as I can get without addressing the Toadstool in the room. Due to the era in which it was published and the author’s insistence on embracing the more abrasive tropes of pulp fiction, the story has far too much racism in it for my liking, it makes it difficult to recommend even if I did enjoy the story for its merits, it is the same quality that makes it so entertaining that makes it hard to swallow. The characters of the widow Gladys and her son Toadstool (these both being major characters and of colour) in particular are described both physically and behaviorally to be as abhorrent to the reader as possible, they are both physically and emotionally abusive towards each other, and the characters of colour aren’t too much better. The natives on the island are either stupid or bloodthirsty, or both, although I do have it on good authority that Roscoe travelled to Haiti in order to research Voodoo for his text, something that does come across with some authenticity thanks to the effort he has clearly gone to. I think it is less a product of intentional racism and more a product of taking the tropes to the extreme and not rolling back when we begin to charge off of a cliff.
Murder on the Way is a novel that I greatly enjoyed reading as a piece of murder mystery history, and it was the first novel on Death of the Reader which we got to read along with a guest expert, Mr Jim Noy, who is always welcome in the DotR mansion. I would like to recommend this text to anyone who enjoys a sprinkling of insanity along with their murder mystery and who can ignore some of the mistakes of a writer of a bygone age.
Thanks to Jim Noy, who was responsible for this book's latest reprinting, for connecting us with copies and joining us to discuss it on the show.
June 15, 2019
Theodore Roscoe è un scrittore statunitense alquanto eccentrico: nel corso della sua vita fece numerosi viaggi, tra cui uno ad Haiti, dove soggiornò per diverso tempo. Proprio in questo paese apprese i rituali e le credenze Voodoo, tra cui il culto dei famosi "zombie", che nella cultura locale non sono altro che morti risuscitati da uno stregone, che li controlla.
Questa influenza del Voodoo è evidentissima in questo suo romanzo, "Murder on the way!" (basta vedere la bellissima e suggestiva copertina): la vicenda infatti prende le mosse dalla morte dello zio di Pete ad Haiti. Essendo citata nel testamento deve quindi partire alla volta dei Caraibi per assistere alle ultime volontà del suo congiunto, non particolarmente amato. Assieme al fidanzato, passerà una delle giornate più terrificanti della sua esistenza:il maniero è infatti infestato da una compagnia quantomeno eterogenea, composta da un medico ciarliero, un generale molto antipatico, un nazista ubriacone, una sorta di donnone-scimmia con il suo figlio, che è una sorta di gorilla minorato mentalmente, un albino ed un uomo senza braccio. Insomma non il top di gamma.
E proprio tra questi strani figuri, che sembrano voler soltanto arricchirsi e lo mostrano non proprio velatamente, comincia una lunga serie di delitti:ad uno ad uno muoiono gli eredi citati nel testamento, uno persino in una camera chiusa. Tra strane disposizioni del defunto, tra cui quella di essere seppellito con un palo conficcato nel cuore per paura di divenire zombie, sangue che sgorga senza fine, assassini che spariscono in tunnel sotterranei, i nostri protagonisti si ritroveranno in pericolo molte volte, fino allo scenografico finale, contornato (ovviamente) da uno zombie che pare guidi un esercito di contadini del posto.
Il romanzo è quanto di più visionario abbia mai visto, lo paragonerei quasi a Keeler: Roscoe dimostra la sua estrema inventiva e si nota il suo divertimento nello scrivere tali vicende (si pensi che parte del romanzo lo ha scritto in un cimitero!)
I personaggi sono tutti odiosi, non sono riuscito ad empatizzare con nessuno(parzialmente con i protagonisti), essendo delle figure troppo caricaturali.
Gli omicidi si susseguono troppo rapidamente che è altamente improbabile farsi un'opinione propria sugli eventi.
Ottima la camera chiusa, che è una variazione di un famosissimo romanzo di Carr, mentre non proprio eccellente la sparizione impossibile.
Ho faticato un po' devo dire a leggerlo anche per le molteplici descrizioni, che appesantiscono il tutto, nonché dal gergo spesso molto ostico dei vari personaggi(o mostri?) del romanzo.
La soluzione è davvero un po' troppo spinta, tanto da far sembrare il tutto un episodio di Scooby Doo (soprattutto la parte finale). Ma comunque godibile, quindi 4 stelle.
Questa influenza del Voodoo è evidentissima in questo suo romanzo, "Murder on the way!" (basta vedere la bellissima e suggestiva copertina): la vicenda infatti prende le mosse dalla morte dello zio di Pete ad Haiti. Essendo citata nel testamento deve quindi partire alla volta dei Caraibi per assistere alle ultime volontà del suo congiunto, non particolarmente amato. Assieme al fidanzato, passerà una delle giornate più terrificanti della sua esistenza:il maniero è infatti infestato da una compagnia quantomeno eterogenea, composta da un medico ciarliero, un generale molto antipatico, un nazista ubriacone, una sorta di donnone-scimmia con il suo figlio, che è una sorta di gorilla minorato mentalmente, un albino ed un uomo senza braccio. Insomma non il top di gamma.
E proprio tra questi strani figuri, che sembrano voler soltanto arricchirsi e lo mostrano non proprio velatamente, comincia una lunga serie di delitti:ad uno ad uno muoiono gli eredi citati nel testamento, uno persino in una camera chiusa. Tra strane disposizioni del defunto, tra cui quella di essere seppellito con un palo conficcato nel cuore per paura di divenire zombie, sangue che sgorga senza fine, assassini che spariscono in tunnel sotterranei, i nostri protagonisti si ritroveranno in pericolo molte volte, fino allo scenografico finale, contornato (ovviamente) da uno zombie che pare guidi un esercito di contadini del posto.
Il romanzo è quanto di più visionario abbia mai visto, lo paragonerei quasi a Keeler: Roscoe dimostra la sua estrema inventiva e si nota il suo divertimento nello scrivere tali vicende (si pensi che parte del romanzo lo ha scritto in un cimitero!)
I personaggi sono tutti odiosi, non sono riuscito ad empatizzare con nessuno(parzialmente con i protagonisti), essendo delle figure troppo caricaturali.
Gli omicidi si susseguono troppo rapidamente che è altamente improbabile farsi un'opinione propria sugli eventi.
Ottima la camera chiusa, che è una variazione di un famosissimo romanzo di Carr, mentre non proprio eccellente la sparizione impossibile.
Ho faticato un po' devo dire a leggerlo anche per le molteplici descrizioni, che appesantiscono il tutto, nonché dal gergo spesso molto ostico dei vari personaggi(o mostri?) del romanzo.
La soluzione è davvero un po' troppo spinta, tanto da far sembrare il tutto un episodio di Scooby Doo (soprattutto la parte finale). Ma comunque godibile, quindi 4 stelle.
June 15, 2024
This is the first novel by a 1930's pulp fiction writer and some other interesting firsts as well - first use of the phrase "funny peculiar, not funny ha ha" and one of the first uses of the word zombie (in its traditional meaning, being the Haiti voodoo sense).
According to the bio, the author seemed to be the adventurer/traveller type and spent some time in Haiti so no doubt their descriptions of the 'natives', the land and the voodoo were informed by that.
'Natives' is where I've knocked a star off the review, because while it is definitely a product of its time, there's a lot of racial characterization in the book. A much better reviewer on this site referred to this as "the Toadstool in the room" (Toadstool being one of the characters, complete with apish behaviour and stitled language).
That aside, the book itself - a series of locked room murders happening under increasingly impossible circumstances on a Haiti plantation in a "And Then There Were None" style scenario where the survivor inherits the estate. Half a dozen murders happen over a 24 hour period in a feverish pace as the stakes keep getting raised. You will find yourself wondering where the novel can possibly go from here and then it goes there in the next chapter. So, nitro fuelled action and pace. Very "pulpy".
The mystery feels like it is getting away from the possibilities for "fair play" (or in other words, how can this all be explained adequately when the mystery is solved) but I was pleasantly surprised with (overall) fair ideas and not too much reliance on convenient circumstances.
One unique idea that I felt that was executed well was that the narrator is a painter and at several stages describes the surrounds and the scenes as they play out in terms of the colour and shade - I liked the concept because it allows some vivid painting of ideas (and of course it would make sense for a painter to think on such terms).
If you can look past the "natives" aspect (which isn't too tricky, because it feels like a cheap 30's action pulp in its writing, and thus "of its time"), you have a nightmare paced voodoo locked room mystery thriller, well worth a look.
According to the bio, the author seemed to be the adventurer/traveller type and spent some time in Haiti so no doubt their descriptions of the 'natives', the land and the voodoo were informed by that.
'Natives' is where I've knocked a star off the review, because while it is definitely a product of its time, there's a lot of racial characterization in the book. A much better reviewer on this site referred to this as "the Toadstool in the room" (Toadstool being one of the characters, complete with apish behaviour and stitled language).
That aside, the book itself - a series of locked room murders happening under increasingly impossible circumstances on a Haiti plantation in a "And Then There Were None" style scenario where the survivor inherits the estate. Half a dozen murders happen over a 24 hour period in a feverish pace as the stakes keep getting raised. You will find yourself wondering where the novel can possibly go from here and then it goes there in the next chapter. So, nitro fuelled action and pace. Very "pulpy".
The mystery feels like it is getting away from the possibilities for "fair play" (or in other words, how can this all be explained adequately when the mystery is solved) but I was pleasantly surprised with (overall) fair ideas and not too much reliance on convenient circumstances.
One unique idea that I felt that was executed well was that the narrator is a painter and at several stages describes the surrounds and the scenes as they play out in terms of the colour and shade - I liked the concept because it allows some vivid painting of ideas (and of course it would make sense for a painter to think on such terms).
If you can look past the "natives" aspect (which isn't too tricky, because it feels like a cheap 30's action pulp in its writing, and thus "of its time"), you have a nightmare paced voodoo locked room mystery thriller, well worth a look.
September 17, 2017
Murder On the Way offered you some interesting hooks to begin.
A closed-circle of suspects.
Locked room mystery.
and Zombie.
That last one, my friend, is an unusual theme for a mystery novel.
I had to say that I was a bit disappointed by this book. Plot-wise, the story sagged in the middle. There's too much stupid characters, the police, the suspects, even the protagonist, Cart. The only one who seemed to manage their wits is Cart's love interest, Pete. Dang, she is the only one able to make sense of the situation. And in the end, she was the one to explain the whole mystery.
On the other hand, Murder on the Way excels in its mystery, solution and its uses of the zombie theme. The mystery is good, it's there, though a bit underplayed. Too much action scene for my taste. Not that I mind an action-packed mystery, I just thought that it was a bit unnecessary. I love the solution to the mystery, though you could see it miles ahead. I also love how Roscoe play the zombie card in such an original way. It's not cliche, that's for sure.
So, in overall Murder On the Way is a really interesting mystery novel with unusual theme that managed to impressed you by the end of the book.
A closed-circle of suspects.
Locked room mystery.
and Zombie.
That last one, my friend, is an unusual theme for a mystery novel.
I had to say that I was a bit disappointed by this book. Plot-wise, the story sagged in the middle. There's too much stupid characters, the police, the suspects, even the protagonist, Cart. The only one who seemed to manage their wits is Cart's love interest, Pete. Dang, she is the only one able to make sense of the situation. And in the end, she was the one to explain the whole mystery.
On the other hand, Murder on the Way excels in its mystery, solution and its uses of the zombie theme. The mystery is good, it's there, though a bit underplayed. Too much action scene for my taste. Not that I mind an action-packed mystery, I just thought that it was a bit unnecessary. I love the solution to the mystery, though you could see it miles ahead. I also love how Roscoe play the zombie card in such an original way. It's not cliche, that's for sure.
So, in overall Murder On the Way is a really interesting mystery novel with unusual theme that managed to impressed you by the end of the book.
February 11, 2021
Try as I might, I can’t get it up for this one. I wanted to, but something about it just failed to draw me in. It reminds me of 1940s B mystery movies—lots of snappy patter, too little time to get to know the characters. A country house whodunit set in Haiti and featuring zombies? Sounds great; wasn’t.
August 12, 2017
A well-written Haiti-set tale that is detective fiction disguised as exotic mystery. One of the early examples of using the zombie as a feature, and with some exceptional writing towards the end.
August 19, 2017
A locked room type mystery with the unusual setting of Haiti.Really enjoyed this,it really has a bit of everything.Impossible crimes,all out action...oh and zombies!
September 29, 2021
Because of its unabashed racism, I can't rate it higher than 1. Even otherwise, the plot is average.
August 20, 2021
Recommended only for fans of secret passages, racism, and typographical errors.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews