Death In the Hour

Paul Lane #10

by Richard Lockridge

Odehrává se v prostředí televize NTS, malé televizní společnosti, která si uchovala dosud nezávislost a podává zprávy nezkreslené vládní politikou. Její vedoucí zpravodajského oddělení je nalezen mrtev u bazénu ve své zahradě a nejde o nešťastnou náhodu, nýbrž o rafinovanou vraždu.

Genres: Mystery

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

An American writer of detective fiction, Richard Lockridge's frequent collaborator was his wife Frances Lockridge, who co-wrote the Mr. and Mrs. North mystery series and other popular books.

The couple also published under the shared pseudonym Francis Richards.

Reviews

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery is told through two eyes, one is Janet as assistant to a tv producer, and Bernie Simmons a assistant district attorney for NY. It's the last of this particular series where Simmons-Lt. Stein and Sg. Lane work on murders that happen in NYC mostly.

Janet and her boss Carter, Bernie and his girl Nora are invited to a Saturday visit to a couple in the country. During the opening there are hints made that early on drop a clue. But it is the unraveling of all the clues that make this story so fun to read.

The female point of view (Janet) is spot. What she thinks and does feels like Lockridge got right inside someone. Also, there is a cat involved, and it too was given the special attention that Lockridge has for these wonder creatures.

During this story besides having a great mystery to solve, the personal relationship between Nora and Bernie grows and becomes more visible.

All in all, a great ending that only makes you wonder where it could have gone. The copyright is 1974... and it appears that Lockridge focused more on continuing the Heimrich & Shapiro series in the decade before his death.

[☯Emily Ginder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book I have read in a row by Richard Lockridge. Perhaps I am getting tired of his books, but I struggled a little with this one. One reason is that the events take place during the waning years of Nixon's rule and the disillusionment of the author and the pessimism in the country burdens the book. The death of a leading TV broadcaster leads to suspicions of foul play. Was it murder? If so, was it by his estranged wife and her boyfriend? Perhaps, it is more sinister than that and is the consequence of hijinks in the corporate and political world.

[Trevor Denning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Lockridge mystery I've read. While I didn't love the political despondency of the era that bled through into the story, the story itself is pretty engaging and the mystery is easy to track.

What I most appreciated is the breezy, disjointed style of the prose. It's rhythmic and efficient, and practically impossible to imitate.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last of the book by Richard Lockridge in a series. He does have some stand-alones that I may also go back and re-read, just not right now.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clayton Carter played tennis with a girl who was not his wife and with the district attorney and his wife. Later he was found dead in a swimming pool with a tv set in the water. Was it and accident or murder?