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Captain Heimrich #21
Not I, Said the Sparrow
Very Good to Like New. Book is New. Bright clean dust jacket has moderate shelf and edge wear. Same day shipping from AZ.
- GenresMystery
228 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
About the author
Richard Lockridge
130 books25 followersAn 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.
The couple also published under the shared pseudonym Francis Richards.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 1, 2022
This is the 21st entry in the Inspector M. L. Heimrich series. Heimrich and his wife Susan are surprised to find themselves invited to a birthday party for "King" Arthur Jameson. The Jameson family is one of the old, moneyed families in the Van Brunt area and have lived on a high hill at The Tor for years. Not the sort of people who mix with state troopers, but Susan used to be an Upton (who were one of those families before losing their money) and that name still means something, apparently. The inspector isn't particularly keen on this type of high-class party, but Susan actually wants to go and he dons his black tie accordingly.
It's an even bigger surprise when Jameson, who is 72 or 73 (no one seems to be sure), announces he's going to marry his secretary, a woman a third his age. The young man who came with Dorothy Selby is very surprised indeed. Heimrich had inferred from their behavior that Dorothy Selby and Geoffrey Rankin were more than just friends (despite what they said when introducing themselves). But the biggest surprise of all is still to come...
Arthur Jameson is found early the next morning in his fishing boat, shot through the neck with a steel arrow. Somebody has made sure that the wedding will not happen. Were his heirs, sister Ursula, son Ronald, and daughter Estelle, hoping to prevent a change in the dispersal of his fortune? If so, they were too late--Jameson made and signed a new will naming Dorothy Selby as his residual legatee the night of the party. Perhaps Dorothy knew about the new will and decided that she'd dispose of her elderly fiance and still get the cash. Or maybe Geoffrey Rankin thought he'd prevent his "friend" from throwing herself away on an elderly husband.
As Heimrich and Lieutenant Forniss work their way through everyone's statements, they are looking for those with some prowess with a bow and arrow. But then there is another near-successful attempt at murder disguised as accident and their attention is drawn to a previous accident which resulted in the death of Jameson's second wife. Is the answer to the present murder to be found in the past? Heimrich begins to think it is.
It was great fun to return to a more standard mystery with some of the Lockridge series characters after a couple which were either more suspense-driven or missing the familiar faces. Watching Heimrich and Forniss go to work and get to the point where the light bulb goes off is always enjoyable.
Forniss said, "I suppose we're thinking pretty much the same thing, M. L.?"
And, of course, they are thinking the same thing. And they're right. I got there before they did, but they had to find some tangible evidence. Heimrich doesn't utter his standard "the character must fit the crime," but the solution does feature a bit of psychology--figuring out which character fits in with all of the elements. A good, solid read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
It's an even bigger surprise when Jameson, who is 72 or 73 (no one seems to be sure), announces he's going to marry his secretary, a woman a third his age. The young man who came with Dorothy Selby is very surprised indeed. Heimrich had inferred from their behavior that Dorothy Selby and Geoffrey Rankin were more than just friends (despite what they said when introducing themselves). But the biggest surprise of all is still to come...
Arthur Jameson is found early the next morning in his fishing boat, shot through the neck with a steel arrow. Somebody has made sure that the wedding will not happen. Were his heirs, sister Ursula, son Ronald, and daughter Estelle, hoping to prevent a change in the dispersal of his fortune? If so, they were too late--Jameson made and signed a new will naming Dorothy Selby as his residual legatee the night of the party. Perhaps Dorothy knew about the new will and decided that she'd dispose of her elderly fiance and still get the cash. Or maybe Geoffrey Rankin thought he'd prevent his "friend" from throwing herself away on an elderly husband.
As Heimrich and Lieutenant Forniss work their way through everyone's statements, they are looking for those with some prowess with a bow and arrow. But then there is another near-successful attempt at murder disguised as accident and their attention is drawn to a previous accident which resulted in the death of Jameson's second wife. Is the answer to the present murder to be found in the past? Heimrich begins to think it is.
It was great fun to return to a more standard mystery with some of the Lockridge series characters after a couple which were either more suspense-driven or missing the familiar faces. Watching Heimrich and Forniss go to work and get to the point where the light bulb goes off is always enjoyable.
Forniss said, "I suppose we're thinking pretty much the same thing, M. L.?"
And, of course, they are thinking the same thing. And they're right. I got there before they did, but they had to find some tangible evidence. Heimrich doesn't utter his standard "the character must fit the crime," but the solution does feature a bit of psychology--figuring out which character fits in with all of the elements. A good, solid read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
July 14, 2018
Another good story in the series, a look at the darker side of family relationships.
September 13, 2022
Major characters:
Arthur Jameson, wealthy master of The Tor
Ursula Jameson, his spinster sister
Rebecca Jameson, his first wife (dead prior to story)
Ronald Jameson, son of Arthur and Rebecca
Janet, Arthur's second wife (dead prior to story)
Estelle Tennant, daughter of Arthur and Janet
Dr. James Tennant, Estelle's husband
Dorothy "Dot" Selby, Arthur's secretary, soon to be Arthur's wife #3
Geoffrey Rankin, Dorothy's distant cousin
Florence Selby, real estate agent, Dorothy's mother
Barnes, the Jameson's valet/butler
Captain Merton L. Heimrich, NY State Police
Lieutenant Charlie Forniss, NY State Police
Locale: New York state
Synopsis: Merton and Susan Heimrich are invited to a birthday party for elderly Arthur Jameson, a Van Brunt local living in a castle-like mansion named "The Tor". They feel a bit out of place, but attend anyway. Arthur shocks the guests with a surprise announcement that he is going to marry his young secretary, Dorothy Selby. Everyone assumed Dorothy was the girlfriend of Geoffrey Rankin, although they describe themselves as distant cousins.
The next morning Heimrich gets a call: Jameson has been found dead on a rowboat on a small lake on his estate, shot with an arrow. Heimrich goes to the Selby home and finds Dorothy unaware her fiancé is dead, as she had been hustled home early from the party by her overbearing mother Florence Selby. Florence did not want any appearance that Dorothy was spending the night with her (73 year old!) fiancé. But Heimrich walks into an awkward scene: Florence and Dorothy are in their back yard shooting arrows at targets.
The plot thickens when it is revealed Jameson had made a new will the night before, making Dorothy his residual legatee which gives her a pile of money, whether or not the marriage is ever made.
While the murder is being investigated, another incident occurs. Jameson's son-in-law, Dr. James Tennant, apparently falls down the steep lakeside steps and lands on his head; severly injuring him. This is a bit too much for coincidence, which causes Heimrich to think about a previous tragedy: Jameson's second wife, Janet Jameson, had been killed on the grounds after apparently being thrown from her horse.
Review: I particularly enjoyed how the opening cocktail party at The Tor was used by the author to give the reader the backstory on some of the characters. The various introductions which occur at the party not only introduce the characters to each other, but to the reader as well. Very seamless and elegant.
I also was fascinated how the author describes the layers of social strata, for example:
1. When Susan explains her background as "the Upton girl" to Ursula, we see there is a distinct society difference between people from the two sides of town.
2. The author describes how Capt. Heimrich, Forniss, and the other police act and speak differently just among themselves, then when there are civilians present.
3. Frans Frankel, the yardman, makes a definite statement that he and his wife, while employees of the Jameson estate, are definitely not of the same class as the servants.
As for the murders - I was surprised at the identity of the killer. I had someone else pegged. The killer was responsible for the two deaths (Janet and Arthur) as well as the attempt on Dr. Tennant. I was puzzled by the last, as I could not see any motive for that one.
For additional reviews indexed by author, please visit The Mystillery Blog and try The Mystillery Reading Challenges!
Arthur Jameson, wealthy master of The Tor
Ursula Jameson, his spinster sister
Rebecca Jameson, his first wife (dead prior to story)
Ronald Jameson, son of Arthur and Rebecca
Janet, Arthur's second wife (dead prior to story)
Estelle Tennant, daughter of Arthur and Janet
Dr. James Tennant, Estelle's husband
Dorothy "Dot" Selby, Arthur's secretary, soon to be Arthur's wife #3
Geoffrey Rankin, Dorothy's distant cousin
Florence Selby, real estate agent, Dorothy's mother
Barnes, the Jameson's valet/butler
Captain Merton L. Heimrich, NY State Police
Lieutenant Charlie Forniss, NY State Police
Locale: New York state
Synopsis: Merton and Susan Heimrich are invited to a birthday party for elderly Arthur Jameson, a Van Brunt local living in a castle-like mansion named "The Tor". They feel a bit out of place, but attend anyway. Arthur shocks the guests with a surprise announcement that he is going to marry his young secretary, Dorothy Selby. Everyone assumed Dorothy was the girlfriend of Geoffrey Rankin, although they describe themselves as distant cousins.
The next morning Heimrich gets a call: Jameson has been found dead on a rowboat on a small lake on his estate, shot with an arrow. Heimrich goes to the Selby home and finds Dorothy unaware her fiancé is dead, as she had been hustled home early from the party by her overbearing mother Florence Selby. Florence did not want any appearance that Dorothy was spending the night with her (73 year old!) fiancé. But Heimrich walks into an awkward scene: Florence and Dorothy are in their back yard shooting arrows at targets.
The plot thickens when it is revealed Jameson had made a new will the night before, making Dorothy his residual legatee which gives her a pile of money, whether or not the marriage is ever made.
While the murder is being investigated, another incident occurs. Jameson's son-in-law, Dr. James Tennant, apparently falls down the steep lakeside steps and lands on his head; severly injuring him. This is a bit too much for coincidence, which causes Heimrich to think about a previous tragedy: Jameson's second wife, Janet Jameson, had been killed on the grounds after apparently being thrown from her horse.
Review: I particularly enjoyed how the opening cocktail party at The Tor was used by the author to give the reader the backstory on some of the characters. The various introductions which occur at the party not only introduce the characters to each other, but to the reader as well. Very seamless and elegant.
I also was fascinated how the author describes the layers of social strata, for example:
1. When Susan explains her background as "the Upton girl" to Ursula, we see there is a distinct society difference between people from the two sides of town.
2. The author describes how Capt. Heimrich, Forniss, and the other police act and speak differently just among themselves, then when there are civilians present.
3. Frans Frankel, the yardman, makes a definite statement that he and his wife, while employees of the Jameson estate, are definitely not of the same class as the servants.
As for the murders - I was surprised at the identity of the killer. I had someone else pegged. The killer was responsible for the two deaths (Janet and Arthur) as well as the attempt on Dr. Tennant. I was puzzled by the last, as I could not see any motive for that one.
For additional reviews indexed by author, please visit The Mystillery Blog and try The Mystillery Reading Challenges!
July 13, 2020
Early Bird Book Deal | Darker tone | The motive for this one took a little time to be made clear, and it was more psychological than they usually are in the series. Nobody comes out of it with happy days ahead, and the Inspector felt particularly gloomy about it. But even before I was sure why the killer had done it, I knew who they were and felt satisfied about it, so the book ticked all the boxes.
January 21, 2025
It's an entertaining whodunnit murder mystery. Suspenseful plotting and a gallery of interesting characters. The storytelling reflects the social norms of the time when it was written (1973), e.g. seems that everyone smoked cigarettes and drank during the day, without too much concern for drinking and driving. Heimrich and his sidekick Charlie Forniss make a good pair of detectives.
A good easy read and a solid addition to the Inspector Heimrich series. Recommended.
A good easy read and a solid addition to the Inspector Heimrich series. Recommended.
April 17, 2020
Loved it!
Even though the book did not include the Mr. & Mrs. North characters, it had me voraciously reading until its conclusion. I was sorry it ended when it did.
Even though the book did not include the Mr. & Mrs. North characters, it had me voraciously reading until its conclusion. I was sorry it ended when it did.
September 9, 2021
I think Lockridge was getting tired of Heimrich.
September 10, 2010
A man throws a party for his birthday, and uses it to announce that he will be married to a young woman (50 years his junior.) The next morning he is found dead with an arrow in his neck.
Heimrich arrives to investigate another wealthier-than-though estate and characters within it.
While I love reading about the characters... I found Heimrich much more dour here, as if he is getting tired of his job. So, it was a bit of sad book to read through just cause our main hero is ebbing in his outlook.
I also wonder if this also has to do with the fact that the author also was getting on in years as well. The plotting of the events in this weren't as careful as in past books. So, overall while this book is important to read in the sequence of the character's arc... it is not a strong book in the series.
Heimrich arrives to investigate another wealthier-than-though estate and characters within it.
While I love reading about the characters... I found Heimrich much more dour here, as if he is getting tired of his job. So, it was a bit of sad book to read through just cause our main hero is ebbing in his outlook.
I also wonder if this also has to do with the fact that the author also was getting on in years as well. The plotting of the events in this weren't as careful as in past books. So, overall while this book is important to read in the sequence of the character's arc... it is not a strong book in the series.
March 31, 2011
Heimrich, lacked spark of earlier ones
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews