The Deadly Joke

Pierre Chambrun Mystery #7

by Hugh Pentecost

A prank outside the Beaumont Hotel goes haywire, and an assassin kills the wrong man. Political fundraisers can be cynical and coarse when they’re among their own kind, and Pierre Chambrun, manager of the elegant Beaumont Hotel, prefers not to let them through his doors. But when his friend Douglas Maxwell, a hard-nosed senatorial candidate, asks to host a thousand-dollar-a-plate dinner in the Beaumont’s famous ballroom, Chambrun cannot refuse. The fundraiser has just begun when bad taste rears its ugly head, and Maxwell steps out of his limousine smiling, waving, and wearing no pants. The crowd roars with laughter until the pantsless man falls to his knees, shot dead. Less than half an hour later, Maxwell appears in Chambrun’s office, very much alive. The dead man was his cousin, a lookalike who came to New York to play a prank, and caught a bullet in return. Chambrun must find the gunman to save his friend and spare the Beaumont a second killing—because murder is the ultimate faux pas.

Genres: Mystery

188 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Hugh Pentecost was a penname of mystery author Judson Philips. Born in Massachusetts, Philips came of age during the golden age of pulp magazines, and spent the 1930s writing suspense fiction and sports stories for a number of famous pulps. His first book was Hold 'Em Girls! The Intelligent Women's Guide to Men and Football (1936). In 1939, his crime story Cancelled in Red won the Red Badge prize, launching his career as a novelist. Philips went on to write nearly one hundred books over the next five decades.

His best-known characters were Pierre Chambrun, a sleuthing hotel manager who first appeared in The Cannibal Who Overate (1962), and the one-legged investigative reporter Peter Styles, introduced in Laughter Trap (1964). Although he spent his last years with failing vision and poor health, Philips continued writing daily. His final novel was the posthumously published Pattern for Terror (1989).

Reviews

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man is shot fatally in the heart in front of a crowd of hundreds of people. 20 minutes later, he walks through the door, seemingly unharmed. How could this be? Thus begins this novel with a clever plot, interesting characters, and a backdrop of a deluxe resort hotel.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah! The early 1970's....I remember them well!

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok although lots of dated stereotypes made for some uncomfortable reading at times. There was a very quick twist at the end.

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good book as mysteries go, I suppose. There are a few too many idiotic stereotypes for my taste, though. Given that the original was written back in 1971, I suppose some of the stereotypes make some sense. Shallow characters who are not very well thought out, considering this is the seventh book in the Chambrun series. No romance, just mystery.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good murder mystery. Time has not handled the circumstances gently, but the mystery - excellent.

[Janice]

Great plot with a few surprises throughout. Love this series and following the characters through several decades and growth.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this little mystery in a consignment shop and read it the same day! Just right for a fun, quick read.