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Masao Masuto #3
The Case of the Russian Diplomat
Second Masao Masuto mystery.
159 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
5 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
E.V. Cunningham
35 books10 followersEV Cunningham is a pseudonym used by author: Howard Fast, and under that name he wrote 21 mystery novels plus two others, one under his own name and one using another pseudonym Walter Ericson.
He was educated at George Washington High School, graduating in 1931. He attended the National Academy of Design in New York before serving with the Office of War Information between 1942 and 1943 and the Army Film Project in 1944.
He became war correspondent in the Far East for 'Esquire' and 'Coronet' magazines in 1945. And after the war he taught at Indiana University, Bloomington, in the summer of 1947, a year in which he was imprisoned for contempt of Congress, concerning his communistic views.
He became the owner of the Blue Heron Press in New York in 1952, a position he held until 1957. And he was the founder of the World Peace Movement and a member of the World Peace Council from 1950 to 1955 and was later a member of the Fellowship for Reconciliation. In 1952 he was an American Labour Party candidate for Congress for the 23rd District of New York.
He received a great many awards between 1933 and 1967.
He married Bette Cohen in 1937 and they had one son and one daughter.
Under his own name he wrote 35 works of fiction plus a variety of history and critical works, short stories, plays and a screenplay, 'The Hessian' (1971) plus a book of verse with William Gropper.
He died died at his home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on 12 March 2003.
Gerry Wolstenholme
March 2022
He was educated at George Washington High School, graduating in 1931. He attended the National Academy of Design in New York before serving with the Office of War Information between 1942 and 1943 and the Army Film Project in 1944.
He became war correspondent in the Far East for 'Esquire' and 'Coronet' magazines in 1945. And after the war he taught at Indiana University, Bloomington, in the summer of 1947, a year in which he was imprisoned for contempt of Congress, concerning his communistic views.
He became the owner of the Blue Heron Press in New York in 1952, a position he held until 1957. And he was the founder of the World Peace Movement and a member of the World Peace Council from 1950 to 1955 and was later a member of the Fellowship for Reconciliation. In 1952 he was an American Labour Party candidate for Congress for the 23rd District of New York.
He received a great many awards between 1933 and 1967.
He married Bette Cohen in 1937 and they had one son and one daughter.
Under his own name he wrote 35 works of fiction plus a variety of history and critical works, short stories, plays and a screenplay, 'The Hessian' (1971) plus a book of verse with William Gropper.
He died died at his home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on 12 March 2003.
Gerry Wolstenholme
March 2022
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 6, 2015
This is the third mystery featuring Detective Sergeant Masao Masuto, following on from, “The Case of the Angry Actress,” and “The Case of the One Penny Orange.” Masuto is waken in the night by Captain Wainwright, who tells him that a man has drowned in the pool of the exclusive Beverly Glen Hotel. Masuto works in Beverly Hills and the residents of the hotel include film stars, agents, businessmen, producers, writers, tourists and gangsters. However, nobody knows who the man who took off his clothes and decided to go for a swim actually is – or, as seems to bother Masuto the most, where he left his clothes? The call informing the front desk that a body was floating in the pool came from the room of Jack Stillman, who manages and is married to, an exotic dancer. However, he claims that the woman who phoned from his room was not his wife and now she has disappeared…
The hotel are keen to cover up the death as an accidental drowning, but Masuto is not convinced and, before long, there has been another murder in the same hotel. When the drowned man turns out to be a cultural attaché at the Soviet Embassy in Washington, and possibly a Soviet spy, things become complicated. With the Russians and the FBI involved, Masuto is still keen to solve a case which involves everything from spies, to terrorism to orange growing. Then, the case becomes personal and he has to do everything he can to solve the case and save his family. Although this is not the best novel involving Masao Masuto and his partner, Sy Beckman, seeming a little dated now, it is still a very readable and well paced mystery. The next in the series is, “The Case of the Poisoned Eclairs.”
Rated 3.5
The hotel are keen to cover up the death as an accidental drowning, but Masuto is not convinced and, before long, there has been another murder in the same hotel. When the drowned man turns out to be a cultural attaché at the Soviet Embassy in Washington, and possibly a Soviet spy, things become complicated. With the Russians and the FBI involved, Masuto is still keen to solve a case which involves everything from spies, to terrorism to orange growing. Then, the case becomes personal and he has to do everything he can to solve the case and save his family. Although this is not the best novel involving Masao Masuto and his partner, Sy Beckman, seeming a little dated now, it is still a very readable and well paced mystery. The next in the series is, “The Case of the Poisoned Eclairs.”
Rated 3.5
October 13, 2014
I really have nothing to say about this book. It filled a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon. It was interesting only in the way less than subtle racism of the late 1970's reared its ugly head.
August 6, 2024
"The Case of the Russian Diplomat" es una novela de misterio escrita por E. V. Cunningham, un seudónimo del novelista estadounidense Howard Fast. La historia sigue a Masao Masuto, un detective de la policía de Beverly Hills de origen japonés, en la investigación de un asesinato que involucra a un diplomático ruso.
La novela se sitúa en la década de 1970, en pleno apogeo de la Guerra Fría, un período caracterizado por la tensión entre Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética. Este contexto histórico juega un papel crucial en la trama, ya que la presencia de un diplomático ruso en Beverly Hills añade una capa de suspenso y relevancia política a la historia. La novela explora las dinámicas de la diplomacia y el espionaje durante este período tenso, lo que refleja las preocupaciones y paranoias de la época.
La trama de "The Case of the Russian Diplomat" es intrigante y bien construida, manteniendo al lector interesado desde el principio hasta el final. La estructura de la novela sigue el formato clásico de investigación detectivesca, donde se presentan pistas y sospechosos que el detective Masuto debe analizar cuidadosamente.
Masao Masuto es un detective japonés-americano que trabaja en la policía de Beverly Hills. Su carácter distintivo y su herencia cultural proporcionan una perspectiva única al género de misterio. Masuto es un personaje complejo que enfrenta no solo los desafíos de resolver el caso, sino también los prejuicios y estereotipos asociados con su origen étnico. Su enfoque en la resolución de crímenes combina la lógica occidental con la filosofía oriental, lo que añade profundidad y originalidad a su método de investigación.
La ambientación en Beverly Hills y la introducción de elementos de la Guerra Fría añaden una capa adicional de tensión a la historia. Cunningham logra capturar la atmósfera de la época, donde las relaciones internacionales eran frágiles y cualquier incidente podía tener implicaciones globales.
El estilo de escritura de Cunningham es claro y directo, lo que facilita la lectura. A pesar de la complejidad de la trama, el autor logra mantener una narrativa fluida, abundante en diálogos, que evita confundir al lector, aunque a veces no lo logra. La prosa es descriptiva sin ser excesivamente detallada, permitiendo que la historia avance a un buen ritmo.
Conclusión:
La novela es una buena representación del género de misterio, enriquecida por su contexto histórico y los temas que aborda. Howard Fast, a través de su alter ego, demuestra su habilidad para crear historias complejas y personajes memorables. "The Case of the Russian Diplomat" es una lectura recomendada para aquellos interesados en los misterios bien construidos y las narrativas que exploran las intersecciones entre cultura, política e identidad.
La novela se sitúa en la década de 1970, en pleno apogeo de la Guerra Fría, un período caracterizado por la tensión entre Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética. Este contexto histórico juega un papel crucial en la trama, ya que la presencia de un diplomático ruso en Beverly Hills añade una capa de suspenso y relevancia política a la historia. La novela explora las dinámicas de la diplomacia y el espionaje durante este período tenso, lo que refleja las preocupaciones y paranoias de la época.
La trama de "The Case of the Russian Diplomat" es intrigante y bien construida, manteniendo al lector interesado desde el principio hasta el final. La estructura de la novela sigue el formato clásico de investigación detectivesca, donde se presentan pistas y sospechosos que el detective Masuto debe analizar cuidadosamente.
Masao Masuto es un detective japonés-americano que trabaja en la policía de Beverly Hills. Su carácter distintivo y su herencia cultural proporcionan una perspectiva única al género de misterio. Masuto es un personaje complejo que enfrenta no solo los desafíos de resolver el caso, sino también los prejuicios y estereotipos asociados con su origen étnico. Su enfoque en la resolución de crímenes combina la lógica occidental con la filosofía oriental, lo que añade profundidad y originalidad a su método de investigación.
La ambientación en Beverly Hills y la introducción de elementos de la Guerra Fría añaden una capa adicional de tensión a la historia. Cunningham logra capturar la atmósfera de la época, donde las relaciones internacionales eran frágiles y cualquier incidente podía tener implicaciones globales.
El estilo de escritura de Cunningham es claro y directo, lo que facilita la lectura. A pesar de la complejidad de la trama, el autor logra mantener una narrativa fluida, abundante en diálogos, que evita confundir al lector, aunque a veces no lo logra. La prosa es descriptiva sin ser excesivamente detallada, permitiendo que la historia avance a un buen ritmo.
Conclusión:
La novela es una buena representación del género de misterio, enriquecida por su contexto histórico y los temas que aborda. Howard Fast, a través de su alter ego, demuestra su habilidad para crear historias complejas y personajes memorables. "The Case of the Russian Diplomat" es una lectura recomendada para aquellos interesados en los misterios bien construidos y las narrativas que exploran las intersecciones entre cultura, política e identidad.
November 29, 2020
I am engrossed in this series because the detective is so freshly conceived and different than the typical policeman protagonist.
The Beverly Hills location also adds to my interest in these easy-to-read contemporary mysteries.
The Beverly Hills location also adds to my interest in these easy-to-read contemporary mysteries.
September 15, 2021
A bit darker than the first two volumes, and has a bit of serious current events thrown in, including a kidnapping that hits close to home. I'm curious how the next volumes will evolve, this one feels like it's taking itself more seriously than the beginning volumes.
January 2, 2022
Está entretenido. La lectura se hace ágil.
January 24, 2023
Masao Masuto's child is kidnapped to discourage him and Sy Beckman from pursuing the case, as Russian spies are involved-- and we learn about orange growing.
October 7, 2022
This is the third of Masao Masuto's adventures written by Howard Fast, and it raises the stakes a bit by dealing with a crime that involves international intrigue and power players at the highest levels of the establishment. The struggle between working men (represented by police detective Masuto) and the rich and powerful (represented by both the victim and the perpetrators of this murder at a high-priced Beverly Hills hotel) is clear and well-delineated; and it's supplemented by the Masuto's concomitant struggle against governmental/bureaucratic inertia and passivity. That the working man triumphs is both satisfying and the point.
Even though it is in many ways probably dated, I really love Fast's depiction of his Nisei hero, who tries to navigate between the traditional world of his Japanese heritage and the contemporary American oeuvre in which he must operate. That tension is one of the neatest aspects of this series for me.
In this book we get to meet Masao's uncle, Toda, who to my mind is one of the most interesting members of his extended family. The recurring characters are also all here, and in each book we learn more about their foibles and strengths and come to understand them all better.
Even though it is in many ways probably dated, I really love Fast's depiction of his Nisei hero, who tries to navigate between the traditional world of his Japanese heritage and the contemporary American oeuvre in which he must operate. That tension is one of the neatest aspects of this series for me.
In this book we get to meet Masao's uncle, Toda, who to my mind is one of the most interesting members of his extended family. The recurring characters are also all here, and in each book we learn more about their foibles and strengths and come to understand them all better.
September 25, 2022
A murder investigation at a high-priced hotel reveals a deadly plot,
reaching the highest seats of power.
They call the pool at the Beverly Glen Hotel “the naked hooker.”
To the frustration of the Beverly Hills police department.
The hotel is really owned by the Russian Mob.
The Russians and Beverly Hills Police team up to find murderer
because it is in both their interests. More of a dark comedy
than a murder mystery. This was a good read.
reaching the highest seats of power.
They call the pool at the Beverly Glen Hotel “the naked hooker.”
To the frustration of the Beverly Hills police department.
The hotel is really owned by the Russian Mob.
The Russians and Beverly Hills Police team up to find murderer
because it is in both their interests. More of a dark comedy
than a murder mystery. This was a good read.
January 8, 2024
Did not like 🎫📌
February 4, 2016
Enjoyed this read. Had enough suspense and twists for a light, fun time.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews