Veneno silvestre

Henry Gamadge #2

by Elizabeth Daly

Mientras que todas las emisoras de radio hablan de la proximidad de la guerra, Henry Gamadge está de regreso en Maine, esta vez por invitación del detective Mitchell, a quien tan acertadamente ayudó en su anterior caso. Mitchell tiene un puzzle real entre manos: tres niños diferentes han sido envenenados con la letal hierba mora (solanum nigrum), y no hay nada que podría vincular los tres envenenamientos, al margen del hecho de que los niños vivían todos en la misma pequeña comunidad.
¿Podrían estar implicados los gitanos que estaban acampados cerca? ¿Y fue la muerte de un policía estatal, casi al mismo tiempo, una mera coincidencia? Gamadge y Mitchell eventualmente contestarán todas estas preguntas, a la vez que desentierran algunos escándalos.

Elizabeth Daly pinta una imagen de una pequeña comunidad a finales del verano y justo antes de una guerra mundial

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Classics, Crime, Cozy, Golden Age Mystery

190 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Elizabeth Daly (1878-1967) was born in New York City and educated at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania and Columbia University. She was a reader in English at Bryn Mawr and tutored in English and French. She was awarded an Edgar in 1960. Her series character is Henry Gamadge, an antiquarian book dealer.

Daly works in the footsteps of Jane Austen, offering an extraordinarily clear picture of society in her time through the interactions of a few characters. In that tradition, if you knew a person's family history, general type, and a few personal quirks, you could be said to know everything worth knowing about that person. Today the emphasis is on baring the darkest depths of psycho- and socio-pathology; contemporary readers raised on this style may find Ms. Daly both elitist and somewhat facile. But fans of classic movies and whodunits know that a focus on polished surfaces brings with it the possibility of hidden secrets and things unsaid; for those who disdain the obvious confessional style of today, the Gamadge books have much to recommend them.

Elizabeth Daly now seems sadly forgotten by many which a shame as all her books are superbly crafted and plotted, indeed she counted none other than Agatha Christie as one of her fans. She published sixteen books all of which featured her main series character Henry Gamadge. He is a bibliophile and expert on rare books and manuscripts which makes her books particularly appealing to fans of the bibliomystery. There was some disparity between UK and US releases some being published out of sequence, the bibliography shown follows the US editions which are the true firsts. Murder Listens In and Shroud for a Lady are re-titled reissues of earlier books.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Golden age cozy mystery set in Maine on the cusp of WWII.

Henry Gamadge, gentleman sleuth, is assisting his friend Detective Mitchell to solve a pointless poisoning case involving several children living in a small town. The kids became ill around the same time but in separate locations. Also, a police officer died in an accident around the time the poisoning happened. If these incidents are related, what was the motive? Are other children in danger from deranged people?

This mystery has a large cast that I sometimes had difficulty following. There are several large families in the area, visiting relatives, an encampment of Gypsies, an insurance investigator, other police, and a woman newly released from a psychiatric ward.

Good luck trying to pinpoint a culprit from that list.

Aside from the main plot, there are subplots threads that add interest and misdirection.

Other than trying to recall which people or children belonged to which family, I mostly enjoyed how the story unfolded and the pacing. Gamadge drops hints here and there, but it isn’t until the very end that he fully explains everything. This isn’t as simple as I had imagined. The plot is layered and clever. And a little outlandish.

I wasn’t as engaged with this second book as I was with the first one. However, I genuinely liked all the characters, particularly Gamadge, who is a mix between Poirot and Holmes. From here out the in the series the ratings are a four average, so I plan to continue reading it. The books can be read in any order, though reading in sequence builds Gamadge’s story arc.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deadly Nightshade (1940) by Elizabeth Daly is the second in her Henry Gamadge series. Gamadge is a bibliophile and consultant on old books, autographs, and inks. He lives on the East Side of New York, but is willing to roam afield to investigate a suspicious signature....or an untimely death. This second adventure finds him returning to Maine (site of his first recorded case) at the behest of Detective Mitchell. Three children have been poisoned with nightshade berries with two recoveries and one fatality--and one more little girl is missing. The locals want to blame it on the gypsies camping in the woods.They're willing to accept that the berries may have been given out by mistake, but they want a scapegoat and are hankering to run the gypsies out of town.

Mitchell isn't sold on the idea, but he also can't find any other explanation. So, he calls upon Gamadge who has proven able in the past to see solutions that others miss. He soon discovers that a mysterious woman visited the homes of the children before they took ill. Was she a gypsy in disguise? Was she a harmless representative of a magazine as she claimed? Or did her disguise hide someone more closely associated with one or more of the families? A state trooper also died during that time period in what was determined to be an accident. But Gamadge wonders if that death is part of the same puzzle. Mitchell takes him around to meet the various families involved and slowly the bibliophile begins to see the pattern behind the poisonings.

This is a rather intricate story that was, at times, a little hard to follow. I ascribe part of that to the fact this particular edition is abridged--not my preference for reading (especially mysteries), but thus far this is the only edition I've been able to find in my used bookstore/booksale ramblings. Fortunately, Gamadge is as engaging as ever and the supporting characters are interesting as well. The plot is a bit convoluted, but with a hint of belief suspension it does make sense in the end. I'd be interested to know if I'd figure it out when reading the unabridged version. Good solid fare and an enjoyable read.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[tortoise dreams · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mess all the way around. Our rare book expert detective does minimal rare booking and it's difficult to find a credible reason for him to be involved in the case. Endless characters rapidly overwhelm the reader and the plot seems to go in circles never getting closer to the center. The resolution is replete with unrevealed information and implausible. Plus a little Romany-phobia along the way. Maybe it was just me, but the book was immensely difficult to follow with no reward at the end. Even the dialog at times seemed nonsensical (slang or antiquated terms from the time?). The whole experience made me feel that I've succumbed to dementia. Did enjoy the contemporaneous accounts of the war in Europe in 1940. Daly's books are supposed to get better so I may give her another try, or not.

[Patricia Arthur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Infuriatingly ridiculous plot, even by whodunit standards. I wanted to like it. But no way.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I never suspected the true solution to this second book in the Henry Gamage series!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gripe about the edition I read before I comment on the novel. The diagram/drawing which should appear on the last page, is missing. While this does not affect the solution, it does spoil the ending.

Henry Gamadge has returned to Maine for his second investigation, into the poisoning of four children which has resulted in the death of one of them. A state trooper has also died in odd circumstances around the same time.

What follows is a convoluted and rather dull,as well as intermittently confusing, plot involving a lot of driving around and some tediously pointless conversations . It is quite obvious that the one major character who does not come under police suspicion must be the perpetrator although the mildly ludicrous motive is not more than tentatively- guessable.

I confess that I found this hard-going at times, although it is reasonably well-written. I enjoyed it less than its predecessor but I shall essay a third at these reasonable prices.

3.25 stars.

[Nastarana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Daly's second outing with her gentleman sleuth, Henry Gamadge. Here, she was still figuring out how to craft a mystery novel, or so I think. Her writing is as limpid and impeccable as always and her sleuth shows his inimitable combination of brilliance, charm and good manners. The plot and its denouement are suitably bloody and horrifying. One thing I appreciate about Daly is her realism. She didn't do teacup mysteries. However, this second book in her series is marred, for me, by a multiplicity of extraneous characters, some of whom are not quite distinguishable from others. I don't want to go back to earlier chapters to figure out who the characters are. There is a great deal of driving about the Maine countryside by Gamadge and his friend Mitchell for no apparent reason. All was eventually resolved, but I lost the plot thread several times on the way.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story really surprised me. It took quite an unexpected twist.
Henry Gamadge has been asked by a friend, Detective Mitchell, to come to Maine to help with a case. Four children were given nightshade berries and ate them. The children were all about 7. One is missing and one is dead, the others have recovered. How did they get the berries? Who would give young children deadly nightshade? and why?
Detective Mitchell needs an answer because the people of the community are blaming the gypsies and those people might decide to take action on their own. He also needs to know for his own peace of mind. So, Henry heads out to visit with the parents of the children and the gypsies (they might have had a child affected; one is ill) and see what has really happened.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Entirely unnecessary masses of characters | I switched to speed reading this about 40% of the way in, because it was taking forever, introducing new people practically every other page, and was exposition dumps constantly. The final denouement was completely outlandish, and therefore very unsatisfying. I still like Gamadge, and am hopeful the next will be better, but this was not worth the time.

[Bayneeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Liked the characters and initially I thought this would be a four star book. However, while the mystery was solved and explained and wrapped up very neatly, it was confusing as all get out. And what I did follow of the wrap up just seemed so enormously unbelievable. Still there is an appeal, and I will try the next in the series.

[Mark Macatee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love these characters but absolutely hated this book. It was so bloody confusing that I couldn’t even keep the characters straight. And it wasn’t until the very very end when Gamadge explained how he had figured the solution out that I even understood what had happened. Just terribly terribly written. I don’t know if I will try book three and I’ve already purchased it. So disappointing.

[Rachel Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather convoluted (I was grateful for the closing “here’s how it happened and how I figured it out” monologue) but enjoyable.

However, this and future Ganadges will always be lesser due to the fact I’m not reading them curled up in a cozy Seattle hotel with a fireplace while it drizzles outside — which was my experience for #1.

[Brian Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, although the puzzle plot was complicated for me because of a large number of characters. I found it difficult to keep track of everyone. I liked the "down home" style of the dialogue, which fit the setting. I found that the story-telling was long-winded, which may reflect the time it was written. All in all it's an OK read.

[sslyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found myself totally confused with all the characters, got unconfused, only to get confused again. Good of Gamadge to totally lay out the plot in the end. However I got suspicious of one character early, page 46. Turned out he was indeed a bad one.

[H is for Hydraulics · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complicated plot, somewhat overwhelming number of characters, a bit of a slog.

[Varsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing and a little hard to get through, which is unfortunate for a mystery novel. The conclusion was unique and surprising, but I wish the rest of the book had been written with similar clarity.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍷
Four stars and a glass of wine. While it’s a bit dated as to vocabulary and social norms, it is still really well done. Second in this venerable series, and I think I’m going to enjoy them all greatly. The cover blurb on another of Daly’s mysteries states, “While…common…to associate British writers with the traditional, fair-play school of crime, and American authors with the hard-boiled style, the fact is that many of mystery’s most perfect puzzle stories were produced by Americans…” and accords that status to Daly’s offerings. I can certainly agree.
Here Henry Gamage returns to rural Maine, where a series of poisonings has occurred, involving deadly nightshade and only children. While the authorities focus on the “who,” Gamage knows the answer to that will be clear when he ascertains the “why.” Well told, and a book that certainly held my interest throughout.

[Gypsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several children in a Maine resort town are given nightshade berries by a stranger; while two recover, one dies and another goes missing. The State Detective on the case is a friend of Henry Gamadge, and knows first hand about bookish Gamadge's unexpected ability to understand human nature and, as a result, see clearly in otherwise murky situations. As a result, Gamadge runs up to Maine for the weekend to put his skill to the test.


This is an intelligent, generally well-written, and engrossing mystery with a pleasingly complex plot and solution. Gamadge is a likable character, despite not being fully fleshed. Like the first of the series, I don't know that the reader will come to the correct answer based solely on the clues, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment.

[VickiLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel begins with several children getting ill from eating poisoned berries. The plot careens from one corner to another and there are characters aplenty. Henry Gamadge is asked back to help solve the crime.
When reading novels from the mystery golden era, the first part of the 20th century, it is important to be aware of a different kind of speech pattern from today, an easy use of racial slurs as well as A sexist portrayal of women as mentally and emotionally feeble. It just comes with the territory and it seems nobody gets left out.

[Steven desJardins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this less well than the first of the series, in part because the casual racism directed against (rot13 for slur) "tlcfvrf" is both obnoxious and wearisome, but also because I simply found the mystery itself less compelling. If this had been the first Daly I picked up, I might not have bothered with a second, but the author is deft at devising mysteries that become clear with one clever insight and I saw a hint somewhere that the series hits its stride a bit later on, so I am inclined to continue.

[Dawn Tyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Elizabeth Daly’s writing and particularly enjoyed the first Gamadge tale. However, I struggled with this second outing. It was rather a convoluted mystery, albeit probably clever, involving way too many characters, with children whose parentage was for a long time uncertain. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and double-backing which was ultimately just dizzying. I will probably seek out the third title in the series, but not for a while I think.

[Cindy Ladensack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though the mystery turned out to be quite clever, the way the story and narrative itself were presented was quite confusing at times. After reading a couple of Daly’s books, I think I’m a fan of her ideas but not her writing. We shall see if it gets better in subsequent books. And of course, there is the unfortunate portrayal of the ‘gypsies’ in this one….

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting mystery that quaintly shows its age, but in a rather pleasing way. The plot was overly complex, and definitely kept me mystified (even at the end), but I enjoyed the character of Henry Gamadge and his relationship with Maine detective Mitchell. Loved the way they spent most of their time smoking as they cogitated.

[Judy Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery set in Maine in the 1930s. 2nd book with Henry Gamadge as the protagonist. The author, Elizabeth Daly, was supposedly Agatha Christie's favorite mystery writer. The book is quite dated but enjoyable nevertheless.

[Virginia B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yikes! Henry Gamage got this very twisted tale figured out in a weekend. The only thing is that the how/who dunnit had to be explained three times. Am still not sure if I got it straight. The time period is the thing for me in these mysteries. Also Henry Gamage himself, and his laconic assistant.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right from the misleading cover "Deadly Nightshade" underwhelms. The death of two children with deadly nightshade is underplayed and the investigation bounces around with large list unconnected incidents before a final, but complicated conclusion. Not really my sort of murder mystery.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first Henry Gamadge novel. It was a unique story, “who’s the lady giving children night shade berries?” but there were so many red herrings that I lost interest. I also figured out the culprit early on, so it just wasn’t a fun mystery for me.

[John R. Goyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another engaging read of the Gamadge type. In this case the story seemed to have more characters and complexity than I'd prefer. A lot of locations and many subplots to keep track of - it seemed a case of trying to hard to be clever. Not a favorite, but still pleasant enough reading.

[Allison Henle]

I don't recommend this book - the racism and treatment of "Gypsies" is really awful - but the mystery itself is topnotch. I kind of wish somebody could rewrite this with all of the cringe stuffleft out.

[Sharla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book tremendously up to the end. There were things I wasn't thrilled with about the ending. I won't say more to avoid giving too much away. I still say it's worth reading and plan to continue in this series. I really like Henry Gamadge and the author's writing style.