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Simon Drake #6
Brink of Murder
Barney Amling, president of Pacific Guaranty, disappears. So do a million of the company's dollars. Ostensibly, he has gone to Mexico City for a monetary conference, but he didn't arrive and wasn't expected. His wife calls in the lawyer Simon Drake (Helen Nielsen's usual and always brilliant detective). Neither she nor Simon, who knows Barney well, can believe that he's a thief; nor can Captain Reardon, chief of police, who is another old friend. But things don't look good.Simon probes into Barney's dubious relationship with Pucci, property speculator and near-gangster, and with Verna, ex-brothel madame and nightclub owner. The trail leads to Buenos Aires, where Barney is seemingly killed in a spectacular car crash. But is he dead? The plot grows increasingly complex, the action quickens, the tension mounts ...Helen Nielsen writes as compellingly as ever; her ingenuity is matched by her readability. Her many fans have another treat in store this time.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Helen Nielsen
87 books5 followersHelen Nielsen was author of mysteries and television scripts for such television dramas as "Perry Mason" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".
She studied journalism, art and aeronautical drafting at various schools, including the Chicago Art Institute. Before her writing career, she worked as a draftsman during World War II and contributed to the designs of B-36 and P-80 aircraft. Her stories were often set in Laguna Beach and Oceanside, California where she lived for 60 years.
Some of her novels were reprinted by Black Lizard, including "Detour" and "Sing Me a Murder".
She studied journalism, art and aeronautical drafting at various schools, including the Chicago Art Institute. Before her writing career, she worked as a draftsman during World War II and contributed to the designs of B-36 and P-80 aircraft. Her stories were often set in Laguna Beach and Oceanside, California where she lived for 60 years.
Some of her novels were reprinted by Black Lizard, including "Detour" and "Sing Me a Murder".
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 9, 2017
A good but unremarkable mystery thriller. Barney Amling used to be a nationally renowned pro football player, but then an on-field pileup ended his career. He used to be an alcoholic, too, but he beat the bottle. Now he's a highly successful businessman, CEO of a savings & loan. Except that right now he's vanished, and the best part of a million bucks of the savings & loan's money has vanished with him.
Long, long ago, Barney's lawyer Simon Drake, now newly married to a recording star whom he adores, was infatuated with Carole, the girl who went on to marry Barney. Carole calls him in to help sort out this mess. At first Simon, like everyone else, thinks Barney might have run off with a mistress -- or possibly the mistress is Barney's supremely competent, independent-minded and obviously highly intelligent secretary Mary Sutton, who could be just waiting for things to cool down before going to join him in hiding.
But then Mary's murdered and Simon, in occasional and uneasy collaboration with star cop Knox Reardon, has to risk his neck going in search of a man who, it seems, will do anything -- even kill -- to avoid being located and brought home.
There are plenty of twists and turns to the tale, but none of them are especially surprising, and neither is the final revelation of what's been going on, and of who killed Mary. There's also the distraction of sex: there's nothing remotely raunchy in the book, but clearly Nielsen felt that, this being the liberated seventies an' all, she ought to add in the occasional, well, knowingly suggestive digression, or perhaps her editor did so for her. The effect's rather like a preadolescent trying to be daring in front of the grownups -- a bit embarrassing, in other words. Even so, the tale's very entertaining, and it was only with difficulty that I put it down at any point -- the just-one-more-chapter syndrome was certainly in full play.
The only other Helen Nielsen book I've read was the deeply impressive hardboiled outing Detour to Death -- see my notes here -- and The Brink of Murder is nowhere near as good as that. But it's certainly good enough to make me keen to seek out others of Nielsen's novels.
Long, long ago, Barney's lawyer Simon Drake, now newly married to a recording star whom he adores, was infatuated with Carole, the girl who went on to marry Barney. Carole calls him in to help sort out this mess. At first Simon, like everyone else, thinks Barney might have run off with a mistress -- or possibly the mistress is Barney's supremely competent, independent-minded and obviously highly intelligent secretary Mary Sutton, who could be just waiting for things to cool down before going to join him in hiding.
But then Mary's murdered and Simon, in occasional and uneasy collaboration with star cop Knox Reardon, has to risk his neck going in search of a man who, it seems, will do anything -- even kill -- to avoid being located and brought home.
There are plenty of twists and turns to the tale, but none of them are especially surprising, and neither is the final revelation of what's been going on, and of who killed Mary. There's also the distraction of sex: there's nothing remotely raunchy in the book, but clearly Nielsen felt that, this being the liberated seventies an' all, she ought to add in the occasional, well, knowingly suggestive digression, or perhaps her editor did so for her. The effect's rather like a preadolescent trying to be daring in front of the grownups -- a bit embarrassing, in other words. Even so, the tale's very entertaining, and it was only with difficulty that I put it down at any point -- the just-one-more-chapter syndrome was certainly in full play.
The only other Helen Nielsen book I've read was the deeply impressive hardboiled outing Detour to Death -- see my notes here -- and The Brink of Murder is nowhere near as good as that. But it's certainly good enough to make me keen to seek out others of Nielsen's novels.
June 9, 2017
It is the fourth novel in her “Simon Drake” series, following “After Midnight,” “Darkest Hour,” and “The Severed Key.” The Drake series is an excellent mystery series and truly has not been given the attention and accolades that it deserves. Drake, to be sure, is not your typical hardboiled protagonist. He is not a private investigator, does not have trouble paying his bills, is not beat up by every hood he encounters, and does not have dalliances with every buxom blonde bimbo he encounters. Drake is a well-to-do lawyer who lives in a mansion at the beach, drives a speedy Jaguar, and is married to a bombshell of a singer. Nevertheless, there is never a dull moment in this series and Nielsen is such a great writer that it is quite enjoyable to read. “The Brink of Murder” is a flawless mystery that Drake finds himself involved in that begins with a missing banking executive and all- American football hero and takes Drake on a whirlwind of activity from marinas filled with yachts, to swank restaurants, to luncheons with mobsters, and to South American nightclubs, and features plenty of action and plenty of sizzle.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews