Customer Reviews

The Deadly Dames / A Dum-Dum for the President

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Douglas Sanderson's novels were published in the 1950's to 1960's. He used his own name, but also wrote under the pseudonyms of Malcolm Douglas and Martin Brett. Although his stories featured Montreal private investigator Mike Garfin, he morphed his hero into Bill Yates (same detective and location) for THE DEADLY GAMES. Stark House brought these two Sanderson novels back to the public after 45 years.

In THE DEADLY GAMES Detective and former Mountie Bill Yates gets involved in what could only be described as a major dysfunctional family's fight over money. A wealthy family matriarch comes to Yates for an assignment but is murdered under a trolley car before Yates can get much information. A jealous husband wants Yates to spy on his wife and catch her in the act with another man. Her sister, Fay Boyle, pops into town to complicate matters. But all this isn't supposed to happen in Montreal:

"We're nice, kindly, superior and virtuous, the newspapers insist. They add with a touch of pride that we're maybe drab and colorless. It's a great think to see kindly types kickin in each other's heads every night. Once in a while, like when they suspend the local hockey star thousands of polite drab people go on a screaming, howling rampage, twenty-four house of smashing and looting. Or if the price of streetcar tickets is increased we have another long riot that wrecks and burns two hundred and fifty vehicles, paralyzes all service and ends in mass arrests. Regrettable, say the newspapers. Must be out-of-town elements. We go back to being officially kindly, colorless, drab and dull, till next time."

A DUM-DUM FOR PRESIDENT is just as full of the Archie Goodwin type of investigator, and this time it's P.I. Mike Garfin on the job. A deposed ex-president hires Garfin to keep a key for $500. Garfin makes the connection through an old buddy. Martha Davenport wants Mike to find her missing sister. Suddenly Mike Garfin is getting seriously beaten up at every turn.

Douglas Sanderson wrote great detective novels. His characters are all pulp; the action is non-stop; and the detectives involved are heroic, constantly beaten up, even as the women they get involved with stay on the sidelines and weep. These highly volatile tales supremely entertain!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer