Fools Die on Friday [Paperback]

A. A. (pseud. of Gardner Erle Stanley) Fair (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dell # 2670 (July 1, 1971)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000LTMLE8
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,946,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars A Complicated Plot about Poisoning, April 7, 2011

By 

Acute Observer (N. Jersey Shore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fools Die on Friday (Paperback)

Fools Die on Friday, A.A. Fair

Miss Beatrice Ballwin is a new client for the Cool & Lam Agency. She is afraid her uncle Gerald will be poisoned by his wife Daphne (Chapter 1). Lam visits the Real Estate company (Chapter 2). He learns about "assessments". Chapter 3 shows how a detective investigates a person. Lam learns more about the family (Chapter 4). Lam wonders about the truth in this case. Mrs. Ballwin saw her dentist in a hurry. Lam visits that office building, then finds a way to meet the nurse, Ruth Otis (Chapter 5). Lam gets news about Gerald Ballwin, and returns to meet Cool to get the latest news (Chapter 6). Detective Sergeant Frank Sellers comes to visit, and asks about the Ballwin case. They go to the Ballwin house and find an overlooked clue (Chapter 7). Carl Keetley, the brother-in-law of Gerald Ballwin, visits the Agency (Chapter 8). A detective learns who bought the deadly arsenic (Chapter 9).

Lam learns about subdividing property, and then the death of the first Mrs. Ballwin (Chapter 10). He put a down-payment on a lot. We learn more about the case (Chapter 11). Cark Keetley explained his horse-racing handicapping system (Chapter 12). The death of Daphne makes it a murder case (Chapter 13). Lam must retrieve the package that Ruth Otis put in a rented locker. Lam is surprised when he visit Ruth's apartment (Chapter 14). He finds Ethel there, then calls Sellers. Lam finds that rented locker was empty (Chapter 15). Carlotta calls Lam and tells him the police found the poison (Chapter 16). Lam places her in an auto camp. A death points to a new person as the poisoner (Chapter 17). Sgt. Sellers wants to talk to Carlotta (Chapter 18). Sellers goes to Lam's apartment, notices things, and finds Ruth. Lam may be in deep trouble now.

Sgt. Sellers and Lam visit Carl Keetley (Chapter 19). Lam turned on a radio and heard an unexpected voice! Keetley explains his actions, and his interest in this case over the past years. What if he had a recording of a conversation? Keetley surmises what went wrong with the plot. Sellers questions a new suspect and gets a confession. Lam meets Carlotta and asks her questions (Chapter 20). The answers provide a surprise. Can this news be kept hidden? Yes. Chapter 21 wraps up this case. Keetley admitted his horse-racing system was only as good as the records used. It was more trouble than it was worth!

The title reflects the fact that in California and other states the death penalty is administered on Fridays. This is another case where love leads to murder to eliminate an unwanted person. I wonder if this complicated plot was based on a true crime whose details were enhanced? See "Florence Maybrick" in "The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crimes".