Customer Reviews

Murder is Served

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Oh, I do so love the books of Frances and Richard Lockridge, those classic mysteries featuring Mr. & Mrs. North. Otherwise known to the world as Pam and Jerry, he of the book publishing business and she--well, Pam is not so easily captured. On occasion she's the ditzy character, and at others she's so sharp it's amazing she doesn't cut herself.

This amiable, leisurely book is the perfect example of the Lockridge's art. All the stock characters are here: New York Police Lieutenant William Weigand, `Loot' to his sometimes bumble-footed Sergeant Mullins; `Bill' to his adoring wife, Dorian, and `Lieutenant' to his frequently irate superior, Inspector Artemus J. O'Malley. Of course, both Norths, and their feline menage--Martini, Gin and Sherry, a trio of variously-hued Siamese cats are also present throughout. Their city of New York is also almost a major player, so lovingly is it presented.

This story deals with the murder of `Tony' Mott, a womanizer and -financier who has bought into the famous Maison Maillaux, upsetting the careful and long-lived balance of the pricey French restaurant. He's tired of his newest younger wife, Peggy and takes up with another woman, Elaine Britton, but not before pulling his backing from a young playwright, Weldon Carey, whose play had been scheduled for an off-Broadway house, and just coincidentally featured his abandoned wife in a leading role.

Peggy and Weldon are taking a class in Experimental Psychology at Dyckman University, of which the Professor is John Leonard, an author of Jerry's publishing house. When Leonard's students are instructed to write their term paper about one of the human emotions and how it affects their lives, Peggy writes about hate, but without mentioning who it is, exactly, that she might hate.

Even so, Leonard takes excerpts of it to Jerry because of his known connection to Weigand, and implies a sense of impending disaster, so that when it happens - nope, sorry, you'll have to read it for yourself to find out what happens. Trust me--you'll not be sorry you did.

Most of the extremely well-written, civilized and graceful books by the Lockridges are out of print these days, but are generally available in used book stores or through your local library. You'll love the Lockridges--and the Norths. (They're the same folks who used to be on TV during the 50s and 60s.) You can't do better if you want to know what life was like in the big city during earlier eras.

After reading one of the Lockridges' Pam and Jerry North books, I ordered six more. As many reviewers have said, the prose is graceful and the ambiance civilized -- no gratuitous sex or violence (emphasis on gratuitous). Not so this book, Murder is Served: the conversation is stilted, the clues initially add up to one character as being framed and another character as the one who has set up the frame. About 7/8 through the book, however, a third character emerges as the villain, on far less evidence or stated motivation. Rehashing the clues and watching the cats serve as filler -- much too much filler. The quality of the plot is NOT what keeps people reading this series, but quality of plot, as well as prose style and conversation, takes a big downturn in Murder is Served.

Pam and Gerald North get involved in this case through their friend Bill Weigand, a lieutenant in the New York City Homicide Bureau and John Leonard, a professor of psychology.

You may enjoy this book if you can tolerate too many pages devoted to analyzing possible suspects and motives. Aside from this one fault, the novel has a certain charm.