Nothing Can Rescue Me (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Hanry Gamadge) [Paperback]

Elizabeth Daly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2008 | Series: Hanry Gamadge (Book 6)

In mid-1943, and up to his elbows in war work, Henry Gamadge is longing for a quiet weekend. But when a half-forgotten classmate requests assistance, Gamadge is unable to refuse the tug of an old school tie. The problem, says Sylvanus, concerns his Aunt Florence -- a giddy socialite, terrified of Nazi bombs. Florence has moved her extensive household of hangers-on to the family mansion in upstate New York. But menace seems to have followed them, in the form of threatening messages inserted into the manuscript of Florence's painfully bad novel in progress. Several members of the household are convinced the messages are emanating form Another World, but the politely pragmatic Gamadge suspects a culprit rather closer to home.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here's a treat: Another charmingly urbane Henry Gamadge novel, fully up to Miss Daly's usual high standards" --Books

"Deliciously gossipy, back-biting characters, and imposing mansion...a pleasure" --The New Yorker

About the Author

Elizabeth Daly was Agatha Christie's favorite writer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 201 pages
• Publisher: Felony & Mayhem (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933397888
• ISBN-13: 978-1933397887
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #673,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I haven't "played fair" in this review. You'll need to read the story to catch me out., June 3, 2008

By 

J. Lesley "(Judy)" (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nothing Can Rescue Me (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Hanry Gamadge) (Paperback)

Don't you love to read a book which involves you so much that you just have to sneak a peek at the first line of the next chapter? Even if you really should stop reading to go do something else? Only then you find yourself hooked and don't want to stop reading. Elizabeth Daly and her fictional detective Henry Gamadge do that very thing for me.

Florence Hutter Mason wants Gamadge to come to Underhill to solve a riddle for her. She doesn't even think of it as a mystery, its too trivial for that but it is getting on her nerves. So, Florence sends her nephew, Sylvanus Hutter, to talk his old school friend into coming for the weekend to solve her riddle. It is 1942 and Florence has moved her entire family to their country home to avoid as much of the war preparations in New York as possible. There are the servants, of course, but none of them would be playing this joke on her. There is Sylvanus, Tim Mason (Florence's much younger husband), Sally Deedes (recently divorced and an old friend), Evelyn Wing (the Secretary), Susie Burt (the orphaned daughter of Florence's best friend) and Glen Percy (a longtime friend of Susie's - an advertising copy writer who wants to write seriously). In order to pass the time, Florence has begun writing a novel. Over the past week, strange writings have begun to appear in the novel during the night and they seem to be getting more and more threatening.

Henry Gamadge is a consutant who makes his living researching and authenticating old books, autographs and inks. He also happens to find himself involved in mysterious happenings on a rather regular basis. At this time, Henry's wife is visiting an aunt of hers who lives out West and so Henry is at loose ends. He agrees to travel to Underhill on Saturday but must return to New York on Sunday afternoon to be at work on Monday morning at his rather hush-hush job concerning the war effort. Underhill is a home he is very familiar with having spent many happy days there during his youth.

I am NEVER disappointed with a story by Elizabeth Daly. This one was first published in 1943 but, for me, it is as fresh and exciting as the very first time I ever read it, probably sometime in the 1970's. This book definitely qualifies as a prime example of the "cozy mystery" classification. It is full of money, greed, wills and more wills, "the spirits", automatic writing, planchette and a faithful ladies maid. A mystery to be solved by watching out for the clues and paying attention to all the little details. If you've never read any Elizabeth Daly mysteries, prepare to be hooked!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Detective Novel, November 8, 2009

By 

Carol Bell (AL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nothing Can Rescue Me (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Hanry Gamadge) (Paperback)

This is an Elizabeth Daly mystery. Its detective is Henry Gamadge, and it is published in a fine paperback edition by Felony and Mayhem. If you like Golden Age mysteries, you'll like this one!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Vintage mystery just tepid, December 4, 2008

By 

Carol Mello "marzeedoats" (San Jose,CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nothing Can Rescue Me (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Hanry Gamadge) (Paperback)

I have been buying and reading vintage mysteries recently. I had heard of Elizabeth Daly for years (decades) and her hero Henry Gamadge but never read any of the mysteries before. She's been on my list for decades. Felony & Mayhem have been reprinting lots of vintage mysteries (I have been buying their reprints & for the most part really enjoying them) and this is one of theirs.

Description of the plot by the other reviewer is correct. Henry is likeable. The problem I had with this novel was I did not care a bit about any of the other characters in the plot. Didn't care if they were murdered and didn't care who the murderer was. So I found this mystery dry & had to force myself to finish reading it. It was disappointing. Perhaps my decades of anticipation led me to expect too much.