Customer Reviews

The Puzzle of the Blue Banderilla (Hildegarde Withers Mystery)

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Inspector Oscar Piper is on a train travelling through Mexico when a customs inspector dies suddenly while examining a lady's luggage. Of course, it is not a natural death, and Inspector Piper finds himself having to investigate yet another murder. Of course, it isn't long before he has to ask for the help of the formidable hildegarde Withers, schoolteacher and brilliant amateur detective.

This is one of the most enjoyable of the Miss Withers series. There is an exciting plot, good supporting characters, and exotic locations(there's a vivid and colourful description of a bullfight, among other things). Miss Withers and Oscar Piper as always are an intrepid and interesting pair of sleuths. Highly entertaining.

I knew of the Hildegarde Withers mysteries through the Edna May Oliver movies. This is the first of the novels that I've read (I think it came up under my Amazon recommendations). Although Hildegarde -- a middle-aged school teacher -- is an interesting character and the interplay with her platonic boy friend, Inspector Oscar Piper of the NYPD, is well done, overall I found the book to be disappointing. The Mexican setting might have seemed exotic to readers when the book was first published in 1937, but doesn't have as much interest today (although, as the other reviewer notes, the account of the bull fight is detailed and interesting (and possibly off-putting for some readers)). The mystery is at best so-so, with the resolution being a real letdown. [Slight spoiler alert] I think it's a bit of a cheat when the murder's motivation is essentially that the person is psychotic. It is a short read, at only 157 pages. I'm not giving up on Hildegarde just yet; I intend to read "The Penguin Pool Murder," which was her first appearance, to see if I like that one better.

I do want to praise Rue Morgue Press for the quality of the publication. I remember them from years ago as a mail-order mystery novel dealer. They have apparently since branched off into publishing. This is a nice, sturdy, easy to read paperback. Unlike some publishers who reprint vintage books from images of the original plates -- however poor the condition of those plates may be -- Rue Morgue has reset the type so that it is clear and crisp.