Shills Can't Cash Chips [Hardcover]

A A.Fair (Author), Erle Stanley Gardner (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; First edition. edition (June 1961)
• ISBN-10: 9997511905
• ISBN-13: 978-9997511904
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,546,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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3.0 out of 5 stars Investigating a Minor Accident, February 1, 2011

By 

Acute Observer (By the Shore NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shills Can't Cash Chips (Paperback)

Shills Can't Cash Chips, A. A. Fair

The detective agency of Cool & Lam has a visitor: Lamont Hawley, head of the Claims Department of Consolidated Interinsurance. A client of theirs was in an auto accident; he struck a small car driven by a divorcee whose alimony settlement was almost used up. She claimed a "whiplash injury to the neck", an injury that can be very serious but hard to prove. The insurance company wants to know if their daily activities show a serious injury. [Was "whiplash injury" a racket?] Vivian Deschler, the claimant, has disappeared. Lam must find her and learn about her from a friend Doris Ashley (Chapter 1). Lam has a trick to introduce himself to Doris. Who was watching this detective (Chapter 2)? Lam meets Dudley Bedford, Doris' boyfriend, and is offered a job as a witness to that accident. Lam hears the story and answers the call for a witness (Chapter 3). [Is a beautiful secretary good for business?]

Lam meets the man who wants his story. Maxton hears it, then gives Lam the $250 after he identifies a man in a picture (Chapter 4). Holgate calls Lam to his office, but no one is there. Lam learns who was shadowing him (Chapter 5). Lam returns with Lorraine Robbins to Holgate's office, this provides a cover for his earlier presence (Chapter 7). Why is that affidavit missing? Is there some conflict over the time of the accident? Lam drives Doris to the airport to see Vivian, and they locate Holgate, but he won't talk (Chapter 8). Lam, Vivian, and Doris are taken to the police station for questioning. Lam talks to Detective Sergeant Frank Sellers. In the meeting Lam surmises the real event behind this accident (Chapter 9). An eyewitness identified Holgate as the driver of that hit-and-run accident (Chapter 10). There is a new surprise in Chapter 11. Mistaken identification? Sgt. Sellers questioned the "Ace High" agency and learned who paid for the investigation of Doris Ashley (Chapter 12). What if there was another unsolved hit-and-run accident around the same time?

Lam visits the man whose car was hit that afternoon. Police Chief Montague Dale is anxious to solve this crime (Chapter 13). Can a slight accident be hidden if there is more extensive damage? Maxton explains his actions. Chief Dale visits Vivian to question her about the accident. Will she change her story? Lam called Cool and asked Elsie to bring that scrapbook of events (Chapter 14). There was another crime that can explain the isolated events. Another visitor shows up, and a crime is solved. In Chapter 15 the conversation explains the solution to the hit-and-run which led to a murder.

This is a good story, but leaving out all the events of that day is a sort of trick on the reader. Using a minor crime to hide a major crime isn't new. I sort of suspected the original accident was a fake. Insurance companies keep extensive records. Murder for insurance money is not a good idea, filing a claim provides a link to the victim ("Double Indemnity"). Before automobiles had headrests "whiplash" injury suits were quite common. Creating fake accidents to sue for injuries have become scarce (the struck car would stop short to cause an accident). Note how private detectives are used to investigate insurance claims that don't seem right. They also perform other work for businesses.