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A review by jeathhp
The Widening Stain by W. Bolingbroke Johnson
4.0
Apologies for this herky-jerky babble. First coffee of the day. Just finished this novel this morning as I couldn't quite do it last night. Had to know how it ended.
W. Bolingbroke Johnson of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky was really Morris Bishop, scholar, historian, essayist and translator. This is the only mystery he wrote, more's the pity. Yes, it's a bit dated (1942) perhaps that's part of why I liked it. You know, this could easily be a period play along the lines of "Good News". It would be a stretch to work in the jitterbug in lieu of the Varsity Drag as the story hardly leaves the library. Hmm. Maybe some clever playwright could make it into a murder mystery musical. Singing in the stacks like prisoners in Jailhouse Rock? I can see it. It sure feels like a play.
The story takes place in a university library (presumably Cornell; Bishop was the university historian). The central character is a plucky librarian, Gilda Gorham. Gilda is a keen observer, clever, and gutsy. Despite some undertones of sexism (the assumption at the end is she must marry a professor--it seems inevitable and almost arbitrary, as though she could just pull a name from a jar and be satisfied with the result) Two professors are found dead and a cherished manuscript is stolen. Gilda is no wilting hothouse flower. She solves the murders and confronts the killer with an admirable level of confidence.
The mystery withholds much information, so it's unlikely that one could unravel the whodunnit or at least the underlying motive before it is revealed. The motive is a bit of a surprise; can't say I've run across this explanation before. It's a good one. Would it hold up in modern times? I wonder.
One of the satellite professors in Gilda's world is a limerick fancier, so the book is dusted with clever limericks-- a perk if you like them and these are playful, not overly bawdy.
Conclusion: This would appeal to mystery lovers who enjoy an academic setting. I didn't know "bibliomystery" was a sub-genre. This is a fun one.
Bravo Otto Penzler for bringing it back for new audiences.
W. Bolingbroke Johnson of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky was really Morris Bishop, scholar, historian, essayist and translator. This is the only mystery he wrote, more's the pity. Yes, it's a bit dated (1942) perhaps that's part of why I liked it. You know, this could easily be a period play along the lines of "Good News". It would be a stretch to work in the jitterbug in lieu of the Varsity Drag as the story hardly leaves the library. Hmm. Maybe some clever playwright could make it into a murder mystery musical. Singing in the stacks like prisoners in Jailhouse Rock? I can see it. It sure feels like a play.
The story takes place in a university library (presumably Cornell; Bishop was the university historian). The central character is a plucky librarian, Gilda Gorham. Gilda is a keen observer, clever, and gutsy. Despite some undertones of sexism (the assumption at the end is she must marry a professor--it seems inevitable and almost arbitrary, as though she could just pull a name from a jar and be satisfied with the result) Two professors are found dead and a cherished manuscript is stolen. Gilda is no wilting hothouse flower. She solves the murders and confronts the killer with an admirable level of confidence.
The mystery withholds much information, so it's unlikely that one could unravel the whodunnit or at least the underlying motive before it is revealed. The motive is a bit of a surprise; can't say I've run across this explanation before. It's a good one. Would it hold up in modern times? I wonder.
One of the satellite professors in Gilda's world is a limerick fancier, so the book is dusted with clever limericks-- a perk if you like them and these are playful, not overly bawdy.
Conclusion: This would appeal to mystery lovers who enjoy an academic setting. I didn't know "bibliomystery" was a sub-genre. This is a fun one.
Bravo Otto Penzler for bringing it back for new audiences.