Ingo Siekmann
2018-02-01 21:13:36 UTC
Hallo,
just to prevent his group from dying (honestly, where is everybody?),
something about a mystery novel I recently finished.
The plot: Lane Fleming, baking mix producer and avid gun collector is
dead. He was found in his collection room, with a hole in his head and
newly acquired pistol in his hand. The death is claimed an accident, but
some rumors go around that he maybe took his own life.
His gorgeous widow, just a little older than Fleming's daughters from
his first marriage, hires Jeff Rand, owner of a detective agency.
Officially not to look into the case, but to give his expertise of
Fleming's impressive gun collection (more than 2.500 pistols!).
Reluctantly, Rand takes the job, and of course he soon discovers strange
things. Fleming knew guns and would simply did not made such a dumb
mistake, and there is no motive for a suicide.
But there are a lot of suspects for murder - a big corporation wanted to
buy Fleming and his family out, which would have made them rich - but
Fleming wanted to keep his company. He was also in a dispute with a
shady arms dealer that Fleming wanted to sue, and a few of his most
valuable guns have vanished. Soon, another body turns up, and Rand is on
the trail of a murderer who knows how to handle guns and bayonets ...
The author: H (Henry) Beam Piper, 1904 - 1964, started at the age of 18
to work at a railroad and only could write as a hobby for most of his
life. He sold his first story in 1947 to Astounding magazine, and he is
today known for his science fiction work, which influenced many
followers. One of his other interests were firearms, he even wrote a
non-fiction book about them. It has something of tragic irony that he
took his own life with a gun eleven years after this novel was
published. If he had not done this and wrote on, Piper would be regarded
today on a level with Asimov or Heinlein.
a fish, had black servants and the NRA was a respected organization of
harmless firearms enthusiasts.
Okay, at least in well-to-do USA. This novel was really written in
another time, and to a modern day reader (esp. if he is from Europe like
me) it gives some strange insights in the mind of that time, with its
valors and vices. To me, the novel is a fascinating period piece from
America's golden age.
It also surprised me.
As a mystery, it is okay - detective follows some bread crumbs,
detective gets distracted by some red herrings, detective gets in danger
when he confronts the culprit -, but it were a few unusual things that I
did not expect in a mystery from that time.
First, the hero is not your classical hard-boiled private eye in a
rumpled trench coat. Rand is described as a successful business man with
healthy self-confidence. No cynicism, no guilt, just a professional at work.
Another surprising character was Cecil, the assistant of the shady gun
dealer, a "supporting" character. He is clearly described as a
homosexual ("this la-di-da guy"), but the h-word is never printed - and
later it turns out that he is not quite as gay as he seems. It really
surprised me that a gay character was even mentioned, and through the
writing it comes clear that Cecil is competent man in his job.
Conclusion: Give it a try, it is an interesting found from another time.
I found it in an omnibus, that also contains Pipers science fiction, on
kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/H-Beam-Piper-Megapack-Classic-ebook/dp/B00BPZF234/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
As for all of Piper's work, "Murder in the Gun Room" it can be found for
Bye
Ingo
just to prevent his group from dying (honestly, where is everybody?),
something about a mystery novel I recently finished.
The plot: Lane Fleming, baking mix producer and avid gun collector is
dead. He was found in his collection room, with a hole in his head and
newly acquired pistol in his hand. The death is claimed an accident, but
some rumors go around that he maybe took his own life.
His gorgeous widow, just a little older than Fleming's daughters from
his first marriage, hires Jeff Rand, owner of a detective agency.
Officially not to look into the case, but to give his expertise of
Fleming's impressive gun collection (more than 2.500 pistols!).
Reluctantly, Rand takes the job, and of course he soon discovers strange
things. Fleming knew guns and would simply did not made such a dumb
mistake, and there is no motive for a suicide.
But there are a lot of suspects for murder - a big corporation wanted to
buy Fleming and his family out, which would have made them rich - but
Fleming wanted to keep his company. He was also in a dispute with a
shady arms dealer that Fleming wanted to sue, and a few of his most
valuable guns have vanished. Soon, another body turns up, and Rand is on
the trail of a murderer who knows how to handle guns and bayonets ...
The author: H (Henry) Beam Piper, 1904 - 1964, started at the age of 18
to work at a railroad and only could write as a hobby for most of his
life. He sold his first story in 1947 to Astounding magazine, and he is
today known for his science fiction work, which influenced many
followers. One of his other interests were firearms, he even wrote a
non-fiction book about them. It has something of tragic irony that he
took his own life with a gun eleven years after this novel was
published. If he had not done this and wrote on, Piper would be regarded
today on a level with Asimov or Heinlein.
http://www.h-beampiper.com/index.php
Comments: Ah, the 50's, when everybody smoked like a chimney, drank likea fish, had black servants and the NRA was a respected organization of
harmless firearms enthusiasts.
Okay, at least in well-to-do USA. This novel was really written in
another time, and to a modern day reader (esp. if he is from Europe like
me) it gives some strange insights in the mind of that time, with its
valors and vices. To me, the novel is a fascinating period piece from
America's golden age.
It also surprised me.
As a mystery, it is okay - detective follows some bread crumbs,
detective gets distracted by some red herrings, detective gets in danger
when he confronts the culprit -, but it were a few unusual things that I
did not expect in a mystery from that time.
First, the hero is not your classical hard-boiled private eye in a
rumpled trench coat. Rand is described as a successful business man with
healthy self-confidence. No cynicism, no guilt, just a professional at work.
Another surprising character was Cecil, the assistant of the shady gun
dealer, a "supporting" character. He is clearly described as a
homosexual ("this la-di-da guy"), but the h-word is never printed - and
later it turns out that he is not quite as gay as he seems. It really
surprised me that a gay character was even mentioned, and through the
writing it comes clear that Cecil is competent man in his job.
Conclusion: Give it a try, it is an interesting found from another time.
I found it in an omnibus, that also contains Pipers science fiction, on
kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/H-Beam-Piper-Megapack-Classic-ebook/dp/B00BPZF234/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
As for all of Piper's work, "Murder in the Gun Room" it can be found for
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17866/17866-h/17866-h.htm
Thoughts, comments?Bye
Ingo