Saturday, March 15, 2025

The Penguin Pool Murder by Stuart Palmer

 
First line:  Two little black penguins were the first to know the secret.

First published:  1931

The plot:  Hildegarde Withers, 39, pragmatic, no-nonsense, single teacher of third graders, teams up with New York City detective, Oscar Piper, to solve the murder of Gerald Lester, who she discovers floating, dead, in the penguin pool at the New York Aquarium. And playing detective is what she's always wanted to do.
"I can get a substitute for a few weeks," suggested Miss Withers eagerly. "I'm having the time of my life. ... That's why I came to New York ten years ago, instead of keeping on teaching school out in Iowa. I wanted a little excitement, though it's little enough I've got at Jefferson School. This is great fun, and better than any detective story I ever read....It's the ambition of my life to play detective."
 My thoughts:  This is not a mystery to be taken too seriously, but it is an entertaining step back in time. Oscar Piper and Hildegarde Withers are amusing characters. I enjoyed how they worked together to figure out the murder; their disagreements and arguments were equally amusing. Derbys and hat pins, the stock market crash, guesses and interrogations, all play a role in this fun 1930s mystery. I liked it, and wouldn't mind reading some of Palmer's other Hildegarde Withers mysteries. 

Happy Reading!

26 comments:

  1. An old mystery, but a goodie. Glad it was a fun read.

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  2. Haha, this sounds adorable! I've never heard of the book or author, but it sounds like it would be a good fit for a 20th century reading challenge I'm working on!

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    1. It certainly gives you a flavor for the 1930s and it's just a light, fun read. :D

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  3. That sounds exactly like my sort of thing and my library has it. Yay!

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    1. Yay! I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did. :D

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  4. I would read this just on the title alone but throw in when it was published and your review and I definitely need to read this!

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    1. I definitely checked this one out because of the title! Anything with penguins in it. ;D

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  5. This sounds fun! I love the title and cover. I hope you enjoy the other Hildegarde Withers mysteries, if and when you read them.

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    1. I hope I get a chance to read some of his other mysteries, too. Sadly, my library doesn't own any of them. But maybe I can find some used somewhere.

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  6. Ooh fun! I'm really starting to enjoy that historical era more and more as I read more things set there. It's a fun step back in time to a tumultuous era.

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    1. It is fun to step back into time and this is a good escapist read...a little silly, not too deep, but immersed in the 1930s and so fun.

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  7. I like this one and Hildegarde Withers sounds like just my kind of character. There are so many really fine mystery novels from the 1930's - 1950's. Another one for my list.

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    1. Hildegarde Withers was so great. I loved all her sarcastic comments and enthusiastic amateur detective-ing.

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  8. This sounds like a lot of fun! Love the first line! Glad to hear you enjoyed it! :)

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  9. I've always thought Hildegarde such a funny name! This sounds very entertaining. :)

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    1. Hildegarde is a funny name. And one you certainly don't hear any more, if you ever did. ;D

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  10. Sounds like an absolute kick. With names like that, how could it not be a romp!

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  11. They just need to interview the penguins, lol. I would not want to be found in their pool.

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  12. I wrote a few more Tanka reviews this week in the style of your haiku reviews. Thanks for the inspriation.

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    1. Your Tanka reviews are great! (Much better than my Haiku.)

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  13. That first line is fun and intriguing. I might read this.

    Have a lovely day.

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    1. I thought it was a fun read; but then I love these classic mysteries.

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