Have you met Hildegarde Withers? She's the "meddlesome old battleaxe" of a schoolteacher featured in more than a dozen books by Stuart Palmer, not to mention a number of short stories and some movies as well. She brings a teacher's eagle eye and sense of discipline to her avocation - solving crimes along with her friend, New York City police Inspector Oscar Piper.
The third of Palmer's books about Hildy, "Murder on the Blackboard," appeared in 1932. It's the subject of today's review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the full review by clicking here. In "Murder on the Blackboard," the murder takes place right in the room across the hall from Miss Withers' classroom. In fact, Hildy finds the body herself. And when she calls for help, and Inspector Piper arrives on the scene, he is promptly knocked out while searching the building, and he spends much of the remainder of the book in the hospital, while the real detective work is left to Miss Withers, aided (or hindered, depending on your point of view) by the Inspector's police colleagues.
The Hildegarde Withers mysteries generally had a light touch, and that's certainly the case in "Murder on the Blackboard," although both the murder and some of the events in its aftermath are pretty horrific. The murder method, which is revealed only at the end of the book, is pretty unusual as well. Not bad for an American "Golden Age" mystery, and ideal for readers of vintage mysteries. All in all, I think it's one of the better novels in the series.
This book is sitting on my bookshelf and mocking me with its "unread" status...
Sounds like a fun read, Les. I highly enjoyed my only encounter with Palmer thus far, in "Happy Hooligan", also starring Miss Withers. Plenty of fun despite one of the most anticlimatic endings to an apprently impossible problem ever.
Posted by: Patrick | November 14, 2011 at 08:08 PM
I haven't read that one, Patrick - I'll have to do some digging to see if I can find a copy. Thanks!
Posted by: Les Blatt | November 14, 2011 at 08:21 PM
I love Murder on the Blackboard for so many reasons...vintage, academic connections, Miss Withers, Inspector Piper. Did I mention the academic part? Thanks for highlighting this one, Les!
Are you going to join us for next year's Vintage Challenge?
Posted by: Bev@My Reader's Block | November 14, 2011 at 09:03 PM
Just saw the info on your blog, Bev. Yes, by all means - I'll have a post here later this week (and sign up at your site). For my readers who may be interested, you can participate too - check out the information at http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/10/vintage-mystery-reading-challenge-2012.html
Posted by: Les Blatt | November 15, 2011 at 06:20 AM
I have Murder on the Blackboard saved on my DVR -- it was on TCM recently.
I have read only one Withers book, The Silver Persian, which I found rather disappointing. But it appears to be unusual among the series in that there is no Inspector Piper, and no humor at all. I will probably give her another try at some point.
Posted by: BobH | November 16, 2011 at 03:40 PM
Bob, I haven't seen the movie of Murder on the Blackboard, which seems to be difficult to find...sigh...
I must admit, though, that I did enjoy the book "The Puzzle of the Silver Persian," which I reviewed a few months back ( http://www.classicmysteries.net/2011/02/the-puzzle-of-the-silver-persian.html ). Yes, Inspector Piper was missing - but then it WAS set in England. Take a look at the movie of Murder on the Blackboard - if it's reasonably faithful to the book, you should enjoy it.
Posted by: Les Blatt | November 16, 2011 at 03:51 PM
I've seen the movie version but not read the book yet. Ditto for a few other Palmer titles. I think the best part of the movie adaptations is the witty interplay between the Inspector and Withers.
Posted by: Bill | November 17, 2011 at 01:02 PM
Bill, the books also revolve (most of them, anyway) around that interplay between Hildy and Piper. The sparring is fun, the cooperation occasional at best!
Posted by: Les Blatt | November 17, 2011 at 01:18 PM