Right now, my problem is that I’m in the middle of Empire Falls by Richard Russo, a great book, but a slow read for me for some reason. Anyway, one day I forgot it, but had my Kindle with me and had picked up Have Gun, Will Play by Camille LaGuire, so I started it, and I’m really getting a kick out of it, but want to finish Empire Falls first. The point is, the LaGuire book is about a couple of gun-slingers in the Old West, Mick and his young wife, Casey, great characters, so when I found “The Hoosegow Strangler” the first story featuring the couple, I had to read it.
At heart, it’s a locked room mystery. Mick and Casey had been hired to guard a witness, Albert Wilkins, who ends up dead. The only way into the room is through a locked door and the hallway and stairs are being guarded by Mick and Casey. They don’t know how he did it, but they are sure the murderer is Cherty Stevens, a bad man who is also in a locked room in the house next door, with a guarded stairwell. It’s winter and the snow on the ground outside of both windows is still fresh without a trace of footprints or markings. And Mick and Casey know that Wilkins had been alive when the snow stopped falling.
The solution to the mystery is not astounding, but clever enough and appropriate to the time period. The story shows how well Mick and Casey work together and how intelligent Casey is. Sadly, their personalities don’t shine through as well as the do in the book I’m reading, but at least we get a taste of them. I’m really starting to love this couple.
You can read the story on-line here for free, or it’s one of the stories in Waiter, There’s a Clue In My Soup!.
Mick and Casey Mystery
4,589 words
First published in Handheld Crime, Issue 36, Jul 2, 2003
3 out of 5 stars
John hosts Short Story Monday at The Book Mine Set. Head over there to see what he and others have been reading.
I purchased my copy and the above is my honest opinion.
It took me a minute to think what “hoosegow” was.
I haven’t read a short story mystery in ages… this sounds like a good one! Glad to hear you’re enjoying Empire Falls – I love Richard Russo’s novels.
Hmmm…I am not so fond of short stories but this one sounds nice…
I’ve read Empire Falls. Twice even. I don’t re-read books which is why this is earth-shattering announcement. I had picked it up a second time by accident. oh, but you’re talking about a different book here, sorry!
I guess I have to check what “hoosegow” means!
There seem to be a few stairs, locks and guards in this story. It sounds like of of those enigmas we used to try to resolve when I was a kid. I might read it one of these days because I’m curious now!
Hoosegow is kind of old west slang for jail.
Now that you say that it is kind of like those puzzles. I hadn’t thought of it.
Thanks! It slipped my mind last night and I woke up this morning thinking “I bever checked what ‘hoosegow’ means” and then I forgot again during the day…
You know I don’t read many mystery novels but I like them in small doses. You keep tempting me. I just downloaded it.
I reviewed: http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2011/06/jelly-bean-by-f-scott-fitzgerald.html
Well, I’m intrigued. I don’t usually go for mysteries, but you hooked me. A locked room mystery? Is that a common premise?
Common enough to be considered a type of mystery.
I found Empire Falls to be a slow read too, but I ended up loving it. Have you read The Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo? That’s my favorite book by him.
No, this is the first I’ve read by him. I have to admit I peeked ahead to the end and can’t wait to see how it gets there.