Book Review: The Midnight Special

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Midnight Special     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Larry Karp
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth
Series: Dr. Thomas Purdue # 3
Write Way, Jan 2001, $24.95, 333 pp.

He first heard the name Marcus Wilcox from his friend Edna Reynolds, who thought she killed the odious antique shop owner. By the time Man Med neurologist Dr. Thomas Purdue arrived at Edna's home, Marcus had left. He next hears the name Marcus from his long term buddy Broadway Schwartz that the man's antique shop has a special music box that Thomas being a collector would love to own. Marcus denies having any music box.

Thomas knows something is not right when two thugs beat up his friend Frank the Crank insisting they know he sold the music box. Thomas and Broadway trace the trail of the phantom music box to Lucas Sterne, proprietor of a mid-fifties' music box emporium. Lucas sends the sleuths to New Rochelle to speak with sleazy Barton Ross. The duo returns to Manhattan where they meet Rudolph Hartmann and his apparently schizophrenic wife Lettie, the owners of the rare plerodiwenique-revolver music box. Thomas and Broadway continue searching the metropolitan area, as sightings and denials continue, but no music box is found as a con game may leave the Hartmanns with nothing but his memories.

The third music box mystery, THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, is an entertaining amateur sleuth joy ride around Manhattan. The story line is fun as one thing leads to another, but seemingly never to the music box that is big enough to have required a truck to move it. Thomas remains a caring individual and the eccentric support cast augments the tale with behavioral oddities that makes the hero seem real. Readers will remain bullish on Larry Karp's unique mystery series.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner