The Iron Clew

The Iron Clew A Shakespeare-lookalike bank director and mystery writer becomes entangled in a murder investigation when a colleague is found dead at a dinner party. The victim, banker Fenwick Balderston, has been struck with a bronze bust of Shakespeare, and crucial bank documents have gone missing. Leonidas Witherall teams up with housewife Liz Copley and an unlikely group of amateur sleuths to solve the crime. Their investigation leads them through the town of Dalton in search of various missing items, including a dinosaur footprint and a rare book called Tamerlane. This 1947 novel is the eighth and final installment in Phoebe Atwood Taylor's Leonidas Witherall series, published under the pen name Alice Tilton. The story incorporates elements that mirror Witherall's own career as an author of radio dramas and adventure novels featuring Lieutenant Hazeltine. The novel exemplifies the lighter side of mid-century mystery writing, combining classic detective elements with comedy and fast-paced action.

Readers describe The Iron Clew as a fast-paced mystery with screwball comedy elements. Most reviews focus on the book's humor and the main character Asey Mayo's witty dialogue. Liked: - Quick pacing and short chapters - New England coastal setting details - Complex puzzle-like mystery elements - Mayo's personality and one-liners Disliked: - Large cast of characters can be confusing - Some find the humor dated - Plot requires suspension of disbelief - Dialogue can be hard to follow with multiple characters speaking Ratings: Goodreads: 3.84/5 (56 ratings) Multiple readers noted this isn't the strongest entry in the Asey Mayo series. One Goodreads reviewer wrote: "Fun but frantic - too many characters running around in circles." Amazon reviewers particularly mentioned enjoying the authentic Cape Cod atmosphere and local dialect, though some found the latter challenging to understand. Limited review data exists online for this 1941 novel compared to other books in the series.

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers This mystery combines detective work with the inner workings of an advertising agency in 1930s London, blending workplace intrigue with a complex murder investigation.

The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen A murder at a Broadway theater leads to a puzzle of clues and suspects, with methodical detective work in a classic Golden Age setting.

Death in the Wrong Room by Anthony Gilbert A lawyer-turned-detective investigates a country house murder with multiple suspects and red herrings in 1930s England.

The Case of the Sulky Girl by Erle Stanley Gardner A Perry Mason mystery revolves around the inheritance rights of a young woman and leads to murder in a law office setting.

The Greene Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine Detective Philo Vance investigates multiple murders in a wealthy New York household while dealing with family secrets and complex motives.

🎭 The author Phoebe Atwood Taylor wrote over 30 mystery novels under three different pen names: her own name, Alice Tilton, and Freeman Dana. 📚 The Leonidas Witherall series became so popular that it spawned a radio show called "The Adventures of Leonidas Witherall" which aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1944-45. 🦕 The plot element of the missing dinosaur footprint references the real-life dinosaur tracks discovered in Massachusetts' Connecticut River Valley in the 1800s. ✒️ Taylor's choice to make her protagonist resemble Shakespeare was particularly clever, as William Shakespeare was often referred to as "The Bard of Avon," while Leonidas Witherall was nicknamed "The Man Who Looked Like Shakespeare." 🏛️ The banking elements in the story reflect the author's familiarity with New England's financial institutions, as she came from a prominent Massachusetts family and was well-versed in the region's business culture.