"Mr. Marlow Takes To Rye Case 3" 1942 BENTLEY, John
$125
BENTLEY, John
[267] pp.
Houghton Mifflin Company
1942
8" x 5 1/2"
Jacket design by George F Kelley
RYE, Scotch, brandy, gin, champagne, vodka, beer—anything will do for Mr. Marlow, so long as it is alcoholic. The reason he takes to rye just now is that he is taking a trip to the United States, where rye is the wine of the country. He sails on an American ship, and he is alone because his assistant, Hans Nordstrom, who was to have accompanied him, is unavoidably detained. Although this is to be a holiday trip, Hans has accepted a commission, and a very odd commission it is, which Marlow undertakes to execute. Right there is where Marlow runs into trouble. Some person or persons aboard the ship begin to take undue interest in Marlow and his possessions. His stateroom is searched several times and he is attacked with murderous intent. All this is nothing to what happens when he reaches New York. Being assaulted with lethal weapons becomes almost an hourly occurrence and interferes seriously with his drinking. The reason for all this is a secret which is not fully revealed until the closing chapters. Although Marlow gets back to England unscathed, several other persons, all of them undesirables, meet with violent ends. The book is recommended to those who like to read about drinking.