"author lives up to his surname"
This anthology consists of a novel (Drum Beat -- Dominique)
and several short stories all written in the 1960s. All
the short stories are well written enhancing the image of
Chet Drum as a no nonsense private investigator who cares
for his clients. Drum Beat -- Dominique. Government "ghoul" Jack Morley
looks like the pits when old friend Chet Drum meets with
him in Paris. Jack explains that he no longer is a State
Department VIP having fallen from grace following a
divorce. He works for the Army Adjutant General
determining whether World War II MIAs are dead though two
decades have passed. However, his problem is that US
Senator Clay Bundy accuses him of blackmail and threatens
to have him killed if he fails to back off. Jack wants
Chet to inform the senator he is not blackmailing him.
Chet tells that to the Senator and persuades him to hire
him to learn who is. Great
tale that fans of tough intelligent, but concerned sleuths
will relish so much they will seek other works by Stephen
Marlowe. This is the reviewer's first taste of Mr. Marlowe (finally
reprints besides Dickens in which I was too young to have
read the first time around) and can say the author lives up
to his surname. Drum sleuths to his own beat; he is a
strong private investigator, who hooks the audience in each
tale, short or long. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted June 28, 2003
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