“Five O’Clock Shroud” is the sixth novella about Richard Deming’s one-legged private detective Manville Moon. It appeared originally in the November 1950 issue of BLACK MASK DETECTIVE and was featured on the usual fine cover by Norman Saunders.
This one has a bit more complicated plot than the previous story in the series.
Moon is hired by a wealthy supporter of a politician who is running for mayor
as a reform candidate. Unfortunately, it appears that the so-called reformer is
actually the big boss of the ring controlling the city’s gambling. Moon even
turns up proof of that. And then the murders start, and Moon finds himself
targeted for death, as well as being the target of some advances from a beautiful
married woman.
Deming does a good job with the political intrigue even though it’s not that
difficult to figure out what’s really going on. I’ve become quite fond of Manville
Moon as a character. There’s a superb scene in which he’s taken for a ride by
three killers, and even though the reader knows he’s going to survive, Deming’s
writing generates some genuine suspense. Moon’s escape is pretty clever, too.
If you’re a fan of hardboiled private eye tales, this is a very entertaining
series. “Five O’Clock Shroud” is available on Amazon as an inexpensive e-book.
I had a fine time reading it and it gets a solid recommendation from me.
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