Member Reviews
Cataloger Gilda Gorham must solve two murders and the theft of a rare manuscript amidst academic satire and humorous limericks. Though some elements feel dated (obviously, it was originally published in 1942), this light bibliomystery offers a witty and enjoyable classic read. Excellent narration by Todd Menesses!
Content: some of this content was dated, but overall, as a person who works in academia, I enjoyed this novel. I really liked the limericks and the cast of characters. The characters felt well-rounded.
I would character the narrator, Todd Menesses, as a Rock Hudson-type. I enjoyed his narration. I think a duet could have worked in some parts given the focus on the female librarian.
Overall, I really liked this book and see why it is an American Mystery Classic.
Thank you to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for this opportunity!
Yes please. Again! Listened to this twice, and an absolute delight on both outings (if one can see past some of the anachronisms that haven't aged so well...). Ultimately this is a mystery for people who love books, for whom life revolves around, or oft traverses the realm of academia, and who can conjure the smell of library stacks from memory. It's also a story for readers who love their mysteries on the humorous side, with a slate of characters that brings to mind the ensemble casts of Robert Altman movie. A quietly frolicsome, knotty Golden Age mystery that leaves the reader with a decidedly warm sense of satisfaction. Furthermore, the voice actor narrating the audiobook does a great job navigating the many intonations of the lengthy list of characters, imbuing them each with their own spark that only adds to the fun.
I foudn this mystery thoroughly enjoyable, Stands the test of time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in excahnge for an honest review.
I really appreciated the narration of this story - it was the best part for me. The story itself was lackluster, even when giving consideration to it having been written 80ish years ago.
This wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I enjoyed the old-school approach to a mystery. It was a fun read and I've recommended it to another literary reader who will enjoy it!
The Widening Stain is a classic mystery by W. Bolingbroke Johnson. Originally published in 1942, this reformat and re-release as part of Penzler's American Mystery Classics is 288 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This is a mystery from the 1940s and the only mystery written by historian W. Bolingbroke Johnson (real name Morris Bishop). He was affiliated with Cornell, which is also the fictionalized setting for this cozy mystery. It's an appealing and light bibliomystery, with a body in the library, a stolen valuable rare book, and a library cataloger determined to figure it out.
It's a broad pool of suspects: night watchmen, professors, other librarians, and patrons, and Gilda has the unenviable task of finding the culprit and getting them to confess.
It's more than competently written, with touches of humor and warmth. It -does- show its age, at roughly 82 years, and some parts of it are quite dated and a bit ridiculous. For readers who are interested in classic mystery in a historical sense, this is very much a lost gem of the genre and Penzler does a great job of setting them into context and giving background and history.
Few readers will be familiar with the author, or his work, and it's nice to see a new generation of readers having access to these otherwise largely forgotten mysteries.
The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 7 hours 14 minutes and is capably read by Todd Menesses. He has a rich, well modulated, professionally trained voice and does a good job delineating characters over a range of ages, classes, and both male and female. Interestingly (and appealingly), his voice is very reminiscent of Grover Gardner's rumbly baritone. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Three and a half stars for the book itself, four for the excellent narration.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Intriguing and full of suspense with a gripping tale that kept me turning pages! Not what I was expecting and very happily surprised!
The Widening Stain is a classic mystery published in 1942. Written by W. Bollingbroke Johnson, pen name of Professor Morris Bishop of Cornell University and set in a university library, it is admittedly somewhat dated but it is also a whole lot of fun. Often with use of limericks, Bishop pokes subtle and sometimes not so subtle tongue-in-cheek humour at the world of academia.
The mystery itself is interesting - two murders and the disappearance of a very rare, very valuable book - but it does move at a slow pace. However, the wonderfully eccentric cast of characters keep this story from losing traction. The main protagonist , Gilda, chief cataloguer and amateur sleuth, especially, makes for a strong woman in what, I suspect would have been a bastion of maleness at the time. The solution itself was a bit dated but, in fairness, likely reflected contemporaneous ideas. Then again many of those beliefs seem to be coming back again so maybe not so dated. Overall, I quite enjoyed this book.
This is the only mystery Bishop wrote and that's a shame because it really deserves a sequel or two. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Todd Menesses who does a terrific job of bringing the characters to life.
I received an audiobook of this novel from Netgalley and Highbridge Audio in exchange for an honest review
Listenied to the 2024 audiobook by HighBridge Audio.
Some outdated descriptions and such.
Otherwise it still stands up as a good mystery.
The narrator does a great job.
The Widening Stain by W Bolingbrook Johnson a.k.a. Morris Bishop it’s a locked room murder of sorts when will it looks like a possible accident turns into murder when another victim is found in the rare edition room at the University. With professors librarians and even the dean as suspects it makes for A comical story and a great mystery with Todd Manassas narating and knowing just win and how to sound obtuse in flirty in equal measure you cannot go wrong with this book. If you love classically toll mysteries that make you laugh out loud you definitely love the story from 1946 from stories a professor told in mixed company to another professor wondering aloud if his coworkers were virgins I couldn’t get enough of this book. I love reading a book from history and this one was totally satisfying I absolutely loved it! I want to thank HighbridgeAudio for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
Two murders take place at a university based on Cornell. The book was published in 1942, and apparently it was popular in its day. I wanted a sharper satire of academia, but this is a tepid, dated, cozy mystery with a ridiculous explanation of the motive for murder. There are also some dumb limericks sprinkled throughout. I am not a fan of limericks.
I received a free copy of the newly-issued audio book from the publisher. The narrator, Todd Menesses, did a good job, but I was not really fond of the book. Fortunately, it is very short. 2.5 stars
I usually like mysteries. I didn't enjoy this one. It took too long to get to the murder and the language and humor was very dated. I did not finish this book.
It was a lot of fun to read this vintage mystery, set in a University library with a librarian sleuth, a miscellany of professors who could have done the deed, student workers who find ways to slack off, mysterious "stacks" and entrances. Too bad the pseudonymous author only did this as a one off instead of the series it seems to portend. Recommend to fans of Christie and her ilk.
This is what I would call a cozy mystery.
I have not read such books in a while and it was actually reviving to do so for a change.
A slight mystery with a hint of academic world mockery.
I was surprised that the book is dated 1942!
The Widening Stain is a quirky, funny and humorous mystery from 1942. It’s set at a university and the cast are professors and staff. When Mademoiselle Coindreau, the French assistant professor, is found dead in the library, apparently having fallen off a ladder, the police assume it’s an accident. Gilda Gorham, the Chief Catalogurer, is suspicious, however. Too many things just don’t make sense, so she begins a discrete investigation.
The mystery was fine. We have several suspects including professors and the chief librarian, but Gilda maybe spends more time thinking about who the killer is than actually trying to solve the case.
The book shines in its setting and dialogue. The author knows academia well and pokes fun at it just enough. The characters are entertaining and don’t see how funny they are. The word play is fabulous, including more limericks than I’ve ever come across in one book before. I listened to the audio, which worked well for me. The narrator did a good job distinguishing all the characters and kept the whole thing light-heartened. The narrator was in on the joke even if the characters weren’t.
This book was not my jam and I can tell you it was a me problem and not a book/author problem. This was my 1st book by W. Bolingbroke Johnson but I will certainly give them another read!
Thanks to High Bridge Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes I enjoy these old-timey classic mysteries, but it seems like this is one of the more minor ones. The prologue includes a lengthy discussion of the author and his history and how it informed the novel (the female MC is evidently based on his wife), which was fine but rather lengthy.
The story itself is OK. In essence, it's a locked room mystery, but there were so many similar characters that I found it difficult to keep them straight (lots of old white professors). The voice acting didn't make it much easier. Todd Menesses uses a transatlantic accent, which I suppose is correct for the time, but it is grating. There is minimal distinction between male characters, and the female voices are ...not quite at Monty Python level, but also not good. Imagine the average man imitating a woman and you're pretty much there.
MC Gilda the librarian is tenacious and smart, but suffers at the whims of the men she is surrounded by in the university. It seems like she is a bit plain (at least in contrast to La Sexy French professor Miss Cuandro who is noted carrying around a pendulum on a string, seemingly for the sole purpose of gotcha-ing the murderer in Act III.). There are a few good moments (the scenes depicting various characters getting ready for the President's Ball had surprising depth, which unfortunately was not fulfilled in the rest of the story), but overall this is a very average mystery. Very dated, and the limericks are ... well, if you like limericks maybe this is for you; I don't, so there you go.
2.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to the author, narrator publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this book in exchange for my review.
I love the Golden Age Detective novels. The writing is just so different from the books now. There are issues with some of the generalizations, some of the phrases - it was a different time - but the stories are my first choice.
I'm not familiar with this author, but was excited to have a chance to listen to a new to me Golden Age mystery. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. I look forward to more of these books published with Otto Penzler. So glad these books are being re=printed.
3 stars for "I liked it"
"The Widening Stain" by W. Bolingbroke Johnson is an interesting romp through the hallowed halls of academia, filled with humour, intrigue, and plenty of bibliographic charm. Set in a library at an institution reminiscent of Cornell University, this Golden Age mystery offers a satirical glimpse into academic life while delivering a captivating whodunit.
What sets this book apart is its blend of humour and literary charm. Johnson infuses the narrative with playful limericks and witty banter, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere.
However, I had greater expectations for the book. I rate the book three out of five stars and recommend it to anyone in search of a light-hearted and amusing mystery read.