Sailor, Take Warning – Kelley Roos (1944)

The husband/wife writing team behind the Kelley Roos name put out a series of light hearted mysteries/thrillers staring the husband/wife amateur sleuths Jeff and Haila Troy.  At least two of these mysteries that I’m aware of – The Frightened Stiff and Sailor, Take Warning – feature an impossible crime, and so I’ve been snatching them up as the opportunity arises.

Sailor, Take Warning is set following the events of The Frightened Stiff.  Don’t worry, you don’t need to read them in order, but it is The Frightened Stiff that establishes the Troys as a detective couple of some notoriety.  The “sailor” in the title refers to a model yacht club that sails their boats in a lake in New York City’s famed Central Park.

The Frightened Stiff – Kelley Roos (1942)

As I build out my library of GAD literature, it all comes down to the promise of an unknown story, sometimes by an unknown author, based on the back of recommendations I’ve seen from well regarded bloggers or an interesting comment left on some random post.  In seeking out these titles to purchase, it’s hard not to get drawn in by the qualities of the actual books themselves – the cover art, the edition, the physical format.  Yeah, I could buy some gangly modern day 10×7 copy with dreadful cover art, settle for the generic 1980s printing, pick up the ebook version for a fraction of the price, or splurge for that original hardback with a crinkly dust cover.

For me though, there is one pure form that has no equal.  The 7×5 pocket format, typically published between the 1930s-50s.  You know what I’m talking about – the Dells, Avons, Pocket Books, and occasional Berkleys or Bantams.  The size is perfect.  The paper (both cover and page) has the right feel.  And then there is the art.  I absolutely love the illustrations.  There’s something about the style that just connects with me in a way that I can’t describe.