Murder Every Monday

Pamela Branch was known as a funny lady, specializing in witty mysteries. Unfortunately, she was only able to write four books, but fellow mystery writers considered her one of the best. She lived in relative poverty with her first husband, but divorced and remarried and lived in relative comfort for the rest of her life. Her last published murder was MURDER'S LITTLE SISTER, published in 1958. Clifford Flush is a murderer who has been able to contain his impulses for fourteen years. When he makes an attempt on a friend, he decides to decamp to the country with a group of friends with similar impulses. They buy a house that has been on the market for years because it is completely run down. It comes complete with a butler with a horrible smile. But for the group it serves its purpose. Thus their first class of would-be murderers is hatched. They offer courses in any and every subject related to murder: "Half an hour later, the Colonel, taking Small Arms and Ballistics in the orchard, realized he was hopelessly outclassed by Manelli and Grossi. The two mobsters had accepted their weapons in thoughtful silence, looked them over critically, squinted down the barrels and casually peppered the red heard on the man-shaped target. The Colonel, trying to regain his prestige, threw a pear into the air and missed it with his Springfield." Pamela Branch is known for the sheer originality of her plots. Her characters are equally fascinating, as Branch draws from many aspects of human nature to create memorable personalities. Naturally she pokes fun at herself by including a bad mystery writer, squired by a brainless gigolo. A woman who is always in a bikini runs around, creating lustful feelings in the hearts of the gullible single men. Naturally she wants her mate to be a real killer, which causes consternation in the hearts of the man who truly loves her. MURDER EVERY MONDAY is a light-hearted, ghoulish, and entertaining mystery written with intelligence and perception. The humor of that period is a reassuring look at the human condition. It's a shame that Pamela Branch didn't live long enough to present the public with more of her stunning writing. Shelley Glodowski Senior Reviewer