The Deadly Sunshade

The story opens with Asey trying to avoid one of cousin Jenny's friends until the woman shows up with a 22 rifle. Then he wants to know why. It's early 1940's war time, the women are organizing themselves into the Women's League to Defend America at all Costs with Action. Asey, of course, opposes the whole idea of women running around with firearms and tells them to return the assorted weapons that they've gathered. But then, he's shot at as he heads off to the Yacht Club and once there, he finds a woman guest has been poisoned. She'd called and wanted to talk to him too. He's off detecting with some help from a reporter and his pretty young illustrator AND the local housewives with their guns. They've decided he might be doing defense work and needs protection. Sometimes their efforts are rather ineffective, such as when one of these gals with a gun doesn't recognize him, but other times they prove to be a Godsend. There are bits here and there that are laugh out loud funny. Everyone is obsessed with listening to the radio for war news, there's a second poisoning, but as always Asey manages to sort it all out and even relents about women bearing arms. Not Atwood Taylor at her very best, but still an entertaining read.