The Screaming Mimi (A Dutton guilt edged mystery)

Our guy, Sweeney, is so far over the top the only reason we believe him is because he's our narrator. Sweeney would make Hecht & McArthur's "Front Page" newspapermen look like weenies. Sweeney doesn't just occasionally drink too much; he binges out and spends weeks in the gutter, broke, filthy, and homeless. When Sweeney sobers up (just moderately), he is such a star reporter, his employer's leap to cater to his every whim. Like Wow!In this 40's era Chicago-noir, Sweeney,while in a nearly comatose binge, witnesses a strange crime site through a plate glass door. A woman (is she dead?) is sprawled on the floor with a fearsome, slavering dog guarding her. No one can get by the dog to see what is wrong. The woman slowly rises, and drops her gown in a spectacular manner. Sweeney decides then and there 1) this is the most beautiful woman in the world and 2) he, Sweeney the Magnificent, will spend a night with her. And anything he wants badly enough, he gets. Though Sweeney is a little uncertain if what he witnessed was an alcohol-induced hallucination, he finds out quickly it was the real thing. The police think The Ripper, who has terrorized Chicago with three victims, has made an abortive attack on the lady, but her dog saved her. She is an at-risk witness who might be in further danger. Sweeney intends to solve the crimes and get the girl.Frederic Brown is an edgy writer with a razor sharp sense of humor. When Sweeney theorizes, we don't know if he is putting us on or himself. Mr. Brown is concise and sardonic with a crafty throwaway style. He leaves us always slightly off-balance, and then walks away. Take it, or leave it. Most readers will take it and line up for more.

Fredric Brown was blessed with the ability to make the mundane and everyday activities sound like either a great event or, at the least, somewhat otherworldly. The opening chapters of The Screaming Mimi is a good example of this. Each time we are introduced to a person or a situation, it turns out to be different to the first impressions that are created. Not only does it provide entertaining reading but it helps keep you on your toes.Sweeney, a newspaper reporter, witnesses the strange aftermath of an attempted stabbing murder. The victim is a beautiful woman, a stripper who survives the attack and, while still in shock goes into her performance routine in front of astounded bystanders. As a result of the shock from the attack, she is unable to identify her attacker, but the details make it clear that she was close to being the latest victim of a killer known as The Ripper.Sweeney makes it his business to discover the identity of The Ripper for two equally important reasons. The first is because it would make a sensational story and as a reporter, he can?t resist a good story. The second is that by following up the story he would get to meet the stripper and as a man he can?t resist a beautiful dame!The pace is brisk, the dialogue is amusing and direct as Sweeney conducts his own investigation by following up hunches and suspicions. It?s a very entertaining investigation with an ending worth waiting for. If you can possibly get your hands on this, or any of Fredric Brown?s books for that matter, it?s worth the effort.

Living in L.A. many years ago, I was given a bunch of 'crime' books to review for a Film producer. I had never been very interested in mystery/dectective novels (especially Agatha Christie-type stuff), and didn't think I was in a for a treat with the bunch written by some, by then deceased, guy named Frederic Brown. Well, reading 'The Screaming Mimi' and others was an epiphany for me. My scepticism was quickly swept aside, and I was enthralled by the intelligence, movement and tremedously engaging style of Frederic Brown. Once began, there was no way I was going to put any of his books down if I could avoid it. These days I have 'The Screaming Mimi' (thank goodness!) but, sadly gave away 'His Name Was Death' and 'Jabberwocky,' etc. And these days I wait in vain to find those books again. If you have Fredric Brown crime novels, you're lucky :-)

One of the masterpieces of Hardboiled Mystery, and one of the most neglected and under-rated. John Sweeny finds a hideous statue of a screaming woman in a Chicago boutique and realises it was a psychological trigger for a serial killer. At once funny and terrifying, this book needs to be put along side Hammett and James M Cain and Jim Thompson. This is much MUCH more than a who-done-it; it was a best seller when it came out, and is now out of print. WHAT'S GOING ON??!!!

I really wish the publisher would reprint Fredric Brown's mysteries. This is an excellent example of his work, suspenseful, surprising and funny.