Tom's Lawyer

"Tom's Lawyer" is the sixth in Heck's series featuring Samuel Clemens. All the books are at least mildly enjoyable and sometimes are a lot of fun. The basic premise of the series is that Clemens has hired recent Yale graduate William Wentworth Cabot as his traveling secretary. Inevitably, the pair meet with murder, and Clemens (known to everyone in the world as "Mark Twain" with the exception of Wentworth who apparently has never read any of Twain's books) emerges triumphant as the detective. In this installment, Clemens, Wentworth, Mrs. Clemens and one of the Clemens' daughters are in Montana, taking a week's rest from the first leg of their project round-the-world tour. Also in town is Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show, featuring Annie Oakley. Another visitor to town is Tom Blankenship, the boyhood friend of Clemens' that was the inspiration for the character of Huckleberry Finn. Theodore Roosevelt shows up, too, to help investigate when Blankenship is accused of murder. Also on hand is the Buffalo Soldier Bicycle Corps, and I was immensely pleased to see them featured (and incredibly smug about having read about the Corps the previous year in Sorensen's "Iron Riders"). The mystery itself is okay, although Wentworth and Clemens never get around to questioning witnesses under their noses until Clemens' daughter gets into trouble trying to take over the investigation. Wentworth (is he ever going to read one of Twain's books?) is the brawn of the pair, although he has acquired at least some street smarts since his first outing. It's the character of Twain himself that is, as always, the strongest and most enjoyable aspect of this book and the series. By no means a great book, "Tom's Lawyer" is definitely readable and re-readable.