The Penguin Pool Murder (American Mystery Classics)

The Penguin Pool Murder (American Mystery Classics) by Stuart Palmer

A field trip is always a treat for the third graders at Jefferson School. But one day at the New York Aquarium, they get much more excitement than they bargained for. A pickpocket sprints past, stolen purse in hand, and is making his way to the exit when their teacher, the prim Hildegarde Withers, knows him down with her umbrella.

By the time the police and the security guards finish arguing about what to do with Chicago Lew, he has escaped, and Miss Withers has found something far more interesting: a murdered stockbroker floating in the penguin tank. With the help of Detective Oscar Piper, this no-nonsense spinster embarks on the first of her many adventures. The mystery is baffling and the killer is dangerous but, for a woman who can control a gaggle of noisy third-graders, murder isn't frightening at all.

The Penguin Pool Murder is the first of many mysteries to feature Hildegarde Withers, the character that became a sensation in both mystery fiction and film.

Stuart Palmer (1905 - 1968) was an American author of mysteries, born in Baraboo, Wisconsin. A master of intricate plotting and witty dialogue, Palmer found success writing for Hollywood but is best remembered today for his Hildegarde Withers mysteries.