House of Brass

Rating:
Summary: Will the goose lay an egg of gold, or brass?
Review: This sequel to _Inspector Queen's Own Case: November Song_ *can* be read without first reading its predecessor (I did that myself), but you'll get more out of the two books if you read them in order, so if you haven't read _November Song_, shoo.

Picking up where _November Song_ left off, Ellery almost goes into cardiac arrest when he receives Richard's telegram announcing his engagement to Jessie Sherwood, but after he flies home in a panic from Istanbul, he and Jessie each find that their fears are groundless, and Ellery gets to give his father away during the ceremony. :) But by the time the Queens return from their honeymoon, Ellery has taken off again, so when Jessie receives a mysterious invitation to Hendrik Brass' country home, containing $100 and half a $1000 bill, Jessie and Richard once again get to tackle a case on their own. (This time, though, Ellery returns for the last chapter and wraps up the final loose ends in the grand finale.)

Hendrik Brass is an old man now, but he once ran a Fifth Avenue jewelry store - the House of Brass, specializing in gold. Richard's first reaction is to steer clear, but Jessie wants a little adventure, so after checking up with a few phone calls, they accept the invitation to the house party upstate. (Yes, this is an American version of the classic country house-party murder.)

Apart from Jessie Queen, retired nurse, the other guests are a mixed bag. The Alistairs are con artists. Dr. Thornton is the GP of his medical practice, too soft-hearted to make real money. Cornelia Openshaw is a stereotypical old maid. Keith Palmer can't settle back into civilian life after too many copter crashes in Vietnam. Lynn O'Neill seems like a good egg, but as a layoff victim she needs money. According to old man Brass, each of them is the son or daughter of someone who did him a good turn once, having been unearthed by a private investigator, and he intends to return the favor by at least supplying the missing half of each $1000 bill. If they'll stay for a few weeks and let him get to know them, he'll decide which of them should be in his will.

The only catch is, Jessie (after hearing her supposed connection to Brass) knows that she's not the woman he's looking for. At that point, Richard Queen starts getting interested in just how much is rotten about this setup, and how many ringers have been invited to the party...