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Stuart Palmer
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The Puzzle of the Pepper Tree (The Hildegarde Withers Mysteries) Kindle Edition

by Stuart Palmer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 105 ratings
On vacation in California, the spinster sleuth stumbles onto the case of a man murdered in mid-air—“[Withers is] still one of the best” (Anthony Boucher).
 Because of the fog, the man in the brown suit arrives five minutes late for the ferry to Catalina Island. If he wishes to reach his destination today, his only option is the Dragonfly, a twelve-seat prop plane that makes up in speed what it lacks in comfort. The ride is bumpy, and all of the passengers—including a honeymooning couple, a film producer, and a would-be adventuress—find themselves feeling queasy. But none react as badly as the man in the brown suit, who sweats, shakes, and screams, “I’m dying! I don’t want to die!”—and by the time they reach Catalina, he already has. Vacationing schoolmarm Hildegarde Withers notices the corpse when they’re taking it off the plane. An amateur sleuth with a nose for murder, it doesn’t take her long to deduce foul play. But which of the passengers was dastardly enough to commit murder in mid-air? The Puzzle of the Pepper Tree is part of the Hildegarde Withers Mysteries series, which also includes The Penguin Pool Murder and Murder on the Blackboard.
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  1. Book 4 of 14
    The Hildegarde Withers Mysteries
  2. Print length
    316 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
  5. Publication date
    May 14, 2013
  6. File size
    3.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“One of the world’s shrewdest and most amusing detectives.” —The New York Times “[Withers is] of the first and still one of the best.” —Anthony Boucher “Full of fun and delightful people. A really terrific plot.” —The Chicago Daily News, on Four Lost Ladies  

About the Author

Stuart Palmer (1905–1968) was an American author of mysteries. Born in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Palmer worked a number of odd jobs—including apple picking, journalism, and copywriting—before publishing his first novel, the crime drama Ace of Jades, in 1931. It was with his second novel, however, that he established his writing career: The Penguin Pool Murder introduced Hildegarde Withers, a schoolmarm who, on a field trip to the New York Aquarium, discovers a dead body in the pool. Withers was an immensely popular character, and went on to star in thirteen more novels, including Miss Withers Regrets (1947) and Nipped in the Bud (1951). A master of intricate plotting, Palmer found success writing for Hollywood, where several of his books, including The Penguin Pool Murder, were filmed by RKO Pictures Inc.      

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CHW67YW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (May 14, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 14, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 105 ratings

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Stuart Palmer

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
105 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book fun to read, with one noting the enjoyable repartee between characters. The mystery content receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as good and intriguing, with one mentioning that the killer was well hidden in the story.

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5 customers mention "Enjoyment"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one mentioning the fun repartee between the characters and another appreciating the opportunity to explore the period.

"...Good mystery, too. Inspector Piper is fun and the repartee between the two is enjoyable...." Read more

"...This is a good example for the new reader and, of course, a worthwhile addition for anyone already familiar with others in this excellent series by..." Read more

"...reading a lot of mysteries from the 30s, these are some of the most enjoyable. The writing is not stiff and over-elaborate." Read more

"Fun read. I really enjoyed this book." Read more

3 customers mention "Mystery content"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery content of the book, finding it good and intriguing, with one customer noting that the killer was well hidden in the story.

"...Good mystery, too. Inspector Piper is fun and the repartee between the two is enjoyable...." Read more

"...you'll enjoy this. The the plot and killer were well hidden in the story. The story was very interesting and kept me to not want to put it down...." Read more

"...This story was intriguing, with unlikely characters teaming up, and a very clever mystery solved." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • tonibell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, fun mystery.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I love these old books. So much fun to explore the period. Palmer is making MS Withers, just a little too acerbic, but otherwise really enjoyed the peek into the 1930's decade Catalina Island. Good mystery, too. Inspector Piper is fun and the repartee between the two is enjoyable. The movie "Murder on a Honeymoon" with James Gleason and Edna May Oliver is actually a little better than the book. Not the usual thing, I know.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Example of Fine Series
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    As with another reviewer, I remember fondly (and have copies of all of them) the movies with Edna Mae Oliver, Zazu Pitts and another less remembered actress, which were new when I was much newer than I am today. Of course, there was also Jimmy Gleason doing his patented frustrated male performance. Happily, the books on which the series was based, and many others, are available on Kindle. This is a good example for the new reader and, of course, a worthwhile addition for anyone already familiar with others in this excellent series by Stuart Palmer, a most stylish writer of the light mystery. In this one, Miss Withers is going it alone, 3000 miles from her constant companion in solving crimes, Inspector Piper. It has happened to Charlie Chan and Hercule Poirot, among many others on film and TV and it happens here, as well, a man dies on the airplane on which Miss Withers is traveling. Only she scents something amiss with the death and................
    There are many twists and turns, amidst a bevy of neatly done characters, before Palmer lets us see the light. While tough guy mysteries came to the fore in the thirties and forties, writers like Palmer ( the Lockridges, and others) were cultivating a lighter brand of detecting. Worth trying if you are unfamiliar with Palmer's work, those who know him, will find this up to his customary standard.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • gene
    3.0 out of 5 stars old fasioned mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    If you enjoy books written with the flair of 1930's - 40's. you'll enjoy this. The the plot and killer were well hidden in the story. The story was very interesting and kept me to not want to put it down. Oh yes the Puzzle was solved (pepper tree)
    One person found this helpful
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  • WhiteQueen45
    5.0 out of 5 stars A clever 1930s heroine
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    4.5 stars! A new series and author for me, quite in the style and age of Agatha Christie. In this case the heroine is a schoolteacher whose interest in uncovering murderers is often not appreciated, since she pushes against poor thinking, be it on the part of police, managers or anybody else. I didn't mind the dated aspects of the story at all - it's part of the atmosphere. It takes place on the California island of Santa Catalina, which even in the 60s was celebrated as the "island of romance". A man dies on the airplane, and Hildegarde will not let the local police classify it as a heart attack - there are too many inconsistencies. She's a brave and resourceful heroine, not to mention imperfect - not all of her plans come up gold. But she perserveres and wins out in the end! I look forward to reading more of these.
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  • CynD-S
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I have long enjoyed Hildegarde Withers. A nice change of pace and a step back in time.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • M. Poller
    5.0 out of 5 stars back in the 30s on Catalina Island
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    If you're into a bit of nostalgia, this one is for you. The book describes Catalina Island in Calif. back around 1933 when the book was written. Things were so different then. To get to the island there was a choice of boat or little airplane and it wasn't very safe either as one of the passengers got very sick on this 20 minute ride and died. Hildegarde Withers was vacationing on the island and was immediately attracted to the scene and figured out it was murder. She solves the problem but does have some pretty tough adventures for this 40 yr old "old maid" as she is described. Imagine that back then 40 years old and unmarried meant you were an old maid! Other characters include a film director and his assistants, the local police chief and the small town doctor, a young woman who isn't very good, a recently married couple, a Norwegian sea captain and various other travelers. If you enjoy hotel mysteries this is also a good reason to pick this up. I love the books published by Rue Morgue as they republish older books now hard to find.
    Highly recommended.
    22 people found this helpful
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  • Mark W Shepard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed this book
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I've been reading a lot of mysteries from the 30s, these are some of the most enjoyable. The writing is not stiff and over-elaborate.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Heather Black
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not impressed with this one
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I was not impressed with the mystery. It was weak. I could have told you where the body was immediately. And why the trek through the mountains? It didn’t seem to advance the story at all.
    2 people found this helpful
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