THE SIMEON CHAMBER

by Steven Paul Martini ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 11, 1988

Sir Francis Drake, top Nazi Richard Heydrich, and William Randolph Hearst liven the scene in a contemporary California thriller. Referred by his meddling mother, Sam Bogardus' new client is lovely Miss Jennifer Davies, who hopes Sam can find out more about her biological father than her wine-making stepfather is willing to tell her. The last time her real naval-officer father was seen, he was setting off with a chief petty officer in a blimp in the middle of WW II. But the blimp landed empty in San Francisco. Everybody gave him up for dead, but Jennifer has received an envelope containing a note that says he is still alive. The envelope also contained a few parchment pages from what looks very much like the journal of Sir Francis Drake. The pages had been among her late father's effects. What was he doing with them? Why are they stamped ""The Jade House""? And could they possibly lead to the complete journal--which just might tell where Bess Tudor's crafty privateer hid the stupendous load of gold and jewels of which he relieved an overburdened Spanish vessel somewhere off today's San Francisco Bay? Sam's steps in search of the answers to these and other interesting questions are dogged by a vile ruffian of a chauffeur and a suave gent with a stiletto in the handle of his walking stick. Sam's partner and onetime lover falls victim to a butcher knife, and his historian pal nearly buys the farm in the heart of Chinatown, but the search goes on, leading the lawyer to Citizen Hearst's abandoned monkey house. Generally rousing civilian-detective first novel--somewhat tarnished by some silly business about a surprise murderer.

Pub Date: Oct. 11, 1988

ISBN: 0515113719

Page Count: -

Publisher: Donald Fine

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988

Categories: FICTION