Phoebe Atwood Taylor was an American mystery writer and creator of Asey Mayo, the Codfish Sherlock, who appeared in over twenty mysteries rich in New England atmosphere, authentic Cape Code characters and screwball-y comedy – kin to Craig Rice's boozy mystery farces. Taylor also penned eight novels featuring Leonidas Witherall under the name "Alice Tilton" and a special, once somewhat rare, standalone mystery as by "Freeman Dana."
The story opens with 68-year-old Mrs. Daisy Boylston Tower, widow of a former governor, escaping from the home of her nephew and his wife, Egleston and Elfrida. She had been a guest of Egleston and Elfrida for months to recover from a broken hip and a bout with pneumonia, but, she simply had enough of being a prisoner a place "where her food was censored, where they choked beef tea down her throat, tried her door knob when she refused to answer a knock." So she borrowed money from the cook and exited the house stowed away in the back of a laundry van. Daisy Towers plan is to go to the New York World's Fair ("I've been to 'em all, since I was a mere child at the Philadelphia Centennial"), but getting there is not as easy as her disappearance has not gone unnoticed ("...dragging horse ponds for my body..."). Along the way, en route to the World's Fair, Daisy picks up a few friends.
Firstly, she comes across a newspaper reporter, Sam Minot, who unaccountably got fired that morning and is being stalked ever since by a man he calls Comrade Glue. Secondly, Daisy's former companion, Cherry Chipman, who's handing out coupons and special tickets to "De Luxe World's Fair Train, The Golden Dart." Sam has his doubts about the authenticity of the tickets as he knows the Golden Dart is the private train of "that millionaire with all the pictures," Conrad Cassell. The tickets turn out to be dodgy, but Cassell takes the deception in good stride and the party ends up at the New York World's Fair. However, Daisy, Sam and Cherry don't get an opportunity to go sight seeing as they have run around the place in disguise to dodge everyone who's looking for them. Such as the police when it's announced pictures from Cassell's collection have gone missing, presumably stolen.
So the first-half is very much a screwball comedy with mystery element apparently having to take a backseat to the adventures and antics of Daisy, Sam and Cherry. And, yes, promoting the World's Fair. The third chapter reveals a body had been found in Cassell's private office on the Golden Dart, but somehow not reported and this was done to keep the action at the World's Fair. In fact, the victim's identity is not revealed until chapter seven, of ten, but, when it was finally revealed, the victim's identity gave the plot a much needed jolt – as it raced towards it conclusion. A conclusion revealing the completely bonkers scheme underneath it all, complimented by one of the pettiest motives on record, which I found more of an attraction than the story's setting. A credible solution? Not really, but it entertained the hell out of me!
Taylor's Murder at the New York World's Fair is a light, fast paced screwball mystery unmistakably belonging to the American murder-can-be-fun school, because getting neck deep into trouble is more fun when you do it with family and friends. Murder at the New York World's Fair takes that sentiment to heart. While not as tightly plotted or fairly clued, it more than warrants comparison to other murder-can-be-fun writers like Craig Rice, Stuart Palmer and Kelley Roos. Murder at the New York World's Fair is well worth your time if you like your vintage comedy mysteries.
