Jonathan Latimer - Headed For A Hearse

I first discovered Jonathan Latimer in Julian Symons's Bloody Murder, where one of his novels was described as unusually explicit for its time. I believe the book in question was Lady in the Morgue. This sparked my interest, and I began looking into Latimer's life and work.

Before becoming a well-known novelist, Latimer worked as a crime reporter and became acquainted with gangsters such as Al Capone and Bugs Moran. He later went on to write screenplays for classic noir films including The Glass Key, The Big Clock, and Night Has a Thousand Eyes.

For that reason, I decided to buy Headed for a Hearse. It turned out to be a solid crime novel that successfully combines elements of the hard-boiled tradition, the English detective story, the locked-room mystery, and screwball comedy. It may not be a forgotten classic, but it is certainly a book worth reading.

Bill Crane is an engaging and witty detective, and the plot unfolds like a ticking time bomb. A wealthy man has been convicted of murdering his wife and has only seven days left before his execution. In a desperate attempt to save his life, he hires the expensive attorney Fickenstein, setting in motion an investigation filled with twists, humor, and unusual situations.