Friday's Forgotten Books - Exeunt Murderers

It seemed fitting to feature a book of short stories penned by Anthony Boucher in the middle of Bouchercon by the Bay, the 41st mystery convention named after the writer, reviewer, and editor. Born William Anthony Parker White in 1911, he at first seemed headed into the sciences until he was bitten by the literature bug, selling his first story when he was 15, "Ye Goode Olde Ghoste Storie," published in Weird Tales in January 1927. He would later add that in retrospect the story was so bad, the editor must have had a "sadistic grudge against the readers."

After his college career, he turned his hand to detective fiction in 1937, with a standalone followed by one series with amateur criminologist Fergus O'Breen and the other Sister Ursula of the Order of Martha of Bethany (published under the pen name H.H. Holmes). Although a moderate success as a novelist, he found his true calling when he started reviewing mysteries and science fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle (another node of connection with this year's conference), followed by editing anthologies and translating other books. He landed a job as the regular mystery fiction critic for the New York Times in 1951, a job he held for close to 17 years.

His contributions to the genre didn't end there—he was a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America, a charter member of the Baker Street Irregulars in San Francisco and wrote scripts for "Sherlock Holmes" and "Ellery Queen" radio programs, co-edited the True Crime Detective magazine, wrote a monthly review column for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and created a regular mystery-review show for the public radio station KPFA.

His dozens of short stories reflect his multi-faced interests outside literature, with one of the editors to the Boucher collection Exeunt Murderers, Francis M. Nevins, Jr., adding that Boucher wrote mysteries delving into "religion, opera, football, politics, movies, true crime, record collecting and an abundance of good food and wine along with clues and puzzles and detection." (Nevin's co-editor foro this collection is the prolific Martin H. Greenberg.)

Many Boucher stories pivot around talented and brilliant amateur sleuths, although the first third of Exeunt consists of nine stories featuring former police Lieutenant Nick Noble, once a rising star in the force until he took the rap for a bad cop. The second part is a series of Sister Ursula stories grouped under the title "Conundrums for the Cloister." Although technically an amateur, Sister Ursula is the daughter of a police chief who'd once planned on entering the field herself until poor health changed her plans. These stories mirror Boucher's own life in two ways—he was a devout Catholic who also struggled with poor health his entire life, ultimately dying of lung cancer at the age of 56. Part Three of Exunt is "Jeux de Meurtre," narrated by both cops and amateurs, and in one case, the murderer.

These are thoroughly enjoyable stories, and as a former Friday's Forgotten Books feature by Jeffrey Marks on Boucher's novel Nine Tmes Nine for the Rap Sheet attests, it's almost a shame that he spent so much of his time on other projects. But it is that very legacy of support to the crime fiction community which Bouchercon celebrates, and so we'll just have to be content with the body of work we have (see George Kelley's FFB feature about the Anthony Boucher Chronicles) from someone who managed to pack more into a half-century than most people do with decades more.

Comments

[Patti Abbott]

I read many of his books and reviews in the NYT long before I heard of Bouchercon. Great review of his work, Bonnie.

[George Kelley]

Thanks for mentioning my review of THE ANTHONY BOUCHER CHRONICLES! Boucher is an underrated writer who deserves a wider audience.

[Todd Mason]

And not only did he review for the CHRONICLE (he was nearly a lifelong San Franciscan), and for the TIMES (and simultaneously for the NEW YORK HERALD-TRIBUNE under another pseudonym), and for founding Pacifica Radio station KPFA, but he also conducted an opera program for Pacifica that they syndicated widely beyond their small network of stations...and, as Bill Crider's FFB notes today, he co-founded THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, with one of my FFB's editors, J. Francis McComas.

And Edwin Baird, the first editor of WEIRD TALES, held a Lot of grudges against his readers...

[BV Lawson]

Thanks for adding some of Boucher's other credits, Todd! I debated how much to include, as I feared making the posting into a book, but his achievements are SO impressive for such a short life -- and from someone who was ill during most of it. He's still an inspiration, and I think having the largest U.S. mystery/crime conference named for him is especially fitting.

[BV Lawson]

I enjoyed reading your previous review about the "Anthony Boucher Chronicles," George. This is an appropriate time for folks to revisit it, and I hope they do! (And I apologize for spelling your surname as Kelly instead of Kelley). I'll blame my keyboard...

[Todd Mason]

Indeed. And we both failed to mention Bocher's volumes of BEST DETECTIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR, his last editorial post, some of that overlapping with his editorial work on the interesting TV series SUSPENSE THEATER (currently visible on the Retro TV network)...and by 1927, it was Farnsworth Wright who was exercising grudges against the readership at WEIRD TALES...Dorothy McIlwraith's years are more favored by me...

And I'd blame Blogger, if yours was a Blogger blog...it's been fighting me all morning...

[Evan Lewis]

I've enjoyed the Holmes radio shows he worked on, but still have not read a word of his fiction. Embarrassing.

[BV Lawson]

Since Boucher unfortunately didn't leave us too many of his own fiction works, a handful of novels and stories, that's not surprising, Evan. I hadn't, either, but was inspired by George Kelley's review of the novel and stumbling across the book of Boucher stories in my local public library.

[Paul D. Brazill]

Really intersting post. Intersting man.

[BV Lawson]

Indeed, Paul. The more I read about him, the more I'm in awe of what he accomplished and how multi-layered he was in his interests.

[Martin Edwards]

I have this book, and I agree entirely - a fascinating chap.