Official Review: Arsenic and Old Men by Glenn Ickler

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Arsenic and Old Men" by Glenn Ickler.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When Dave Jerome receives news that his elderly Uncle Walt has died, he convinces his two friends to accompany him to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, to attend the funeral. Warren "Mitch" Mitchell and Alan Jeffrey work for the St. Paul Daily Dispatch newspaper and are eager to take a few days off work and visit the exclusive island. What starts as an impromptu vacation quickly turns into something more sinister as the autopsy reveals arsenic in the old man’s system. The police are hostile, first regarding the three as suspects, then treating them as a meddlesome inconvenience. However, the trio remains undeterred in finding out exactly what happened to Uncle Walt.

Easier said than done. Faced with an uncooperative detective, complaining wives, and a woeful lack of clues, the three are stumped. Then things get worse when another body shows up. This time it's an elderly vagrant, poisoned in a similar way to Uncle Walt.

This book is classified as a crime/mystery. However, Arsenic and Old Men is written in a light-hearted way and is brimming with humorous puns and witty innuendo. In his easygoing, informal writing style, Glenn Ickler makes the threesome seem more like the "three stooges" than the "three musketeers" they aspire to be. Their introduction to Dick Rylander, the lawyer handling Uncle Walt’s estate, is particularly amusing: “Where does a guy dressed modestly in shorts and a T-shirt look when he’s shaking hands with a naked man?” I also looked forward to the witty exchanges with the droll car-hire assistant, Marty, which appeared throughout the book and were quite hilarious.

There are many characters in this book, as one would expect from a "whodunit" type of story, and most of them are potential suspects. One aspect I noted was there was very little background given on any of them. Rather than this being a negative aspect of the book, it allows the reader to concentrate more on the plot rather than the characters themselves. The narrative flows well, and the banter that exists between the three is easygoing and entertaining to read. A red herring in the story lends depth to the mystery and there is just the right amount of dramatic tension when the trio eventually solves the murders. To be able to combine all these elements into an amusing and entertaining story is something of a gift, one which this author clearly has.

I noticed a couple of formatting issues with the book, one of which is the unpredictable line spacing. In the version I read, the first chapter begins with a floating “W” followed by a blank line, after which the rest of the word "where" continues. There were numerous occasions where a line space appears in mid-sentence. I suspect this is an issue with the Kindle version and may not exist in print. Also, the paragraphs are often extremely long, particularly in the first few chapters. The author does not indent new paragraphs, nor does he allow new lines for different speakers, so often I was unsure of who was saying what. I had to re-read certain sections a couple of times to get the correct meaning.

Having said that, the text was grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes that I noted and only one case of a missing word. There was the occasional profanity, and a scene bordering on risqué when Dave is offered more from the Jewell twins than just financial advice. I believe this adds a little more color to the story and in no way was it offensive or tacky. In this, as in most aspects of the book, the dry humor overrides everything and makes it a most entertaining read.

I would award this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars, as the issues in formatting and layout spoilt the flow of the story somewhat. However, this book could easily achieve a perfect rating if these were rectified. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think it would appeal to fans of the crime/mystery genre and also those who want a light-hearted, weekend read. For those who prefer mind-bending plots with multiple twists and turns, this book is not for you. The focus is not on clever intrigue; rather it is about three bumbling sleuths who are somehow smart enough to solve a baffling crime.

This book forms part of the Mitch and Al Mystery series, focusing on two amateur detectives who are "punsters and pranksters...Siamese twins, joined at the funny bone" - a direct quote from the author’s web page. I was very entertained throughout, and without hesitation would love to read more of the series.

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Arsenic and Old Men
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Like sonya01's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

I love how you turned the lack of information on the characters into a positive instead of a negative. I also enjoy that this is a bit more of a light-hearted mystery. It sounds interesting all the way around. Thanks.

[Mbrooks2518]

Sounds like a great mystery to read when looking for a lighter read. Great review!

[DogoMulla]

Okay, there seems to be multiple aspects on this one. It's almost mysterious. I appreciate your insightful review.

[T_stone]

This book seems like an interesting read with good characters and we'll a developed plot. The suspense is top notch. I'm going to check this one out. Thanks for the good review as always.

[Cecilia_L]

This mystery sounds right up my alley, and I really enjoyed your review.

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

Okay, there seems to be multiple aspects on this one. It's almost mysterious. I appreciate your insightful review.

It is impossible to get bored with this book, which is why I found it so refreshingly different. Thank you for taking time to read this review.

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

This mystery sounds right up my alley, and I really enjoyed your review.

Thanks Cecilia - this one was easy to review as it was so enjoyable. Thanks for commenting.

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

This book seems like an interesting read with good characters and we'll a developed plot. The suspense is top notch. I'm going to check this one out. Thanks for the good review as always.

I really appreciate you taking the time to read the review, and commenting. Thanks!

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

I love how you turned the lack of information on the characters into a positive instead of a negative. I also enjoy that this is a bit more of a light-hearted mystery. It sounds interesting all the way around. Thanks.

It really was a nice change to what we’ve come to expect from the genre. Thanks so much for your comment.

[BelleReadsNietzsche]

Oh this sounds just delightful! It sounds like the title, which seems to be a wink and a nod to Arsenic and Old Lace, has a similar wit to it that’s makes that very appropriate. I will definitely put this one on my list after reading your review; I hope they eventually fix the formatting, bc this sounds just great! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

[Manang Muyang]

Now I have to get this book. I need to know the answer to the question about shaking hands. (wink!)

Thanks for this highly entertaining review, Sonya01!

P.S. Did the author leave off the "T" at the start of his surname? Just wondering because of the floating first letters.

[Kelyn]

I don't normally read crime/mystery novels but this one sounds quite amusing. Loved the reference to their encounter with the lawyer! I'm hoping there are more funny moments to be found. I'll have to give this one a look. Thanks for the great review!

[chiadeer]

I'm glad I happened to run across this review. The title stuck out to me because it reminded me Arsenic and Old Lace, a play I did in HS. It sounds like a fun read and I love mysteries!

[gali]

A light-hearted mystery about murder by arsenic poisoning sounds fresh. Those three friends do bring in mind the "three stooges". Sounds like a fun book. Humor, witty innuendo and easygoing writing style add to the appeal. Too bad about the format and layout issues, I noticed that as well, but at least the book was well edited. Humor, witty innuendo and easygoing writing style add to the appeal. Thank you for the review!