Denver Doll and Yankee
Eisler are a likely pair, both pursuing the scoundrel road-agent John
McParland. One is a legendary scrapper and lover, the other is all business.
Together they unravel the mystery of an orphan child and her murdered mother.
Along the way we encounter Doll's three stooges Walt, Yakie and Chug;
femme-fatale the mysterious Mademoiselle Zoe, bumbling reporter Charles
Pygmalion Jones, righteous merchant Crystal Carrol and the slimy Valentine
Verner. The very existence of the mining town Shining Bar is at risk if Doll
and Yankee fail. This volume reprints the original 1882 novel plus a new
version updated for modern audiences.
Denver Doll (Dime Novel Mystery)
By Edward Lytton Wheeler
& Joseph Lovece
ISBN #978-1499716467
Create Space
Price $10.48
290 Pages
Rating 5-Stars
“A Fun Read.”
When one of Denver Doll’s three sidekicks discover
what they think is a murdered woman and a crying baby, they bring the child to
their mining camp. Upon returning for the woman’s body they discover it is
missing. The case gets more complicated when someone steals the baby from them.
Denver Doll, one of the original – if not the first – female detectives in
fiction, is after road agent and scoundrel John McParland, who may have the
baby. It seems the child is to inherit a huge fortune on a certain date, and
must be brought forward by that time. But things aren’t going to be easy for
Denver Doll. A crook in Shining Bar also wants the inheritance, and McParland’s
pals turn against the road agent, while Yankee is after him for murdering his
wife.
This book contains the original Dime Novel version as
it was published in 1882, and written by Edward Lytton Wheeler, the author of the
popular Deadwood Dick series. It also contains a rewritten version by Joseph Lovece,
with modern sensibilities (tightened, and the use of profanities). Although the
original Dime Novel version has a number of typos, it was still a lot of fun
reading this version. I was a huge fan of the Nick Carter Dime Novels, and
though outdated, they were a lot of fun, and so is Denver Doll, the Queen of
Detectives. Denver Doll is known as a tough gal, not afraid of anything, and
can whip most men; she’s also a master of disguise. Her three pals are also
something of a curiosity. Walt Christie is a black man of African descent,
while Yakie Strauss is of Dutch-German descent. And then there’s Chug, a
Chinaman; these three provide the comedy element to the story – think Three
Stooges or Bowery Boys, and you’ll be close. There were only four Denver Doll
novels, and they are not easily available. For lovers of early American
literature, or just the excitement of pre-modernistic writing, you’ll enjoy
Denver Doll and her cohorts. Highly recommended.
Tom Johnson
Detective Mystery Stories
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