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And Where She Stops

And Where She Stops cover image Cover Artist: Ray Johnson
By: Dewey, Thomas B.
Publisher: Popular Library (816)
Place of Publication:New York, NY
Catalog #: Kelley Box 229: PS3507 .E883 A52 1957
Contributor: E. Torre

General

Era: 1950s
Author as on Cover: Thomas B. Dewey
Publication:1957
Original Date: 1957
Setting: suburban -- private homes in the San Fernando Valley and Beverly Hills; a rooming house in the Hollywood Hills; urban -- a Sunset Strip bar; a resort in Lake Tahoe

Plot Summary

While helping a friend, private detective Pete Schofield finds himself embroiled in a web of murder, vice and theft. The story begins when Van Rossen refuses to accept payment for Christopher (Kit) Bernard's $658.43 bar bill. Rossen suspects that the money comes from mobsters, and if true, this would tie Kit, a good college boy, to the thugs. Rossen presses Pete to persuade Kit's father, Albert Bernard, to pay the debt. After asking the senior Bernard to help his son, Pete meets Alice Bernard, Albert's third wife, as well as his current mistress, Donna Carpenter. The next day, a pool of blood is discovered in Bernard's jewelry shop and he is presumed dead. Pete helps rescue Mrs. Bernard from an apparent kidnapping attempt and Donna Carpenter from a cold confinement after a "miscarriage." Benny Dakota leads Pete to a hidden desert grave where they uncover Bernard's body before being interrupted by Cochrane. Distracted by these events and the threats against his life, Pete finally realizes that his own wife has been taken to the Desert View Ranch, and in a desperate attempt to save her, Pete helps the mob carry out their scheme to steal a shipment of diamonds.

Major Characters

Pete Schofield adult male, narrator of the story; private detective

George Breska adult male, middle-aged, round shoulders, stocky, natty dresser, mobster

Cochrane adult male, ugly, "free-lance hoodlum" working for Breska

Alice Bernard adult female, 5 ft., 5 in. tall, blonde, smooth unblemished complexion, former actress, third wife of Albert Bernard

Bluenose adult male, works for George Breska, thug

Pinky adult male, works for George Breska, thug

Backache adult male, works for George Breska, thug

Jeannie Schofield adult female, bust 35 in., waist 25 in., hips 35 in., redhead, green eyes, short temper, wife of Pete Schofield

Van Rossen adult male, owner of the Rendezvous

Benny Dakota adult male, middle-aged, "hophead" (junkie), former boxer

Christopher Bernard "Kit", adult male, dark unruly hair, hornrimmed glasses, college student

Albert Bernard adult male, middle-aged, 130 lbs., close-cropped white hair, slender face and hands, rimless glasses, jeweler

Marsha Turney adult female, brown hair, "sensible type," former waitress

Donna Carpenter adolescent female, brown eyes, dark hair, Italian haircut, actress

Mrs. Corrigan adult female, middle-aged or older, potential buyer of loose diamonds

Harold adult male, Swedish, sunny temperament, owner of a lodge in Lake Tahoe

Dottie adult female, wife of Harold, "built to match", co-owner of the Silver Strand Lodge

Sergeant Thompson adult male, police detective

Mr. Davis adult male, Mr. Albert Bernard's accountant

Weapons

handguns, fists

Level of Violence

verbal threats and coercion, fist fights, beatings (primarily of men by men), shootings of two individuals with handguns, major shootout at the end of the novel

Sexuality

heterosexual activity is implied. Distinctions are made between marital relationships and affairs.

Gender Roles

the mobsters regard women as sexual objects. Pete Schofield distinguishes between women who made a mistake or who are married and those who are promiscuous. Female measurements and other physical characteristics are usually used in descriptions. Also, women who are on the wrong side of the law are depicted as being strong-willed. Those who are respectable or deserving of pity need to be rescued from danger.

Ethnicity

not a significant factor

Alcohol/Drug Abuse

primarily social drinking among the majority of characters. Benny Dakota is the only drug user, but he does not use any drugs during the story. He is working to earn enough money to get heroin.

Law Enforcement

the local police play a minor role. Sergeant Thompson investigates the crime scene at A. Bernard Jewelers, and the police answer a call for assistance at the Desert View Ranch after a major altercation.

Added Features

Donna Carpenter was pregnant with Albert Bernard's child and there is a strong implication that she was coerced or forced into having an abortion. The reason for her weakened condition is referred to as a miscarriage. There are signs of emotional injury because of her treatment before and after the procedure. Although she is not referred to in derogatory terms, the only sympathetic character is her friend, Marsha Turney. Kit Carpenter seems to be jealous of his father, but his reaction to the miscarriage is not clear.

Subject Headings

Detectives, Private/ Theft/ Murder/ California - Los Angeles

Psychological Elements

this is primarily an "old-fashioned" detective story, where for the most part, good and evil are clearly defined. The good guys live by the rules of post-World War II America, while the bad guys are mobsters and those who take advantage of the helpless as defined by the author.