The Silver Tombstone Mystery
Cover Artist: not identifiedBy: Gruber, Frank
Publisher: New American Library (Signet Books - 1677)
Place of Publication:New York, NY
Catalog #: Kelley Box 261: PS3513 .R866 S52 1959
Contributor: K. Quinlivan
General
Era: 1940sAuthor as on Cover: Frank Gruber
Publication:1959
Original Date: 1945
Setting: urban and rural areas; motels in the Los Angeles area; ghost towns, abandoned silver mines in the desert southwest
Plot Summary
While driving their old jalopy from New York City to California, penniless con man Johnny Fletcher and his strong-arm partner, Sam Cragg, discover a dead body in the back seat of their car. Fletcher and Cragg continue their trip under suspicion of murder, but thanks to Johnny's remarkable resourcefulness, the two men always manage to stay one step ahead of the law. Fast-talking Fletcher cleverly swindles hotel clerks, used car dealers, and store managers before eventually becoming entangled in a search for the rightful owner of an old silver mine in Tombstone, Arizona. Fletcher and Cragg dodge the police, and at the same time outwit an ever-growing group of unscrupulous miners and shady lawyers as their investigation leads the duo of self-proclaimed amateur detectives into all sorts of sticky situations. They even take an unexpected detour into an abandoned mine shaft, before Fletcher solves the murder mystery and settles the silver mine ownership controversy once and for all.Major Characters
Johnny Fletcher adult male, irrepressible, quick-thinking, always on the lookout for new ways to make money at someone else's expense, fast-talking salesmanSam Cragg adult male, Johnny Fletcher's strongman sidekick, enjoys tearing phone books apart, eager to demonstrate his physical prowess
Joe Cotter adult male, strong, sleazy lawyer, hired to sort out the legal claim to an old desert silver mine
Helen Walker adult female, early 20s, tall, slender, claims that her great-uncle's will makes her the rightful owner of the silver mine, but she's not interested in selling
Charles Ralston adult male, grandson of the silver mine's original owner, wants to buy the mine from Helen
Dan Tompkins adult male, crusty prospector who is also interested in gaining title to the silver mine
Mike Henderson adult male, early 30s, greedy, mine owner
Laura Henderson adult female, sister of Mike Henderson, she finds Johnny Fletcher very attractive; unlike her brother, she is willing to tell Johnny the truth
Danny Sage adult male, half white, half Indian, early 30s, well-educated, magazine writer, knows a great deal about what actually took place during the original mine owner's tenure