Homer Evans

Multimillionaire and philanthropist Hugo Weiss is known in every capital of the Western world as a munificent patron of the arts. When Weiss suddenly vanishes while on a visit to Paris, his disappearance sets the stage for this uncommonly witty and urbane mystery. Homer Evans, an intrepid American detective, turns his keen intellect and remarkable intuition toward solving the puzzle of the financier's disappearance. Assisted by his sharpshooting girlfriend, a cowgirl from the American West, Evans plunges into a maelstrom of kidnapping, art forgery, tax evasion, murder, and a plot to restore the French monarchy. Set against the backdrop of bohemian Montparnasse, the story hurtles along at a breathless pace and in a tone of relentless good cheer, despite the rising body count. The first installment in a popular series that parodies the famous Philo Vance stories of S. S. Van Dine, this novel offers sophisticated humor amid a madcap romp as well as a challenging mystery.

The gendarmes are baffled and all Paris is agog at the disappearance of a rare Watteau print. Enter master sleuth Homer Evans, whose hilarious approach to crime-solving follows a twisted trail from the darkest recesses of the Louvre to underworld lairs, the studios of shady art dealers, and an insane asylum. Evans and his zany associates-including his sharpshooting girlfriend, Mademoiselle Montana, and his drinking buddy, Gonzo-trace a bizarre series of clues to uncover an ever-thickening plot involving fraud, kidnapping, and murder. Author Elliot Paul satirized the conventions of detective fiction with the first Homer Evans adventure, The Mysterious Mickey Finn. This sequel, hailed as "an excellent cocktail" by The New Republic, offers another furious frolic that upends every convention of the traditional murder mystery.