Jesse Falkenstein
12 total works
To the California police the murder of Lilian Blake seems an open-and-shut case. In less than twenty-four hours they have arrested and charged Harry Nielsen, a mentally disabled youth. At first only Harry's mother believes his innocence, insisting he is too kind-hearted to kill anything. She begs Jesse Falkenstein to accept the case, which he does reluctantly, sure the police have the right man.
But as Jesse starts to dig around, curious scraps of evidence begin to accumulate. He formulates an alternate theory of the crime, and his conclusions expose both Jesse and his wife to a situation of extreme danger . . .
'Her best book' New York Times
Dick Tredgold has spent seven years in jail for a murder he insists he did not commit. Now eligible for parole, he refuses to apply, because he feels that by doing so he would acknowledge his guilt. His family, at their wit's end, appeal to Jesse Falkenstein for help.
Falkenstein realises the only way of getting Tredgold to leave prison is to identify the real murderer - no easy task in an eight-year-old investigation. And when Jesse re-examines the case he begins to discover that not all the witnesses were as reliable as they had seemed. . .
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
Raymond Austin, a neat, discreet banker, was Jesse Falkenstein's client. Jesse should only have been concerned with Austin's wife, Tamar, because she was being sued for divorce.
But then Tamar is found dead, so Jesse has to find out a lot more about her and her friends: Lee Davenport, the golden haired tenor, Grafton, Eddie, O'Riordan - and a lot of other men, stretching back into her past and around her so recently in her spotlit present. And some women, too.
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
The Manning Company is a big business, but although it was headed by Claire Manning, the founder's widow, before her death, her son John had been running the firm for many years and was the undisputed successor. So why did Claire leave almost everything to her third cousin, whom no one associated with the firm has ever heard of?
Enter Jesse Falkenstein, who is launched into an investigation of Claire Manning's past - and a litany of treachery, fraud, blackmail, abortion, impersonation and sudden death.
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
Twenty years ago the five-year-old Traxler heir was kidnapped from his Hollywood home and never seen again. Now his widowed mother is overjoyed when a plausible young man claims to be her long-lost son, a claim supported by accurate childhood memories. Mrs Traxler accepts him unconditionally, and when her niece Charlotte dares to question him, she is cut out of the will.
Charlotte turns to Jesse Falkenstein, who is soon as suspicious of the man's claim as she is. After launching an intense investigation, one lead after another falls flat - and even the original kidnapper refuses to talk . . .
Sergeant Andrew Clock of Homicide is an honest policeman, but now there's a very grave charge against him: concealing evidence in a murder investigation in return for a bribe. The evidence seems damning, but Clock's friends, including Jesse Falkenstein, cannot believe it of him.
Falkenstein sets out to prove Clock's innocence, and is quickly entrenched in a battle between Clock's allies and his superior officers. The only other explanation is a set-up, but who has enough of a grudge against the sergeant to destroy him?
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
Old Vandeveer is an odd client for the famous Jesse Falkenstein; dressed head to toe in shabby clothes it seems like he can hardly afford Jesse's standard fee to draw up a will. But when he and his wife are murdered a few weeks later, Falkenstein is launched on an intricate search for a fortune the old man has hidden away.
The miser's long-suffering daughter is the immediate suspect, but in an effort to clear her name, Jesse discovers a tale of sharp business deals, blackmail, pornography, a questionable legal marriage and murder.
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
Robert Kinsolving is healthy, wealthy and forty-one, and has asked Jesse Falkenstein to draw up a will leaving everything to his sister, just in case. However, before signing, Kinsolving is found dead in an apparent suicide. Jesse is far from convinced, and discovers that Robert was actually not a Kinsolving at all, and anyone who may have benefited from his death is now seriously short-changed.
It now becomes Jesse's job to track down Robert's birth mother, and the mystery turns from a whodunit to a where-is-she.
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
Jesse Falkenstein was just putting away his notes at the end of the day when he was visited by Mrs Lester, an acquaintance of his sister, who came to him claiming her husband, Glen, had been seen frequently dining with another woman.
Jesse was loath to get involved, even though Mrs Lester was his sister's friend. That was, until he received a phone call from her at police headquarters. 'They say homicide, my darling Glen!' Murder was something Jesse did know about, if it was murder . . .
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
Beautiful Nell Varney was a newcomer to Contera - and to murder.
Suddenly she found herself in a strange courtroom faced with seven pairs of hate-ridden, accusing eyes. Seven witnesses had identified her as the murderer who had caused the death of two women by performing illegal abortions.
Why would anyone in this strange town believe Nell was innocent? Could anyone help her? One man, a dedicated lawyer named Jesse Falkenstein, was determined to try . . .
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
When Nonie Johnson kidnaps her daughter from the adoptive parents, Jesse Falkenstein is brought in. Something seemed wrong from the start - Nonie just wasn't the maternal type, and then she suddenly vanished from sight.
The search for Nonie Johnson yielded nothing but a series of wild goose chases. Fortunately, Jesse had two aces up his sleeve: a brother-in-law in the police, and a number of unorthodox psychic acquaintances who had their own way of seeking clues.
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune
Lawyer Jesse Falkenstein thought his secretary Miss Williams was a remarkably efficient typist, but he felt she had drawbacks as a legal secretary. She had an earnest face, unfashionable tight curls and she irritated him very much. Jesse wished he could fire her.
But she'd been his secretary for nine years, so even when, on a particularly busy day, she called to say that an urgent matter would keep her away from the office, Jesse didn't fire her. He also didn't realise how urgent the matter was until it was almost too late . . .
'My favourite American crime-writer' New York Herald Tribune