Murder is Served by Frances and Richard Lockridge

Peggy Mott wrote an essay for her Experimental Psychology class on the subject of hate, specifically about how much she hated her husband and how much she would enjoy killing him. She turned the essay in to her professor,  John Leonard, who was very much disturbed by it. He was so disturbed by it that he called his friend and publisher, Jerry North, and asked him to read it. Pam and Jerry North both read excerpts of the essay, and they felt that it might just be the writing of an overly dramatic woman seeking attention, but they agreed to show it to their friend, police detective lieutenant Bill Weigand. Then they all agreed that there was nothing to do but wait and see what would happen.

Tony Mott was murdered in his office at Andre Maillaux, Inc, operators of the restaurant of the same name. Mott had been stabbed; nobody at the restaurant had seen anyone enter the office, but there were two other entrances which could have been used. Bill Weigand was put in charge of the case, and he immediately thought of the essay which Peggy Mott had written, because she was the estranged wife of Tony Mott.

Peggy Mott was terrified when she heard about the murder. She knew that the police would want to question her and she knew that they would suspect her of the murder and she also remembered the essay which she had written. She hoped to avoid the police by wandering the streets, and by hiding  for a long time in an all day movie theater. Then she sought the help of Weldon Carey one of her fellow classmates with whom she had developed a friendship (or romance). Carey had written a play which Tony Mott had agreed to produce, but Mott had then withdrawn his backing.

Bill Weigand questioned the people at the restaurant who might have had a reason for the murder of Mott. His partner Andre Maillaux was the orginal sole owner of the restaurant until the restaurant needed an infusion of money to modernize it. Maillaux wished to be known for his superb food,  but he would hardly want to kill Mott who continued to bring business and patrons into the restaurant. Elaine Britton, Mott's current girl friend, came forward to say that she saw Peggy Mott leaving the restaurant at about the time that the murder occurred. Later, Elaine Britton would also be murdered.

Weigand is very sure that Peggy Mott is the murderer. The Norths, who will eventually meet Peggy Mott, are sure that she is not the murderer. There are actually few viable suspects in this book, but Weigand's tireless investigations bring to light other motives for the few suspects that there are. This is a very well written book, and somewhat more serious in its approach to detection than the other Pam and Jerry North books which I have read.