Pidgin Island
(Bobbs-Merrill, 1914)
John Cranford is a secret agent working for the United States customs. He dislikes his job, as it involves snitching on people he meets in Europe. However, it's the only way he can maintain his high standards of living-- as he gets a cut of the value of items confiscated. While on a fishing-trip in upper state New York, he meets Diana Wynne, a mysterious woman-- also an angler. Her favorite spot is Pidgin Island, a remote location washed by the rugged waters of Lake Ontario. Cranford falls in love with her, but she has a secret past and hints she may be already married. This doesn't deter Cranford, however.
Meanwhile, a smuggling operation which Cranford put out of commission vows to get even. The big boss, Smead, sends two men to masquerade as fishermen. They are to proceed to Pidgin Island, the rendezvous of a secret transaction. But what is this transaction all about? And why does Diana Wynne get so troubled whenever anyone else approaches the island? She seems to have some connection with Smead and his gang-- and this connection may involve Donald, Smead's son. Is this her husband? Cranford realizes that something is up when he sees Smead sitting on the hotel veranda. Later, his hotel room is rifled through, and everything is overturned. Then, too, there are movements to kidnap him. What could it all mean?
Here's another first-class mystery which'll put some wind in your sails, if the lag of winter-time reading is catching up to you. For this one, MacGrath takes a break from his usual locations-- New York City and Continental Europe-- and heads with rod 'n' tackle to the vicinity of Watertown, New York-- a beeline from his residence of Syracuse-- to do some real fishin.' While reading this book, I had to ask myself, "is there really a place called Pidgin Island?" If so, it isn't listed in my Rand MacNally road atlas. The only time I was in that area personally was back in '93. But I'm sure the scenery hasn't changed much even since 1914. A first-hand experience is poured forth into the narrative. MacGrath was a veteran angler, so he knew all the favorite spots. Pidgin Island was apparently a peculiarly dangerous post for angling.
Of course, even if you're no fisherman that shouldn't deter you from reading this book. The tale is highly spiced with elements of crime and intrigue. And the novel contains a decent amount of romantic interest. MacGrath was certainly one of the higher class mystery novelists of the day. His peculiar expertise was in the field of ingenious plot mechanism. Usually he places a group of characters in odd situations, and gradually unfolds the backgrounds and motives of each one. Many of his tales, while not overtly mysterious, are truly handled in a mystery fashion, and are marked by a literary quality lacking in most works of the genre. I don't believe anyone has ever seriously evaluated the merit of the two-dozen or so tales of this sort that flowed from MacGrath's pen from 1910 to 1931. However, it's high time that some coverage is given them.
All in all, Pidgin Island winds up into a neat little package that has a bucolic charm all its own. In 1916, it was made into a film starring Harold Lockwood and May Allison. It was filmed in California-- of all places! As for the book itself, copies are reasonably easy to find and shouldn't go much higher than $15-$20 for a good unjacketed copy. The book is 340 pages in length-- wide margined text-- and contains illustrations by Arthur William Brown. Brown also illustrated MacGrath's 1913 novel Parrot & Co. though of course that work is profusely illustrated, while this one contains only five or six plates. If you're in the mood for a good story, you certainly can't go wrong with Pidgin Island. It's a prime catch-- what Uncle Billy (the Pidgin guide) calls a golliwhopper. And it'll make a good addition to any library.
--B.A.S.
**************
