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ONE OF US IS WRONG
I KNOW A TRICK WORTH TWO OF THAT
WHAT I TELL YOU THREE TIMES IS FALSE
THE FOURTH DIMENSION IS DEATH

Samuel Holt is the pen name used by Donald Westlake for a series of four novels about actor Sam Holt, reluctant detective in the books.

Sam Holt became wealthy playing detective Jack Packard for five years on television. Thanks to that and endless reruns, money is not a worry. He’s now been unemployed for several years, so heavily identified with his character that no one will give him a chance at any other roles.

He maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York, even to having girl friends, Bly, the sitcom writer in the west and Anita, the restaurant owner In the east, aware of each other and tolerant. His butler, Robinson, is another actor who once made a living playing snooty butlers on screen while supplementing that income as the real life thing.

Sam Holt had always fell into things by accident. Very tall, he got a college scholarship for basketball, dropped out to go into the military. There he became an MP, then a policeman after finishing his enlistment. A patrolman for about a year, he got a bit part as a cop in a movie filming in his town. An agent saw, liked, and signed him up. Packard came down the road and was a success.

Holt hates being a “has-been” so young, early thirties, but keeps his lifestyle up while trying to find someone who will hire him as an actor.

ONE OF US IS WRONG

Sam Holt is on his way home on an LA freeway when two big cars try to knock him off the road, barely escaping with his life, by luck more than anything else. Wondering what’s going on, he remembers a writer friend telling him a story about blackmail a few months ago and asking for advice.

An accidental death had been covered up and now he was being blackmailed. When confronting his friend about it, Holt is told the attempt was a mistake. Everything’s cool now. Don’t worry!

Of course he does and when a second attempt is made, although his friend denies to the police anything is going on, Holt has to figure out what is going on for self-preservation.

I KNOW A TRICK WORTH TWO OF THAT

Holt’s partner from his police days, a man he hasn’t seen in many years, shows up out of the blue and says he has a problem and he wants Sam to hide him out.

Holt is throwing a big party in a few weeks, so they concoct a plan to put on a bit of weight, grow a beard, a new wardrobe, and name. He’s suddenly a writer friend, in the midst of a block, staying for awhile.

The night of the party, late, the man is found murdered, and Holt realizes he was last seen alive after most of the guests had left. The only ones left were close friends. One of them had murdered his partner.

Now Holt has to investigate them and find out which one did the deed and why. Did it have anything to do with his “problem?”

WHAT I TELL YOU THREE TIMES IS FALSE

It sounded like a “cute” idea. Four famous detectives doing a public service announcement for the Cancer society. The plot was them looking for a cure in a big mansion on an isolated island, an island formerly owned by a drug dealer now in prison.

Four actors playing their most famous roles: Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Charlie Chan, and Jack Packard, along with their significant others. The director, the owners of the island, a cook. Eleven people on the island.

Things didn’t go well from the start. Flown onto the island ahead of a tropical storm with “asperations,” The pilot crashes into the sea trying to leave. Arguments ensue between two women that leads to suicide.

Then they realize it’s not suicide, but murder. The director disappears in the middle of the violent storm that prevents anyone from going outside. The house is searched. Nothing. Someone destroys the radio during the search. A nasty note is left warning of more deaths.

Cut off from the outside world until the storm has passed, Holt must figure out who the murderer is and why he’s killing them before it’s too late.

THE FOURTH DIMENSION IS DEATH

Holt and the company that own Packard are suing a supermarket chain that’s using a look-alike actor for Holt in a series of commercials. Without permission, they won’t stop.
He’s in New York for the hearing and, after two incidents with the actor, his murdered body turns up near Holt’s townhouse. When a woman friend of the murder victim’s girl friend is killed , an obviously manufactured clue is left pointing to Holt. When that falls apart, Sam is sued by the first victim’s mother.

The burden of proof being less in civil cases, Sam could lose and have to pay damages, getting his name smeared in the process(a murderer paying his way out of a charge). Once again Sam must play detective to solve these murders before he gets hung out.

I liked these four novels. Westlake was such a versatile writer that I wish I’d read more while he still lived. I’ll eventually get caught up I suppose. The copies I have don’t mention Westlake’s name anywhere in the book. Apparently at the time, no one knew who Holt was, as they predicted a long life for the new novelist.

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