The Chuckling Fingers

By: Mabel Seeley

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

Rediscover one of the great mystery authors of the 20th century in this Depression-era tale of a wealthy family's dark secrets turning deadly on their secluded lakeside estate.

An urgent note from a friend spurs Ann Gay to visit her recently married cousin, Jacqueline Heaton. Upon her arrival at Fiddler's Fingers, a remote pine-grown estate on Lake Superior, Ann immediately senses her cousin's fear - someone has been playing increasingly malicious tricks on the Heatons, a proud family of Minnesota lumber tycoons, and worse yet, they seem determined to frame Jacqueline.

Ann quickly resolves to take Jacqueline and her young daughter, Toby, away from the danger. But what began as seemingly trivial pranks - ruined clothes, a burnt bed, a smashed boat - escalates to direct attacks and ultimately murder. Dangerous waters crash against the finger-like rocks on the lakeshore, making a sound like a guttural chuckle, one that seems to mock the murder that took place there - but no one is laughing when everyone on the estate becomes a suspect. Potential motives are revealed as Ann learns more about the Heaton family, and with no chance of anyone leaving Fiddler's Fingers until the killer is caught, Ann realizes that the only way to prove her cousin's innocence is by snaring the murderer herself.

The trap is set; with herself as bait, Ann's door creaks open in the night as a cloaked figure moves silently toward her bed....

©2021 Mabel Seeley (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Satin-smooth mystery novel in a family fracas which starts with acts of malignant mischief and leads to murder. Young Ann Gay finds her cousin and closest friend, Jacqui, framed in guilt for diabolical doings and double murder. Ann turns detective and solves the crimes. Ingenuous manner for some ingenious matter - expert timing and mechanics and pleasant romantic asides. Velvet.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review, September, 1941)

“A spine-chilling story, surcharged with breathless terror as death, walking hooded in the night, strikes at the wealthy Heaton family on their remote Minnesota estate.” (The New Yorker, December, 1941)

Nancy Drew for grownups

This made for nostalgic though not compelling listening while staying in our vacation cabin — took me back to summer days with Nancy Drew. The characters are about as one dimensional as the ones I fondly remember and the cliff hanger chapter endings and adverb laden prose harkened back to Carolyn Keene as well. The narrator really got into the spirit of things, fun in some respects and annoying in others. Her male characters were awful.

HIGH DRAMA narrator!!!

Honestly, I would occasionally burst out laughing at the drama of the narrator. It was as if she were doing a hilarious impression of a 1930s radio drama. The story is good — a little Nancy Drew-ish as another reviewer said, but that can be ok — but the narrator! Screeching and so much overacting. I’d pass.

Unbearable characters

Apparently it was interesting to read about such miserable people decades ago. Worse is the performance that has most of the voices cartoonishly hysteric.