Murder at the New York World's Fair
Encyclopedia
Murder at the New York World's Fair is a novel
that was published in 1938 by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
writing as Freeman Dana. It is the only mystery
she wrote under that name.
fix, set against the pageantry of opening day under the shadow of the Fair's spectacular trylon. Daisy must not only identify the corpse and the murderer, but save the Fair from destruction by a maniac -- and find a way to get Egleston and Elfrida out of her hair.
.) Bennett Cerf
, publisher of Random House, commissioned Phoebe Atwood Taylor to write this mystery as part of the festivities surrounding the 1938 New York World's Fair. "Westinghouse decided to inter a time capsule in its pavillon courtyard, and Mr. Cerf decided that among the 10,000,000 words going down in it on September 23, 1938, 60,000 or so would belong to one of his authors, namely, Phoebe Atwood Taylor."
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
that was published in 1938 by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
Phoebe Atwood Taylor
Phoebe Atwood Taylor was an American mystery author.Phoebe Atwood Taylor wrote mystery novels under her own name, and as Freeman Dana and Alice Tilton. Her first novel, The Cape Cod Mystery, introduced the "Codfish Sherlock", Asey Mayo, who became a series character appearing in 24 novels...
writing as Freeman Dana. It is the only mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
she wrote under that name.
Plot summary
Mrs. Daisy Tower is 67, the widow of a former governor, and for the last year has undergone the untender attentions of her nephew Egleston and his overbearing wife Elfrida during her convalescence from pneumonia and a broken hip. That might explain why she stows away in a laundry truck headed for Boston, but it doesn't really explain how she finds herself confronting a dead body aboard the private train of art collector Conrad Cassell, en route to the New York World's Fair. She and her fellow passengers find themselves in a screwball comedyScrewball Comedy
Screwball Comedy is an album by the Japanese band Soul Flower Union. The album found the band going into a simpler, harder-rocking direction, after several heavily world-music influenced albums.-Track listing:...
fix, set against the pageantry of opening day under the shadow of the Fair's spectacular trylon. Daisy must not only identify the corpse and the murderer, but save the Fair from destruction by a maniac -- and find a way to get Egleston and Elfrida out of her hair.
Literary significance and criticism
(See Phoebe Atwood TaylorPhoebe Atwood Taylor
Phoebe Atwood Taylor was an American mystery author.Phoebe Atwood Taylor wrote mystery novels under her own name, and as Freeman Dana and Alice Tilton. Her first novel, The Cape Cod Mystery, introduced the "Codfish Sherlock", Asey Mayo, who became a series character appearing in 24 novels...
.) Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
Bennett Alfred Cerf was a publisher and co-founder of Random House. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the United States, and for his television appearances in the panel game show What's My Line?.-Biography:Bennett Cerf...
, publisher of Random House, commissioned Phoebe Atwood Taylor to write this mystery as part of the festivities surrounding the 1938 New York World's Fair. "Westinghouse decided to inter a time capsule in its pavillon courtyard, and Mr. Cerf decided that among the 10,000,000 words going down in it on September 23, 1938, 60,000 or so would belong to one of his authors, namely, Phoebe Atwood Taylor."