Murder at the New York World's Fair

“Previews of next year's Big Show [are] interesting but [the] criminal goings-on and detecting border on fantastic. Verdict: Extravaganza”—Saturday Review of Literature


  Poor Daisy Tower, all she wanted was to find a respite from Egleston, her nephew, and Elfrida, his “statuesque” wife. Their misery-making has finally convinced Daisy that “slipping away in the laundry truck to catch the Boston train” is a reasonable idea. The train in question happens to be “The Golden Dart,” owned by the famed art collector Conrad Cassell. Daisy discovers the train is rich with deluxe amenities, such as a private office containing its very own dead body.

  Daisy isn’t looking for a starring role in a screwball comedy of a mystery, yet here she is, seeking the murderer of the aforementioned amenity amid the bustle of the World’s Fair’s festivities.


From the jacket:

“The Lord only knows how many love stories and success stories and mystery stories are going to be inspired by the 1939 World’s Fair in New York—but one thing is certain: Miss Freeman Dana has gotten the jump on the field! Her story is a good one, too! She has woven an ingenious murder mystery amid the masses of the most publicized exhibition in the history of the world.

  The Fair itself opens in May, 1939. But six months sooner than that, Miss Dana offers you the first murder story told within the shadow of its spectacular trylon.”


You’ve missed the Fair, I’m sorry to tell you, but you can still read the novel. As a bonus, if you manage to live another 4927 years till A.D. 6939, you can witness the opening of the 1938 time capsule, in which the text of this book is stored. You can feel awfully smug while you watch, too, since you’ll likely be the only one left who remembers whodunit. The capsule is buried at (jot this down) 40°44'34"N, 73°50'43"W. Good luck and enjoy the story!