Death Makes a Mistake
When a young woman is found dead in her apartment, the police are certain it's a suicide. But Detective Sergeant Joe Marlin isn't so sure. He begins to investigate and soon discovers that the woman's death was no accident. Marlin's investigation leads him to a web of deceit and corruption that stretches from the highest levels of government to the lowest depths of organized crime. As he digs deeper, he finds himself in a race against time to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again. With the help of his partner, Detective Lieutenant Bill O'Hara, Marlin must unravel the mystery and bring the killer to justice. But as the stakes get higher, Marlin finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a ruthless murderer who will stop at nothing to keep his secrets hidden.
By William P. McGivern · First published 1943 · Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction · 7,773 words
First lines
When Reggie Van Fiddler sauntered into the cool somber depths of the Midland Club's lobby, he was feeling in an exceptionally amiable mood. There was a song in his heart and a bland, dreamily vague smile on his long, narrow face.
This state of blissful tranquility could be attributed to the fact that Reggie's tan and white shoes were taking him directly toward the Club Bar, where he planned to while away the day sipping various long, cool drinks. And Reggie was always happy when the immediate future held the prospects of a drink.
What this Textopian page supports
Death Makes a Mistake is listed on Textopian as a novel by William P. McGivern, dated 1943 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: William P. McGivern
- Date: 1943 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Noir Fiction
- Length: 7,773 words
- Structure: 1 section, 264 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Death Makes a Mistake by William P. McGivern
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Death Makes a Mistake?
- How does this novel by William P. McGivern fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Genres
- Mystery — The title of the book implies a sense of suspense and intrigue, suggesting a mystery plot.
- Thriller — The title of the book implies a sense of danger and excitement, suggesting a thriller plot.
- Crime Fiction — The title of the book implies a sense of lawlessness and unlawfulness, suggesting a crime fiction plot.
- Noir Fiction — The title of the book implies a sense of darkness and despair, suggesting a noir fiction plot.
Tags
1939-1945 · 1945 · Fantasy fiction · Fiction · Short stories · United States · World War · World War II · another · back · bar · black