Nancy Barr Mavity. The Man Who Didn’t Mind Hanging (1932) 300 pp.
When San Francisco millionaire philanthropist Gabriel Jeffries is found murdered, the police announce that they have solved the crime—and have arrested the perpetrator—in just three hours. What appears to be an open-and-shut case against Jeffries’ Chinese servant Sing Wong (who also holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley) attracts the attention of three men: Fon Ng Chee, leader of San Francisco’s Chinese colony; Sam Hardwicke, brilliant, young, publicity-seeking defense attorney; and Peter Piper, crime reporter for the Herald. Together, the three set out to gain an acquittal for Sing Wong, who refuses to defend himself and claims to be prepared for any punishment that might come his way. As Peter investigates the circumstantial evidence against Sing Wong, which includes three cigarettes, a misplaced money box, and a mysterious stab wound, the details about Jeffries’ treatment of those closest to him begin to surface, showing that just about everyone Jeffries came into contact with had a motive to kill him—except Sing Wong.
Hubin; Herron