A Mystery Series With Humor

Word and music by
Dmitri Tiomkin - Ned Washington
Sung by Gene Pitney
1961

OK, I'm dating myself and if you're under a hundred years old you have to be asking: who is Gene Pity? Never mind, that's not important right now. Gene Pitney was not in Hamilton New Hampshire when he moaned and groaned about the town without pity. They even made a movie with the same title!

Hamilton, New Hampshire

I was brought up in a small, then rural, town. Today everyone is on a schedule and you can expect politically correct pressure. Only a few decades ago people had more latitude as they moved through life. Distinct personalities exist in any town, but bringing people's idiosyncrasies into an exaggerated form can be funny.
Hamilton, New Hampshire is nestled within the Devonshire Hills and the Atlantic Ocean, but it is also wedged between the decades. Life in this hamlet centers around Hamilton College and the prestigious and extremely wealthy Fletcher family. Human foibles abound and the banter among the town's colorful characters provides a humorous atmosphere.
Yet, in the Matthias Jones Mysteries the story begins with murder.

Dick Loudon and his small town buddies

Notice Bob Newhart's incredulous expression Reminds me of the old Steeler's Wheel Song: Stuck in the Middle with You. Playing straight man to these unique characters is both exasperating and funny, but Newhart if the odd duck in Norwich, Vermont.

Let's Get a Little More Bizarre

Oliver Wendall Douglas and Co.

Oliver Wendall Douglas (Eddie Albert), an attorney in New York City, chucks his success and moves to a town without pity, Hooterville, to become a farmer. The sane Douglas is conned into buying a dump of a house by snake oil salesman, Mr. Haney, (right-back row). He is surrounded by a plethora of people who are more than just a little off their game. His wife, Lisa is a flake, the carpenters working on his house are loafers and incompetent, and the county agent, Mr. Kimball, is forgetful and rambling. Haney is just plain annoying. They all think the pig, Arnold, can talk as well as understand human conversation. Yet, Douglas is considered as the oddity. These characters make for wacky humor. The characters in the Matthias Jones Mysteries sometimes reach the Green Acres threshold, but are more in line with Newhart's citizens of Norwich, Vermont. However, transplanting a new personality into town or into a comedy provides some great banter.

Colonel Robert E. Hogan and a cast of thousands

Case in Point: A regular cast in a situation comedy set in a POW camp. How do you keep the laughs coming? Accentuate the obvious character flaws/ heroes of the main characters and whisk someone into camp to play off the cast. And you occasionally get the men out Stalog 13's emergency tunnel to Hammelburg. Matthias Jones' Hammelburg is the city Prince William, New Hampshire; his Hofbräu is Club Max.

The Hamilton Green

Matthias Jones is unnerved by the arrivals in Hamilton, but somehow endures their personal idiosyncrasies. He is usually in the midst of his coaching duties when word arrives that someone has been murdered. Jones winces every time one of the town's numerous characters becomes involved in solving the murders. Surprisingly, they know more than he thinks!

Jim and Rocky

The Rockford Files

I enjoyed The Rockford Files (even in re-runs). Stephen J. Cannel's brand of a humor places the ex-con, Jim Rockford, in harm's way, while ancillary characters provide Rockford with help and sometimes frustration. This device keeps each story fresh while tapping into Rockford's and the viewers' desire to find answers. Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin) taxes Rockford's patience. Angel is the link to many criminal associates who provide information, but make things miserable for Rockford. Rocky is not only the elder Rockford's nickname, but describes the relationship between Rockford and police Detective Dennis Becker.
(Joe Santos) I chuckle as Jim Rockford pushes the limit of the law to get results.
Matthias Jones is a friend to his local police chief, George Strickland, and has a working relationship with the cops in Prince William. As Rockford and Becker clash, Jones and District Attorney Herbert Lane hate each other . Lane's assistant, the flashy Roland Chance, as well as grubby vice cop, Kip Bosco, constantly battle with Jones.
Jones' continual source of ribbing and purveyor of a lackadaisical judgement is local lumber yard owner, Arnie Dewars. The campus security cop, Bucky Driscoll, enamored with his own power and ability, occludes any murder investigation. But Jones' link to the criminal world is Cocoa Stefani, owner of the snakepit, Club Max. Cocoa calls him " Jonesy " and helps him circumvent the usual legal channels. Within the context of murder and the characters is the boundaries established by the Fletcher family. Hamilton Fletcher (not Jessica) has wealth and influence and isn't afraid to use both to get his way.
A mystery, especially with humor, requires a specific craft, spun within writing parameters, but appealing to those readers intrigued by murder and its solution. Laced with appropriate clues, a mystery's pace moves like a steady drum beat in a military parade, increasing and decreasing rhythm, exploding in murder, yet building again toward the just solution. And let's not forget the cast!

Jones Mysteries Supporting Cast

Why would a science fiction writer write humorous mysteries?
He couldn't help it.

Copyright c 2000
by Robert P. Fitton