The Fourth Postman

First published in the US in 1948, ''The Fourth Postman'' is a wacky, screwball mystery by Craig Rice featuring the rumpled, liquor-loving Chicago defense attorney, John J. Malone. The story centers around Rodney Fairfaxx, a wealthy, eccentric Chicago magnate. Three decades ago, his sweetheart sank with the Titanic, and he has spent every day since anxiously awaiting a letter from her. When three different postmen are found clubbed to death, Fairfaxx is arrested for murder under the assumption that his motive was their failure to deliver his mail. John J. Malone takes the case to defend him, aided by his usual chaotic partners-in-crime-solving: wealthy socialite Helene Brand (Justus) and press agent Jake Justus. The household is full of suspicious relatives—including a crafty niece and nephew—and a tight-lipped housekeeper. Just as Malone begins digging, a fourth murder completely derails the investigation.