First published in 1962, The cannibal who overate introduces us to Pierre Chambrun, the manager of New York's luxury Beaumont Hotel.
To my mind it's one of the weaker books in the Chambrun series - if I'd read it first I mightn't have read any of the others.
An expensive call girls hangs herself in her room at the Beaumont Hotel. Police find a note that says she had been paid $10,000 to kill Aubrey Moon - if she did not kill him by a certain date she would be 'dealt with'.
It soon comes to light that John Wills (another guest of the hotel) had also received the same anonymous letter & $10,000 also to kill Moon.
Moon is a thoroughly unpleasant man. He is extremely wealthy and he uses that wealth to bully those around him.
Wills holds Moon responsible for the death of his father (who killed himself after Moon had made his life a living hell).
Moon is planning his 75th birthday party (at the Beaumont Hotel) and is bullying the hotel staff and making outrageous demands. (for example he wants the full chorus of the Metropolitan Opera to sing Happy Birthday to him)
Chambrun is trying to deal with all this Aubrey Moon induced angst whilst still running the hotel to the standard that its guests expect.
Love the series but this is not one of the better titles in it.
Hugh Pentecost is a pseudonym used by Judson Phillips.
2.5
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