Whitman Mystery Stories - Tillie the Toiler and the Masquerading Duchess

"Tillie the Toiler" is a newspaper strip that I had never heard of, and I certainly was unaware that Whitman Publishing had published a book about the character.  But, my friend Kevin told me about it one day, saying he would love to find the book - so I went on eBay, and lo and behold, I found several fairly inexpensive copies of the book in great condition, so I figured why not.  I purchased two copies - one for Kevin and one for me.  Now, mind you, this was well over a year ago, and the book has sat on my "to be read" stack of books for some time.  Well, I finally pulled the book down and decided it was time to read it and see just who Tillie the Toiler really is.

Tillie the Toiler and the Masquerading Duchess lists neither the author nor the illustrator; however, it is based upon the syndicated comic strip by Russ Westover.  The front inside flap of the dust jacket provides some background information on Westover, as well as the character of Tillie Jones.  It is interesting that Westover used his wife as the model for Tillie in his strip.  The comic strip ran in newspapers from 1921 through 1959, for an impressive thirty-eight years.  And doing some research, it appears that Cupples & Leon collected some of the comic strips in a series of eight books, and Dell Comics published fourteen issues of a comic book series that reprinted the strips.  Additionally, the character appeared in a silent film in 1927, and later a "talkie" in 1941!  So, for a character I never heard of prior to my friend telling me about this book, Tillie the Toiler definitely got around back in the day!

This book appears to be an original story based upon the characters in the syndicated comic strip.  Tillie is a stenographer for clothing mogul J. Simpkins. She lives with her mother, Mrs. Jones, and has a turbulent friendship with a co-worker by the name of "Mac."  Mac, of course, is in love with Tillie, but she does not return the feelings.  This obviously creates humorous scenes in which Mac tries to prove himself to Tillie in order to win her love (or at the very least, catch her attention), but his attempts often backfire and result in causing trouble for Tillie or push her into the arms of a more handsome, wealthier young man (much to Mac's chagrin!).  

The story opens with Mrs. Jones learning that the house in which she and Tillie live is about to be foreclosed.  She tries to keep it a secret, but Tillie learns the truth, and she vows to ask her boss, J. Simpkins, for a raise.  That, of course, turns into a series of mishaps and misunderstandings, and instead of asking for a raise, she falls asleep at his desk!  Too embarrassed to ask now, she sheepishly leaves, wondering what she is going to do now to help save her home.  Mrs. Jones reveals that a woman who is called "the Duchess" is intent on taking the house, and it appears the bank is helping her.  Mrs. Jones knows she had a letter from the bank confirming she had paid ahead on her interest and that they would not foreclose, but she can't find it - and the bank appears to have no record of the letter.  With foreclosure looming in just mere days, Tillie must find a way to pay the debt owed to they aren't forced to leave their home.

While the story mainly focuses on the Joneses' financial difficulties and the antics of Tillie and Mac, there is a slight mystery involved.  Tillie "loses" her mother's heirloom brooch while at a party, and it later turns out the brooch may have been stolen, as were a number of other valuable items from the wealthier citizens of the city.  Additionally, there is the mystery behind the mysterious Duchess who has her eyes set on the Joneses' home and why she is so intent on seeing the foreclosure finalized so she can take ownership of that house.  What is so special about the house and why does this woman want it?  Tillie is determined to find out, but ends up getting herself in hot water when she impersonates a bank employee and winds up with the police after her!

This is definitely a book the reader cannot take too seriously.  It is based on a humor-filled comic strip, so it only stands to reason that a novel based upon the strip is going to be a bit campy and filled with good-natured fun!  The ongoing mishaps of both Mac and Tillie in pretty much every adventure they attempt will make you smile, if not giggle a bit, and the climactic resolution (because, let's face it, we know Tillie is going to succeed in the end, regardless of all the misadventures along the way) will make you cheer for the young stenographer.  If you are looking for a serious mystery in the vein of Nancy Drew or Penny Parker, then this is likely not the book for you.  If, however, you are looking for a fun, easy read that will put a smile on your face with a light-hearted mystery, then this is definitely the book for you!

RATING:  8 good cups of coffee out of 10 for mixing a little bit of mystery with a lot of mirth and mishaps, and a touch of romance for good measure, all of which results in a fun little read!