FULLY DRESSED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND

    Michael Fessier (1905?-1988) was one of the many writers who was lured to Hollywood after beginning a career elsewhere (the San Francisco bay area in his case). His film work, mostly for B-movies, started in 1935 and continued for twenty years. After that he wrote for television until 1969.  He published short stories throughout his career. His only other novel is Clovis (1948), which recounts the adventures of a cynical parrot.

    Fully Dressed and in His Right Mind by Michael Fessier. Alfred A. Knopf (1935), 216 pp.
     A twenty-something San Franciscan, John Price, meets a spooky old guy who claims to have just assassinated a newspaper publisher. Price disregards the claim but cannot shake the old man, who continues to show up in Price’s life and that of several of his acquaintances. Adding to the weirdness is a beautiful but innocent young woman, whom Price discovers swimming nude in a lake in Golden Gate Park. He wants to make friends, but she is strangely wary of getting involved. As the story continues, she becomes slightly less mysterious and the true nature of the old man becomes increasingly apparent.
    What Fessier gives us here is a hard-boiled fantasy – a combination, if you like, of Dashiell Hammett and Robert Nathan. This is no mean trick, and Fessier pulls it off with skill and aplomb. The first-person narrator tells the story in short, snappy sentences. He remains skeptical as strange events keep occurring. Ultimately, his canny groundedness is thrown into question. Fessier manages to engage the reader without hiding his literary aspirations. Fans of mysteries or fantasies are likely to enjoy this book.