# Can you identify this 1980s paperback mystery novel with a private eye who was a dwarf? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989 "2016-07-27T00:10:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/1 "2016-07-27T00:10:47Z")
I’m trying to identify the title or author of a paperback thriller/mystery that was published circa 1982 (probably a paperback original). The hero was a private investigator who was a dwarf, but was definitely not George Chesbro’s character “Mongo”. I remember the cover art vividly. It showed a man leaning back and apparently screaming on a playground, while a frightened child stands in front of him and people behind them look on in shock. I recall it having greenish/purplish cover scheme, and was probably from one of the big paperback book publishers at the time. Does anyone recall this? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/2 "2016-07-27T01:04:06Z")
Are you thinking of Gunther Wherthman from Stuart Kaminsky’s _Toby Peters_ books? Peters is the actual PI; Gunther is a Swiss translator who assists him. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/3 "2016-07-27T01:25:05Z")
_An Affair of Sorcerors,_ one of George C. Chesbro’s Mongo novels? He gets bitten by a rat and has to be treated for rabies? Is the second one down on the left the cover you remember? > **[An Affair of Sorcerers Book Cover Gallery](https://www.dangerousdwarf.com/gallery/affair.html)** > > The web site for author George C. Chesbro Side note: The series has been picked up by HBO, with Peter Dinklage playing the lead. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/4 "2016-07-27T01:32:55Z")
Whoops. Way to read the OP, dude. Hey, the cover’s pretty close, you gotta admit. ---
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/5 "2016-07-27T04:54:40Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > _An Affair of Sorcerors,_ one of George C. Chesbro’s Mongo novels? > > He gets bitten by a rat and has to be treated for rabies? > > Is the second one down on the left the cover you remember? > [An Affair of Sorcerers Book Cover Gallery](http://www.dangerousdwarf.com/gallery/affair.html) > > Side note: The series has been picked up by HBO, with Peter Dinklage playing the lead. No, it definitely wasn’t Chesbro (although I like him, and am waiting for Game of Thrones to end so Dinklage can start the series). Thanks for trying, though. There are only 3 dwarf PIs I can think of, Harlan Ellison did one, Chesbro, and this one. Driving me crazy trying to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/6 "2016-07-27T05:15:22Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Whoops. Way to read the OP, dude. > > Hey, the cover’s pretty close, you gotta admit. Yeah, it really was! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/7 "2016-07-27T12:29:12Z")
Very generally crossing this topic, is anyone else aware that if Leonardo Dicaprio ever gets to his dream Travis McGee film (or films), he’s chosen Peter Dinklage to play Meyer? Brilliant. Simply brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/8 "2016-07-28T03:33:56Z")
Sure, they can rent a smaller boat for the Maynard Keynes. ---
**Author:** ![DZedNConfused](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dzednconfused/32/15991_2.png) [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/9 "2016-07-28T15:42:38Z")
If no one here comes up with an answer, I would suggest [Goodreads.com](http://Goodreads.com). They have a section specifically for identifying half remembered books. I’ve used it several times. [Nifty link in case you should be inclined to take a look.](https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/185-what-s-the-name-of-that-book) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/10 "2016-07-28T17:20:02Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Sure, they can rent a smaller boat for the Maynard Keynes. My first thought was _Aw, hell no_, it’s just Dinklagemania - what, does he get to play King Kong next? And then I mentally reread all the McGee novels, and since then I’ve reread the good ones, and it’s both an unbelievably good fit and absolutely no contradiction to MacDonald canon. Other than the height issue, Dinklage IS Meyer… and being a wee fella answers a lot of unspoken questions about Meyer’s life and involvement in the stories. Problem being that DiCaprio is booked solid for years and getting too old for the lead role. So it may never happen. ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/11 "2016-07-28T17:38:29Z")
There was a TV Series (1986-87) called _[The Wizard](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090547/)_ that starred David Rappaport as the adventurous inventor. This is of course not a paperback, but perhaps it was inspired by or related to the book or might spur some thoughts. It was a great show. ---
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-identify-this-1980s-paperback-mystery-novel-with-a-private-eye-who-was-a-dwarf/760989/12 "2016-07-28T21:58:38Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > If no one here comes up with an answer, I would suggest [Goodreads.com](http://Goodreads.com). They have a section specifically for identifying half remembered books. I’ve used it several times. > > [Nifty link in case you should be inclined to take a look.](https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/185-what-s-the-name-of-that-book) Thanks very much, I’ll give it a shot!