Anne Von Meibom Rowe (1882-1961) published nine mysteries in the 1930s and 1940s and at least one short story. Hubin’s Crime Fiction IV offers the following list; note the number of publishers. One title appears to have been released in the UK but not in the United States.
ROWE, ANNE (Von Meibom) (1901?-1975?)
- The Turn of a Wheel (n.) Macaulay 1930
- Men Are Strange Lovers (n.) King 1935
- Curiosity Killed a Cat (n.) Morrow 1941 [Insp. Josiah Pettengill; Maine]
- The Little Dog Barked (n.) Morrow 1942 [Insp. Josiah Pettengill; Maine; Theatre]
- Too Much Poison (n.) Mill 1944 [Insp. Barry; New York City, NY]
- Fatal Purchase (n.) Mill 1945 [Maine]
- The Painted Monster (n.) Gifford-UK 1945 [Insp. Josiah Pettengill]
- Up to the Hilt (n.) Mill 1945 [Insp. Barry; Connecticut]
- Deadly Intent (n.) Mill 1946 [Insp. Barry; New York City, NY]
The General Fiction Magazine Index (http://www.philsp.com/homeville/gfi/c00106.htm#A40) provides these details:
- “Rowe, Anne (Von Meibom) (1882-1961) Born in Germany; married Leon Randall Rowe; died in Alameda, California.”
- Why Marion Laughed, (ss) The 20-Story Magazine #88, October 1929
Beyond this data, the source of which is unknown, Rowe is an enigma. She does not appear in online naturalization, death, and census records. Her husband has a number of port of entry notes, showing he traveled to Europe and South America for business. I found a return trip from Buenos Aires in 1953 for Leon and Annie Rowe of the right age. No newspaper interviews but multiple reviews of her books. The lack of information is definitely puzzling.
Rowe had two series detectives: Inspector Josiah Pettengill was in three books set in Maine, and Inspector Barry was in three books set in New York City. Up to the Hilt (Mill, 1945) was the second with Inspector Barry. Jane Applebee, a Manhattan literary agent with a high-performing roster of clients, finds herself hosting her older sister Neal, a flamboyant actress who is appearing on Broadway, until Neal can find a place of her own in the city. Jane is reserved, brisk, and businesslike, Neal is ostentatious and self-absorbed. The clash is instantaneous.
At the same time, Jane’s bestselling author Margot Chase-Ingalls is visiting New York from Hollywood and plans to stay with Jane too. Jane’s usually quiet apartment is full of callers for both the author and the actress; their extravagant demands on Jane and her housekeeper are wearing them out. In the meantime, Neal and Jane’s youngest sister Dita is happily married and living in the suburbs while she awaits the arrival of her first child. Jane manages to escape the chaos of New York periodically to destress with Dita in her country house.
Jane is stunned when Ingalls is found dead in Neal’s bedroom, which brings Inspector Barry onto the scene. Not only is Jane’s highest grossing author dead, she is afraid the up-and-coming new author she’s coaxing along is responsible.
A nicely complicated but not outstanding mystery with some original characters and indirect references to the war. It has overtones of the Mr. and Mrs. North books set in New York’s publishing world and their friendship with New York police lieutenant Bill Wiegand.
This book was widely distributed and serialized in newspapers by King Features Syndicate in the summer of 1945. Steve Lewis reviewed it on his blog Mystery*File, https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=786. Dorothy B. Hughes reviewed Up to the Hilt in her Report Card of Crime in The Albuquerque Tribune, November 16, 1945, ·Page 8, calling it one of Rowe’s best. J. F. Norris discussed Rowe and her work on his blog Pretty Sinister Books, https://prettysinister.blogspot.com/2020/04/ffb-fatal-purchase-anne-rowe.html
This is the second of Rowe’s books I have read, the first was Curiosity Killed a Cat, https://happinessisabook.com/?s=Anne+Rowe, her first book about Inspector Pettengill. I liked them both; I think Up to the Hilt is slightly less dated.