Dinner at Antoine's by Frances Parkinson Keyes
"Dinner at Antoine's" by Frances Parkinson Keyes is a compelling novel set against the backdrop of a private Mardi Gras party at the iconic New Orleans restaurant, Antoine's, which has been a local landmark since 1840. The story unfolds through the experiences of Ruth, the niece of wealthy businessman Orson Foxworth, as she navigates complex interpersonal dynamics among her relatives and their friends. Tensions arise involving Odile, who is battling a nervous disorder exacerbated by her husband Léonce's flirtations with Ruth's sister, Caresse.
As the evening progresses, themes of love, betrayal, and tragedy emerge, culminating in the shocking suicide of Odile, which initially appears straightforward but soon becomes the focus of a police investigation led by detective "Toe" Murphy. The narrative explores how the lives of various characters intertwine, revealing secrets, shifting affections, and the eventual unraveling of relationships. The novel delves into deeper issues, such as mental health and the complexity of human emotions, especially as the truth about Odile's death begins to surface. Ultimately, the story concludes with a revelation that ties up the various threads of intrigue, making it a poignant exploration of love and loss within a vibrant cultural setting.
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Dinner at Antoine's by Frances Parkinson Keyes
First published: 1948
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Detective and mystery
Time of plot: 1948
Locale: New Orleans, Louisiana
Principal characters
Orson Foxworth , president of the Great Blue Fleet CompanyRuth Avery , his nieceRussell Aldridge , her suitor, an archeologistAmélie Lalande , a widow and potential lover of FoxworthCaresse Lalande , her younger daughterOdile Lalande St. Amant , her older, married daughterLéonce St. Amant , Odile’s husbandDoctor Vance Perrault , the Lalande’s family doctorJoe Racina , a writerTossie Pride , Odile’s maidSabin Duplessis , Odile’s former suitorDetective-Captain Theophile “Toe” Murphy , New Orleans police investigator
The Story:
A private party is being held at Antoine’s, a New Orleans restaurant that has been a landmark since 1840. The purpose of the party, hosted by wealthy businessman Orson Foxworth, is to introduce his niece Ruth, who is visiting for the Mardi Gras season, to a circle of his friends. Ruth soon notes tensions between Odile St. Amant, her husband Léonce, and her sister Caresse. Odile is suffering from a nervous disorder, and her husband is openly flirting with Caresse. Foxworth, who has been in Central America for some years on business, is renewing his affection for Amélie Lalande and seriously considering marriage. During dinner, Ruth begins a friendship with Russell Aldridge. Following dinner, the party adjourns to the Blue Room for dancing, but Odile is forced to leave early by symptoms of what is later diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease.
The next day, Doctor Perrault tells Odile she will become completely helpless and dependent yet might live for many years. Despondent, Odile meets with Sabin Duplessis, an old friend with whom she once was in love. When he had been mistakenly declared killed in action during World War II, Odile had become attracted to St. Amant and subsequently married him. However, Sabin still loves Odile, and when she asks him for a war souvenir, a German pistol, he gives it to her.
While Odile and Sabin are rediscovering their love for each other, Caresse and Léonce are about to begin an affair. However, an automobile accident brings Caresse to her senses. Hours later, Odile, having left a suicide note, is dead from a gunshot. The police come, and the questions begin. Although Odile’s death looks like a suicide, police detective “Toe” Murphy is not sure that Odile shot herself, because there are no powder burns on the body. During the course of his investigation, Toe discovers that several people might have benefited by Odile’s death. Tossie Pride, who has loved and cared for Odile all her life, is arrested for murder because her fingerprints are found on the gun. Toe knows that Tossie did not kill Odile, however: Tossie is illiterate, so she could not have written the suicide note, which has disappeared.
While Toe searches for the real murderer, other characters make their own discoveries. Foxworth discovers the shallowness of Amélie and retracts his offer of marriage; Caresse is completely over her infatuation with Léonce and receives a job offer that will require her to move to New York City; and Ruth and Russell fall in love. With the aid of Joe Racina, Caresse clears her name with Toe, and Foxworth, who was at one point a suspect, is also cleared of murder. The murderer turns out to be Doctor Perrault, who had initially thought to help Odile by facilitating her suicide with access to an overdose of morphine. The doctor had realized that Odile should not commit the mortal sin of suicide, so when he saw that she had already overdosed and was beyond his help, he shot her to prevent her from dying by her own hand. Perrault provides this information in a letter, delivered to Caresse, at a final dinner at Antoine’s. An envoi concludes the novel, wrapping up the stories of the principal characters and solving the final mystery of what happened to the suicide note.
Bibliography
Bond, Barbara. “Romances with Tension.” The New York Times Book Review, November 21, 1948, p. 43. Review of Dinner at Antoine’s that describes it as a “high-society” mystery that will be predictable for mystery fans but entertaining for Keyes’s loyal readers.
Bonin, Jane F. “Frances Parkinson Keyes: Mining the Mother Lode.” LouisianaLiterature 5, no. 1 (Spring, 1988): 71-77. Focuses on Keyes’s ability to evoke place and her skill in describing both the look and the manners of New Orleans’s Creole aristocracy.
Ehlers, Leigh A. “’An Environment Remembered’: Setting in the Novels of Frances Parkinson Keyes.” Southern Quarterly 20, no. 3 (Spring, 1982): 54-65. Analyzes Keyes’s use of setting to underline events in her plots.
Hamner, Earl. Generous Women: An Appreciation. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland House, 2006. Includes a chapter discussing Keyes’s representation of New Orleans as a “gift” to her readers.
Keyes, Frances Parkinson. “Self-Portrait.” In The Book of Catholic Authors, edited by Walter Romig. 5th ser. Grosse Pointe, Mich.: Walter Romig, n.d. Keyes provides background on her career as a writer.
Kirkus, Virginia. “The Value of the Best Seller: An Appraisal of Frances Parkinson Keyes.” English Journal 40, no. 6 (June, 1951): 303-307. Kirkus defends Keyes as an author, refuting her critics and pointing out her sound scholarship, as well as her skill at writing entertaining fiction.
Wernick, Robert. “The Queens of Fiction: Keyes, Caldwell, Ferber Reign Perennially over Best-Sellerdom.” Life, April 6, 1959, p. 139. Discusses Keyes’s habits as a researcher and as a writer. Notes that her novels are not long on plot but are full of atmosphere.