I am participating in the Bookshelf Traveling For Insane Times meme. It was originated by Judith at Reader in the Wilderness, but Katrina at Pining for the West is now gathering the blogposts.
I have run out of bookshelves to visit. That is not actually true, but I have no available photos right now. So I am taking a different approach. I am revisiting a post from 2013 and some stacks of books I bought at the Planned Parenthood book sale that year. The following images show several stacks of books I purchased that year.
I am dismayed and embarrassed that I have only read four of the books in these stacks. A few other books were discarded without reading, but for the most part I have all of these books somewhere in my house (or garage). Some of them are later books in series that I plan to read later, but still ....
These are the books on those shelves that I have read:
Trust Me On This (1989) by Donald E. Westlake
Sara Joslyn gets a job at a phenomenal salary at the Weekly Galaxy, a supermarket tabloid newspaper. On her first day at work, Sara drives by the scene of a crime on the isolated road to her new workplace. A man has been murdered and she is the only witness. His body is half in and half out of the car, in the driver's seat. She thinks she has found her first story and is eager to impress her new employer. But when she arrives at the office no one is interested in a real crime. They want stories on fad diets or celebrity shenanigans or alien invasions. The murder she witnessed comes back to haunt her later.
I have since read another humorous book by this author (Brothers Keepers) and two books in the Parker series, written as Richard Stark.
Death in a Cold Climate: A Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction (2012)
by Barry Forshaw
This is a mystery reference book that includes crime fiction authors whose books have been translated to English. It covers writers from these countries: Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and Finland. Sweden gets the most coverage and I suppose that reflects that more Swedish authors had been translated in 2012. Most of the coverage is for current authors, although earlier translated works by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö are discussed. I will read any book on mystery reference, and I learned a lot from this one.
A Capital Crime (2010) by Laura Wilson
I never wrote a full review on this one. It is #3 in the Ted Stratton series and I read it in September 2017. I loved the first two books in the series, The Innocent Spy (US title) and An Empty Death; this one was not quite as good, in my opinion.
It is the 1950s in London; Detective Inspector Ted Stratton is a widower with grown children. The story begins with the suspected murders of a woman and her child. But it is also about the post-war changes in England and family relationships. The main plot is based on a real case but I knew nothing about it so it didn't affect my reading experience. I found it overly long, but still a good read.
The Black Seraphim (1983) by Michael Gilbert
The description from the back of my paperback edition:
James Scotland, a young pathologist, has come to Melchester on a much-needed vacation. But amid the cathedral town's quiet medieval atmosphere, he finds a hornet's nest of church politics, town and country rivalries. . . and murder. When one of the community's most influential figures dies suddenly (and very publicly), Scotland uncovers some curious alliances among church, state, and big business. Modern forensic pathology, the age-old mysteries of the church, and a bit of unexpected romance all play a part as Scotland unravels the unsettling truth about Melchester.
I liked the protagonist. He is inquisitive, intelligent and a pathologist, so it makes sense that he can tell when something is not right about a death. Amanda, the Dean's daughter is also a wonderful character, forthright, honest, with high expectations of others. I liked the romance, not sweet and sentimental at all.
26 comments:
Wonderful stacks, Tracy. But I'm glad I'm not the only one who enthusiastically buys books and sometimes discards them unread. My favourite title: Just a Corpse at Twilight. LOL! Wonderful. The Black Seraphin really appeals, I love these cathedral city based murder stories and that sounds good. Will see if that's available for Kindle because naturally I do not have enough books....
I never find books like this anymore. Did they disintegrate, get burned. Are they still on shelves like yours. I have read perhaps a dozen of these and have a few on my shelves. Something about those old penquins that seems very sad.
Such great books, Tracy! And I'm glad you enjoyed that Westlake; I think he has a lot of talent. And Barry Forshaw is so knowledgeable; I'm glad you got his book. Lots of others to love there, too. Thanks for sharing.
I had to chuckle at the last book on the list. In the Roy of the Rovers comic strip which first appeared in the Tiger comic and then in its own title the fictional soccer team Roy Race played for was Melchester Rovers. The feature first appeared in 1954 and is still going, though it has been rebooted a couple of times.
Loved the stacks, Tracy. I have the same copy of Jim Thomson's book (haven't got round to reading it though). I can never give away a book without reading it first and can only marvel at your steeliness in doing it.
My eye was caught by the Stephen L Carter - I read and loved some other novels by him, but hadn't seen this one. I looked it up and am sorely tempted...
Cath, I like the "Just a Corpse at Twilight" title too. Unfortunately I have not even started that series so who know when I will get to it.
I think you would like Black Seraphim. The cathedral city setting is very good.
Patti, the only place I find books like these are at the Planned Parenthood book sale, and it will not happen as usual this year. Maybe in a smaller setting, which I cannot imagine. And I can find them online, at abebooks, but then you cannot be sure of the quality.
Margot, that Barry Forshaw book is very good. I have bought a few of his other books since then (Historical Noir, Euro Noir, for example) but they are more superficial (and the books are not really noir, but I am being picky). But like I said, I will read any mystery reference book.
Neeru, The Getaway may the only book I can read by that author. His books are too dark and noir for me.
The books I don't still have in my collection (from these stacks) are all general fiction, not mysteries, and I guess I decided it was a mistake to buy them in the first place. If I pass them back to the book sale hopefully they will make money off the sale twice.
Moira, you prompted me to go back and look up the premise of Carter's Jericho's Fall. I can see why I bought it, and I don't know why I haven't already read it. That is the problem with having too many unread books, I guess.
John, that is interesting. I had to go look up the Roy of the Rovers comic strip. Amazing that it is still going and the ones I looked at (probably older strips) looked very well done. I used to read comics when I was younger, then with my son, and I still read a graphic novel now and then.
Another winner from Michel Gilbert, it looks like.
HIs very first book, Close Quarters, is also based in Melchester and its religious community.
On the subject of Donald E. Westlake: I recommend the series of books published under the pseudonym of Sam Holt. The first is titled, I believe, ONE OF US IS WRONG. I read all these when they came out in the '80s and have good memories of them. I didn't realize they were actually by Westlake until years later.
I think we all have eyes bigger than our reading time will ever be! The stack of vintage crime looks especially interesting as does the crime reference book. I have Sheiks and Adders - but haven't read it - yet.
Christophe, I read Close Quarters about a year before I read The Black Seraphim. Between the two I made the effort to learn more about what the various titles meant within the community. I had been a bit confused by them when reading Close Quarters
Howard, thanks for that recommendation. I had not heard of that series and I will definitely give it a try.
Katrina, in the last few years I have tried to tone down my buying but don't often succeed.
I read many Michael Innes books when I was younger, but I want to read more of his books. I have a lot of them, just need to take the plunge and see if I still like them.
What a delicious assortment and it makes me long even more acutely for book sales.
Most of these are authors I have intended to read but never got around to, Michael Innes and Laura Wilson, in particular. I did read Trust Me on This and did start reading Andrew Taylor this year. I have a funny story about Walter Mosley but will have to save it for when we meet in person.
Constance, I have enjoyed the Laura Wilson books I have read and I still have a standalone book of hers to read (The Lover). I read one book by Andrew Taylor in 2009 and I need to try some of his other books. I have several.
I have been meaning to read Michael Innes again for years, stocking up paperbacks by him, both the Appleby series and others. Don't know what stopping me.
Westlake wrote another novel in the WEEKLY GALAXY sequence, BABY WOULD I LIE?, and two short stories focused on "supporting" character in the novels Boy Cartwright, "Skeeks" and "Come Again?"...I recommend them all.
The more viciously funny sort of Westlake novel, such as THE AX, and the two novellas in ENOUGH, as well as the fantasies, all give a sense of his range. The only actually bad novel I've read by Westlake is his going-through-the-motions (after positing a remarkably stupid premise) ANARCHAOS. The GALAXY takes its name from GALAXY, the sf magazine, which was one of the targets of a published angry screed by the young Westlake against the magazine editors in sf, and how much better the crime fiction magazines editors were, appearing in the high-profile fanzine XERO, edited by Pat and Richard Lupoff...
Todd, Thanks for all this information about Westlake. It is my intention to read through Westlake's books but I haven't yet acquired as many of his books as I would like.
I did get a copy of BABY WOULD I LIE? after reading TRUST ME ON THIS. Haven't read it yet, but I will. I do want to read THE AX but will have to search out a copy, but I had not heard of ENOUGH. I looked into it enough just now to see that it would be interesting, and I will look for a copy of that too. You are adding to my piles of books.
I'm overwhelmed, thus my not commenting sooner. First picture: Robert Barnard also wrote a book title DEATH IN A COLD CLIMATE.
Rick, I do have a copy of Barnard's DEATH IN A COLD CLIMATE and I will read it some day. Maybe this year, since it is set in Norway. I have read some of his standalone books and some of his series books but it has been a few years since I read one.
Ha, that was a great haul Tracy. A few there I have and a few more I fancy - particularly the Westlake. It's so easy to buy books and then forget them.
It was a great haul, Col. I am almost glad they won't be holding the sale this year, because I have too, too many books, but also sad because was going to be able to go on work days when less people are there.
So I went and looked up the book sale, and they are going to have a short two-day sale in a parking lot (socially distanced of course) and don't know how that will work. But we will try it out for sure.
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