Monday, December 27, 2021

THE MAN IN THE QUEUE - Josephine Tey


 

Monday, December 13, 2021

STICKY FINGERS,THE LIFE & TIMES OF JANN WENNER &ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE - Joe Hagen


 
















A very complex man, alienated as many as he helped over the years but the ambition from a young age is startling.

Stating Rolling Stone at 20 through sheer will power and found he had struck at the perfect time creating a serious magazine for rock music.  On the down side he is a social climbing sycophant.

Wenner knows everyone in the music business and at it beginning Rolling Stone covered some of the 20th century's big events. i.e Kent State, Vietnam etc  

Wenner 'found ' Annie Leibovitz , Hunter S. Thompson and many others & gave them a home.  He eventually fell out with them all as well.  He had John Lennon as a friend but destroyed the friendship for a few dollars.

So, a very complex man.   My criticism of this biography is it has Wenners shade over it,its not a hagiography but it lacks a deep dig into many of the events you would get if it was a posthumous book.

Its worth the read because of the events it covers, the 60's, 70's and beyond. Wenner was there through it all


Sunday, November 28, 2021

A STAB IN THE DARK - Lawrence Block



 





TROUBLE IN TRIPLICATE - Rex Stout


 

















Three novellas, all average.  Stout did this s alot , you get the feeling they all started as full novels but he didn't feel it so he canned them after 70 pages.  Always good dialogue but the stories ae weak.

HAG'S NOOK- John Dickson Carr


 

A LONG LINE OF DEAD MEN- Lawrence Block


 

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

THE CASE OF THE CONSTANT SUICIDES - John Dickson Carr


 


















This is one of the best I have read of Carr's, some great characters and genuine humour.

Sunday, November 21, 2021

THE WIDOWS CRUISE - Nicholas Blake


 

















Not one of his best, in fact all a bit silly and a waste of an afternoon.

Saturday, November 20, 2021

A DANCE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE - Lawrence Block


 














The entire Scudder series is excellent but this one is exceptional.  Scudder is hired by a man to prove his brother in law murdered his sister.  This segue's into the underworld where children are sold as play things for freaks.

This stands with anything Chandler wrote, very dark, very violent and gut wrenching.

If you like the crime noir genre it doesn't come any better than this.

GRAVEDIGGER - Joseph Hansen


 

Thursday, November 4, 2021

THE HONOURABLE SCHOOLBOY - John Le Carre


 


















I have read this several times and it never gets old, my favourite Le Carre.  Another fine example of his writing about broken people getting used.  The dialogue is fantastic.

It will get read again.

Friday, October 29, 2021

THE LISTENING WALLS - Margaret Millar


















I've seen Millar described as the best mystery writer no ones ever heard of, which is probably true as she does not get the credit she deserves.  Her husband was Kenneth Millar, aka Ross MacDonald who wrote the outstanding Lew Archer series, but the more I read of Millar the more I think she had the win in the writing stakes.

This is an outstanding mystery.  As usual for her very dark ,but there is some funny dialogue from the PI hired to solve a wife disappearing.

There are not many of her 27 novels in print so if you're into the genre troll the secondhand stores and websites.

Highly recommended


Thursday, October 28, 2021

NINETY-TWO DAYS - Evelyn Waugh


 
















An interesting wee read, no great discoveries but a tale of genuine discomfort traveling in Guiana and Brazil in the 1930's.

Mr Christie is is met in some hell hole called Boa Vista and becomes the model used in "The Man Who Liked Dickens", which in turn is included in "A Handful of Dust" 

If you like your travel books short this is worth picking up.


Tuesday, October 19, 2021

BORN VICTIM - Hillary Waugh





















This is very very dark.  Unsettling the way it ends up.

Waugh is outstanding 

Monday, October 18, 2021

DANCE HALL OF THE DEAD - Tony Hillerman

 

















First of these I have read, good mystery, good descriptions of the Indian lands where the action takes place.

I will read more when I come across them.

Friday, October 15, 2021

RED HARVEST - Dashiell Hammett

















Hardboiled crime.  Hammett, often imitated , never bettered.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

THE GLIMPSES OF THE MOON - Edmund Crispin


 

MEMOIRS - Kingsley Amis


 


















Not autobiographical, more snapshots of his life, friends & enemies.  The booze, my god.  His entire set put it away like they were going to stop making it.

Very very funny in places, sad in others but if you were a friend , you were a friend for all time.  Well worth a read