This is a cleverly written piece of speculative science fiction that has its faults, but its experimental nature wins out in the end, and makes it verThis is a cleverly written piece of speculative science fiction that has its faults, but its experimental nature wins out in the end, and makes it very enjoyable.
From the publisher's summary, it would appear to be straightforward setup of a locked room murder mystery, with an AI providing the sci-fi interest, but the more detailled scenario is much smarter than that.. pardon the pun.
Rather than follow the pattern of a locked room whodunnit Martine maintains an element of the surreal, with the murder mystery theme just a blind for her to muse, less rationally, on themes of identity and fraught relationships.
Martine won Hugo Awards for her first two novels, but they are both 450+ pages, too much for me certainly, as I enjoy dipping my toes into the genre rather than a full summersion.....more
Angustias Romero describes her journey as she leaves the eastern mountains of an unnamed Latin American country with her husband and newborn twins to Angustias Romero describes her journey as she leaves the eastern mountains of an unnamed Latin American country with her husband and newborn twins to reach the town of Mezquite. In the first few pages we learn two things; that a plague that attacks the memory is rampant throughout the country, the reason the family left their home, and that the twin boys die during their migration.
Angustias carries the boys� bodies in shoe-boxes determined that they will receive a proper burial. Once in Mezquite, she learns of Visitación Salazar, a woman who buries people for free in an illegal cemetery people call ‘The Third Country�. The boys are laid to rest, and the husband disappears, leaving the grieving Angustias to decide to stay, and assist Visitación in her grim task. Meanwhile the town of Mesquite is run by a brutal cartel by way of unmeasured violence and corruption, a place of death and desperation.
Sainz Borgo, herself Venezuelan, alternates between third-person narration and Angustias� narrative, but in both cases the mood is acerbic and threatening, with blunt and concise sentences which highlight the barbarity of the environment. Subplots abound, and it may be that the effect of the novel would have been greater without some of them, but this is an extremely powerful observation of grief and hopelessness; pensive, desolate and bleak. ...more
At seemingly random intervals in the St Anslem Hotel in New York single young men check in to the titular room but are found in the early hours of theAt seemingly random intervals in the St Anslem Hotel in New York single young men check in to the titular room but are found in the early hours of the morning on the pavement below, having supposedly leapt to their death from the French windows.
Suicide is assumed, it is set during the Depression, though they appeared to have been in good spirits, whistling show tunes, with a new job or recently engaged, though a suitably ambiguous note is found by the bed. House Detective Striker becomes increasingly concerned at the casual attitude of the City Police detective who always seems to be the one sent when called.
This is more of a thriller than a ‘golden age� detective story. The enjoyment in it doesn’t rest of who or how the murders were done. It’s typically Woolrich in several ways, dark with lighter moments in all the right places, and wonderfully written. It’s neither a short story nor long enough to be a novella, just Woolrich-length.. he wrote so many at about 50-80 pages, as they fitted the magazine format so well. This first appeared in Detective Fiction Weekly #120 in 1938, and no doubt was the product of Woolrich’s imagination fuelled by him living in a hotel at the time he wrote it....more
I was hoping for some sort of Ted Lewis-esque London noir writing, as this is also a crime band-related novel of the 1950s/60s. But this certainly isnI was hoping for some sort of Ted Lewis-esque London noir writing, as this is also a crime band-related novel of the 1950s/60s. But this certainly isn't that....more
The author himself is a fishing guide on the Yellowstone river which partly explains how his descriptions of the seasons and mountain wilderness are sThe author himself is a fishing guide on the Yellowstone river which partly explains how his descriptions of the seasons and mountain wilderness are so evocative, they are pretty much characters themselves and certainly play a large part in the enjoyment of the novel.
Thad and his younger brother, Hazen, have been doing whatever they need to survive, living off the land. Their mother long ago abandoned the family, and now their father has died. In contrast to their father who had strong morals they do what they need to survive, and that includes illegal bear poaching and antler collecting from within Yellowstone National Park.
By the nature of the genre Wink is writing in it is no surprise that the brothers come unstuck, and their lives become even more of a challenge. Their nefarious activities involve them mixing with a mysterious and dodgy outsider known as ‘the Scot� and it seems the brothers are destined for disaster, but Wink is good at subverting expectations.
In criticism, though it may be seen as a compliment also, his descriptions of the landscape are stronger than his characters, we get to know the mountains better than the people. Also, that the emphasis is on the pace of the novel, which again, many readers will like, with page-long chapters and short sentences; a novel intended to excite rather than to educate or discuss. ...more
Specifically, it concerns a family of four, parents Salomon and Hipólita, and their two young boys, aged 10 and 12. Salomon, a mute, is taken from his home and executed in the street, just an ordinary man in the wrong place at the wrong time. For the large part, the narrative is from his perspective, as a ghost.
This is a society in which the gangs, the corrupt authorities, and the violence are thriving.
Hipólita announces to her sons that they must find the men responsible for Salomon’s death, and by doing so, they will ensure that they, too, will be murdered, and join their father in an afterlife that will unquestionably be an improvment on a future without hope.
This is an exceptional novel, with its theme firmly rooted in resilience and determination to survive at all costs, and one that doesn't flinch from the horrors of the civil war. Romero is well-known as a novelist, journalist, screenwriter and film critic in Colombia, but RÃo Muerto is the first of his works to have been translated into English. If this is anthing to go by, it is hoped World Editions will enable more of his fiction to be read in English. ...more
This is generally considered to be the first modern piece of crime fiction. Published in 1829, it predates Poe’s mystery short stories by a little oveThis is generally considered to be the first modern piece of crime fiction. Published in 1829, it predates Poe’s mystery short stories by a little over a decade, and has fifty years on Sherlock Holmes.
The plot is based on an actual Danish murder from 1629. In Denmark it has been made into a movie three times, the second of which was the country’s first sound film.
I really enjoyed it, and had forgotten about the place the story has in the history of literature until after I had finished it. The plot raises a fascinating question for any fan of crime writing, one of the place of false or coerced confession, which tends to be thought of as through the application of torture, as in the Salem Witch Trials. But not in this case. From the LA Times in 2008, a veteran police detective writes..
Of the 220 wrongful convictions in the U.S. that have been overturned based on DNA evidence, nearly 25% involved a false confession or false incriminating statements, according to the Innocence Project. In each of those cases, DNA proved that the confession was false.
In true crime as much as in fiction, such an erroneous confession results in death.
It’s only a short read, 25 pages or so, and highly recommended. ...more
I was interested to see what all the fuss was about, as the ‘Uketsu phenomenon� has apparently taken Japan by storm. Uketsu only ever appears online, I was interested to see what all the fuss was about, as the ‘Uketsu phenomenon� has apparently taken Japan by storm. Uketsu only ever appears online, wearing a mask and speaking through a voice changer. He has more than 1.5 million followers. He writes ‘sketch mysteries� in which he challenges his readers to discover hidden clues in a series of sinister drawings. His actual identity is unknown. This is his international debut.
The story is a tidy sort of police procedural, one in which all the loose ends are tied up neatly. It spans decades, and is presented in four parts after an introductory episode in which a professor instructs his class in how a simple sketch drawing can reveal the workings of the brain. The particular drawing was done by an 11 year old girl who murdered her mother, and the professor feels able to conclude that the girl can be rehabilitated into society.
The novel proceeds with such detective work that Uketsu’s characters undertake, and the reader follows, step by step. The four parts are four separate stories that link for a grand climax. Though of wide appeal, I suspect this will go down best with a young adult audience. It is well-imagined, attractively presented, but for all its intricacies the solutions are not complicated, a hybrid between manga and typical crime fiction....more
My first in the Espinosa series set in Rio de Janeiro, and I had hoped to be entertained more than I was. Its a very simple mystery; of the 'cosy' typMy first in the Espinosa series set in Rio de Janeiro, and I had hoped to be entertained more than I was. Its a very simple mystery; of the 'cosy' type, and predictable. The enjoyment is in the location and culture. ...more
I am new to the writing of Vin Packer, and began with this, widely thought to be the best of her psychological thrillers. The intentional running downI am new to the writing of Vin Packer, and began with this, widely thought to be the best of her psychological thrillers. The intentional running down of a cat by a car driver, grows into a murder, though the real suspense in the story is the watching the mental disintegration of the protagonist, Joseph Meaker, reminiscent of a Patricia Highsmith novel..
Published in 1961 and set in the late 1950s, at the time when the advertising industry was in its heyday, as observed in the TV series Mad Men, Meaker's wife, Maggie, is in advertising and commutes daily from their home in rural Pennsylvania to New York City. Meaker himself, is an academic, studying hex-signs on local barns, though he spends much of his time ruminating on his ex-lover, Varda, a Hungarian woman whose activism contrasts starkly with his pseudo-intellectual apathy, even more so than Maggie’s. In 1948 at a rally for President, he fled racist hecklers of Henry Wallace, for whom Varda was of course working.
Vin Packer is the pen name of Marijane Meaker, who wrote under several other names. As Packer she wrote twenty crime novels, and in these she is credited with launching the genre of lesbian pulp fiction. She wrote several books of non-fiction also on her observations of gay women in the 1950s and 60s, as well as several novels for young adults and books for children. Quite a range.. This however, is more literary than pulp, and in addition to being a gripping thriller it has very strong characterisation and is excellent as a record of rural Pennsylvania at that time.
Amongst Meaker's claims to fame, is that she was the lover of Patricia Highsmith. They lived together for two years in a converted barn in the same area of rural Pennsylvania where this is set. Meaker's own memoir is entitled Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950's. She died in 2022 at the age of 95. It is therefore easy to see how this particular novel is far more Highsmith than Packer, intentionally so I am sure, especially in the character of Joseph, who has her own surname....more
Set in the fictional small town of Wardlaw, Louisiana in the late 1950s this concerns Barney Godwin, living what seems to be a decent life; recently mSet in the fictional small town of Wardlaw, Louisiana in the late 1950s this concerns Barney Godwin, living what seems to be a decent life; recently married to an attractive and wealthy widow, the manager of a boating supplies store, and fishing in the bayous lying on his frequent afternoons off.
But Barney fancies himself as a hustler of sorts, and when a beautiful young woman comes into the shop one day to buy some outboard motors and passes a marked twenty dollar bill, he sees his chance and comes up with a plan to recover the money from a heist that went wrong, more than $150,000.
This is a typical pulp noir of the time, though a stand-out in that vast field. Williams writes with snappy dialogue and describes his bad guys particularly well. The Louisiana swamp is an ideal backdrop for an unseasoned hustler like Barney to stumble his way to the cash. It is very entertaining, an exemplar of its day. ...more
I read this for the first time in the late 1970s, when, in my teenage years I discovered Agatha Christie and read most of her books over a period of aI read this for the first time in the late 1970s, when, in my teenage years I discovered Agatha Christie and read most of her books over a period of about five years.
I haven’t gone back since, but this audio version, a drama rather than a reading, featuring Peter Dinklage is Hercule Poirot, really appealed to me.
It is very well done, and was a great listen during a few dog walks. ...more
This is an entertaining Indonesian take on the heist novel. Protagonist Gaspar is brash and reckless, convinced that all will work out well in the endThis is an entertaining Indonesian take on the heist novel. Protagonist Gaspar is brash and reckless, convinced that all will work out well in the end, especially with his trusty steed, his motorcycle Cortázar. He recruits a team of misfits, each for a specific role, their mission, to free a mysterious black box that is being held in a jewelry store.
Gaspar counts down the 24 hours before he robs the store, though it is evident his account of far from being reliable.
Interspersed between chapters are witness statements given to the detective investigating the robbery case; though the detective asks questions that could inform on the incident, the responses are of a more philosophical nature. The narrative is more concerned with the aftermath of the robbery than the actual heist.
I am not sure that as a whole the novel worked, but do admire Armandio's bravery to experiment and break away from the traditional approach. ...more
Very pleasant. Much more of a cosy sort of crime than Maigret can get involved in. I’ve read these before, but listened to them in the hills with the Very pleasant. Much more of a cosy sort of crime than Maigret can get involved in. I’ve read these before, but listened to them in the hills with the dog this time round. ...more
Set in the jazz scene of Harlem between 1936 and 1961, Lamar includes many actual musicians of the day in this neo-noir, thereby managing to create suSet in the jazz scene of Harlem between 1936 and 1961, Lamar includes many actual musicians of the day in this neo-noir, thereby managing to create such an atmosphere that the plot almost takes second place.
It is the story of how a failed trumpeter, Clyde ‘the Viper� Morton, becomes one of the most feared gangsters in New York. Though it begins in 1961, the story recalls the Harlem of the late 1930s, with a hint of Chester Himes to the writing. Jazz is a crucial part of the novel, there are frequent appearances from Count Basie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk. At the outset the Viper is about to kill for the third time, and as that unravels, through flashbacks the full backstory of the Viper is revealed.
Lamar is an American living in Paris, whose previous novels, through originally written in English, were translated immediately into French and only published in France. This is an entertaining hardboiled thriller that benefits from well-placed dark humour. Its real strength though is as a glimpse into the dysfunctional world of jazz in Harlem in the early 60s.
And there's even a playlist in the afternotes..
"Round Midnight": performed by Thelonious Monk, original 1948 recording "Round Midnight": performed by the Miles Davis Quintet, 1957 recording "Viper's Dream": performed by Django Reinhardt "Stardust": performed by Louis Armstrong "West End Blues": performed by Louis Armstrong "St. Louis Blues": performed by Louis Armstrong "The Man I Love": performed by Billie Holiday "Strange Fruit": performed by Billie Holiday "Strange Fruit": performed by Nina Simone "Moten Swing": performed by Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra "Jumpin' at the Woodside": performed by Count Basie and His Orchestra "Lester Leaps In": performed by Count Basie's Kansas City Seven with Lester Young on saxophone "Draftin' Blues": performed by Count Basie and His Orchestra "If You're a Viper": performed by Fats Waller "Sing Sing Sing": performed by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra "Body and Soul": performed by Coleman Hawkins "Take the A Train": performed by Ella Fitzgerald "The Mooche": performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra "Caravan": performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra "Jungle Nights in Harlem": performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra "Prelude to a Kiss": performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra "Such Sweet Thunder": performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra "In the Mood": performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra "Ko-Ko": performed by Charlie Parker's Reboppers "Now's the Time": performed by Charlie Parker's Reboppers "Night in Tunisia": performed by the Charlie Parker Septet "Parker's Mood": performed by Charlie Parker's All Stars "Lover Man": performed by the Charlie Parker Quintet "Salt Peanuts": performed by Dizzy Gillespie and His All-Star Quintet "Manteca": performed by Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra "Dance of the Infidels": performed by Bud Powell "Nica's Dream": performed by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers "Rhythm in a Riff": performed by Billy Eckstine and His Orchestra "My One and Only Love": performed by Art Tatum and Ben Webster "Si Tu Vois Ma Mère": performed by Sidney Bechet "April in Paris": performed by Sarah Vaughan "So What": performed by Miles Davis "Naima": performed by John Coltrane "St. Thomas": performed by Sonny Rollins "Django": performed by the Modern Jazz Quartet "Take Five": performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet "Lonely Woman": performed by Ornette Coleman "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat": performed by Charles Mingus "The Black and Crazy Blues": performed by Rahsaan Roland Kirk "The Inflated Tear": performed by Rahsaan Roland Kirk "Green Onions": performed by Booker T. and the M.G.'s "In a Sentimental Mood": performed by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane "In Walked Bud": performed by Thelonious Monk "Pannonica": performed by Thelonious Monk "Crepuscule with Nellie": performed by Thelonious Monk
This is a much more nasty, at times hard-boiled noir than one would associate with French writers. I hoped for another dose of the sort of gallic noirThis is a much more nasty, at times hard-boiled noir than one would associate with French writers. I hoped for another dose of the sort of gallic noir written by Pascal Garnier, Jean-Patrick Manchette, Frederic Dard and others. Their writing is terse, dark, humorous, but full of menace, taking place in ordinary often domestic settings and featuring life's misfits. There are twists, often a big one at the end, and they are in the ilk of Georges Simenon, just refined.
This is unfortunately not that. After serving five years in prison for carrying his older brother Fabien’s drugs, 26-year-old Frenchman Franck quickly finds himself in compromising situations with Fabien’s girlfriend, Jessica, and her drug-dealing family. Its more of a modern day American style noir thriller, something I appreciate much less. Its subject, the mistreatment of children, is one that leans itself less to the inclusion of humour. There is an intensity to the story that certainly holds the attention, though as a whole it is nothing special, and quite easily forgotten I fear. ...more
This is the final book in Burnet's trilogy in which he writes as his alter ego, Raymond Brunet. I must admit to a degree of apprehension about a ScotcThis is the final book in Burnet's trilogy in which he writes as his alter ego, Raymond Brunet. I must admit to a degree of apprehension about a Scotchman writing a book set in a rural village of the Haut-Rhin, but any doubt was soon dispelled. This trilogy is a real treat, and it finishes with the best book yet.
I detected hints of a Georges Simenon influence a few times, and Burnet confirms this in a sort of afterword which he writes as if he has translated the lost books of Brunet. They are gallic noir, but with Burnet's own stamp, leaning towards the cosy.. The real enjoyment is gathered from characters of Saint-Louis, which Burnet takes his time to introduce, but it is time well spent.
Burnet / Brunet's chief inspector is the lackadaisical Georges Gorski, a typical local policeman for whom it would take something seismic to take him out of his daily routine of wandering the streets and frequenting his favourite cafe.
Its a crime novel in which the crimes are not the point, but having said that, there are a few very rewarding twists in the last chapters. The crux is in the existencial crisis faced by several of the key characters, not least Gorski. Burnet uses the afterword to also point out any clever touches that may have been missed. Detail is important here, and close reading pays off; though the main twist did come as a surprise to me.
Three novels to savour, with the best saved to last. ...more
This is Simenon at his best. Jules Guerec is a Breton fisherman who lives with his three sisters. One night he runs down a child in his car, and insteThis is Simenon at his best. Jules Guerec is a Breton fisherman who lives with his three sisters. One night he runs down a child in his car, and instead of stopping, chooses to drive on. His sisters, who adore him, protect him from imprudence and drain any moral doubt he shows. It may be a familiar story line, but in Simenon's hands it is a masterpiece; writing in an off-hand manner that is far more chilling than any insistence on the horror of the situation would be, steering clear of any sort of judgement and simply presenting facts. The tension builds and the reward is a classic unsettling finale.
Dependant Jules, astray and fearful that his sisters will die and leave him, makes a mental not to buy the child's mother some chocolates. A simple enough sentence, but one in such a context that the reader is left aghast.
If anything deserves rediscovering this does. To my reckoning it was last in print (in English translation) in 1952. A bonus is that it is available on the internet archive, where lost gems rest, waiting to be reawoken. But, as good as it is, it would benefit from a new translation, and then I am sure, would go far..
I search hard for these out-of-print Simenon's and, more often than not, am duly rewarded.....more
Loading...
