tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post4625533194461657970..comments2024-03-18T11:01:42.459-05:00Comments on Pretty Sinister Books: FFB: The Jefferson Farjeon Reprint MysteryJ F Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-21535673563452425452015-10-11T15:40:53.836-05:002015-10-11T15:40:53.836-05:00Finally caught up with this great post, John! I mu...Finally caught up with this great post, John! I must read Seven Dead - which is not a book I've come across. To be contrary, The Z Murders is actually my favourite Farjeon (of those I've read) I put it ahead of 13 Guests and Mystery in White, but I quite accept that most people prefer one or other of the latter books. All a matter of personal taste, of course. Turning to Milward Kennedy, I am keen to see him back in print, but we have been unable to trace the owners of the rights in his books.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-17907494231386713322015-09-27T11:33:39.568-05:002015-09-27T11:33:39.568-05:00But now you've done it for me! Thanks. :^)But now you've done it for me! Thanks. :^)J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-32527872711366983492015-09-27T04:12:46.615-05:002015-09-27T04:12:46.615-05:00I'm positively thrilled to have this on my TBR...I'm positively thrilled to have this on my TBR now, albeit with one caveat - I have this one in an Italian translation LA CASE DEI SETTE CADAVERI but after your review I can't wait (and it is a very nice edition by the way - they love Golden Age crime in Italy)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-47086564281586422232015-09-26T23:09:32.727-05:002015-09-26T23:09:32.727-05:00SEVEN DEAD sounds a bit similar in feel to AT THE ...SEVEN DEAD sounds a bit similar in feel to AT THE GREEN DRAGON which also mixes thriller, mystery and romance elements. And quite entertainingly.dfordoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02306293859869179118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-84839951944799648932015-09-26T21:18:50.776-05:002015-09-26T21:18:50.776-05:00 You have not mentioned in the above review that i... You have not mentioned in the above review that in your Collins copy of The Z Murders, Poirot is spelt as Poiret, though you made a note of it on Post-it and stuck it in the book !Santosh Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02555001344865957852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-61781636926204626162015-09-26T20:48:57.094-05:002015-09-26T20:48:57.094-05:00Yes, you mentioned in Peggy Ann's blog. I didn...Yes, you mentioned in Peggy Ann's blog. I didn't know that Ben the Tramp was the inspiration for Curt's blog name.<br />I find that very cheap kindle editions of several Vernon Loder books (though not Mystery At Stowe) are available published by Black Heath Classic Crime.<br />Santosh Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02555001344865957852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-80981033462811849892015-09-26T12:03:36.899-05:002015-09-26T12:03:36.899-05:00Thanks! And yeah I know what you mean when you rea...Thanks! And yeah I know what you mean when you read a novel and you feel like you've been there before. I had that problem with the last book I reviewed The Murderer by George Simenon as it felt too similar to books like Frances Iles' Malice Aforethought, which was written much better. Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05616800837907092489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-92221830764159468952015-09-26T11:42:21.603-05:002015-09-26T11:42:21.603-05:00Thanks, Kate. I'm just not a fan of Edgar Wal...Thanks, Kate. I'm just not a fan of Edgar Wallace knock offs these days. I've read too many of them and most of them seem all the same to me by now. I've got a "Been there, done that" kind of attitude towards them. The writer really has to do something different in order to interest me. I just became too aware of his narrative tricks and there really is an awful lot of repetition in THE Z MURDERS.<br /><br />I've just added your blog to the "Rolling, Rollling, Rolling" list over there on the right. Many interesting posts you've done since June. I have a lot to catch up on!J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-58048331670104601512015-09-26T11:06:57.111-05:002015-09-26T11:06:57.111-05:00Thanks for the info, Santosh. I had not known anyt...Thanks for the info, Santosh. I had not known anything about HarperCollins' "Detective Club" reprint series. Interesting to see all the Ben the Tramp books are planned for re-release. I recently mentioned in a blog comment somewhere (I think Peggy Ann's blog) that someone ought to reprint those. Pure coincidence, I'm sure. I've just ordered the Bernard Capes book (SKELETON KEY) and CALLED BACK by Hugh Conway. I'm not especially thrilled with this collection of titles as nearly all of them --from THE TERROR to THE GRELL MYSTERY-- are extremely easy to obtain in the used book market. And do we really need another reprint of <i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i>?<br /><br />But of the unusual titles by authors who deserve to be reprinted I am very excited to see that there is a Vernon Loder title to be released soon -- MYSTERY AT STOWE. Excellent! I think that one is particularly fun and recommend you get a copy when it's made available. I reviewed that several years ago: <a href="http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/2013/04/first-books-mystery-at-stowe-vernon.html" rel="nofollow">The Mystery of Stowe</a>J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-89857439832696999232015-09-26T10:30:13.358-05:002015-09-26T10:30:13.358-05:00Really enjoyed your post and Seven Dead sounds lik...Really enjoyed your post and Seven Dead sounds like a book to look out for. I've read Mystery in White which I really enjoyed and also Thirteen Guests which I thought was good but not as good (review of which can be found here: https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress.com/2015/09/19/j-jefferson-farjeons-thirteen-guests-1936/). Got The Z Murders in my TBR pile, but it seems you're not the only one who I've talked to who didn't think it was up to much, so will be interesting to see what it's like when I finally get around to reading it. Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05616800837907092489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-4227691696675372262015-09-25T21:31:38.508-05:002015-09-25T21:31:38.508-05:00I have just bought Thirteen Guests as the summary ...I have just bought Thirteen Guests as the summary given in Amazon seemed interesting.<br />I find that The House Opposite involving the character Ben is being released on 31st December 2015, while another 7 books all involving the same character Ben (including No.17 on which the Alfred Hitchcock movie with the same title was based) will be released on 11th August 2016. All these 8 books are being published by Collins Crime Club.Santosh Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02555001344865957852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-81051740811046556472015-09-25T20:16:40.211-05:002015-09-25T20:16:40.211-05:00In a perfect world I would win a hefty prize the n...In a perfect world I would win a hefty prize the next time I purchased an instant lottery ticket, could quit my mind numbing day job, and start the independent press I've been dreaming of for years now. I'd reprint loads of books that are worth reprinting that would delight hundreds of readers. This is why my father always called me a worthless dreamer! <br /><br />With Martin Edwards' influence I'm sure one or two Kennedy books could see the light of day fairly soon. Are you reading and listening, Martin? :^DJ F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-83071421692578943882015-09-25T20:12:27.560-05:002015-09-25T20:12:27.560-05:00That's nothing new over here, Santosh. Sorry....That's nothing new over here, Santosh. Sorry...J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-13569766974430075992015-09-25T20:04:51.684-05:002015-09-25T20:04:51.684-05:00Yes, Bloodymurder is lucky to have a copy of Seven...Yes, Bloodymurder is lucky to have a copy of Seven Dead. It is virtually impossible to get a reasonably priced copy.Santosh Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02555001344865957852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-49622863064277748892015-09-25T18:55:40.674-05:002015-09-25T18:55:40.674-05:00What a great review; thanks, John. Enough informat...What a great review; thanks, John. Enough information to make me want one book and not want the other, which is perfectly balanced ;-) I share your opinion of the Buchan-esque novel. I reviewed Farjeon's "The Judge Sums Up" a while ago and it reminded me more of Anthony Berkeley than anything else, which for me is high praise. And I also agree -- why isn't anyone reprinting Milward Kennedy?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-4063998841290406532015-09-25T12:41:36.789-05:002015-09-25T12:41:36.789-05:00Martin Edwards has written extensively on his blog...Martin Edwards has written extensively on his blog about Milward Kennedy. I've read three of Kennedy's detective novels (one is actually a round robin collaboration) but I've not reviewed any of them here. Martin has done a better job and is so much more concise than I am! <br /><br />Here's a link where you can read all the <a href="http://doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com/search?q=milward" rel="nofollow">Milward Kennedy reviews on Martin's blog.</a> The list is mostly made up of reviews of Kennedy's mysteries, some posts only tangentially mention him.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-21022568309483704782015-09-25T12:30:31.857-05:002015-09-25T12:30:31.857-05:00Do you really have a copy? Lucky you! I chose it...Do you really have a copy? Lucky you! I chose it because of the title and read the blurb and thought this one ought to be really good. And it was. *So much* better than Z MURDERS! Through sheer coincidence I had a copy of Z MURDERS and I read it months ago before it was released in the new edition but was so underwhelmed I wasn't going to review it at all. Then I stumbled across a rather positive review on Peggy Ann's blog and I told her I had a different opinion of it. So here it is.<br /><br />I have three other Farjeon books to read/review -- none of them have been chosen to be reprinted. I'm interested, however, in reading THIRTEEN GUESTS. Sounds like a Christie plot idea. We have an independent book store in Chicago (Unabridged Books) that carries the British Library imprint so I'll actually be able to buy a copy the old fashioned way!J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-89525192814044616342015-09-25T12:10:15.548-05:002015-09-25T12:10:15.548-05:00I envy Sergio having a 'copy tucked away'....I envy Sergio having a 'copy tucked away'. It sounds like my kind of book. Another author I'm adding to my vintage TBR list but since he's being reprinted I have hopes of tracking him down. Though I do prefer cheapie old copies if I can find them. John, SEVEN DEAD reminds me of the Conan Doyle short story, THE ADVENTURE OF THE DEVIL'S FOOT. Remember that one? A group of people dead in a cottage? That was also a tale of terrible revenge.<br /><br />Jefferson Farjeon. (What a moniker.) - I'm officially on the look-out.<br /><br />Tell me more about Milward Kennedy. Or have you already? If so, point me to it. I wonder if his intimate friends ever called him, 'Milly.' Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-34429058589715089112015-09-25T11:23:00.314-05:002015-09-25T11:23:00.314-05:00I am pleased that Farjeon and so many other author...I am pleased that Farjeon and so many other authors are getting read again, but I agree, the rationale for the success in some cases seems a bit hard to understand. However, SEVEN DEAD sounds great - and I think i have it tucked away on a shelf - thanks John, definitely going to look this one up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com