tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post9022727994260820785..comments2024-03-18T11:01:42.459-05:00Comments on Pretty Sinister Books: A-Haunting We Will Go: Supernatural Elements in G. M. Wilson's Detective NovelsJ F Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-73791996828052779972015-12-09T18:41:04.390-06:002015-12-09T18:41:04.390-06:00I'll look forward to the coming posts! I agree...I'll look forward to the coming posts! I agree that A Deal of Death Caps wasn't the most inspired; I enjoyed it but wouldn't rave about it. The portrayal of the African couple was fairly sensitive for its time, I thought. <br />Kacperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15219607289740142139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-46478957910144862802015-12-09T09:49:53.884-06:002015-12-09T09:49:53.884-06:00These sound delightful, John. And that first cover...These sound delightful, John. And that first cover is particularly appealing. Would I could find it in time to count it for my Vintage Scavenger Hunt next year. Bev Hankinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01127476456755776574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-30045086215998590682015-12-08T14:11:30.302-06:002015-12-08T14:11:30.302-06:00I have two options on Blogspot - Google with my re...I have two options on Blogspot - Google with my real name or WordPress with classicmystery. Hence the latter, I'm afraid. As it is, I can only seem to get a comment to appear about 1 go in 10... V frustrating.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-26108799455500374002015-12-08T09:41:23.730-06:002015-12-08T09:41:23.730-06:00This is not the first time Puzzle Doctor has calle...This is not the first time Puzzle Doctor has called himself classicmystery. For example,see your post on Groaning Spinney by Gladys MitchellSantosh Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02555001344865957852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-28604869085421689312015-12-08T09:32:13.149-06:002015-12-08T09:32:13.149-06:00Of those you list above I've read only A Deal ...Of those you list above I've read only <i>A Deal of Death Caps</i>, not a particularly intriguing plot even though it had some witchcraft business, but her inclusion of racial tension with the introduction of the African couple in a predominantly white neighborhood was surprising. Very timely for the era. I found someone on eBay who had a huge Wilson library he wanted to get rid of and I bought them all. Then a dealer in the UK unearthed a trove of Wilson books in DJ and I bought most of those. I'm only missing four or five titles now and I plan to be reading more of her work next year. I'll most likely write about the unusually plotted books and those with supernatural content.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-81322167949789847812015-12-08T09:26:07.344-06:002015-12-08T09:26:07.344-06:00Sorry for mistaking you for Les Blatt, Steve. I sa...Sorry for mistaking you for Les Blatt, Steve. I saw "classicmystery" and immediately thought of his blog and not yours. I always think of you as "the Puzzle Doctor" and I thought that was your commenting moniker. Anyway, thanks for stopping by with the insights above and the defense below.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-40054307320495554122015-12-08T02:26:11.885-06:002015-12-08T02:26:11.885-06:00Sounds incredibly appealing John and I really do w...Sounds incredibly appealing John and I really do want to check these out. I'll see if I can get 'It Rained That Friday'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-59968255804245045172015-12-07T21:26:13.306-06:002015-12-07T21:26:13.306-06:00I have read a few of Wilson's novels (and own ...I have read a few of Wilson's novels (and own several more), though not these two - she definitely excels at setting and atmosphere. I also rather like both Inspector Lovick and Miss Purdy. I wish I'd read these so that I'd have more to contribute here (the ones I've read so far: Death on a Broomstick, She Kept On Dying, and A Deal of Death Caps). <br /><br />It's an interesting conundrum, because I wish that Wilson's books were more readily available and better known, and yet at the same time their scarcity adds a certain enjoyment to hunting them down and reading them. Kacperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15219607289740142139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-70701735303160253472015-12-07T19:10:23.857-06:002015-12-07T19:10:23.857-06:00Ashby's other supernaturally inspired detectiv...Ashby's other supernaturally inspired detective novel HE ARRIVED AT DUSK is far superior to OUT WENT THE TAPER. It's my favorite of her mystery novels I've read so far and I highly recommend it. In my pre-blog days I reviewed it over at <a href="http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=6225" rel="nofollow">Mystery*File</a>. Mark Valentine, who wrote the foreword to the new Valancourt Books reprint of HE ARRIVED AT DUSK, kindly cited my essay that he stumbled across in doing research on Ashby (aka Ruby Ferguson). J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-55255738061542229272015-12-07T18:59:42.137-06:002015-12-07T18:59:42.137-06:00I wish you nothing but a treasure trove of vintage...I wish you nothing but a treasure trove of vintage mystery gems in your book hunting in your soon to be new home. Happy hunting, Peggy Ann!J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-66105605590465648502015-12-07T18:58:09.257-06:002015-12-07T18:58:09.257-06:00Thanks, Les. My reply (spoken to my partner) was n...Thanks, Les. My reply (spoken to my partner) was not publishable on this blog. HA! The purpose of this blog is, after all, presenting "obscure, forgotten and well wroth reading" genre fiction. Sometimes that also means the books are hard to find. But there is always the interlibrary loan services that most people have forgotten about. Good ol' reliable public and university libraries are still a valuable resource to many readers in helping locate these gems.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-1681567677157650782015-12-07T12:29:44.362-06:002015-12-07T12:29:44.362-06:00To inspire us to try and search it out? To give a ...To inspire us to try and search it out? To give a bit of recognition to an author that most of the world has never heard of? Or to warn us off investing money in something that might not be our cup of tea? That's three reasons off the top of my head...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-18203783552352020632015-12-07T08:49:34.898-06:002015-12-07T08:49:34.898-06:00Hi John, great review I have collected and read de...Hi John, great review I have collected and read detective fiction for many years and yet through sites such as yours I am constantly being introduced to authors that I have never come across before. I will definitely keep an eye out for these. I love detective stories with ghostly elements and enjoyed RC Ashby's out went the taper which I read in the summer. Although they often have a rationalized explanation I am also a big fan of Norman Berrow's books and their spooky covers! Keep up the great work<br />Clint CShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17043405681721960565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-86238749544001442262015-12-06T08:41:52.897-06:002015-12-06T08:41:52.897-06:00John these books sound wonderful. How you find all...John these books sound wonderful. How you find all these rare books is amazing. I LOVE the covers! Where I am moving this month there is a very large used bookstore still, amazing nowadays! Old books everywhere and I'm hopeful I'll find great books through them! Thanks for sharing!Peggy Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00426356514707257708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-24972787942412438262015-12-05T06:56:09.735-06:002015-12-05T06:56:09.735-06:00"... an extremely scarce book to come by no m..."... an extremely scarce book to come by no matter where you live."<br />What is the purpose of reviewing such a book except to......?Santosh Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02555001344865957852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8787364257168822822.post-12899781135730719622015-12-05T06:34:08.293-06:002015-12-05T06:34:08.293-06:00Interesting sounding books, John. My only experien...Interesting sounding books, John. My only experience of the cross-genre is through Carr's attempts - minor in the case of Fire, Burn and The Devil In Velvet and slightly more involved in The Burning Court. I'd be intrigued to see a more involved attempt - I'll try and keep and eye out for Wilson's work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com