The Hooded Gunman, An Illustrated History of the Collins Crime Club edited and text by John Curran, Collins Crime Club / Harper Collins 2019 oversized hard cover. Non-fiction, 393 pages plus Indexs of Blurbs and Titles.
After reading the very thorough September 27 review of this on the crossexaminingcrime blog HERE, I knew I had to buy this book. I did, and what a treasure it is. I strongly recommend you follow the link and read that review.
I couldn’t do any better, and I’m pretty sure if you have any interest in mystery fiction and it’s publishing history, you’ll love both the review and the book for both the history of each decade and for the covers. This book is a must have.
Have you read this book?
What are you reading?
Tip the Wink 
Looks like a good browsing book but not one that I would buy.
Still reading Bag of Books by John Connelly. I like it but it is very slow going for some reason. I can usually read one of his books in about 3 or 4 days. This is going to take me about 8. In the meantime my library books are piling up and I’ll have return a few unread until a further date. I try to read the inter library loan ones first and save the ones from my local library for last. My next read will probably be the new Ken Bruen-always a fast read which I’ll sorely be in need of.
Steve, this is a book I’ll probably browse again, but this time I read it straight through. I have four library books here, one I’ve finished, one I’m going to skip, and two still to read, and the deadline is approaching…
I definitely do have to have this book, but it hasn’t even come out over here and is $50 at this time, so I will give it some time. It does look fantastic and I will probably break down and get it soon.
I finished reading NOTHING LASTS FOREVER by Roderick Thorp on Friday … the novel that Die Hard was based on. Liked it a lot.
I am now reading THE CHRISTMAS EGG, by Mary Kelly, a vintage mystery.
I’m “over here” (Portland, OR), and I bought it, so it’s available. Getting a start on your Christmas reading, are you?
The only place I checked was Amazon, and it was a preorder for December 3rd, 2019. With no discount. I assumed you would have had to order it from the UK. If it stays at $50 on Amazon, I will see if my local independent bookstore has it.
Yes, I am starting my Christmas reading now. I had forgotten that NOTHING LASTS FOREVER was set at Christmas, so that was a bonus. My husband ordered several Christmas mysteries and THE CHRISTMAS EGG was one of those. I have also started a short story book by Connie Willis, but don’t know how many of those I will read.
I am saving YOU PLAY THE BLACK AND THE RED COMES UP for my trip to NY next week. I may try to read THE WIDOW by Simenon, which Steve loaned me. I am rough on books though and this one is pristine. So I don’t know. Couldn’t read the Ware book. When a writer puts all the suspects at a dinner party early on (or at the end), I sign off. We may all read crime books but we all like different styles, I think.
Yet that’s a setup I enjoy, such as Christie’s CARDS ON THE TABLE.
Sounds great. The end of the review answered the question I had: whether he covered the Crime Club/White Circle paperbacks (apparently yes), which I always picked up on my book buying trips to England, and which were popular with my customers, especially authors like E.C.R. Lorac/Carol Carnac, John Rhode/Miles Burton, and Rupert Penny.
Patti. if you are afraid to read that copy of THE WIDOW, I will be happy to lend you my Penguin copy next week. YOU PLAY THE BLACK… is a quick read, as I recall.
I read a couple of good books last week. First was Tom Bradby’s SECRET SERVICE. Top MI6 operative Kate Henderson comes into knowledge through a bug planted on a Russian oligarch’s yacht that the Prime Minister will step down due to prostate cancer and one of his possible successors is a Russian spy. Also, there is a mole inside British Intelligence. When the PM indeed steps down, they must find the traitors, as Kate has to deal with family issues as well. Recommended.
Also read Ken Bruen’s latest over the top Jack Taylor book, GALWAY GIRL, a very fast read (as Steve mentioned above) like all of Bruen’s. Plenty of killings in Galway, as usual; Taylor a target, as usual; lots of book and pop culture references, as usual, as well as drinking. There are frequent references to Steve Earle’s song “Galway Girl,” which I particularly enjoyed as we just heard him sing it at the Lantern Tour benefit a couple of weeks ago.
I read a number of short stories from the copy of EQMM they gave away at Bouchercon. Current reading is the new Michael Connelly, THE NIGHT FIRE. I’ve got another four library books (including the new Allen Eskens book) as well as two library Kindle downloads.
Happy forthcoming birthday, Jeff!
Everyone seems to have lots of books on their table, as do I, but I’m having trouble finishing two per week for my posts. If I read an oldie, then that’s also my current reading…which is awkward. Maybe I’ll go to one a week, but which one? Ideas?
Those white circle books looked good, I’d love to read some of them, I’d settle for any publisher, however. The one ting I found myself think as I read this was that I want to read some more of the Patricia Moyes ones I’ve missed. I really like her books.
I see there are a lot of John Rhode books available on Kindle for $3.99-$5.99, and there are definitely Loracs available too, in that form and in paperback, so I would bet (without checking) that others are available too. I know my library system has many of the British Library series of reprints available in trade paperback.
A quiet week here. I finished Ed Gorman’s ELIMINATION wishing Ed had lived to write about a gazillion more books.
My FFB was SECRET OF THE BLACK PLANET by Milton Lesser (Stephen Marlowe), a collection of two linked novellas from AMAZING STORIES from 1952. A bit of pulp-y old-fashioned space opera chock-filled with pseudo-science an rushed writing.
I’m currently reading Eric Frank Russell’s SENTINELS FROM SPACE, a 1951 novel with Russell’s oft-used “we are property” theme — you know, the good ol’ stuff.
THE HOODED GUNMAN sounds just like my cup of tea. I’m eager to read this one.
Enjoy your week, Rick!
We live just off a street named Lesser, but I doubt it’s named for the author. I like Russell, have since I read Dark Destroyer.
I’m ordering THE HOODED GUNMAN now! Looks fabulous! I’m busy reading Library books as their DUE DATES loom. I wish I could be reading Milton Lesser and Erie Frank Russell books like Jerry House, but Library books come first!
They don’t have to, George, like Patti, I often just send them back.