Mystery Writers and Books

Started by Ken B, September 15, 2019, 08:10:08 PM

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Ken B

A thread for mystery and crime novels.

Ken B

#1
I have had an addiction to mysteries for about 50 years, starting with Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. I like quite a lot of GAD — the Golden Age of Detection — and "fair play" puzzle mysteries, but my favorites are the "hard boiled" and crime novels.

Favourite writers include

Hammett
Chandler
Ross Macdonald
Patricia Highsmith
Donald Westlake/Richard Stark
Eric Ambler
Rex Stout

A few favorite fair GAD books most won't have heard of
Death of My Aunt, CHB Kitchin 1929. Was Malcolm's aunt's aphrodisiac potion poisoned?
At the Villa Rose, AEW Mason. Poirot prefigured.
The Greene Murder Case, SS van Dine. Once a famous bestseller. Philo Vance needs a kick in the pance.
The Judas Window, Carter Dickson. A body in a locked room.

mc ukrneal

I just saw the movie thread and adaptations discussion, and I wanted to respond (briefly), so I will put it here. I think there are two issues you didn't mention there: 1) audiences in those days had different expectations and were not quite as familiar with what we are today (what with all the crime shows and movies that have been available), and 2) The strength of her stories (Christie) is not the stories per se. So if I want a complicated plot (or at least one where the plot was not immediately obvious), Christie would not necessarily be a good choice (IMO). But she has some very clever ideas in her stories/plots that I still appreciate and they are generally good fun despite being about murders and such. 

I've never read the books upon which the Inspector Morse character is based. How different is he from what is portrayed in the books?
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

Jo498

Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

San Antone

Quote from: mc ukrneal on September 15, 2019, 09:14:46 PM
I've never read the books upon which the Inspector Morse character is based. How different is he from what is portrayed in the books?

He smokes, for one, and is physically described a little differently (more dashing?)  but essentially not much different.  The books are a great read, as is usually the case, IMO.  Although the tv series was excellent.

Ken, Library of America has come out with some nice volumes of the great mystery writers from the 30s-50s - "crime noir", is how they describe the books, which include all the authors you've listed.  I recently bought the Elmore Leonard set of 12 novels in 3 volumes. 

I listed my faves in the other thread, but will do so here:

Elmore Leonard
Colin Dexter (Morse)
Ellis Peters (Brother Cadfael)
Tony Hillerman (Southwestern series)

Nic Pizzolatto is a relatively new writer (True Detective) that I like.

I like authors who include a healthy does of period history (e.g. Ellis Peters, Tony Hillerman) along with the mystery. 


Jo498

I recently re-read all of Van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries (in German translation). I love them, although they are not all on the same level. But admittedly, this is not only/mainly for the mysteries but because I get so fascinated by medieval China (and culturally pessimist about 21st century Europe) when I read them.
In spring, I (re-)read a handful of Agatha Christie's and was also positively surprised (and became again culturally pessimist about 21st century Europe, even compared to 1930s-50s Britain). I had read dozens of them as a teenager and dimly remembered that I was somwhat bored when I occasionally picked up one in my twenties or later.
More recently, although not classical mysteries, I read the "Raffles" stories by Hornung and while good fun for a while, I think their comparable neglect is understandable. I'd rather go for Doyle or Wodehouse, not some strange mix. Right now I got the complete Father Brown on my kindle and they are also mostly good reads (I must have read some of them years ago, a few already as a teenager, I remember a simplified version of "The invisible man" in 9th or 10th grade English class), although occasionally extremely implausible, but Chesterton is a much better writer than e.g. Doyle or many of the later golden Age mysteries, so one can overlook these things.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

San Antone

35 something years ago I read a bunch of George Simenon's Maigret series of novels.  Haven't read them since, but might try one or two to see if I like them still.

Florestan

Gaston Leroux' The Mystery of the Yellow Room is probably the best crime novel I've ever read.

I also liked Ellery Queen's The Finishing Stroke and Edgar Wallace's The Green Archer.

A special mention for what is probably the first crime novel ever written, ETA Hoffmann's Mademoiselle de Scudéri. A Tale from the Times of Louis XIV, featuring a female (ad-hoc) detective no less.

Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum are excellent as well.

Arturo Perez-Reverte and Carlos Ruiz Zafon are two contemporary Spanish mystery wriiters who are quite good, the former more on the intellectual, the later more on the fantastic, side.

What do you guys think of Paul Feval, Eugene Sue and Ponson du Terrail?




Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Jo498

Simenon is probably my biggest gap among those that could be considered "classics". I think I read a few about two decades or more ago but I don't remember anything about them, except that at least one wasn't even featuring Maigret.

Hoffmann might be the first crime novel in Western literature (and immediately also one with a historical setting), certainly the first major one by a major writer, but the chinese novel that inspired Van Gulik is older (18th century) and there were supposedly earlier ones.

Among the more "literary mysteries", there is of course Wilkie Collins Moonstone (and maybe also the Woman in white), the 4? by Friedrich Glauser featuring Sergeant (Wachtmeister) Studer (also probably the first with a low ranking policeman) from the 1930s and Friedrich Dürrenmatt's "The judge and his hangman" (+ one kind of sequel and two other crime novels).
Of the golden age ones Sayers seems the most ambitious wrt covering general societal issues, maybe sometimes a bit too much.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

ritter

I'm not really that much into mystery and crime fiction, but have read most of the Montalbano novels by the recently deceased Andrea Camilleri with great pleasure. The personality of this middle-aged Sicilian policeman is quite attractive, and the depiction of provincial life in Sicily (as well as the inclusion of some faux-Sicilian idioms in the Italian text) is very engaging. The TV adaptations (starring Luca Zingaretti) are also quite accomplished.

Incidentally, the main character's surname, Montalbano, is a homage by Camilleri to Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez-Montalbán, who wrote a series of noirs with Pepe Carvalho as protagonist.


Ken B

Quote from: San Antone on September 16, 2019, 03:17:26 AM
He smokes, for one, and is physically described a little differently (more dashing?)  but essentially not much different.  The books are a great read, as is usually the case, IMO.  Although the tv series was excellent.

Ken, Library of America has come out with some nice volumes of the great mystery writers from the 30s-50s - "crime noir", is how they describe the books, which include all the authors you've listed.  I recently bought the Elmore Leonard  ;)set of 12 novels in 3 volumes. 

I listed my faves in the other thread, but will do so here:

Elmore Leonard
Colin Dexter (Morse)
Ellis Peters (Brother Cadfael)
Tony Hillerman (Southwestern series)

Nic Pizzolatto is a relatively new writer (True Detective) that I like.

I like authors who include a healthy does of period history (e.g. Ellis Peters, Tony Hillerman) along with the mystery.

Morse in the books likes Wagner, not Mozart. Makes him a bit odder and more disconcerting ;)
The LofA also has a few anthology volumes that are good. I have read a lot of those Elmores. I read him a lot in the 80s but only rarely since then. The westerns are good too.

Ken B

Quote from: Florestan on September 16, 2019, 05:02:41 AM
Gaston Leroux' The Mystery of the Yellow Room is probably the best crime novel I've ever read.

I also liked Ellery Queen's The Finishing Stroke and Edgar Wallace's The Green Archer.

A special mention for what is probably the first crime novel ever written, ETA Hoffmann's Mademoiselle de Scudéri. A Tale from the Times of Louis XIV, featuring a female (ad-hoc) detective no less.

Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum are excellent as well.

Arturo Perez-Reverte and Carlos Ruiz Zafon are two contemporary Spanish mystery wriiters who are quite good, the former more on the intellectual, the later more on the fantastic, side.

What do you guys think of Paul Feval, Eugene Sue and Ponson du Terrail?

I think, since you have gone full Marxist these days, you would like Manchette. I cannot read him, in one book he went on a riff about why a guy was doing something being a result of his role in the process of production.

I always findwith Perez-R that the books start terrifically well but disappoint by the end. I read just the first two. My wife likes Zafon and I have his first .

I will look for the Hoffmann. Never read the others.

Ken B

Quote from: ritter on September 16, 2019, 05:39:47 AM
I'm not really that much into mystery and crime fiction, but have read most of the Montalbano novels by the recently deceased Andrea Camilleri with great pleasure. The personality of this middle-aged Sicilian policeman is quite attractive, and the depiction of provincial life in Sicily (as well as the inclusion of some faux-Sicilian idioms in the Italian text) is very engaging. The TV adaptations (starring Luca Zingaretti) are also quite accomplished.

Incidentally, the main character's surname, Montalbano, is a homage by Camilleri to Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez-Montalbán, who wrote a series of noirs with Pepe Carvalho as protagonist.
I read the first Camilleri and liked it, especially for the sense of place. You might like Michael Dibdin, who wrote about an Italian detective, Zen. They made an inadequate TV series from them.

Florestan

Quote from: Ken B on September 16, 2019, 08:14:34 AM
I always findwith Perez-R that the books start terrifically well but disappoint by the end.

Precisely my own feelings, but until the final pages it's quite good.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Ken B

Quote from: Jo498 on September 16, 2019, 05:36:09 AM
Simenon is probably my biggest gap among those that could be considered "classics". I think I read a few about two decades or more ago but I don't remember anything about them, except that at least one wasn't even featuring Maigret.

Hoffmann might be the first crime novel in Western literature (and immediately also one with a historical setting), certainly the first major one by a major writer, but the chinese novel that inspired Van Gulik is older (18th century) and there were supposedly earlier ones.

Among the more "literary mysteries", there is of course Wilkie Collins Moonstone (and maybe also the Woman in white), the 4? by Friedrich Glauser featuring Sergeant (Wachtmeister) Studer (also probably the first with a low ranking policeman) from the 1930s and Friedrich Dürrenmatt's "The judge and his hangman" (+ one kind of sequel and two other crime novels).
Of the golden age ones Sayers seems the most ambitious wrt covering general societal issues, maybe sometimes a bit too much.

Yes the Durrenmatts are excellent. Highly recommended. I have read two of the Studer, the first two, and liked them. There are 6 ithink.

I also have never been a big Simenon fan. I liked M. Hire though and a few of the non Maigret.

j winter

My first great love as a reader was Sherlock Holmes, I've been a Sherlockian nerd for most of my life.  I've got the entire run of the Baker Street Journal on my tablet, if that gives you any idea... :)

Rex Stout is a long-time favorite of mine, I still return to Nero Wolfe now and then when I need something quick to cheer me up.  I loved the A&E TV adaptation of a few years back -- those are well worth your time if you've never seen them.

I actually only read my first Chandler about 2 years ago... I'd been a longtime fan of Robert B. Parker's Spenser, and decided to finally check out the master.  I have no idea why I waited so long, as a writer Chandler is absolutely phenomenal... I'm now dosing them out to myself verrrrry slowly, as I know there's a small number and I'd like to savor them a bit.   
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Cato

Quote from: Ken B on September 16, 2019, 09:05:30 AM

Yes the Durrenmatts are excellent. Highly recommended.


Friedrich Dürrenmatt: Ja, natürlich!
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

The new erato

The one mystery novel that has impressed me most the last few years is Michel Bussi's Black Water Lilies.

Jo498

FTR I had both Hoffmann's "Madame de Scuderi" and Dürrenmatt's "Der Richter und sein Henker" as required reading in middle school.

You are correct, there are 6 mystery novels by Glauser, but only five with Studer, the 6th is Glauser's earliest book (not as original and somewhat trashy, but I found it a lot of fun) without Studer: Der Tee der drei alten Damen (roughly, The teatime of the three elderly ladies).

I loved Holmes as a kid, probably re-read most of them several times later on. Last time was probably when I got my kindle in 2012 or so. They are deservedly iconic but in hindsight not all of them are all that good.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal