Friday 11 September 2015

BILL PRONZINI - BOOKTAKER (1982/2011)

Synopsis/blurb……

The Nameless Detective is called upon to find out how rare books and maps are being stolen from an antiquarian bookshop with a faultless alarm system. He goes undercover in the store, only to be foiled when a theft occurs right under his nose. Then, as he ponders the case (while on a date with the lovely Kerry), he's violently struck from behind by a car that seems bent on driving him off the road. Will Nameless survive this attempt on his life and solve the case?

©1982 by the Pronzini-Muller Family Trust. All rights reserved. (P)2011 BBC Audiobooks

My first audio-book ever and a bit of spooky synchronicity. I was doing a chore or two around the house and it would have been impractical, nay on impossible to complete with a book in one hand, so having spotted this earlier in the month as a free audible download on Amazon, it was a case of kill two birds with the one stone.

By good fortune events in Booktaker take place several weeks after Nameless’ last case Hoodwink, which I only read a fortnight ago. (Booktaker in print is part of the Casefile collection of short stories which was the 11th or 12th release in the series, so something I’ll be seeing again in a few month’s time!)

A new experience for me then and an enjoyable one as the narration is quite smooth and soothing. Nick Sullivan is the voice. I can’t say that the face or name or even the voice is immediately familiar, but looking at his website – he has added his dulcet tones to many a recognisable book.



Anyway back to the case at hand and Nameless is engaged by antiquarian book seller in order to discover who among his staff is responsible for the recent glut of theft of valuable maps from his store. Nameless, bored and alone as new-found love Kerry is working out of town for a few days, takes the case and starts work in the store as a new clerk.

With a staff of four, Nameless tries to get close to all of the employees with limited success. When another map goes missing, this time when Kerry is in store book browsing, the owner’s patience is severely tested. An employee quits in disgust at being requested to submit to a body-search and the rest of the staff aren’t carrying the map on their person.

A frustrated Nameless is on his way to dinner with Kerry an hour or two later, when a chance remark from her sets his brain cogs turning and the solution is at hand. Before its revealed our love-struck pair are nearly run of the road by a motorist. More than coincidence, as our book thief has realised the mistake he’s made and is endeavouring to take murderous retribution before he’s exposed.

127 minutes long and an enjoyable encounter.

4 from 5


Audible freebie from Amazon UK.   

11 comments:

  1. Sometimes, audio books are a great alternative, aren't they, Col? And when you listen to them, the narration can make a big difference. Glad you enjoyed this particular story. In my opinion, it's hard to go wrong with a Nameless story...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it was the first time I have tried the format for a few years and it was enjoyable. A previous attempt with a Jonathan Frantzen was aborted, because the narrator's voice grated on me. Nameless is one of the best though!

      Delete
  2. I haven't ever "read" an audio book. I would not mind trying but I cannot think where it would fit in for me.

    I cannot remember this book in particular but it sounds good. I don't remember one I did not like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I meant, I cannot remember a Pronzini book I did not like ... but you knew that.

      Delete
    2. Yes, I knew what you meant. I've not come away from any of his books yet feeling disappointed. I was trying to do some ironing to help my wife - she was at work and I wasn't - and thought rather than lose the reading time, I could multi-task!

      Delete
    3. I wasn't paying enough attention... the result of the end of a long workday at the end of a long week. Plus the heat. When it is hot in Santa Barbara, it is hellish.

      This was in a anthology of locked room mysteries that he edited with Greenberg. Except for a book of mystery stories set on trains, I have not run into any of his shorter fiction yet. But I would not mind trying some.

      Delete
    4. I think the name Greenberg rings a bell, I may have an anthology edited by him - Spy Stories. I think Booktaker in print also appears in Casefile by Pronzini.

      We haven't had much of a summer here, the weather has turned a bit cold of late and the heating has been on on occasions. I'm kind of envious of your climate, but I think I'd struggle to deal with it in reality.

      Delete
  3. I've done audiobooks a few times, but it hasn't really taken with me, but I like the idea of making use of dead time. My son listens to audio books all the time, and I need to buy him some earphones - you can track his progress through the house with the sound of his audiobook.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From the 2 I have tried a lot seems to depend on the narrator's voice, almost as much as the content.

      Delete
  4. Col, I have never "read" and audio book and so I can't imagine what the experience is like. I have been thinking of it, though. I might start with a short story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one was a long short story so might be a good place to start. I have also tried out a few author extract readings on You Tube.

      Delete