VINTAGE MYSTERY CHALLENGE SILVER – (1960–1989)
In theory the Silver Challenge should have proved
easier for me to complete than the Gold one because I do like books from the
70s and 80s. Again lethargy ruled and I’m just a bit tardy in staying up to
date on certain blog things – hardly a capital offence.
Bill Pronzini – Hoodwink (1981) (4/5) read
August 2015
Mark Smith – The Death of the Detective
(1973) (4/5) read June 2015
Brian Freemantle – Charlie M (1977) (5/5)
read September 2014
Jim Thompson – Ironside (1967) (4/5) read March
2015
Agatha Christie – Miss Marple’s FinalCases (1980) (3/5) read February 2014
Looking back - best book by a mile - Brian Freemantle's Charlie M. No decent excuses for not having read more in the series bearing in mind it's about 14 months since I enjoyed this one.
Second best - Mark Smith's infuriating, frustrating but brilliant The Death of the Detective - a challenge in itself reading this one!
Others - Jim Thompson's Ironside was fun, Bill Pronzini's Hoodwink was another enjoyable Nameless mystery.
Christie's truncated Marple short stories and Avallone's novelisation of a movie - Shock Corridor ...... well I've read worse, I've read better.
Glad you found some winners here, Col. Not surprised, either, that you liked the Pronzini. Thanks, too, for the reminder of Freemantle. He's one author I'm not familiar with (except for the name), and I ought to try his work.
ReplyDeleteMargot I hope you can squeeze a Freemantle title into your reading pile. More thriller as opposed to crime genre - but a great book's a great book when all is said and done!
DeleteSlightly off the cuff: You are gonna laugh but I thought to myself while reading this post: when did Col read Jim Thompson? so check post and sure enough I commented (heh). My memory has failed me I see. I feel as though I've read all of Thompson's best stuff but maybe not? I still need to find Ironside and it's only in paper. Jo Nesbo described Thompson as the greatest crime writer and described going through Thompson's backlist as separating the wheat from the chaff. It's a great write-up in case you missed it at Mulholland's Book Blog. Oh and congrats on the challenge, Col. I see you liked Freemantle the best, so off to see if there's a sample I can read.
ReplyDeleteHaha - that's funny. I think you'd like Ironside. I've printed the Nesbo piece off - thanks. I do harbour the dream of reading all his stuff (JT), but there's a lot of books, both his and others to get through. Hope you can get a sample of Freemantle and it floats your boat!
DeleteAnother challenge - you're really tidying up! I really liked Detective, Ironside and Marple, so good collection. And I must read Charlie Muffin, going to move that one up.
ReplyDeleteFull speed ahead on that Muffin, Moira. If you read Freemantle - I'll crack open a Fleming. Yeah - tidying up, I'm getting my Spring cleaning done in November!
DeleteCol, congrats on the completion of the Gold and Silver vintage mystery challenges! You read some fine books. Got to keep an eye out for Jim Thompson's novels.
ReplyDeletePrashant - thanks. I definitely enjoyed the SILVER 6 more than the GOLD 6! I'm sure you will find some Jim Thompson at one of your secondhand sellers.
DeleteSome good books here. Someday I really will get back to the Pronzini series. I always found them such quick reads. I am still put off by the length of The Death of the Detective.
ReplyDeleteThe Death of the Detective - its definitely a very dense book and requires concentration - I limited myself to a chapter a day until near the end.
DeleteRe Pronzini - I've just read the 9th - only 30 more give or take and I'm up to date!