Re: RARA-AVIS: the other Vin

From: Al Guthrie ( allanguthrie@ukonline.co.uk)
Date: 14 Aug 2002


----- Original Message ----- From: "Robison Michael R CNIN" < Robison_M@crane.navy.mil>
> I want to know about the
> other Vin, Vin Packer. What books by her are hardboiled
> and good? What about COME DESTROY ME and WHISPER HIS SIN?
> There is quite a selection of her books at Abebooks, but
> I understand she wrote children's books and also nonhard-
> boiled, and I don't want to make guesses and end up with
> something I'm not interested in.

Since you're only allowed to read one book by each new author, you should go for THE DAMNATION OF ADAM BLESSING.

I don't know if you own the Big Book of Noir, Mike, but I think you'd find it a useful investment. I know I did. Under "Mandatory Reads" for Vin Packer, Ed Gorman also lists INTIMATE VICTIMS and ALONE AT NIGHT.

THE THRILL KIDS, 1955, sounds like a juvenile delinquent, though I haven't read it ("Four kids from decent homes, roaming the streets and looking for kicks. Four kids who...one lovely summer night...wandered into Central Park, first molested a girl, and then brutally murdered an old vagrant they found asleep in a gully there."

SOMETHING IN THE SHADOWS, 1961: "A placid mask conceals the face of voilence. Stark horror wears velvet gloves. A piercing scream ends in the softest whisper."

3 DAY TERROR, 1957: I read this one a month or so ago. There wasn't much terror, to be honest. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't hb. Well-written, fairly gripping and sexually explicit. Dominated by race issues.

Al

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