> Other than _Solomon's Vineyard_, are other Latimer
books available or
> recommended?
I discovered Latimer a few months ago and was spellbound. I
started with
_Solomon's Vineyard_ which is as fine a read as any. An
interesting book
of his is _The Search for My Great-Uncle's Head_ (written as
Peter
Coffin). It's definately a change of pace from his usual
stuff but quite
entertaining.
So are you now in Portland, OR or Portland, ME? (Curious
minds want to
know)
Mbdlevin@aol.com wrote:
>
> I just subscribed up again after being off-line about
a month to move across
> the country. Needless to say, I'm behind on the
reading. Here's what I read
> (holed up in motel rooms as I drove the 3,000 miles)
and found (upon arrival
> in Portland).
>
> 1. I was disappointed in _Phantom Lady_. I suppose
you have all already been
> through this line of discussion. Woolrich really
doesn't play fair with the
> reader--and not in a clever sort of way.
>
> 2. Max Byrd's _California Thriller_. Great fun. A
little dated--very 1970s
> California (published in 1981). A tough PI with a
dash of James Bond plot.
> It also covers a lot of Bay Area territory, which I
enjoyed. The mystery was
> pretty easy to see, but that didn't matter too much.
Too bad Byrd is out of
> the hard-boiled game--maybe it didn't pay or his
publisher dropped him or he
> had to focus on getting tenure (prof at UC Davis);
I've recently seen ads for
> historical novels by him.
>
> 3. Jonathan Latimer's _The Lady in the Morgue_
(1936). Great, great stuff.
> One of the best books I've read in the last year. Not
hard-boiled (so maybe
> not quite right here), but filled with tough PI Bill
Crane and his cohorts,
> Chicago gangsters, and lots and lots of booze. It's
more along the lines of
> _Thin Man_ in tone--screwy, very funny, great scenes.
It begs the hard-boiled
> definition question again, since it's got tough PIs
breaking the law, low-
> life, a morgue, etc., but not at all bleak. IPL
reprinted the book, so it's
> around. Other than _Solomon's Vineyard_, are other
Latimer books available or
> recommended? And is IPL still around?
>
> I'll post my findings next time. Some good stuff, I
think, but I'll query the
> list about what's worth reading.
>
> Best,
> Doug Levin
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