Re: RARA-AVIS: question

MT (matrxtech@sprintmail.com)
Wed, 02 Dec 1998 11:59:44 -0500 Mari Hall, not yet dead in Texas:

<<Oh, dear, do we mean LOS ALAMOS by that author whose name starts with
K. It won some award--an edgar maybe? THis one took place while the
Manhatten Project was going on--in the '40's whatever and there is a
murder and of course this guy from Washington is brought in to solve it.
Truly awful book about a mile too long and in need of a good editor (but
who am I to argue with Edgar winners)>>

Joseph Kanon. I would say it's quite good, actually. I don't know what
the competition was, so I can't argue with the choice of _Los Alamos_ as
best first novel by the Edgar committee, but it's an estimable effort.
Obviously, lots of research went into Kanon's work. As to trimming, you
can never have enough of that (said Debussy, who trimmed many works to
zero!) Actually, there should be a limit of, say, 250 pages for a
mystery. Exceptions would require substantial proof of need - financial
need excluded.

Regards,

mt
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