George U wrote :
>
> Anything by JDM deserves a low number on the TBR
list.
Meaning, one of the 1st to be read, right? I skimmed over
your post & thought you were saying that it deserved a
low priority & was just about to tell you that I
disagreed when I realised that, in fact, we were in complete
agreement. Not everything John D wrote is a stone classic but
I haven't read anything that wasn't at the very least
entertaining. Actually I've just read "Death Trap" - it's OK,
not on a level with
"Dead Low Tide", for example (what is?).
>
> > "Two for Tanner" by Lawrence Block. "A Likely
Story"
> by Donald E Westlake.
>
> Although I've read neither of these, the worst
writing
> by either of these men is worth reading.
>
Block, I've only read "The Sins of the Fathers" - so-so but I
was expecting that from other list members' comments but I
want to read them in order - and a couple of great shorts in
the various "pulp"/hb anthologies. Westlake I know through
the Stark/Parker books - he's the man! - & his earliest
2-3 novels, including "The Mercenaries" which I liked quite a
bit, it sits on the shelf quite comfortably between Hammett's
"The Glass Key" & the works of Peter Rabe, whose
influence
(Rabe) is apparent here. "A Likely Story" is obviously one of
his later, humourous books.
>.
>
> > "The Destroyer 12 : Kill or
> > Cure" & "The Destroyer 14 : Judgement Day"
by
> > Richard Sapir & Warren Murphy.
>
> The early Destroyers are the best. These are
early
> enough in the series actually to have been written
by
> Sapir and Murphy. (Robert J. Randisi wrote a
couple
> of Destroyer novels under Murphy's name, but I
can
> never remember which ones. They were much later
in
> the series, however.)
I've read one of these before - it was an enjoyable
pulp/comic book style romp, funny as well. Is the post
Sapir/Murphy series worth reading?
>
> > "Blood Marks" by Bill Crider (!).
>
> I've only read one Crider, ...A DANGEROUS
THING
> (correct me if I've messed up that title, Bill),
but
> I'm constantly on the look-out for more. He's
not
> hard-boiled (although there's some tough-guy
attitude
> in there), but he's a solid writer and a heck of a
lot
> of fun.
Apparently this one's about a serial killer. Bill tells me
it's not one of his more, I guess typical, books & is
darker in tone than his other stuff, none of which I've had
the pleasure of reading, yet.
> > "Such Men Are Dangerous" by Lawrence
Block
>
> Put this one on the top of the pile. It was
worth
> buying new.
I'd already seen good reports on the list, it's what inspired
me to buy it. I may take your advice here, it looks like a
nice, bite-sized read like a Gold Medal novel.
>
> As always, feel free to ignore these comments, or
even
> disparage them, at your leisure.
>
>
I wouldn't dream of ignoring your comments. I love getting
this sort of feedback it's one of the reasons I de-lurked
& it's why I posted the list of books.And you're
obviously a man of taste. Thanks for the feedback.
Rene.
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