RARA-AVIS: Michael Dibdin, RIP

From: mburch5717 ( mburch5717@AOL.com)
Date: 29 Nov 2007


I only just discovered that Michael Dibden died some months ago. I looked him up in our records and was somewhat surprised that there were was very little mention of him. I suppose he wasn't strictly noir or hardboiled although he certainly had big elements of both qualities in his books and he was a devoted admirer of Chandler and Hammett.

His books are very macabre, caustic, beautifully written and imbued with a very black sense of humor. He had a number of very good literary gifts which he diligently cultivated.

I mostly read his stand-alones which I thought were among the best mystery books written in my time.

In any event I thought this sad occasion was worthy of being brought to the notice of my fellow Avians and to encourage those of you that haven't read anything by him to give him a shot. I don't think you'll be disappointed

Mike

PS I wouldn't recommend that anyone start with his series about Italian police inspector Aurelio Zen. Like Simenon it seems to me that he put his best work into his stand-alones.



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