As Bill Crider mentioned in his comment, the Ross Macdonald novel I was reading was originally, in the US, titled Meet Me at the Morgue. I think Experience with Evil, the UK title, might be more Ross Macdonald-esque. There's something stock noir about "Meet Me at the Morgue".
Here's the cover. I didn't have to scan the book, since Todd Mason found one in the net. It is indeed one of the best British paperback covers I've seen from this era, up there with the best of the American artists. The artist is Sam Peffer (his signature says "Peff", which is slightly funny if you're Finnish) and there's a website devoted to him here.
And as for the book which I thought I was reading for the first time: Bill's revelation about the US title made me check, and yes, I've read the Finnish translation that came out in 1997, under the title Tavataan ruumishuoneella (which is the almost literal translation of the original US title). I just didn't remember a darn thing about it. Well, if I remember right, I read the book slightly after I'd broken up with the mother of my daughter, so it's been somewhat difficult time... (And it's been almost nine years since.)
Now, back to the book. I've still got some 30 pages to go!
(Oh, here's a review for another non-Archer book by Macdonald, in Finnish. Check it out!)
4 comments:
I'll bet your right about the American title. It sounds like something the publisher picked.
It is a terrific cover. I read the book decades ago and i remember i enjoyed it, though i don't remember much of the plot beyond there being a kidnapping. I think the cover is based on something from the end of the book. Could be wrong. Usually am. It is definitely better artwork than on my US edition of Meet Me At The Morgue. And i agree with you and Bill about the title. Too campy.
It's interesting that the author name is John Ross MacDonald. I thought that was used on the first couple of Millar penned books, and then shortened to Ross MacDonald. I believe there was readership confusion between that pseudonym and John D. MacDonald. Wonder why the Pan edition used the older name?
Yeah, I was wondering about his name, too. I don't know why it's John Ross Macdonald, wasn't he by that time just Ross Macdonald in the US?
There's a scene in the book that's depicted in the cover, so it's very fitting.
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