Monday, June 22, 2009

Short post on two crime writers I gave up on

The Italian Andrea Camilleri. Tried to read his first novel, La forma dell'acqua from 1994 (The Shape of Water in English), but couldn't warm to his style, narration or characters! Sorry, Peter!
The American Linda Barnes. Tried Snake Tattoo, one of her Carlotta Carlyle novels, but it was pretty boring and nothing hooked me. Second-rate Paretsky or Grafton, both of whom I haven't cared much for, so...

But I just started Stephen Greenleaf's Beyond Blame from 1985, which I found earlier today at a library remainder sale, and I'm really enjoying it.

Edit: here's a link to an earlier post about Greenleaf.

3 comments:

pattinase (abbott) said...

Funny how sometimes it just doesn't work for you.

Frank Loose said...

I agree that Greenleaf wrote some solid detective books. I recall that he was/is a big fan of Ross MacDonald (aren't most of us?) and usually had some reference to RM or Lew Archer in his books.

Juri said...

Frank: I've written a bit longer abuot Greenleaf and I think you'll find some links there, for example to the interview someone (Ed Lynskey?) made with Greenleaf some years back. I think he is a very interesting crime writer and very underrated. (Especially in Finland where he was published by a not very high-profile publishing house and his books didn't get very good translations.)