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The Paperback Sleuth #1
Death in Fine Condition
Cordelia knows books. An addict-turned-dealer of classic paperbacks, when she's not spending her days combing the charity shops and jumble sales of suburban London for valuable collector's items, she's pining for the woman of her dreams and nimbly avoiding her landlord's demands for rent.
The most elusive prize of all, her white whale, has surfaced—a set of magnificent, vintage Sleuth Hound crime novels. Gorgeous, and as rare as they come. Just one problem. They're not for sale. Still, that won't stop a resourceful woman like Cordelia… One burglary later, the books are hers. Unfortunately, the man she's just robbed turns out be one of London's most dangerous gangsters, and now he's on her trail and out for blood.
Cordelia's best laid plans to pay the rent and woo the object of her affections start to fall apart, and she realises she may have placed herself in the crosshairs of a villain torn straight from the pages of her treasured novels.
The most elusive prize of all, her white whale, has surfaced—a set of magnificent, vintage Sleuth Hound crime novels. Gorgeous, and as rare as they come. Just one problem. They're not for sale. Still, that won't stop a resourceful woman like Cordelia… One burglary later, the books are hers. Unfortunately, the man she's just robbed turns out be one of London's most dangerous gangsters, and now he's on her trail and out for blood.
Cordelia's best laid plans to pay the rent and woo the object of her affections start to fall apart, and she realises she may have placed herself in the crosshairs of a villain torn straight from the pages of her treasured novels.
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First published June 6, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
June 11, 2023
After promising to be an entertaining romp about the slightly immoral world of vintage book collecting, the story spends an awful lot of time describing Cordelia pleasuring herself in the bath. This adds nothing to the tale and feels like a teenage boy got hold of the manuscript.
The story focuses on the sister of Stinky Stanmer and mentions the rest of the Vinyl Detective characters too. Yet it lacks the charm of the early books in the original series and is just crass and unfunny.
I used to be a huge fan but this book is really disappointing. The concept for the new series was intriguing but Cordelia has no redeeming features and the story is disjointed and rather odd.
The story focuses on the sister of Stinky Stanmer and mentions the rest of the Vinyl Detective characters too. Yet it lacks the charm of the early books in the original series and is just crass and unfunny.
I used to be a huge fan but this book is really disappointing. The concept for the new series was intriguing but Cordelia has no redeeming features and the story is disjointed and rather odd.
May 15, 2024
Cordelia Stanmer a: larcenous, narcissistic, Millennial, launches her career as a bibliopole and in the process crosses an underworld figure with deadly consequences.
My dead pixels copy was a modest 338 pages. It had a 2023 UK copyright.
Andrew Cartmel is a British novelist, screenwriter, and graphic novel author. He is the author of more than ten novels, including his The Vinyl Detective series. This is the first book of his Paperback Sleuth series set in his Vinyl Detective Universe. The last book of his I read was Noise Floor (The Vinyl Detective, #7) (my review).
Being familiar with the Vinyl Detective series is strongly recommended for reading this book. Characters as well as London's SW6 locale from that series play a large part in this story.
Cartmel switches things up a bit with this new series, while still keeping the Look ‘n Feel of the Vinyl Detective (VD) series. Most importantly, he takes a punt at a female protagonist. She’s also an anti-hero. Hers is the sole POV. Secondly, he amps-up the Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll, pushing the series into the New Adult (NA) category. Otherwise, it follows the familiar VD story line: Cordelia lives a privileged, hipster lifestyle, there’s a rare paperback or paperbacks to find, Cordelia is unscrupulous in getting them, folks die, Cordelia is physically unscathed due to fortuitous coincidence, Cordelia is also nonplussed by events.
This was a popcorn read. However, I found it to be too much like VD. The author missed an opportunity to do something different, by opting for the steady, serial fiction paycheck of graphic novels in book form with the original series' backstory.
I loathed the Cordelia character. IRL, if I’d known her, I’d have turned her into Inland Revenue, just for the pleasure of her having that problem.
I was relieved that Cartmel spared this reader the ailurophilia of DV. Cordie is a thankfully restrained dog lover.
I also didn’t find it amusing that she was dogged by good luck in almost every circumstance.
In terms of the sex, drugs and rock'n roll, I didn’t find Cordelia's sexuality interesting, and particularly her bisexuality convincing. She was also way too technical and enthralled by the weed experience to have been a real doper. Like VD, the music references were solid.
Having written that, Cartmel has a few, but not many, clever turns of a phrase. In particular, at the end when he lampoons his own prose.
If you like VD, you’ll like this.
My dead pixels copy was a modest 338 pages. It had a 2023 UK copyright.
Andrew Cartmel is a British novelist, screenwriter, and graphic novel author. He is the author of more than ten novels, including his The Vinyl Detective series. This is the first book of his Paperback Sleuth series set in his Vinyl Detective Universe. The last book of his I read was Noise Floor (The Vinyl Detective, #7) (my review).
Being familiar with the Vinyl Detective series is strongly recommended for reading this book. Characters as well as London's SW6 locale from that series play a large part in this story.
Cartmel switches things up a bit with this new series, while still keeping the Look ‘n Feel of the Vinyl Detective (VD) series. Most importantly, he takes a punt at a female protagonist. She’s also an anti-hero. Hers is the sole POV. Secondly, he amps-up the Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll, pushing the series into the New Adult (NA) category. Otherwise, it follows the familiar VD story line: Cordelia lives a privileged, hipster lifestyle, there’s a rare paperback or paperbacks to find, Cordelia is unscrupulous in getting them, folks die, Cordelia is physically unscathed due to fortuitous coincidence, Cordelia is also nonplussed by events.
This was a popcorn read. However, I found it to be too much like VD. The author missed an opportunity to do something different, by opting for the steady, serial fiction paycheck of graphic novels in book form with the original series' backstory.
I loathed the Cordelia character. IRL, if I’d known her, I’d have turned her into Inland Revenue, just for the pleasure of her having that problem.
I was relieved that Cartmel spared this reader the ailurophilia of DV. Cordie is a thankfully restrained dog lover.
I also didn’t find it amusing that she was dogged by good luck in almost every circumstance.
In terms of the sex, drugs and rock'n roll, I didn’t find Cordelia's sexuality interesting, and particularly her bisexuality convincing. She was also way too technical and enthralled by the weed experience to have been a real doper. Like VD, the music references were solid.
Having written that, Cartmel has a few, but not many, clever turns of a phrase. In particular, at the end when he lampoons his own prose.
If you like VD, you’ll like this.
June 12, 2023
Maybe because it's the first in a series, but it took quite a lot of time to get to the action in the story, actually it came only when it was nearly the end. I haven't decided yet whether I like Cordelia or not, she is a bit of an anti-hero, a forger and a thief, and she definitely lives in a world of her own. I will read the next in the series, but for now I definitely prefer the Vinyl Detective books
July 1, 2023
I had high hopes for this novel having enjoyed Cartmel's Vinyl Detective series, from which this is spun off, but ended up baffled and disappointed. The story is so thin it's transparent, it is so self referential that at one point there is a foot note pointing the reader to another of the author's books and the ending is a Home Alone-esque disaster. If all of this wasn't bad enough it seems the author's main motivation in writing a female antagonist was to indulge in long, drawn out descriptions of her masturbatory habits - there are four such passages in the book which either the editor skipped through or was as titillated by as Cartmel and decided to leave in. Hopefully this is a one off and we can return to the Vinyl Detective series as if this were a bad dream.Two stars for the obviously loving research into crime paperbacks and the occasional fun linguistic flair but otherwise just plain annoying.
June 10, 2023
Started out a bit slow, and wasn't sure I liked the main character, but the last 60 pages redeemed the whole thing and I really enjoyed it.
June 18, 2023
DNF. Review based off ~50%.
The Vinyl Detective series is glorious, but this same-universe new series lacks all the charm. I wanted to love this but the MC is unlikeable and the plot is baffling. "I see highly collectible books I can make money from so I'm going to commit burglary." The writing on the sexual side of things was genuinely uncomfortable.
I don't like leaving negative reviews, especially DNFs, but fair warning required on this. Let's have some more Vinyl Detectives next, please?
The Vinyl Detective series is glorious, but this same-universe new series lacks all the charm. I wanted to love this but the MC is unlikeable and the plot is baffling. "I see highly collectible books I can make money from so I'm going to commit burglary." The writing on the sexual side of things was genuinely uncomfortable.
I don't like leaving negative reviews, especially DNFs, but fair warning required on this. Let's have some more Vinyl Detectives next, please?
July 12, 2023
Oh boy, Andrew Cartmel seems to have a massive character problem. But more on that later, let's first focus on the good things about this Vinyl Detective spin off, which are few and far between.
I guess the best part about this novel is that Andrew Cartmel is obviously very passionate about vintage paperback novels and has put a lot of lovingly minute research into the topic. The premise also comes as no surprise, since the last Vinyl Detective novel Attack and Decay was already more concerned with Scandi noir paperbacks than with its actual chosen topic of Death Metal, into which I wish Andrew Cartmel had put half as much research as into Death in Fine Condition. But anyway, the premise is one of the few good things about this novel, along with a couple of quirky side characters, although it doesn't really stray too far from the premise of the main series.
Now, let's get to the bad part, which also goes back to the last Vinyl Detective. I know, I know, stop with the VD series already, but hear me out. For whatever reason, Andrew Cartmel seems to be hellbent on focussing his and the reader's attention on some of the most unlikable characters in his books, like for example one Jordan Tinkler, who also has an outright creepy cameo in Death in Fine Condition, while also making previously perfectly amicable characters less likable.
Enter Cordelia Stanmer, protagonist of this particular mess and sister to Stinky Stanmer, the second most annoying character from the Vinyl Detective series. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Cordelia is also quite annoying, although in different ways than her brother. She's essentially a ruthless conwoman and fraud pretending to be a vintage paperback lover and I have rarely read about a more pretentious, self-obsessed, mean-spirited, egotistical, condescending and at the same time strangely insecure main character than her.
My guess is that Andrew Cartmel was going for some sort of anti-heroine/femme fatale/lovable rogue vibe, but he completely missed the mark with Cordelia because she doesn't have any positive character traits to balance out her many flaws. She is just an unlikable fiend and three hours into the audiobook, I was already rooting for a hypothetical killer although the murder mystery part of the novel hadn't even come up yet. That's how awful she is!
Which brings me to another glaring problem, which is the pacing and the overall feeling I had while reading this novel. Cartmel spends waaaaaay too much time on elaborating in great detail on things that aren't essential to the plot, like the preparation of cannabis butter or Cordelia's masturbatory habits. By the way, yes, I'm well aware that women and people in general masturbate, it's completely natural. But for the same reason I don't need to read about Arsène Lupin or any Agatha Christie characters having a wank or taking a dump in their time off, I also don't need any extended "bath time" scenes with Cordelia Stanmer. It just doesn't add anything to the plot apart from maybe being the author's very childish way of saying "look at her, she does drugs and ceremonially masturbates, she's a baaaaad girl!"
Also, while the Vinyl Detective is already a series about a bunch of urban hipsters living the good life while repeatedly getting drawn into unlikely murder mysteries, everything that feels charmingly nerdy and somewhat cozy in this series comes across as awfully pretentious and snobbish in Cartmel's newest endeavor, which is probably also due to Cordelia's haughty "I'm better than everyone else"-attitude.
Anyway, I still like the premise and if Cartmel is going to turn this into a series, I would love for it to be good. But with Cordelia as the main character I'm afraid that won't happen. My solution: Let her be hit by a truck at the beginning of the next book and let Cleanhead (here as "the woman") take over. She is also obsessed with paperbacks and a badass in her own right, but actually likable.
I guess the best part about this novel is that Andrew Cartmel is obviously very passionate about vintage paperback novels and has put a lot of lovingly minute research into the topic. The premise also comes as no surprise, since the last Vinyl Detective novel Attack and Decay was already more concerned with Scandi noir paperbacks than with its actual chosen topic of Death Metal, into which I wish Andrew Cartmel had put half as much research as into Death in Fine Condition. But anyway, the premise is one of the few good things about this novel, along with a couple of quirky side characters, although it doesn't really stray too far from the premise of the main series.
Now, let's get to the bad part, which also goes back to the last Vinyl Detective. I know, I know, stop with the VD series already, but hear me out. For whatever reason, Andrew Cartmel seems to be hellbent on focussing his and the reader's attention on some of the most unlikable characters in his books, like for example one Jordan Tinkler, who also has an outright creepy cameo in Death in Fine Condition, while also making previously perfectly amicable characters less likable.
Enter Cordelia Stanmer, protagonist of this particular mess and sister to Stinky Stanmer, the second most annoying character from the Vinyl Detective series. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Cordelia is also quite annoying, although in different ways than her brother. She's essentially a ruthless conwoman and fraud pretending to be a vintage paperback lover and I have rarely read about a more pretentious, self-obsessed, mean-spirited, egotistical, condescending and at the same time strangely insecure main character than her.
My guess is that Andrew Cartmel was going for some sort of anti-heroine/femme fatale/lovable rogue vibe, but he completely missed the mark with Cordelia because she doesn't have any positive character traits to balance out her many flaws. She is just an unlikable fiend and three hours into the audiobook, I was already rooting for a hypothetical killer although the murder mystery part of the novel hadn't even come up yet. That's how awful she is!
Which brings me to another glaring problem, which is the pacing and the overall feeling I had while reading this novel. Cartmel spends waaaaaay too much time on elaborating in great detail on things that aren't essential to the plot, like the preparation of cannabis butter or Cordelia's masturbatory habits. By the way, yes, I'm well aware that women and people in general masturbate, it's completely natural. But for the same reason I don't need to read about Arsène Lupin or any Agatha Christie characters having a wank or taking a dump in their time off, I also don't need any extended "bath time" scenes with Cordelia Stanmer. It just doesn't add anything to the plot apart from maybe being the author's very childish way of saying "look at her, she does drugs and ceremonially masturbates, she's a baaaaad girl!"
Also, while the Vinyl Detective is already a series about a bunch of urban hipsters living the good life while repeatedly getting drawn into unlikely murder mysteries, everything that feels charmingly nerdy and somewhat cozy in this series comes across as awfully pretentious and snobbish in Cartmel's newest endeavor, which is probably also due to Cordelia's haughty "I'm better than everyone else"-attitude.
Anyway, I still like the premise and if Cartmel is going to turn this into a series, I would love for it to be good. But with Cordelia as the main character I'm afraid that won't happen. My solution: Let her be hit by a truck at the beginning of the next book and let Cleanhead (here as "the woman") take over. She is also obsessed with paperbacks and a badass in her own right, but actually likable.
May 2, 2024
I give up, which I mean in mostly a good way. Full marks to Cartmel's regular blurbers for their hilarious insistence that nobody, not Donald Westlake or Lawrence Block or Ruth Rendell or Patricia Highsmith or Tim Dorsey or E.W. Hornung or Timothy Hallinan or Jim Thompson...I dunno, twenty other people, has ever before considered writing a mystery novel whose protagonist is an ethically-challenged thief. Nope, not a one of them has written, I don't know, an entire light-comic series whose titles literally begin with the phrase The Burglar Who... So, yeah, great job on the blurbs, guys.
Let's just say that, for much of the length here (and, wow, speaking of length, are there longueurs, featuring our heroine buying pot and then using it to craft olive-green infused butter, then enjoying said butter [the brand of which and the toasted bread on which it is to be eaten while melting luxuriantly being scrupulously, lovingly and specifically described] and then getting herself ready for a nice erotic tub session), I was irritated and angered by how long everything was taking to happen. The prose is funny and snappy, with a number of witty little turns, and the vintage-pb lore is a lot of fun, including all sorts of nerdery about various covers and editions and lost volumes (including an apparently true bit about some scandalous 70s Lovecraftian-erotica anthology--edited by Linda Lovecraft, a portmanteau of Linda Lovelace and HPL--that went over a treat in England), along with a bunch of self-promoting interconnections with the Vinyl Detective extended universe. But the plot is...meandering. And then he pulls a neat little reveal in the last 60 or so pages that recasts some of the facts we've learned and works things out on a quite enjoyable and even somewhat suspenseful (I mean, is our heroine really going to die in book one of this new series? That would be a gutsy move, but, uh, spoiler: no) note; it doesn't quite lock all of the previous hazy meanderings into place, but it does give things a snap and bite, enough so that, damnit, I'm reading the next one when it comes out this summer.
On reflection, though, marked down a star for creepiness.
Let's just say that, for much of the length here (and, wow, speaking of length, are there longueurs, featuring our heroine buying pot and then using it to craft olive-green infused butter, then enjoying said butter [the brand of which and the toasted bread on which it is to be eaten while melting luxuriantly being scrupulously, lovingly and specifically described] and then getting herself ready for a nice erotic tub session), I was irritated and angered by how long everything was taking to happen. The prose is funny and snappy, with a number of witty little turns, and the vintage-pb lore is a lot of fun, including all sorts of nerdery about various covers and editions and lost volumes (including an apparently true bit about some scandalous 70s Lovecraftian-erotica anthology--edited by Linda Lovecraft, a portmanteau of Linda Lovelace and HPL--that went over a treat in England), along with a bunch of self-promoting interconnections with the Vinyl Detective extended universe. But the plot is...meandering. And then he pulls a neat little reveal in the last 60 or so pages that recasts some of the facts we've learned and works things out on a quite enjoyable and even somewhat suspenseful (I mean, is our heroine really going to die in book one of this new series? That would be a gutsy move, but, uh, spoiler: no) note; it doesn't quite lock all of the previous hazy meanderings into place, but it does give things a snap and bite, enough so that, damnit, I'm reading the next one when it comes out this summer.
On reflection, though, marked down a star for creepiness.
September 3, 2023
Started off well then ground to a slump. I greatly enjoyed the odd characters so I kept going. The final acts paid off. The ending has me thinking I’ll try the sequel if there is one.
July 28, 2023
Growing up, one of my favorite ways to spend my allowance was on paperback books from the book store near my house or from the various newsstands around town. It was always exciting to add a new read to the shelf in my room. I never got into the collectible route on them (unlike, say, comic books). Still, I can very much relate to this novel's lead and her collector mentality.
Right out of the gate, the reader can tell that Cordelia is a questionable protagonist. We learn that she's smart and works out elaborate plans to acquire what she wants and avoid consequences she does not. That makes her intriguing, whether you want to root for her or not.
Cartmel does a fine job introducing us to Cordelia's world - her home, her usual haunts, and her supporting cast. In the latter case, they all have interesting hooks to engage the reader with right out of the gate. Plus, the author also brings by several familiar faces which quickly establishes The Paperback Sleuth and the The Vinyl Detective existing in the same literary world. I like all the potential that entails.
I also appreciated the added touch of the author sprinkling in names of real authors and their works into the story. I had fun bringing up images of covers for them. These are nice 'Easter eggs" for book enthusiasts.
I look forward to more of these characters in future books.
Right out of the gate, the reader can tell that Cordelia is a questionable protagonist. We learn that she's smart and works out elaborate plans to acquire what she wants and avoid consequences she does not. That makes her intriguing, whether you want to root for her or not.
Cartmel does a fine job introducing us to Cordelia's world - her home, her usual haunts, and her supporting cast. In the latter case, they all have interesting hooks to engage the reader with right out of the gate. Plus, the author also brings by several familiar faces which quickly establishes The Paperback Sleuth and the The Vinyl Detective existing in the same literary world. I like all the potential that entails.
I also appreciated the added touch of the author sprinkling in names of real authors and their works into the story. I had fun bringing up images of covers for them. These are nice 'Easter eggs" for book enthusiasts.
I look forward to more of these characters in future books.
July 21, 2023
I was a skosh disappointed with this book. I've been extremely fond of Andrew Cartmel's Vinyl Detective books with it's witty dialogue, freewheeling protagonist and cast of fun sidekicks. Despite the fact there is quite a bit of cross pollination (the protagonist lives in the same area and some of the VD characters turn up) I was a bit put off by Cordelia, the rare-paperback-hunting, amoral, hungrily bisexual, snidely-judgmental pothead namesake of the series. I found her shallow, self-obsessed and in some cases downright stupid about her decision making. That being said, the plotting is intricate, like much of Cartmel's other work and there are moments that are genuinely funny and effective. At this point, unless I hear some other buzz, I probably won't read another book in this series.
June 18, 2023
Fans of Cartmel's Vinyl Detective stories will feel at home with The Paperback Sleuth - not only does she (the Sleuth, Cordelia) live the same slightly raffish, hedonistic London lifestyle - there are plenty of descriptions of nice lunches and other activities here - but the story is set in the same universe, her path crossing with those of familiar characters from the series.
The setup is thought slightly different. While the Detective tends to stumble on mysteries which sidetrack him from his vocation of sourcing rare records, pretty much everything that happens here arises form Cordelia's own, shall we call it, imaginative approach to property rights in the paperbacks which she craves (and deals in). We see this early when she's adding an author signature to a copy she plans to sell, but there's plenty more chicanery to come and it's this that places threatens Cordelia's safety, an outcome signalled several times in the book.
I loved Cordelia as a character, even if one can't approve of all (or much!) that she does. Her knowledge of classic pulp paperbacks is impeccable, as it her determination once she fixes on a goal. There's also a sense of naivety about what she might be getting into - Cartmel often lets the reader get a step or two ahead of her so there's the fun of seeing her catch up when things turn nasty and this does ramp up the tension. It's also fun seeing how she deals with several characters from Vinyl Detective, her relationships with them adding depth and nuance to the portrayal we're familiar with from those books.
The Detective himself gets short shrift, dismissed as the unmemorable boyfriend of a woman that Cordelia rather fancies - as well as her passion for paperbacks, she's also got her eye an another woman, The Woman (do keep up!) who's seen, mysteriously, out and about as Cordelia goes about her business. She's as ruthless in that pursuit as she is with the books, the two strands providing plenty of entertainment, surprises and twists as the story moves towards its climax.
Overall, an engaging book which builds on the success of Vinyl Detective without simply becoming a cone of those stories.
The setup is thought slightly different. While the Detective tends to stumble on mysteries which sidetrack him from his vocation of sourcing rare records, pretty much everything that happens here arises form Cordelia's own, shall we call it, imaginative approach to property rights in the paperbacks which she craves (and deals in). We see this early when she's adding an author signature to a copy she plans to sell, but there's plenty more chicanery to come and it's this that places threatens Cordelia's safety, an outcome signalled several times in the book.
I loved Cordelia as a character, even if one can't approve of all (or much!) that she does. Her knowledge of classic pulp paperbacks is impeccable, as it her determination once she fixes on a goal. There's also a sense of naivety about what she might be getting into - Cartmel often lets the reader get a step or two ahead of her so there's the fun of seeing her catch up when things turn nasty and this does ramp up the tension. It's also fun seeing how she deals with several characters from Vinyl Detective, her relationships with them adding depth and nuance to the portrayal we're familiar with from those books.
The Detective himself gets short shrift, dismissed as the unmemorable boyfriend of a woman that Cordelia rather fancies - as well as her passion for paperbacks, she's also got her eye an another woman, The Woman (do keep up!) who's seen, mysteriously, out and about as Cordelia goes about her business. She's as ruthless in that pursuit as she is with the books, the two strands providing plenty of entertainment, surprises and twists as the story moves towards its climax.
Overall, an engaging book which builds on the success of Vinyl Detective without simply becoming a cone of those stories.
June 18, 2023
This was my first Andrew Cartmel book and overall it was an enjoyable read. There are several references to his other character The Vinyl Detective in here which may appeal if you’re a fan of that series. The premise is interesting and the story flows well but the protagonist for me wasn’t relatable. Not just the amount of ‘bath time’ she had which, as a concept wore thin after the first couple of mentions but more in her lack of appealing qualities. I just wasn’t rooting for her. I did however like the characters of her dealer and of her landlord, he’s full of surprises!
This was a NetGalley read so thanks to them, the author and his publishers for the copy. All opinions are my own.
This was a NetGalley read so thanks to them, the author and his publishers for the copy. All opinions are my own.
July 15, 2023
Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, an addict that now earns a living from dealing in classic paperbacks. When she discovers a significant collection of vintage Sleuth Hound novels, she makes it her mission to obtain them no matter what she has to do. But taking them from a dangerous criminal might just have been her biggest mistake.
A new series from Andrew Cartmel in the world of the Vinyl Detective, there are some crossovers with that series in this book. It took a while to get going and there are a few surprises. My struggle with the book was the main character, I’m not sure I liked her and whether I want to read more, despite my love of books.
A new series from Andrew Cartmel in the world of the Vinyl Detective, there are some crossovers with that series in this book. It took a while to get going and there are a few surprises. My struggle with the book was the main character, I’m not sure I liked her and whether I want to read more, despite my love of books.
July 7, 2023
Not your traditional mystery, by far, especially since most of the book we’re following the protagonist as she commits felonies to get her hands on collectible crime paperbacks. Still, it’s entertaining and the protagonist is queer, so go ahead and enjoy!
July 10, 2023
A very nice follow-up to The Vinyl Detective series, cross-overed in this news Paperback Sleuth series. Really nice, humouristic and quite original!
I do recommend to read all the Vinyl Detective series books, before giving this one a read through!
I do recommend to read all the Vinyl Detective series books, before giving this one a read through!
July 27, 2023
Call it 3.5. I like the crossover into the Vinyl Detective world for sure. I just found it kind of hard to root for the main character since she was just basically robbing people. Looking forward to what's next from Mr. Cartmel though.
dnf
July 9, 2024DNF’d at ch.5
November 1, 2024
I love the Vinyl Detective series, but this one seemed to have pacing issues. Not much action and Cordelia isn't exactly a likable narrator. It was fun seeing Tinkler, Agatha, etc. through someone else's eyes, but I'm not sure if I like this series yet.
July 25, 2023
3.5/5
I've read (and loved) all 6 of the Vinyl Detective series, so was hoping for something comparable from the first Paperback Sleuth novel.
Good news, there are a lot of similarities, and a lot of crossover with characters from the Vinyl Detective world (albeit fleetingly in the main). However, this book took me a long time to get into. I found the writing to be all over the place in the first third of the book. Lots of repetition and, what I can only describe as a general clunkiness. Like, it just didn't read as well as you'd expect from a book that's been both edited and beta read by multiple people. Things definitely improved after the halfway mark, and the last 10-15 chapters absolutely flew by to a satisfying conclusion.
Cordelia grew on me as the book progressed, but not sure we needed countless scenes of her taking a bath. That grew tiresome quickly.
tl;dr If you like the Vinyl Detective, you'll more than likely enjoy this book too. Albeit with some reservations.
I've read (and loved) all 6 of the Vinyl Detective series, so was hoping for something comparable from the first Paperback Sleuth novel.
Good news, there are a lot of similarities, and a lot of crossover with characters from the Vinyl Detective world (albeit fleetingly in the main). However, this book took me a long time to get into. I found the writing to be all over the place in the first third of the book. Lots of repetition and, what I can only describe as a general clunkiness. Like, it just didn't read as well as you'd expect from a book that's been both edited and beta read by multiple people. Things definitely improved after the halfway mark, and the last 10-15 chapters absolutely flew by to a satisfying conclusion.
Cordelia grew on me as the book progressed, but not sure we needed countless scenes of her taking a bath. That grew tiresome quickly.
tl;dr If you like the Vinyl Detective, you'll more than likely enjoy this book too. Albeit with some reservations.
June 25, 2023
From the creator of the Vinyl Detective comes a new series. This one wit a less then honest sleuth, Cordelia, that sells vintage crime paperbacks in order to keep up with her rent, whatever means necessary to get a hold of them or sell them. Even adding a forged author signature here and there to raise the price of books. This is a brilliant setup for what is to come. Cordelia comes across a rare collection of books, that aren't for sale but that doesn't stop her. She ends up breaking in it and stealing then for a buyer. Unbeknownst to her, the owner of said books, is it dangerous member of London's criminal underbelly, and will stop at nothing to get the back. It was definitely interesting and on par with the Vinyl Detective series, even sharing the same universe as him. Very entertaining and hilarious to read from start to finish.
September 9, 2024
Note: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
A new crime novel from the author and world of the Vinyl Detective – and there's plenty that fans will find comfortable and familiar. The protagonist, Cordelia, is a great deal more nefarious and a great deal less likeable than the unnamed detective, but that didn't bother me as much as it seems to have bothered some other reviewers; in fact, I thought she was quite fun.
Perhaps because it's the first in the series, there's a lot of time spent on establishing the world and its characters (to the extent that, on more than one occasion, the narrator has to reassure you there will be deaths), but it's a nice place to be and they're largely interesting people. If it's gentle and slight, it is enjoyably so, and I had a very pleasant time in Cordelia's nefarious company.
Oh, and before you buy it for your mum, be warned: it's also a very horny book.
A new crime novel from the author and world of the Vinyl Detective – and there's plenty that fans will find comfortable and familiar. The protagonist, Cordelia, is a great deal more nefarious and a great deal less likeable than the unnamed detective, but that didn't bother me as much as it seems to have bothered some other reviewers; in fact, I thought she was quite fun.
Perhaps because it's the first in the series, there's a lot of time spent on establishing the world and its characters (to the extent that, on more than one occasion, the narrator has to reassure you there will be deaths), but it's a nice place to be and they're largely interesting people. If it's gentle and slight, it is enjoyably so, and I had a very pleasant time in Cordelia's nefarious company.
Oh, and before you buy it for your mum, be warned: it's also a very horny book.
January 4, 2024
"Paperbacks had been conceived as a disposable medium. The idea was that people would buy them, read them, and throw them away. Indeed, that was the way some people treated them-- the first thing they did was open them so ruthlessly that they broke the spine of the poor little book.
But Cordelia could read a paperback and leave it looking like it had never been touched."
But Cordelia could read a paperback and leave it looking like it had never been touched."
May 18, 2024
"Death in Fine Condition" marks the debut of the "Paperback Sleuth" series by Andrew Cartmel, the mind behind the "Vinyl Detective" novels. Set in the same world, this new series introduces Cordelia, a captivatingly flawed protagonist with a passion for vintage paperbacks and a penchant for trouble.
Cordelia Stanmer, the self-proclaimed "Paperback Sleuth," is an intriguing character. While her judgment frequently seems to be significantly “off”, her determination to carve out a niche for herself, coupled with occasional vulnerable traits - such as her love for dogs - make her a compelling lead.
Her internal monologue, often laced with dark humor, reveals her lack of self-awareness in an entertaining way:
Her expertise in rare books adds another layer to her persona, helping to create an engaging protagonist whose flaws I found more amusing than repelling. (Which probably reflects poorly on me!)
The story follows Cordelia's impulsive decision to leading her down a path of unforeseen consequences. Cartmel's writing style is reminiscent of his previous works, infused with details about the world of rare books and peppered with pop culture references; some more cryptic than others:
The suspenseful plot keeps the reader engaged, while the humor often stems from Cordelia's internal monologues and the absurdity of situations she finds herself in.
Set in the same universe as the "Vinyl Detective" series, nevertheless "Death in Fine Condition" could be said to stand on its own. While fans of the previous series will enjoy cameos from familiar characters, Cartmel avoids relying too heavily on callbacks; ensuring this new series has a sufficiently fresh feel. Admittedly it could be argued that he has simply exchanged vinyl for dead trees but I'm quite glad that he has.
I would say that "Death in Fine Condition"could be commended to fans of suspenseful mysteries with a touch of dark humor. Crime fiction enthusiasts seeking a lighter read might appreciate Cartmel's skillful blend of wit and intrigue. However, be aware of some mature content, including casual drug references and Cordelia's (ahem) vivid internal monologues. I rather think Cartmel at times overdid these elements.
There is certainly scope for further development of several side characters such as the resourceful landlord, Edwin; Cordelia’s competitor in bookfinding, The Mole; anagrammatic cover artist acquaintance “Abe Prossant” and her boozy inside-woman at the church jumble, Monika. These, taken with the possibility of the main villain's return, all hint at entertaining future installments in "The Paperback Sleuth" series. There's ample room for Cartmel to further explore Cordelia's world and delve deeper into the connections between the two series.
"Death in Fine Condition" was a fairly amusing start to a new series, scraping 3 out of 5 stars. While not without its flaws, it was - for the most part - a diverting read with sufficient plot and protagonist interest to carry me along .
Cordelia Stanmer, the self-proclaimed "Paperback Sleuth," is an intriguing character. While her judgment frequently seems to be significantly “off”, her determination to carve out a niche for herself, coupled with occasional vulnerable traits - such as her love for dogs - make her a compelling lead.
Her internal monologue, often laced with dark humor, reveals her lack of self-awareness in an entertaining way:
“Cordelia was a perfectly nice girl - she really didn't think that it was being immodest or overstating the case to say this. She was a perfectly nice girl and it was entirely unfair that she should have ended up in a situation such as this”.
Her expertise in rare books adds another layer to her persona, helping to create an engaging protagonist whose flaws I found more amusing than repelling. (Which probably reflects poorly on me!)
The story follows Cordelia's impulsive decision to leading her down a path of unforeseen consequences. Cartmel's writing style is reminiscent of his previous works, infused with details about the world of rare books and peppered with pop culture references; some more cryptic than others:
“On the street where Agatha Dubois-Kanes lived (Cordelia could feel a song coming on)...”Was Cartmel referencing “My Fair Lady” here?
The suspenseful plot keeps the reader engaged, while the humor often stems from Cordelia's internal monologues and the absurdity of situations she finds herself in.
Set in the same universe as the "Vinyl Detective" series, nevertheless "Death in Fine Condition" could be said to stand on its own. While fans of the previous series will enjoy cameos from familiar characters, Cartmel avoids relying too heavily on callbacks; ensuring this new series has a sufficiently fresh feel. Admittedly it could be argued that he has simply exchanged vinyl for dead trees but I'm quite glad that he has.
I would say that "Death in Fine Condition"could be commended to fans of suspenseful mysteries with a touch of dark humor. Crime fiction enthusiasts seeking a lighter read might appreciate Cartmel's skillful blend of wit and intrigue. However, be aware of some mature content, including casual drug references and Cordelia's (ahem) vivid internal monologues. I rather think Cartmel at times overdid these elements.
There is certainly scope for further development of several side characters such as the resourceful landlord, Edwin; Cordelia’s competitor in bookfinding, The Mole; anagrammatic cover artist acquaintance “Abe Prossant” and her boozy inside-woman at the church jumble, Monika. These, taken with the possibility of the main villain's return, all hint at entertaining future installments in "The Paperback Sleuth" series. There's ample room for Cartmel to further explore Cordelia's world and delve deeper into the connections between the two series.
"Death in Fine Condition" was a fairly amusing start to a new series, scraping 3 out of 5 stars. While not without its flaws, it was - for the most part - a diverting read with sufficient plot and protagonist interest to carry me along .
August 14, 2023
Cordelia lives in the rented attic space of boring, bicycle mad Edwin and his dog Rainbottle. From where she consumes weeds and trades paperbacks. She also helps out with a book sale to raise funds for the local church roof, though in doing so, she's also helping herself to the cream of the crop. Then she sees someone had a hoard of good books and decides they must be hers. So we steals them.
What is lovely with this book is the talk of book fairs and publishers and titles, and trying to identify which are real and which are the product of Andrew’s incredible imagination.
This book starts with its own end, the prologue is what happens to Cordelia at the end of the book. And it is worth the effort of getting there. Though it starts with as a slow burn, not as slow as Raymond Chandler, then build well to an interesting end, with a few surprises along the way.
Cordelia is not a nice person, selfish, amoral (immoral possibly), a pot head, and judgemental of others (now I feel like the pot calling the kettle black!). There is a lot of crime in this book, a lot of which is committed by Cordelia, and some of it is more morally criminal than legally criminal. Everything is all about Cordelia grabbing what she can of life without any consideration for others. There is literally no respect shown. One of the more annoying things about Cordelia is that I agreed with her on a couple of things, like the breaking of book spines. To be scrupulously fair, Cordelia does in fact try to be a good person, she’s not trying to put her friends/family/fantasies in harm’s way, it just sort of happens to her.
I’d like to say other characters are nicer than Cordelia, but they really aren’t. Not even boring Edwin, who has a very surprising reveal towards the end of the book.
Have to say that the only other book I’ve ever finished where I disliked the main character more was The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever. Thomas there really isn’t a likeable soul. That I read these two books while disliking the main character is actually testament to how well written they are.
This is where this review is dependent of what the reader knows. Cordelia is the sister of Stinky Stanmer, the booty call of Jordan Tinkler, the fantasier of Cleanhead (or Agatha), fancier of Nevada and dismisser of the Vinyl Detective. If you now have no idea what I’m talking about you’ve never read any of the Vinyl Detective series also by Andrew Cartmel. And that might be a problem. Because this is set in the same area with many of the same characters. I have only read one of the Vinyl Detective series so far, Written in Dead Wax, and it’s really good I would recommend reading that. The problem I have here is that if I hadn’t read that book, I’m not sure I’d be clear on the relationships in this book.
I will admit that I took my time to get into this book, and I considered not finishing it, because life is too short for books you’re not enjoying, but I kept going and now I’m glad I did. Would I recommend this book as a read, yeah, probably, but I’d recommend reading at least one Vinyl Detective first. Will I read more of this Paperback Sleuth? Probably, but not before reading the rest of the Vinal Detective series first.
What is lovely with this book is the talk of book fairs and publishers and titles, and trying to identify which are real and which are the product of Andrew’s incredible imagination.
This book starts with its own end, the prologue is what happens to Cordelia at the end of the book. And it is worth the effort of getting there. Though it starts with as a slow burn, not as slow as Raymond Chandler, then build well to an interesting end, with a few surprises along the way.
Cordelia is not a nice person, selfish, amoral (immoral possibly), a pot head, and judgemental of others (now I feel like the pot calling the kettle black!). There is a lot of crime in this book, a lot of which is committed by Cordelia, and some of it is more morally criminal than legally criminal. Everything is all about Cordelia grabbing what she can of life without any consideration for others. There is literally no respect shown. One of the more annoying things about Cordelia is that I agreed with her on a couple of things, like the breaking of book spines. To be scrupulously fair, Cordelia does in fact try to be a good person, she’s not trying to put her friends/family/fantasies in harm’s way, it just sort of happens to her.
I’d like to say other characters are nicer than Cordelia, but they really aren’t. Not even boring Edwin, who has a very surprising reveal towards the end of the book.
Have to say that the only other book I’ve ever finished where I disliked the main character more was The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever. Thomas there really isn’t a likeable soul. That I read these two books while disliking the main character is actually testament to how well written they are.
This is where this review is dependent of what the reader knows. Cordelia is the sister of Stinky Stanmer, the booty call of Jordan Tinkler, the fantasier of Cleanhead (or Agatha), fancier of Nevada and dismisser of the Vinyl Detective. If you now have no idea what I’m talking about you’ve never read any of the Vinyl Detective series also by Andrew Cartmel. And that might be a problem. Because this is set in the same area with many of the same characters. I have only read one of the Vinyl Detective series so far, Written in Dead Wax, and it’s really good I would recommend reading that. The problem I have here is that if I hadn’t read that book, I’m not sure I’d be clear on the relationships in this book.
I will admit that I took my time to get into this book, and I considered not finishing it, because life is too short for books you’re not enjoying, but I kept going and now I’m glad I did. Would I recommend this book as a read, yeah, probably, but I’d recommend reading at least one Vinyl Detective first. Will I read more of this Paperback Sleuth? Probably, but not before reading the rest of the Vinal Detective series first.
January 29, 2025
Narrated by: Olivia Dowd
I absolutely adored the humour in Death in Fine Condition — it had me
laughing out loud more than once. The writing itself is also enjoyable, steeped in noir style but with a touch of quirkiness and lightheartedness that keeps it from becoming as dark and gritty as traditional noir so often is.
As I listened to the audiobook, narrated brilliantly by Olivia Dowd, I completely forgot at first that this was written by a man. So when Cordelia's bath scenes came up, they just felt like a woman embracing her desires, with a well-honed imagination and a knack for DlY pleasure.
But about two-thirds in, when I suddenly remembered that Andrew Cartmel was behind it, those scenes made me a little uncomfortable. They serve no real purpose beyond getting our leading lady naked, wet, and panting — an unmistakable nod to the male gaze, even if
relatively well-written.
But then I remembered something else. Early in the book, Cordelia explains how she fell in love with paperback collecting, and the specific type of book that first captured her attention — a pulpy, scandalous paperback with a cover featuring a woman in a blatantly sexual pose. From that, you instantly know what kind of book it is: full of gratuitous yet compellingly indulgent content.
And that's exactly what Andrew Cartmel has done. He hasn't just written a noir-style crime novel.
He's crafted the kind of pulpy
mass-market paperback that
Cordelia herself would hoard and savour.
A morally flexible, charmingly reprehensible female lead who knows how to use her feminine wiles? Check. An over-the-top, exaggerated mystery
full of quirky characters and stylish crime? Check. He absolutely nailed the tone and execution, and I love
how well he committed to the bit.
That said, I didn't quite understand why Edwin was given his particular...predilections at the end. There were plenty of other motivations for him to help Cordelia without question, so that choice felt a little lazy. But, in keeping with the overdone style of
the genre, so I suppose it makes sense.
What I truly appreciated — and eagerly looked forward to — were all the fascinating details about collecting paperbacks and their
cover artwork. Never again will I browse antique shops, charity shops, second-hand bookstores, or old bookshops in the same way.
Cartmel has made sure that l'll always be looking for hidden gems, just like Cordelia.
I absolutely adored the humour in Death in Fine Condition — it had me
laughing out loud more than once. The writing itself is also enjoyable, steeped in noir style but with a touch of quirkiness and lightheartedness that keeps it from becoming as dark and gritty as traditional noir so often is.
As I listened to the audiobook, narrated brilliantly by Olivia Dowd, I completely forgot at first that this was written by a man. So when Cordelia's bath scenes came up, they just felt like a woman embracing her desires, with a well-honed imagination and a knack for DlY pleasure.
But about two-thirds in, when I suddenly remembered that Andrew Cartmel was behind it, those scenes made me a little uncomfortable. They serve no real purpose beyond getting our leading lady naked, wet, and panting — an unmistakable nod to the male gaze, even if
relatively well-written.
But then I remembered something else. Early in the book, Cordelia explains how she fell in love with paperback collecting, and the specific type of book that first captured her attention — a pulpy, scandalous paperback with a cover featuring a woman in a blatantly sexual pose. From that, you instantly know what kind of book it is: full of gratuitous yet compellingly indulgent content.
And that's exactly what Andrew Cartmel has done. He hasn't just written a noir-style crime novel.
He's crafted the kind of pulpy
mass-market paperback that
Cordelia herself would hoard and savour.
A morally flexible, charmingly reprehensible female lead who knows how to use her feminine wiles? Check. An over-the-top, exaggerated mystery
full of quirky characters and stylish crime? Check. He absolutely nailed the tone and execution, and I love
how well he committed to the bit.
That said, I didn't quite understand why Edwin was given his particular...predilections at the end. There were plenty of other motivations for him to help Cordelia without question, so that choice felt a little lazy. But, in keeping with the overdone style of
the genre, so I suppose it makes sense.
What I truly appreciated — and eagerly looked forward to — were all the fascinating details about collecting paperbacks and their
cover artwork. Never again will I browse antique shops, charity shops, second-hand bookstores, or old bookshops in the same way.
Cartmel has made sure that l'll always be looking for hidden gems, just like Cordelia.
August 2, 2023
Cordelia is not the sort of narrator you necessarily like, or even root for. She’s devious and scheming and absolutely obsessed with herself. She’s fascinating. I didn’t care if good things happened to her, I’d even have been happy to see her in prison just so I could watch her interact with that environment, but I didn’t want to stop listening to her. There could be less masturbating in her landlord’s bathtub, but the constant coitus interruptus is pretty funny.
Paperbacks are the name of the game. Everyone is looking for fine condition crime paperbacks from the 60s. Cordelia wants them enough to set up scams to get them, and later even to housebreak and steal them. She thinks nothing of selling her stolen books and introducing her client and her burglary victim. She’s monstrous and fantastic. She’s in big trouble.
The only things Cordelia cares about other than her paperbacks are weed and a Woman she has seen at book sales. Weed is the plot device that started this book really going, and I’m hoping The Woman will start the next one. This is definitely going to be a series. Might even be a series already, but I haven’t looked that far into it yet and In Fine Condition stands on its own. Anyway series fans seem to hate this one and I liked it so I think readers are better off starting here.
Paperbacks are the name of the game. Everyone is looking for fine condition crime paperbacks from the 60s. Cordelia wants them enough to set up scams to get them, and later even to housebreak and steal them. She thinks nothing of selling her stolen books and introducing her client and her burglary victim. She’s monstrous and fantastic. She’s in big trouble.
The only things Cordelia cares about other than her paperbacks are weed and a Woman she has seen at book sales. Weed is the plot device that started this book really going, and I’m hoping The Woman will start the next one. This is definitely going to be a series. Might even be a series already, but I haven’t looked that far into it yet and In Fine Condition stands on its own. Anyway series fans seem to hate this one and I liked it so I think readers are better off starting here.
August 4, 2024
I was a little disappointed with this outing from the author of the Vinyl Detective series. My impression is more like 3.5 stars, but I couldn't quite go to 4 on this, sadly. I am a fan of the other one, and I did give an extra .5 for the fact that it is actually Vinyl Detective-adjacent, with Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, encountering several of the VD characters. First, she is obsessed with Clean Head, aka Agatha, who, I remembered, collects the orange-spined Penguins. Then she encounters Tinkler, VD's erstwhile best friend, at her pot dealer's house, and eventually gets him involved in her sticky caper. I'm a fan of these sideways semi-sequels, so full marks there. But, the story felt fairly thin, the protagonist, Cordelia, is not very likeable, and there was a lot of filler (I really didn't need an entire treatise on how to process pot into butter, or multiple descriptions of her getting blitzed on said pot butter and lying in her bathtub watching porn). I'm a big reader and a fan of books in all venues, but I really didn't find the world of paperback collecting all that interesting. So, regrettably, I will probably be donating my (yes, pretty pristine) copy of this book to a local LFL and probably not carry on reading further installments. I'll wait for the next Vinyl Detective, and hope Cartmel continues to give that series his best effort.
August 12, 2024
Rating 3
Picked this up last year some time as I enjoyed the vinyl detective series so hoped would be as good. Then it didn’t get to the top of my tbr for a year.
I found this disappointing tbh ….. it started okay and the opening chapters were a nice easy read. The name dropping of authors/titles/artists etc got a bit too much for me, felt like the author was pushing their research too hard, but still a solid start.
As the book progresses though I found I didn’t really care that much for the main character, whilst the secondary characters don’t appear enough to claim any major interest.
The actual plot is very slight and could almost be described as paper thin.
This felt like the author wanted to write a book(or series) like their vinyl detective series, and also create a character similar to the Bernie rhodenbar one who appears in Lawrence blocks burglar series (which are much better than this book is).
Overall it didn’t really work for me, since I already have the second title I will read that at some point hopefully before the end of the year.
Picked this up last year some time as I enjoyed the vinyl detective series so hoped would be as good. Then it didn’t get to the top of my tbr for a year.
I found this disappointing tbh ….. it started okay and the opening chapters were a nice easy read. The name dropping of authors/titles/artists etc got a bit too much for me, felt like the author was pushing their research too hard, but still a solid start.
As the book progresses though I found I didn’t really care that much for the main character, whilst the secondary characters don’t appear enough to claim any major interest.
The actual plot is very slight and could almost be described as paper thin.
This felt like the author wanted to write a book(or series) like their vinyl detective series, and also create a character similar to the Bernie rhodenbar one who appears in Lawrence blocks burglar series (which are much better than this book is).
Overall it didn’t really work for me, since I already have the second title I will read that at some point hopefully before the end of the year.
July 20, 2023
Cordelia is a buyer and seller of paperback mystery books in the same town as the Vinyl Detective. A totally unlikable protagonist, Cordelia creates fake author's signatures and uses other techniques to raise the books she is selling. When she discovers that a local crime boss has a valuable collection of paperback mysteries, she robs both his house and his storage shed, which leads to the crime boss to seek retribution.
Totally lacking the charm (or detective story) of the Vinyl Detective series, I could not relate to or sympathize with Cordelia or the risks she takes. The dialogue was dull, lacking humor or wit. The other characters are not interesting. The story kind of bumps along as Cordelia tries to navigate the difficulties of her chosen profession, her love life, and the very real threats resulting from her book thefts.
While I cannot recommend this book, the Vinyl Detective is appreciably better.
Totally lacking the charm (or detective story) of the Vinyl Detective series, I could not relate to or sympathize with Cordelia or the risks she takes. The dialogue was dull, lacking humor or wit. The other characters are not interesting. The story kind of bumps along as Cordelia tries to navigate the difficulties of her chosen profession, her love life, and the very real threats resulting from her book thefts.
While I cannot recommend this book, the Vinyl Detective is appreciably better.
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