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The Vinyl Detective #8
Underscore
The Vinyl Detective plunges into the world of Italian movie soundtrack music in his eighth adventure. Expect laughs, LPs, cats and the return of fan favourites, Nevada, Tinkler, Stinky Stanmer and more.
Some of the greatest (and grooviest) music ever committed to vinyl has come out of Italy.
And some of the greatest music to come out of Italy is the rich diversity of soundtracks composed for the indigenous film industry – particularly for gruesome thrillers known as 'gialli'. The maestros who composed for these include Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Armand Trovajoli…
And Valerius Passeri.
He was one of the finest composers of this genre and his original LPs from his 1960s heyday fetch a fortune from collectors.
No one disputes that Passeri was a genius…
The argument is whether or not he was a murderer.
Passeri's mistress was killed in London in the 1960s while he was here on location for a film shoot. There was never enough hard evidence to lead to a prosecution but the stink of scandal has never gone away.
Passeri's granddaughter Chloe has come to England to hire the Vinyl Detective. She wants him to negotiate for a collection of her father's LPs. The mastertapes of the albums have been destroyed and she needs immaculate vinyl copies to provide the source for a series of reissues – Chloe's mission is to preserve her grandfather's heritage.
And also, it transpires, to clear his name.
So it turns out that the Vinyl Detective's real job will be to find out who actually committed a murder – over half a century ago, in Swinging London.
But the real killer is not enchanted with the notion of being exposed. And, having killed once before, they see no problem in doing so again.
Some of the greatest (and grooviest) music ever committed to vinyl has come out of Italy.
And some of the greatest music to come out of Italy is the rich diversity of soundtracks composed for the indigenous film industry – particularly for gruesome thrillers known as 'gialli'. The maestros who composed for these include Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Armand Trovajoli…
And Valerius Passeri.
He was one of the finest composers of this genre and his original LPs from his 1960s heyday fetch a fortune from collectors.
No one disputes that Passeri was a genius…
The argument is whether or not he was a murderer.
Passeri's mistress was killed in London in the 1960s while he was here on location for a film shoot. There was never enough hard evidence to lead to a prosecution but the stink of scandal has never gone away.
Passeri's granddaughter Chloe has come to England to hire the Vinyl Detective. She wants him to negotiate for a collection of her father's LPs. The mastertapes of the albums have been destroyed and she needs immaculate vinyl copies to provide the source for a series of reissues – Chloe's mission is to preserve her grandfather's heritage.
And also, it transpires, to clear his name.
So it turns out that the Vinyl Detective's real job will be to find out who actually committed a murder – over half a century ago, in Swinging London.
But the real killer is not enchanted with the notion of being exposed. And, having killed once before, they see no problem in doing so again.
11 pages, Audiobook
Published March 27, 2025
30 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 13, 2025
In 1969 a young woman is murdered & the prime suspect is Italian composer Loretto Loconsole, then in London to record music for a new Italian thriller being filmed there. In present day England the composer's granddaughter hires the Vinyl Detective to find a rare copy of her grandfather's soundtrack to the 1969 film & to clear the cloud of suspicion that has followed him all his life.
Once again Andrew Cartmel brings us a terrific read in the eighth book of the Vinyl Detective series. There's murder, mystery, humour, great characters & cracking dialogue. Although I solved the mystery long before the end of the novel that wasn't important. This was an absolute joy to read & would cheer up the most jaded reader. Grab a copy now. You know you want to!
Once again Andrew Cartmel brings us a terrific read in the eighth book of the Vinyl Detective series. There's murder, mystery, humour, great characters & cracking dialogue. Although I solved the mystery long before the end of the novel that wasn't important. This was an absolute joy to read & would cheer up the most jaded reader. Grab a copy now. You know you want to!
April 19, 2025
I am a big fan of this series and its author (see my earlier reviews) and was very excited to dive into another of his mysteries.
The novel starts out, as a lot the author's mysteries do, with quite a bit of expositional dialogue delivered by the person hiring our protagonists. This is the most direct way to get the gang involved in the case, and it is always done with giving the reader a complete sense of who all the characters are (through their mannerisms, their words, etc.). It is the level-setting for the story to go forward.
Once again, Cartmel is able to weave an engrossing narrative that sprinkles in characters from former tales (thus continuing the worldbuilding) while also keeping the danger constantly in striking distance. The story moves along at a steady pace; I was fully caught up in it all. This was an enjoyable addition to the series.
The novel starts out, as a lot the author's mysteries do, with quite a bit of expositional dialogue delivered by the person hiring our protagonists. This is the most direct way to get the gang involved in the case, and it is always done with giving the reader a complete sense of who all the characters are (through their mannerisms, their words, etc.). It is the level-setting for the story to go forward.
Once again, Cartmel is able to weave an engrossing narrative that sprinkles in characters from former tales (thus continuing the worldbuilding) while also keeping the danger constantly in striking distance. The story moves along at a steady pace; I was fully caught up in it all. This was an enjoyable addition to the series.
September 20, 2025
One record, one composer who was a murderer. The Vinyl Detective and gang have a case to solve. Find the record and find the killer. But somebody doesn’t want the truth to be discovered.
A rip roaring story that is the usual mix of humour and mystery. Loved it.
A rip roaring story that is the usual mix of humour and mystery. Loved it.
April 4, 2025
I've been a fan of this series from the start and am going to read every book as it comes out, but the fact this one introduces Giallo as a plot-point means it really speaks to me. Great fun!
May 7, 2025
Darlings, let me tell you, it has been positively ages since I’ve had the pleasure of reading a novel that tickled my wits and stirred my musical soul quite like Andrew Cartmel’s Underscore. One does occasionally despair of modern fiction — so many thrillers seem to be written with all the finesse of a sledgehammer. But Cartmel still knows how to compose a story: textured, surprising, and utterly addictive.
For those unfamiliar, Underscore is the latest entry in Cartmel’s absolutely fabulous Vinyl Detective series. This time, our nameless sleuth (a vinyl-hunting, cat-loving savant with a knack for stumbling into mortal danger) is tasked with locating a rare film score — a long-lost gem from the golden age of British cinema. Naturally, what begins as a seemingly harmless rummage through old LPs spirals into a treacherous tangle of secrets, sabotage, and more than one body on the cutting room floor. And naturally, someone tries to drug the main character... again!
Cartmel writes with the kind of dry, acerbic wit that makes one feel one is in the company of a rather brilliant but slightly tipsy dinner guest — the sort who always brings a good bottle of Rhone Red and a better anecdote. His love of music seeps through every page, and his characters — from the gloriously no-nonsense Nevada to the trad "nonna" are drawn with as much affection as the albums they obsess over.
The dialogue snaps, my dears, like a vintage jazz record with just the right amount of crackle. And while the plot may meander at times (not unlike the Thames on a foggy Sunday morning), the journey is ever so worth it. There’s murder, there’s mayhem, and there's Tinkler, too. Erik and Helene are back as well.
In sum: Underscore is a thoroughly charming romp through the shadows of Britain’s musical past, spiced with danger and smoothed out with the warmth of friendship — and a bit of feline sass, courtesy of the indomitable Fanny and Turk!
Five out of five monocles. Highly recommended.
For those unfamiliar, Underscore is the latest entry in Cartmel’s absolutely fabulous Vinyl Detective series. This time, our nameless sleuth (a vinyl-hunting, cat-loving savant with a knack for stumbling into mortal danger) is tasked with locating a rare film score — a long-lost gem from the golden age of British cinema. Naturally, what begins as a seemingly harmless rummage through old LPs spirals into a treacherous tangle of secrets, sabotage, and more than one body on the cutting room floor. And naturally, someone tries to drug the main character... again!
Cartmel writes with the kind of dry, acerbic wit that makes one feel one is in the company of a rather brilliant but slightly tipsy dinner guest — the sort who always brings a good bottle of Rhone Red and a better anecdote. His love of music seeps through every page, and his characters — from the gloriously no-nonsense Nevada to the trad "nonna" are drawn with as much affection as the albums they obsess over.
The dialogue snaps, my dears, like a vintage jazz record with just the right amount of crackle. And while the plot may meander at times (not unlike the Thames on a foggy Sunday morning), the journey is ever so worth it. There’s murder, there’s mayhem, and there's Tinkler, too. Erik and Helene are back as well.
In sum: Underscore is a thoroughly charming romp through the shadows of Britain’s musical past, spiced with danger and smoothed out with the warmth of friendship — and a bit of feline sass, courtesy of the indomitable Fanny and Turk!
Five out of five monocles. Highly recommended.
April 13, 2025
Vinyl music has always been big, but the greatest Vinyl music coming out of Italy are soundtracks, especially for lurid thrillers known as Giallo. Loretto Loconsole is one of these composers but might have also been a murderer. His mistress was killed in 1969 while filming a giallo, but there wasn't enough evidence to convict him at the time. Even so, he died in disgrace, the shadow of murder following him. Now his granddaughter has hired the Vinyl Detective to find a copy of that soundtrack and clear his name. But someone wants the truth to stay buried, no matter what it takes.
This is the eighth book in the series, but it was easy enough to figure out the relationships between the detective, his girlfriend Nevada, and best friends Tinker and Agatha along the way. There's so much fun banter between the detective and Nevada, as well as with Tinker and other friends as they try to track down a pristine copy of the soundtrack. The book follows twists and turns as various copies of the soundtrack are tracked down in order to make a master copy for re-release. The music scene isn't that large in London, after all, so musicians and vinyl aficionados are a relatively small circle. Odd things occur, which mirror aspects of the movie that had been made, including getting shot at.
The novel is a lovely look at the Vinyl collection scene, as well as how an amateur would be able to solve a murder from sixty years ago. It's asking questions about the time period, the music scene, and how things were recorded. It was great fun to read and see how it all came together at the end.
This is the eighth book in the series, but it was easy enough to figure out the relationships between the detective, his girlfriend Nevada, and best friends Tinker and Agatha along the way. There's so much fun banter between the detective and Nevada, as well as with Tinker and other friends as they try to track down a pristine copy of the soundtrack. The book follows twists and turns as various copies of the soundtrack are tracked down in order to make a master copy for re-release. The music scene isn't that large in London, after all, so musicians and vinyl aficionados are a relatively small circle. Odd things occur, which mirror aspects of the movie that had been made, including getting shot at.
The novel is a lovely look at the Vinyl collection scene, as well as how an amateur would be able to solve a murder from sixty years ago. It's asking questions about the time period, the music scene, and how things were recorded. It was great fun to read and see how it all came together at the end.
July 4, 2025
An entertaining yet somewhat formulaic entry into the Vinyl Detective series. It essentially has everything you'd expect from a Vinyl Detective book: coffee snobism, good food, good wine, cats and interesting facts about LPs and music history, in this case Italian film soundtracks from the 60s. There are also your usual cameos by several series regulars, some more welcome than others.
I was really hoping I would get through a Vinyl Detective novel without an appearance by Stinky Stanmer, but Cartmel has spared the worst for last with one of Stinky's shortest yet most obnoxious outings to date. On the plus side, Tinkler is making himself quite rare in this novel. Turns out, he works much better as a comic relief character when he is not constantly spewing filthy jokes and sexual innuendo while doing exactly the opposite of what he is asked to do.
The case itself is pretty ok and the music facts quite interesting, but despite serveral attempted murders, the plot somehow lacks thrills and highlights. It's all going down pretty smoothly and at some point, it becomes quite obvious who the culprit is. Also, don't expect any character development, the characters are the same as they have always been and I doubt that this will ever change. Ah yes, and Cartmel goes through a staggering amount of clichés about Italians just within the first couple of chapters, to a point where it's almost a bit offensive.
Anyway, the book is entertaining as always, but the formula is beginning to get a bit stale.
I was really hoping I would get through a Vinyl Detective novel without an appearance by Stinky Stanmer, but Cartmel has spared the worst for last with one of Stinky's shortest yet most obnoxious outings to date. On the plus side, Tinkler is making himself quite rare in this novel. Turns out, he works much better as a comic relief character when he is not constantly spewing filthy jokes and sexual innuendo while doing exactly the opposite of what he is asked to do.
The case itself is pretty ok and the music facts quite interesting, but despite serveral attempted murders, the plot somehow lacks thrills and highlights. It's all going down pretty smoothly and at some point, it becomes quite obvious who the culprit is. Also, don't expect any character development, the characters are the same as they have always been and I doubt that this will ever change. Ah yes, and Cartmel goes through a staggering amount of clichés about Italians just within the first couple of chapters, to a point where it's almost a bit offensive.
Anyway, the book is entertaining as always, but the formula is beginning to get a bit stale.
June 11, 2025
The Detective is back with friends in another amazing hunt for a vinyl record and the truth. It starts out strange with two siblings asking the Vinyl Detective to not help their enemies granddaughter in a “pointless” mission. Turns out that in the 1960’s a man named Passeri was a famous music writer, while in London, was suspected of killing his mistress on a boat, but with little evidence he was never arrested. The suspicion killed his career though and now, years later, his granddaughter, Chloe, is looking for the last of his music. The victim’s grandchildren, a pair of twins, are sure of Passeri’s guilt and know that Chloe’s true intention is to find evidence that her grandfather didn’t commit the murder.
the Vinyl Detective travels with Nevada, Tinkler, and Clean Head, across Europe to find this rare vinyl record and end up discovering more truths about the past than they were even looking for.
I was shocked by the truth but at the same time it made so much sense. It was not Passeri who killed the mistress, but his wife. Unknown to most everyone, she used a fake ID to travel to London and do a recording of her own. While there she discovered her husband’s affair and decision to leave her. So, she hatched a plan to kill the mistress and got away with it. Passeri knew the truth but had no evidence and lived the rest of his life not only as her husband but as a miserable man without his work or his real love.
The worst part was when Stinky Stanmer showed up and once again took credit for an idea the Vinyl Detective had. I truly hate this character. He doesn’t have an original idea in his head and has made his money off the work and idea of another for years. I’m still waiting for the day when he gets what’s coming to him.
the Vinyl Detective travels with Nevada, Tinkler, and Clean Head, across Europe to find this rare vinyl record and end up discovering more truths about the past than they were even looking for.
I was shocked by the truth but at the same time it made so much sense. It was not Passeri who killed the mistress, but his wife. Unknown to most everyone, she used a fake ID to travel to London and do a recording of her own. While there she discovered her husband’s affair and decision to leave her. So, she hatched a plan to kill the mistress and got away with it. Passeri knew the truth but had no evidence and lived the rest of his life not only as her husband but as a miserable man without his work or his real love.
The worst part was when Stinky Stanmer showed up and once again took credit for an idea the Vinyl Detective had. I truly hate this character. He doesn’t have an original idea in his head and has made his money off the work and idea of another for years. I’m still waiting for the day when he gets what’s coming to him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2025
The plot begins with the usual client turning up out of the blue (at his house door) to lay out the mission. This story revolves around finding a Jazz-acid rock fusion sound track from an obscure 1960's Italian made film set and filmed in swinging 60's London, which naturally involved a murder. Our hero's target is to find a great copy of lost sound track so it can be remastered and reissued by the Composer's granddaughter. In a twist a voluptuous "upper class" (and somewhat unpleasant) chick and her more pleasant older brother turn up first to spoil the pitch. This couple oare the grandchildren of the murder victim. Solving the murder is - of course - off the agenda, but we'll see.
It took me quite a while to get into this story and while the ending was great and unexpected, I’m not sure the book earned it. There’s quite a lot of characters who deserve more than they got in terms of space and action and I think this story would have benefited from being longer and more intricate in terms of plotting than it delivers.
I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t one of the top 5 in the series
It took me quite a while to get into this story and while the ending was great and unexpected, I’m not sure the book earned it. There’s quite a lot of characters who deserve more than they got in terms of space and action and I think this story would have benefited from being longer and more intricate in terms of plotting than it delivers.
I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t one of the top 5 in the series
April 19, 2025
So satisfying!
One of the many best things about The Vinyl Detective novels is their domesticity. The two heroes, the VD himself and Nevada) are not anything out of the ordinary; not sleuths with amputations, or extreme mental heath issues, or are waiting for god, they’re just a normal, cat loving young couple living in SW London who like good food, good wine, good coffee, what they perceive to be good music (why jazz? Why not progressive rock?) and find themselves embroiled in murders which they end up solving. Underscore is no different, an easy read, wonderful characters, lots of humour and a whodunnit that lets you work it out yourself at the very end. Fabulous.
One of the many best things about The Vinyl Detective novels is their domesticity. The two heroes, the VD himself and Nevada) are not anything out of the ordinary; not sleuths with amputations, or extreme mental heath issues, or are waiting for god, they’re just a normal, cat loving young couple living in SW London who like good food, good wine, good coffee, what they perceive to be good music (why jazz? Why not progressive rock?) and find themselves embroiled in murders which they end up solving. Underscore is no different, an easy read, wonderful characters, lots of humour and a whodunnit that lets you work it out yourself at the very end. Fabulous.
May 1, 2025
Andrew Cartmel has a formula for these novels which generally works well. Unfortunately this time the formula was a bit stale and really didn’t start working until the final third of the book, unfortunately when he brought back in the arch-nemesis of Stinky Stangmer (a character so self centred, annoying and crude that I just long for something really bad to happen to him) and more of the regular cast.
What saves this book from a lower rating is that the final third is great fun and gives a good ending to the story.
What saves this book from a lower rating is that the final third is great fun and gives a good ending to the story.
May 18, 2025
In 1969, an Italian giallo was being made in London. The movie's jazz score was being recorded at the same time by a famous composer. Unfortunately, the composer's bisexual frogwoman mistress was murdered, the composer's reputation was ruined, and the film score album was destroyed. Now the composer's granddaughter wants The Vinyl Detective to find a copy of the ultra-rare record and to clear her nonno's name.
Cartmel's formula works to perfection: snarky dialogue, some great suspense, lots of rare recording lore, and familiar supporting characters I can't get enough of.
Cartmel's formula works to perfection: snarky dialogue, some great suspense, lots of rare recording lore, and familiar supporting characters I can't get enough of.
September 4, 2025
I have enjoyed every one of these fun detective yarns, plenty cozy, but also nicely geeky with their focus on music, tech, movies (in this one) and also very specifically on collecting. For me there have been highs and lows in the series, and I think this is something of a return to form. Bit more peril would have been nice, and there were a couple of details that irked me (not least a repeated line in the reading, which really shouldn't happen). Still, these are minor gripes. Certainly looking forward to the next one.
November 6, 2025
A bit average and a weak ending. I loved the concept of diving into film music and the 60s era exploration, great to see some returning character cameos too, but I'm starting to feel like some of the main casts' relationships and personalities need to have some development 8 books in, give another element of freshness other than the genre that's being explored this time round. There was a bit too much "someone's at the door" or "who's that calling now" to advance the plot which got really repetitive. Hopefully the next book is more of a return to form.
May 2, 2025
Probably one of the better Vinyl Detective stories. Liked the characters and plot. Liked the subject of the book, Giallo movies and Lounge Music. Cartmel writes really solid books. Yes he does rely on a lot of tropes and technique but he does it so well. I hope that we see more Vinyl Detective stories until they finally figure out how to turn the tables on that pain in the butt Stinky Stanmer.
July 23, 2025
I just love this series set in Britain, each book involves the search for rare vinyl recordings in various music genres so you learn a lot about (mostly) British music but also music techniques, high end audio equipment, street fairs and other locals for hunting vinyl, and more. And of course, there are always a few bodies and some hair raising escapades along the way, so much fun to read. Just wish the author would write entries more frequently! Free ebook from the library.
April 19, 2025
Andrew Cartmel’s books are funny, engaging, and extremely creative! The Vinyl Detective is back, this time looking for the soundtrack to an Italian B-movie, a gaillo. At the same time, his client is hoping he can solve a decades old murder, and clear her grandfather’s name. The familiar cast of characters is back for this fast paced mystery!
April 22, 2025
This was pre-ordered months ago, it arrived on my kindle on Thursday, I'd read it by Saturday. I love these books. From the love of proper coffee, cats and food to the well rounded characters. The story moves along at the perfect pace and am always disappointed when I get to the last page. Can't wait for the next one.
October 9, 2025
I really enjoyed this latest instalment in the series. Sometimes I find Tinkler very annoying but he’s calmed down of late! The plot here in intriguing g with a tie in to a film and long ago murder. Enough tests and turns to keep me guessing. I do worry everytime that something awful will happen to Turk and Fanny, but luckily TVD has come up against anyone that sadistic.
April 29, 2025
A search for an unissued Italian giallo soundtrack drags the detective and paramour Nevada deeper and deeper into an unsolved murder- whether they like it or not.
The series is truly finding it's groove, and has all the familiar comforts of a favorite record on the turntable.
The series is truly finding it's groove, and has all the familiar comforts of a favorite record on the turntable.
May 4, 2025
The 8th in the Vinyl Detective Series doesn't disappoint following the usual formula of searching for rare vinyl and a murder mystery / thriller with a dash of humour. This time the background is late sixties London and a movie score. Well written as always -an engaging light read.
August 2, 2025
Always a pleasure to get a new Vinyl Detective book. This one suffers a little from very slow pace (the premise is introduced in one scene that takes about six chapters to complete) and a fairly unsatisfying climax. But it’s fun to spend time with these characters and the genre’s a good one.
April 16, 2025
The next in the series and equally as good as the others. More mayhem and murder, plus lots of music!
April 21, 2025
📖 8 in series just as good as they others fans should read.
Try 🎧📖 as voices of characters brilliant can't wait for number 9.
Try 🎧📖 as voices of characters brilliant can't wait for number 9.
April 23, 2025
it's scooby doo for adults
April 24, 2025
A great read and welcome return to form for Andrew Cartmel. Good believable locations with good characters and some nice twists and turns. Ultimately The VD and Nevada rule the day
April 28, 2025
A spring weekend well spent sitting in a deckchair reading this excellent book
April 30, 2025
I love the way the characters have developed throughout this series. I also like the way the series introduced me to new music. The recipes included are also very welcome
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews