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The Vinyl Detective #2
The Run-Out Groove
His first adventure consisted of the search for a rare record; his second the search for a lost child. Specifically the child of Valerian, lead singer of a great rock band of the 1960s, who hanged herself in mysterious circumstances after the boy's abduction.
Along the way, the Vinyl Detective finds himself marked for death, at the wrong end of a shotgun, and unknowingly dosed with LSD as a prelude to being burned alive. And then there's the grave robbing...
Along the way, the Vinyl Detective finds himself marked for death, at the wrong end of a shotgun, and unknowingly dosed with LSD as a prelude to being burned alive. And then there's the grave robbing...
416 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 2017
179 people are currently reading
943 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
November 24, 2019
Somewhere between a three and a four. I picked this up immediately after finishing the first and it’s not as good to be honest.
The story is confused at times, like trying to look at a scene in fog. It’s there, but at times it’s difficult to see where one piece begins and another ends.
Sometimes it’s possible to enjoy something for the wrong reasons. Familiarity being one this time.
The story is confused at times, like trying to look at a scene in fog. It’s there, but at times it’s difficult to see where one piece begins and another ends.
Sometimes it’s possible to enjoy something for the wrong reasons. Familiarity being one this time.
July 4, 2017
I really enjoyed Andrew Cartmel’s first VINYL DETECTIVE novel, WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX. It’s a geeky and blokey book which was lost in its own little world, and managed to be charming even as it was being preposterous. As there’s no doubting the fact that any story which sees the buying of second-hand records in charity shops launch a middle-aged vinyl collector into the middle of an international criminal conspiracy, is not trying to be social realism. Think Nick Hornby meets Ian Fleming and you won’t be far off the mark.
The second in the series is much the same, but somehow less so.
Once again, the hunting of old records leads to the unravelling of age old crimes, murder attempts, theft and the kind of spy/crime hijinks you wouldn’t think would be wrought by old vinyl. Maybe it’s the second novel syndrome, as there is obviously going to be less surprise this time round – but the jokes didn’t seem as sharp in this book, the plot contrivances required lashings of coincidence and the character motivation felt at times baffling. It’s a novel I enjoyed, but one can’t help thinking it would have been so much better with another draft.
This time around it’s not jazz which forms the backdrop to the mystery, but psychedelic rock of the late 1960s. There’s a bit of Pink Floyd/Syd Barret here, there’s a bit of Janis Joplin. For me, it’s a fascinating period and so I was happy reading through and spotting the references and nodding in a smug ‘aren’t I clever’ way. Although, as a man getting more comfortably ensconced in middle age by the day, it’s clearly aimed directly at me and my ilk.
In short, there’s a lot here I like, I just wish I liked it more.
If you get chance, please visit my blog for book, TV and film reviews - as well as whatever else takes my fancy - at frjameson.com
LIke my Facebook page
Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @frjameson.
The second in the series is much the same, but somehow less so.
Once again, the hunting of old records leads to the unravelling of age old crimes, murder attempts, theft and the kind of spy/crime hijinks you wouldn’t think would be wrought by old vinyl. Maybe it’s the second novel syndrome, as there is obviously going to be less surprise this time round – but the jokes didn’t seem as sharp in this book, the plot contrivances required lashings of coincidence and the character motivation felt at times baffling. It’s a novel I enjoyed, but one can’t help thinking it would have been so much better with another draft.
This time around it’s not jazz which forms the backdrop to the mystery, but psychedelic rock of the late 1960s. There’s a bit of Pink Floyd/Syd Barret here, there’s a bit of Janis Joplin. For me, it’s a fascinating period and so I was happy reading through and spotting the references and nodding in a smug ‘aren’t I clever’ way. Although, as a man getting more comfortably ensconced in middle age by the day, it’s clearly aimed directly at me and my ilk.
In short, there’s a lot here I like, I just wish I liked it more.
If you get chance, please visit my blog for book, TV and film reviews - as well as whatever else takes my fancy - at frjameson.com
LIke my Facebook page
Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @frjameson.
May 15, 2017
Andrew Cartmel's second adventure for The Vinyl Detective sees our hero searching for a rare record & a missing person. Cartmel's style is wonderfully easy to read & there are many moments when this novel just makes me smile again & again. The characters are as eccentric as ever, whether they are heroes or villains, & I eagerly await the next book in the series.
February 23, 2020
The original book in the series Written in Dead Wax (The Vinyl Detective, #1) (my review) was a moderately amusing hipster murder mystery. I decided to give the author another chance. This book was more of the same.
Cartmel is a crony of Ben Aaronovitch. Aaronovitch is an author I'm familiar with. Like the first book, I can detect his influence on this one. Although, its not as obvious in this book.
Prose was OK. Dialog was a bit better than descriptive prose. There less flippery in this story than than the previous. I miss the sarky comments. Although in the previous book I eventually found them to be a burden on the dialog.
That the hipster, protagonist continues to remain unnamed is a source of amusement to me. However, he remains an unlikely sleuth. His now live-in GF (Nevada) character broadens a bit. (The author never got the message that noir detectives are lonely men.) In addition, Tinkler the stoner, Geek and Clean Head the female London cabbie gain some depth. This now looks like the permanent London narcissists crime solving team. Frankly, they vaguely remind me of Scooby-Doo . The unusual suspects and clients are a bit thin. I also think the protagonist's and likely the author's cat fetish is stupid.
The story adopts an old-fashioned Dashell Hammett-esque plotting with a riff on The Curse of the ‘The 27 Club' . In this case, its a rich Anglo-American looking for closure over his sister's death almost 40-years ago. She was a female, Brit, Jim Morrison-like rock star. From there, its a crawl through the early 70's music scene. All they had were vinyl recordings back then. Along the way there is ample info-tainment on vinyl recording and stereo geekery. There is also a London and Canterbury geography lesson and coffee snobbery included.
Plotting was a by-the-numbers PI story. I thought the story started out well, but the pacing faltered about mid-way. It became obvious that the story was a riff on the The Maltese Falcon right down to the use of a stolen McGuffin Reveal, I had a little problem synching-up the dates in the story. I think the murder should have been more recent. Frankly, the story reminded me too much of a screenplay in format. It had a single, linear plotting and things were neatly tied-up at the end. Which, BTW was through a bog-standard Criminal Confession.
I had a weak moment starting this book. I was looking for a London, hipster, mystery infusion. All I could think of was Vinyl Detective. However, this story didn't take me where I wanted to go. I think I really wanted to read a new Millennium updated version of High Fidelity? Otherwise, I should have taken out the copy of The Long Goodbye I've been meaning to read.
.
Cartmel is a crony of Ben Aaronovitch. Aaronovitch is an author I'm familiar with. Like the first book, I can detect his influence on this one. Although, its not as obvious in this book.
Prose was OK. Dialog was a bit better than descriptive prose. There less flippery in this story than than the previous. I miss the sarky comments. Although in the previous book I eventually found them to be a burden on the dialog.
That the hipster, protagonist continues to remain unnamed is a source of amusement to me. However, he remains an unlikely sleuth. His now live-in GF (Nevada) character broadens a bit. (The author never got the message that noir detectives are lonely men.) In addition, Tinkler the stoner, Geek and Clean Head the female London cabbie gain some depth. This now looks like the permanent London narcissists crime solving team. Frankly, they vaguely remind me of Scooby-Doo . The unusual suspects and clients are a bit thin. I also think the protagonist's and likely the author's cat fetish is stupid.
The story adopts an old-fashioned Dashell Hammett-esque plotting with a riff on The Curse of the ‘The 27 Club' . In this case, its a rich Anglo-American looking for closure over his sister's death almost 40-years ago. She was a female, Brit, Jim Morrison-like rock star. From there, its a crawl through the early 70's music scene. All they had were vinyl recordings back then. Along the way there is ample info-tainment on vinyl recording and stereo geekery. There is also a London and Canterbury geography lesson and coffee snobbery included.
Plotting was a by-the-numbers PI story. I thought the story started out well, but the pacing faltered about mid-way. It became obvious that the story was a riff on the The Maltese Falcon right down to the use of a stolen McGuffin Reveal, I had a little problem synching-up the dates in the story. I think the murder should have been more recent. Frankly, the story reminded me too much of a screenplay in format. It had a single, linear plotting and things were neatly tied-up at the end. Which, BTW was through a bog-standard Criminal Confession.
I had a weak moment starting this book. I was looking for a London, hipster, mystery infusion. All I could think of was Vinyl Detective. However, this story didn't take me where I wanted to go. I think I really wanted to read a new Millennium updated version of High Fidelity? Otherwise, I should have taken out the copy of The Long Goodbye I've been meaning to read.
.
January 31, 2019
Perhaps 2.5 stars, but let's round up.
After loving the first story, my expectations were high for this one, but sadly not met. Only a couple of likeable characters here - including the driver Clean Head, who figures in one scene, but is otherwise scarce. Tinkler came off as self-centered to the point of narcissism at times.
Basically, it's repeated run-ins with various creepy characters from the 60s who had interaction with Valerian and the group. I'd have a hard time believing anyone could guess the killer's identity (no, she did not commit suicide), while the resolution of her child was a clever idea in theory that struck me as over-the-top on the page.
Audio narration was okay with one glaring exception! Their client had left England for America in his twenties back in the day. The narrator has given him a very heavy nasal American accent that one would not have picked up if not a native speaker; the longtime expats I've known have pretty much retained most of their original accent, perhaps softened to a Mid-Atlantic type after some decades, but they don't have anywhere near such (stereotypical) native American speech.
Does NOT stand alone, read the first one if you haven't already.
After loving the first story, my expectations were high for this one, but sadly not met. Only a couple of likeable characters here - including the driver Clean Head, who figures in one scene, but is otherwise scarce. Tinkler came off as self-centered to the point of narcissism at times.
Basically, it's repeated run-ins with various creepy characters from the 60s who had interaction with Valerian and the group. I'd have a hard time believing anyone could guess the killer's identity (no, she did not commit suicide), while the resolution of her child was a clever idea in theory that struck me as over-the-top on the page.
Audio narration was okay with one glaring exception! Their client had left England for America in his twenties back in the day. The narrator has given him a very heavy nasal American accent that one would not have picked up if not a native speaker; the longtime expats I've known have pretty much retained most of their original accent, perhaps softened to a Mid-Atlantic type after some decades, but they don't have anywhere near such (stereotypical) native American speech.
Does NOT stand alone, read the first one if you haven't already.
Read
May 11, 2018I just finished the second book in Andrew Cartmel’s the Vinyl Detective series, The Run-Out Groove. More high-end coffee, lurking assassins, hi-fi audio equipment, and fictional music nostalgia among other nicely placed cool stuff, how can I resist? Some books are just fun to read, this is one of them. I thoroughly enjoyed the first of the series. The second one picks right up where the first one ended and simply extends the roller coaster ride, adding new twists and turns. A lot of familiar faces and some interesting new ones come along for the ride. It certainly pulled me through with a smile and I have every intention of reading the next of the series when it’s available, which looks like it may be any day now! Nice. —Jon (excerpted from Bookish's Staff Reads)
September 4, 2020
Having enjoyed the first in this series a lot I found this to be pretty much more of the same. The story flowed well enough, there was a puzzle to solve but it felt a bit like treading water. And as for all the beautiful women wanting to fall into the lead character's bed - what's with that?
I will be carrying on with this series but might wait a few weeks before getting into the next one
I will be carrying on with this series but might wait a few weeks before getting into the next one
May 24, 2017
Great follow up to the first novel. I love collecting so this novel series hits the right geekness in mt plus a cracking storyline. More please!
A real page turner with a real homely feel. Good twists and turns that set you guessing. More books please!
A real page turner with a real homely feel. Good twists and turns that set you guessing. More books please!
May 16, 2017
The second in a trilogy, The Vinyl Detective - The Run-Out Groove, is another well written, laugh out loud (well, I did) confident offering from Andrew Cartmel.
Thrust back into the world of the Vinyl Detective (name of the character is, as yet, not revealed - which must be quite tricky for the author to work around!) I did wonder how similar the storyline would be to the first, given essentially at the beginning the protagonist was after another rare record. I need not have worried, it is vastly different and again, despite the humour running throughout it is actually a serious plot.
Packed with another set of punchy characters, I was glad to see the return of some others, namely Nevada, Tinkler, Stinky and Fanny and Turk (the cats) and to travel around the rocker scene of past era's in the search for the truth about wild child Valerian. We are given a colourful history of the women in question via people who were close to the singer, and discover some uncomfortable truths about her family along the way.
Of course, when the truth is somewhat misty, it is usually so for a reason and the Vinyl Detective and Co quickly discover there is someone that wishes for it to remain that way. Not quite sure if they are in 'Paranoia Heights' after their last dramatic escapade, the gang must try and determine who they can trust, if anyone.
Although it didn't have me quite as 'on the edge of my seat' as book number one, I did thoroughly enjoy book number two and would again highly recommend it. I also learned what, exactly, a Run-Out Groove is.
Thrust back into the world of the Vinyl Detective (name of the character is, as yet, not revealed - which must be quite tricky for the author to work around!) I did wonder how similar the storyline would be to the first, given essentially at the beginning the protagonist was after another rare record. I need not have worried, it is vastly different and again, despite the humour running throughout it is actually a serious plot.
Packed with another set of punchy characters, I was glad to see the return of some others, namely Nevada, Tinkler, Stinky and Fanny and Turk (the cats) and to travel around the rocker scene of past era's in the search for the truth about wild child Valerian. We are given a colourful history of the women in question via people who were close to the singer, and discover some uncomfortable truths about her family along the way.
Of course, when the truth is somewhat misty, it is usually so for a reason and the Vinyl Detective and Co quickly discover there is someone that wishes for it to remain that way. Not quite sure if they are in 'Paranoia Heights' after their last dramatic escapade, the gang must try and determine who they can trust, if anyone.
Although it didn't have me quite as 'on the edge of my seat' as book number one, I did thoroughly enjoy book number two and would again highly recommend it. I also learned what, exactly, a Run-Out Groove is.
August 11, 2017
The story itself is alright, good pace and intriguing, and if he could write a half decent female character I would probably give this book 3,5 stars rather than 2. Gorgeous young seemingly successful and capable women keep throwing themselves at the main character within seconds of meeting him, and he has to explain the most simplest of things to them, and his girlfriend Nevada - his 'Watson' if you like - seems to only be capable of flirting with and soothing people in order for the main character to get information out of them, despite her being introduced in the first book as a sharp CIA level operative with previous experience of weapons and espionage! Women who are not young and hot are made out to be quite disgusting, the author clearly thinks fat people are beyond gross and his description of one of the central characters (a fat woman) is ridiculously over the top and tells you more about Andrew Cartmel than anything else. Surprised that Ben Aaronovitch recommended these tbh!
August 3, 2021
Book two of the series kind of picks up where book one left off. There is no prerequisite to read book one, but you will have missed out on a lot of character development.
And that is what I love about these books, I feel like I’ve really connected with them all. You know their little foibles and their caustic wit when it comes to Nevada (don’t call her snowball!!).
It’s a thoroughly enjoyable romp again … it loses a star as it does feel like it treads some of the old ground of the first book, and whilst it does have a good twist (I didn’t figure it out) some parts felt a little rushed and we moved on with no consequence.
I’m going to take break from the series as I don’t want to rush through entire set.
Recommended and put on your want to read list!
And that is what I love about these books, I feel like I’ve really connected with them all. You know their little foibles and their caustic wit when it comes to Nevada (don’t call her snowball!!).
It’s a thoroughly enjoyable romp again … it loses a star as it does feel like it treads some of the old ground of the first book, and whilst it does have a good twist (I didn’t figure it out) some parts felt a little rushed and we moved on with no consequence.
I’m going to take break from the series as I don’t want to rush through entire set.
Recommended and put on your want to read list!
July 12, 2022
I loved book one in this series. Book two was … okay. Maybe because Book 1 was such a shock to the system with its humor, over the top action, fast paced sequences, unapologetic characters, (whose morality occasionally has time lapses :)that the slower pace of this book just felt a bit off. The mystery was good, the resolution was.. good, it was the getting there that was ehhh on occasions. Still, the characters are fun, the cats still delightful, the vinyl detective and Nevada are …. Interesting :)
September 28, 2023
This is such a fun series!
Read
February 10, 2020Another page-turner from Mr Cartmel, an author wonderfully adept at happy coincidences.
This is easily as good as the first Vinyl Detective novel where we see the musical backdrop switch from obscure jazz to psychedelic rock.
All our favourites from the first novel are back: Nevada, Tinkler, Clean Head, Stinky Stanmer and those loveable cats Fanny and Turk.
The central mystery keeps you guessing throughout. I thought I'd cracked it several times, but didn't.
Just 12 months until our next instalment...
This is easily as good as the first Vinyl Detective novel where we see the musical backdrop switch from obscure jazz to psychedelic rock.
All our favourites from the first novel are back: Nevada, Tinkler, Clean Head, Stinky Stanmer and those loveable cats Fanny and Turk.
The central mystery keeps you guessing throughout. I thought I'd cracked it several times, but didn't.
Just 12 months until our next instalment...
March 17, 2019
I enjoyed the first book in the series, so was happy to see this. The Vinyl Detective is chasing down a missing child as well as a rare 45. This time he's searching through records from the psychedelic era. The characters are engaging, the plot was fun, and I enjoyed the writing.
In between reading the first and second vinyl detectives, I read the Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch. The two are collaborating on the Peter grant graphic novels and worked together on Doctor Who. So if you like that sensibility, those two are good writers to try.
In between reading the first and second vinyl detectives, I read the Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch. The two are collaborating on the Peter grant graphic novels and worked together on Doctor Who. So if you like that sensibility, those two are good writers to try.
January 18, 2019
It's definitely the sign of an excellent mystery novel that when you reread it a year an a half later it keeps you interested and on the edge of your seat as much as the first time. The first was flat-out fun while this one, about a dead rock star and her child's disappearance, is more poignant. But also fun!
Another extremely enjoyable mystery from Andrew Cartmel. Looking forward to the continuing adventures of The Vinyl Detective and his associates.
Another extremely enjoyable mystery from Andrew Cartmel. Looking forward to the continuing adventures of The Vinyl Detective and his associates.
October 1, 2021
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
N. B.: The Narrator of this series (so far, anyway) is unnamed. I find it tiresome to keep saying "The Narrator" or "our protagonist" (as I did with the last book.). So, I'm just going to call him "VD" from now until Cartmel gives him a name—as unfortunate as those initials may be.
WHAT'S THE RUN-OUT GROOVE ABOUT?
In the late 60s, there was a band of some repute (not all stellar) with a lead vocalist, Valerian, with an otherworldly voice. A lot of self-destructive tendencies, too, but what a voice. As too many things in that era went, Valerian's lifestyle spiral out of control and she killed herself following the disappearance/kidnapping of her infant child.
In the present time, VD and his girlfriend, Nevada, are approached by a bickering duo. She's working on a book about Valerian and he's Valerian's estranged brother. Given VD"s success with the hunt for the record (as seen in the previous novel), they've come to him. But it's not just music they want VD to find—but the child.
Urban Legend has it that there's a clue hidden on a 45 released shortly before her death—but only a few were sold and are out there in the world. It's nearly impossible to find. Well, nearly impossible for people who aren't VD or his friends. So that's the jumping-off point—look into the people who remember Valerian, who were in her inner circle, while trying to track down a copy of one of the handful of 45s.
From there things go as you'd predict for a mystery novel—there are threats, some violence, some drugs (although some were ingested willingly), and the uncovering of many secrets.
AN INHERENTLY LIKEABLE SERIES
The appeal to this series comes down to the characters—primarily VD. With him you've got a full-on geek, sitting around and indulging his passion and writing about it while drinking expensive gourmet coffee and spending time with his girlfriend and cats. It's hard to see that as anything but a fantasy for most readers—replace jazz records with books and cats with the superior pet, and that's my ideal life. Getting paid ridiculous sums to look into something related to—and somewhat involving—your hobby is just icing on the cake.
Because of this, I think there's an inherently likable quality to this protagonist. He's living a life that most of us want and seems to be unspoiled by it. Your choices are either to be envious or want to be his friend—and since he seems like such a nice guy, it's easy to pick "friend" and hang out with him to hear his stories.
A PARTICULAR WEAKNESS
Is that not the coolest supporting character quirk that you've ever seen?
Minor Spoiler Alert! ...and it's even exploited for the plot at one point!
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE RUN-OUT GROOVE?
I like VD, Nevada and the rest of the gang, the mystery was clever, and the reveal at the end was incredibly satisfying.
But...The Run-Out Groove just never grabbed me the way that Written in Dead Wax did. I don't know if it's a problem with me, a defect in the book, or what. (glancing at some other readers' responses suggests that it's not just me). I enjoyed the novels and was charmed by it and the characters—and I do plan on giving our Nameless Friend at least one more try. But it was a lesser experience.
Lesser, but not a bad one. I enjoyed the whole thing from cover to cover, I chuckled occasionally and appreciated the challenge of staying a step ahead of VD and Nevada (at least until the final pages) when it comes to sussing out the mystery. It's a fun read and I do recommend it—but grab the first book in the series to really see the appeal.
And I just dare you to try to get through this novel without heading out to shop for some vinyl—whether or not you own a record player (although it's more fun if you do).
---
N. B.: The Narrator of this series (so far, anyway) is unnamed. I find it tiresome to keep saying "The Narrator" or "our protagonist" (as I did with the last book.). So, I'm just going to call him "VD" from now until Cartmel gives him a name—as unfortunate as those initials may be.
WHAT'S THE RUN-OUT GROOVE ABOUT?
In the late 60s, there was a band of some repute (not all stellar) with a lead vocalist, Valerian, with an otherworldly voice. A lot of self-destructive tendencies, too, but what a voice. As too many things in that era went, Valerian's lifestyle spiral out of control and she killed herself following the disappearance/kidnapping of her infant child.
In the present time, VD and his girlfriend, Nevada, are approached by a bickering duo. She's working on a book about Valerian and he's Valerian's estranged brother. Given VD"s success with the hunt for the record (as seen in the previous novel), they've come to him. But it's not just music they want VD to find—but the child.
Urban Legend has it that there's a clue hidden on a 45 released shortly before her death—but only a few were sold and are out there in the world. It's nearly impossible to find. Well, nearly impossible for people who aren't VD or his friends. So that's the jumping-off point—look into the people who remember Valerian, who were in her inner circle, while trying to track down a copy of one of the handful of 45s.
From there things go as you'd predict for a mystery novel—there are threats, some violence, some drugs (although some were ingested willingly), and the uncovering of many secrets.
AN INHERENTLY LIKEABLE SERIES
The appeal to this series comes down to the characters—primarily VD. With him you've got a full-on geek, sitting around and indulging his passion and writing about it while drinking expensive gourmet coffee and spending time with his girlfriend and cats. It's hard to see that as anything but a fantasy for most readers—replace jazz records with books and cats with the superior pet, and that's my ideal life. Getting paid ridiculous sums to look into something related to—and somewhat involving—your hobby is just icing on the cake.
Because of this, I think there's an inherently likable quality to this protagonist. He's living a life that most of us want and seems to be unspoiled by it. Your choices are either to be envious or want to be his friend—and since he seems like such a nice guy, it's easy to pick "friend" and hang out with him to hear his stories.
A PARTICULAR WEAKNESS
"...I’ve got a copy of Graves’s book somewhere. No wait, damn it, I lent it to Clean Head. It was a Penguin edition. That’s why I haven’t got it back. You have to watch that girl. She’s very nice and all that but she will steal your Penguin paperbacks. She has a particular weakness for the Penguin Modern Classics series. It’s a character defect.”
Is that not the coolest supporting character quirk that you've ever seen?
Minor Spoiler Alert! ...and it's even exploited for the plot at one point!
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE RUN-OUT GROOVE?
I like VD, Nevada and the rest of the gang, the mystery was clever, and the reveal at the end was incredibly satisfying.
But...The Run-Out Groove just never grabbed me the way that Written in Dead Wax did. I don't know if it's a problem with me, a defect in the book, or what. (glancing at some other readers' responses suggests that it's not just me). I enjoyed the novels and was charmed by it and the characters—and I do plan on giving our Nameless Friend at least one more try. But it was a lesser experience.
Lesser, but not a bad one. I enjoyed the whole thing from cover to cover, I chuckled occasionally and appreciated the challenge of staying a step ahead of VD and Nevada (at least until the final pages) when it comes to sussing out the mystery. It's a fun read and I do recommend it—but grab the first book in the series to really see the appeal.
And I just dare you to try to get through this novel without heading out to shop for some vinyl—whether or not you own a record player (although it's more fun if you do).
July 30, 2018
I blew it! Not by design or commission, but by semi-forced omission. Y'see, I am a bit of book miser these days & unless it is a tome that I wish to add to my already bulging collection, I will go through my local library. It worked against me in this case as #2 came available before #1 & since I had no idea of when, if ever, #1 would be arriving, I began with #2. DO NOT DO THIS! Partway into #1, things began to fit together better & made more sense. Had I read them in order, this would not have even been a consideration.
It was a novel meant to evoke the Swingin' '60's in London & succeeded marvelously. Valerian (whose name was a revelation) was a Janis Joplin-type with some Jim Morrison thrown in for good measure.
I am VERY proud to have aced Oxnard (CA) College's "History of Rock & Roll" course in the mid-1990s & I was admonished by the prof that I could not get by with a term paper on a retrospective of The Beatles. I wrote mine (in the then-burgeoning Internet era) on The Widow Cobain, Courtney Love, a woman whose type still interests me.
The story assumes a knowledge of Clean Head, Stinky, Tinker & Nevada (& I must admit, I am impressed by the progression of our protagonist's (dare I call him "V.D"?) relationship with the latter in the interim), none of which I had.
It was a very good book with an interesting premise & I will forever wonder if I would not have been better served had I read the series in order. Regardless, I suggest that you do read them in order.
It was a novel meant to evoke the Swingin' '60's in London & succeeded marvelously. Valerian (whose name was a revelation) was a Janis Joplin-type with some Jim Morrison thrown in for good measure.
I am VERY proud to have aced Oxnard (CA) College's "History of Rock & Roll" course in the mid-1990s & I was admonished by the prof that I could not get by with a term paper on a retrospective of The Beatles. I wrote mine (in the then-burgeoning Internet era) on The Widow Cobain, Courtney Love, a woman whose type still interests me.
The story assumes a knowledge of Clean Head, Stinky, Tinker & Nevada (& I must admit, I am impressed by the progression of our protagonist's (dare I call him "V.D"?) relationship with the latter in the interim), none of which I had.
It was a very good book with an interesting premise & I will forever wonder if I would not have been better served had I read the series in order. Regardless, I suggest that you do read them in order.
April 27, 2019
It's 20 years since rock singer Valerian killed herself and her young child disappeared. Now her brother, long estranged, has appeared with a woman who wants to write the book about Valerian, and who wants the Vinyl Detective and his companion Nevada to find the child. Failing that, perhaps he can find the record that is said to contain a hidden message about the mysterious happenings. Naturally, things go from bad to worse as they try to find someone--anyone--who can tell them about the singer and her band, but too many of the people they want to find seem to die mysteriously just before the Vinyl Detective can reach them.
November 3, 2020
Book two and this time not only does the Vinyl Detective have had to find music but also a lost child of the lead singer of a seventies rock group that died in mysterious circumstances. A rare and unusual case in more ways than one, can it be solved?
Another cracking read, this series is so different from anything else out there at the moment. I love the passion for music but also the crafting of a great story. The characters are wonderful, an eclectic mix of a gang.
Another cracking read, this series is so different from anything else out there at the moment. I love the passion for music but also the crafting of a great story. The characters are wonderful, an eclectic mix of a gang.
June 25, 2017
Another hugely enjoyable outing for the Vinyl Detective. Solid mystery, fun characters (old and new), and a story that keeps you turning the pages. Impossible to fault if you're after a light read.
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March 18, 2019I'm afraid I did not feel the love for this one, even after reading to almost halfway. While I enjoyed the first in this series I found this book had alot of filler and I found it slow going.
October 2, 2019
Entertaining read. I thought the conclusion was a little rushed, but I will definitely get the next one. (and probably go back and read the first one)
February 6, 2022
I would rank this slightly lower than the first in the series. With “Written in Dead Wax” there was a lot more suspense throughout whereas I didn’t have quite the same feeling with the “The Run-Out Groove.” There is a lot more time spent with all the favorite characters though and it’s overall a really fun read. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
January 29, 2025
Another superb read and I look so forward to picking up the next book in the series!!
May 4, 2020
Another light but strangely unfulfilling cosy musical mystery, I really like the orininality of the crime drama but am struggling so much with just how written for TV it is. 2.5 meows stars?
I actually liked this one better than the first, if just because the mystery was easier to follow (and just as easy to predict - but in the good foreshadowing way rather than the blindingly obvious way). The big but comes in the form of that written for TV shallowness - characters are snappy dialogue and annoying responses without any indication of delivery. It's frustratingly like reading a script and leaves the characters (including the still unnamed narrator) feeling less interesting than they should.
To be honest, Tinkler just got on my nerves this time, being that sitcom wingman who just says and does every stupid thing. Nevada, the insta-girlfriend (just add sarcasm) is still pretty shallow. And I'm still baffled by Clean Head. She's a faceless, almost nameless extra. I don't even know what colour the cats are. I miss physical descriptions a lot.
On that note, you should probably StreetView Canterbury for this one.
And really, while the mystery is quite good, the humour also struck me as... Well, a bit silly in the sitcom way. I just wasn't sure about the tone and how seriously to take things. One minute we're sleuthing, the next we're mourning a garrotted goose. To top it off, the villian monologues. It's actually pretty nasty, but the comedic aspect that comes from many characters seem like pastiches from Little Britain is confusing.
It's light and quick, but the strange tonal changes and lack of scene setting are bugging me no end. I get the feeling that I'd enjoy watching this far more than I do reading it.
I actually liked this one better than the first, if just because the mystery was easier to follow (and just as easy to predict - but in the good foreshadowing way rather than the blindingly obvious way). The big but comes in the form of that written for TV shallowness - characters are snappy dialogue and annoying responses without any indication of delivery. It's frustratingly like reading a script and leaves the characters (including the still unnamed narrator) feeling less interesting than they should.
To be honest, Tinkler just got on my nerves this time, being that sitcom wingman who just says and does every stupid thing. Nevada, the insta-girlfriend (just add sarcasm) is still pretty shallow. And I'm still baffled by Clean Head. She's a faceless, almost nameless extra. I don't even know what colour the cats are. I miss physical descriptions a lot.
On that note, you should probably StreetView Canterbury for this one.
And really, while the mystery is quite good, the humour also struck me as... Well, a bit silly in the sitcom way. I just wasn't sure about the tone and how seriously to take things. One minute we're sleuthing, the next we're mourning a garrotted goose. To top it off, the villian monologues. It's actually pretty nasty, but the comedic aspect that comes from many characters seem like pastiches from Little Britain is confusing.
It's light and quick, but the strange tonal changes and lack of scene setting are bugging me no end. I get the feeling that I'd enjoy watching this far more than I do reading it.
May 19, 2021
Sunburned and starving, I spent my second day on the beach in Jamaica 2019, reading Andrew's second offering of The Vinyl Detective. Once again, I was unable to put it down until a late afternoon rainstorm chased me inside. As the author of a series, I love seeing how a fellow plot-twister carries his crew from one book to the next. No disappointment. from the lead character to the cats, everyone had become even more fleshed out. Of even greater interest was how and when the previous adventure was mentioned in the plot. Andrew, you are indeed a skilled wordsmith. Yes, you could start your reading of this series with the second book without the need to read the first. But then you'd be missing half the fun.
March 1, 2021
Ono je to zábavné čtení, všechny hlavní postavy jsou sympatické a vtipné. Navíc mají rádi kočky. Původně jsem chtěla dát 4 hvězdy, ale ty jsem přeci jen dala minulému dílu a ten mi přišel ještě více svěží a navíc pro mě zajímavý tím, že se zde pátralo i po deskách. A asi tam bylo i víc překvápek Přeci jen "Všechny kočky" už vcelku první díl kopírují. A hodil by se mi u nich půlkový bod, protože s přihlédnutím k minulému hodnocení je to 3,5, jako když vyšije. Každopádně jako odpočinkovou literaturu vážně doporučuji.
April 24, 2021
I quite liked the first book in this series, enough to buy the second one anyway. But this is where I stop - in addition to the ludicrous plot which it has in common with the first book, I found it really annoying and distracting having to be told constantly how disgusting the fat character is. We get it, she’s fat, no need to put some reference to her “massive hands” or something in every description.
December 8, 2017
I don't think this book really fulfilled its promise. It was an easy enough read but even towards the end i wanted to just be done with it. I think it introduced characters then forgot about them and suddenly thought oh we should bring so and so back into it. i just wanted more and i don't think i will bother with the next in the series.
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