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The Vinyl Detective #5
Low Action
The Vinyl Detective goes punk in his fifth hilarious adventure. “Like an old 45rpm record, this book crackles with brilliance.” David Quantick on Written in Dead Wax
Semi-retired god of rock guitar and local poseur Erik Make Loud has got himself a new girlfriend. Helene Hilditch – formerly known as Howlin’ Hellbitch – of all-girl punk outfit Blue Tits is a mean guitarist, someone is trying to kill her.
With a rare pressing of their first album to find, the Vinyl Detective and Nevada are soon called into to help but this time the question is who isn’t a suspect. With a trail of grudges behind her, the list of people who could want Helene dead includes her ex-bandmates, their former producer turned record label mogul, the TV presenter that Helene got fired - even their old roadie could be in on it. The only person who isn’t a suspect is Delia Lispector, the Blue Tit’s bass player who has already been murdered…
Semi-retired god of rock guitar and local poseur Erik Make Loud has got himself a new girlfriend. Helene Hilditch – formerly known as Howlin’ Hellbitch – of all-girl punk outfit Blue Tits is a mean guitarist, someone is trying to kill her.
With a rare pressing of their first album to find, the Vinyl Detective and Nevada are soon called into to help but this time the question is who isn’t a suspect. With a trail of grudges behind her, the list of people who could want Helene dead includes her ex-bandmates, their former producer turned record label mogul, the TV presenter that Helene got fired - even their old roadie could be in on it. The only person who isn’t a suspect is Delia Lispector, the Blue Tit’s bass player who has already been murdered…
496 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2020
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420 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
August 6, 2020
Andrew Cartmel's Vinyl Detective novels (this is the fifth) are a huge amount of fun. Low Action has a terrific opening line that put a smile on my face straight away, & that smile stayed in place throughout the novel.
Cartmel brings back many of the eccentric characters from his previous Vinyl Detective novels & introduces us to a whole range of amazing new ones.
The reader knows what they are going to get from an Andrew Cartmel story. Great characters, a great plot & comedy & drama in equal measure. An absolute delight to read, as always.
Cartmel brings back many of the eccentric characters from his previous Vinyl Detective novels & introduces us to a whole range of amazing new ones.
The reader knows what they are going to get from an Andrew Cartmel story. Great characters, a great plot & comedy & drama in equal measure. An absolute delight to read, as always.
October 17, 2020
The Vinyl Detective and his crew solve the mystery of who is trying to kill-off members of a defunct, but influential all female punk band. The series’ obligatory vinyl McGuffin being the band’s rare first, withdrawn album.
My dead pixels copy was a hefty 495 pages. It had a 2020 UK copyright.
Andrew Cartmel is a British novelist, and graphic novel author. He is the author of more than ten novels, including his The Vinyl Detective series. This is the fifth book in that series. The last book of his I read was The Vinyl Detective - Flip Back (The Vinyl Detective #4) (my review).
The original book in the series Written in Dead Wax (The Vinyl Detective, #1) (my review) was a moderately amusing, British, hipster, murder mystery. As the series gets long, the author is not-artfully becoming very formulaic. There’s always a record to look for. There’s always a band who someone is trying to kill one or all its members. The Met never gets involved in the murders. There's lots of cat-loving. The team swings into action, providing a cook's tour of London and nearby counties. There is always a public confession at the end.
There was a single POV; the protagonist's. That the hipster, protagonist continues to be unnamed had been a continuing source of amusement to me. It’s now getting tired. Please reveal him to be: Jasper, Nigel or even Evelyn! Prose was OK. Dialog heavy on the badinage was a bit better than descriptive prose. The protagonist’s sesquipedalian schtick can be tiresome; it was less pronounced in this book.
The Vinyl Detective was scrounging a living in domestic bliss with his GF (Nevada) and their two cats (Turk and Fanny). They're doing better with the gig economy than most I know. The Vinyl Detective team continues to have a very Scooby-Doo quality, with Nevada ‘Action Girl’, Tinkler ‘Stoner’, and Clean Head the female London cabbie ‘Driver’. In this book, Tinkler really wore thin on me. He should have been shot for his cluelessness. There was a bit of Nevada’s backstory revealed. It confirmed she’s a reformed Sloane.
I was horrified that a character of Ben Aaronovitch's (a renowned crony of the author) Rivers of London Series had a cameo in this story. (Catch her if you can!) I’m trying hard not to imagine a Rivers of London/Vinyl Detective crossover. Fortunately, there was no magic involved other than the Vinyl Detective's stupendous serendipity.
All the books in the series use a vinyl recording as a McGuffin. In this case, it’s a first issue and withdrawn recording of a Brit, all girl punk band from the 70’s. The band and their records disappeared with punk music in the mid-70's. I’m pretty sure this book’s band was based on The Slits . At the same time The Vinyl Detective starts hunting Metro-London for the disc, someone is trying to kill the surviving principals of the band. This story differs plot-wise from The Vinyl Detective - Flip Back only in that this book’s band was punk and not folk rock. Instead of the action being completely in London, Cartmel moves some of it out to boring Surrey.
As per usual, the story had a single, linear plotting and things were neatly tied-up at the end. The somewhat Engineered Public Confession at the end has become the author’s trademark.
I had a weak moment starting this book. It's total fluff. Its familiar fluff. I’m familiar with Putney (SW15) and environs. I like reading about the Vinyl Detective’s neighborhood. (There are not as many charity shops as the author alludes to.) The narrative reminds me of my own misspent, hipster, youth. I like reading about the music, even if the bands are thinly veiled versions of the real thing. I’m a bit of an audioholic like the protagonist too. I also got the book for free with Amazon digital dollars accumulated by postponing the gratification of instantaneous delivery. I just didn’t have anything else to read that didn’t require mental effort. I read this because I was looking for the easy way out of the pandemic-inspired reading doldrums. I should have dug deep into my iPad’s Kindle app and read ….
My dead pixels copy was a hefty 495 pages. It had a 2020 UK copyright.
Andrew Cartmel is a British novelist, and graphic novel author. He is the author of more than ten novels, including his The Vinyl Detective series. This is the fifth book in that series. The last book of his I read was The Vinyl Detective - Flip Back (The Vinyl Detective #4) (my review).
The original book in the series Written in Dead Wax (The Vinyl Detective, #1) (my review) was a moderately amusing, British, hipster, murder mystery. As the series gets long, the author is not-artfully becoming very formulaic. There’s always a record to look for. There’s always a band who someone is trying to kill one or all its members. The Met never gets involved in the murders. There's lots of cat-loving. The team swings into action, providing a cook's tour of London and nearby counties. There is always a public confession at the end.
There was a single POV; the protagonist's. That the hipster, protagonist continues to be unnamed had been a continuing source of amusement to me. It’s now getting tired. Please reveal him to be: Jasper, Nigel or even Evelyn! Prose was OK. Dialog heavy on the badinage was a bit better than descriptive prose. The protagonist’s sesquipedalian schtick can be tiresome; it was less pronounced in this book.
The Vinyl Detective was scrounging a living in domestic bliss with his GF (Nevada) and their two cats (Turk and Fanny). They're doing better with the gig economy than most I know. The Vinyl Detective team continues to have a very Scooby-Doo quality, with Nevada ‘Action Girl’, Tinkler ‘Stoner’, and Clean Head the female London cabbie ‘Driver’. In this book, Tinkler really wore thin on me. He should have been shot for his cluelessness. There was a bit of Nevada’s backstory revealed. It confirmed she’s a reformed Sloane.
I was horrified that a character of Ben Aaronovitch's (a renowned crony of the author) Rivers of London Series had a cameo in this story. (Catch her if you can!) I’m trying hard not to imagine a Rivers of London/Vinyl Detective crossover. Fortunately, there was no magic involved other than the Vinyl Detective's stupendous serendipity.
All the books in the series use a vinyl recording as a McGuffin. In this case, it’s a first issue and withdrawn recording of a Brit, all girl punk band from the 70’s. The band and their records disappeared with punk music in the mid-70's. I’m pretty sure this book’s band was based on The Slits . At the same time The Vinyl Detective starts hunting Metro-London for the disc, someone is trying to kill the surviving principals of the band. This story differs plot-wise from The Vinyl Detective - Flip Back only in that this book’s band was punk and not folk rock. Instead of the action being completely in London, Cartmel moves some of it out to boring Surrey.
As per usual, the story had a single, linear plotting and things were neatly tied-up at the end. The somewhat Engineered Public Confession at the end has become the author’s trademark.
I had a weak moment starting this book. It's total fluff. Its familiar fluff. I’m familiar with Putney (SW15) and environs. I like reading about the Vinyl Detective’s neighborhood. (There are not as many charity shops as the author alludes to.) The narrative reminds me of my own misspent, hipster, youth. I like reading about the music, even if the bands are thinly veiled versions of the real thing. I’m a bit of an audioholic like the protagonist too. I also got the book for free with Amazon digital dollars accumulated by postponing the gratification of instantaneous delivery. I just didn’t have anything else to read that didn’t require mental effort. I read this because I was looking for the easy way out of the pandemic-inspired reading doldrums. I should have dug deep into my iPad’s Kindle app and read ….
August 18, 2020
I really enjoyed this story, of course it’s complete far fetched but it’s such a romp. The female characters are always good in this, having hobbies and getting stuff done, they even got to use sledgehammers in this one.
July 4, 2021
Full review will follow later!
August 2, 2020
Possibly the best in the series so far. Clever, believable and as funny as ever. Keep 'em coming please!
August 8, 2020
This is the fifth volume in The Vinyl Detective series, and I found it to be as entertaining as the previous four. The central character, still unnamed, is a record collector but has developed a sideline as an actual detective. The stories usually revolve around the search for a record, which triggers a series of unfortunate events. Often murder. Usually murders. Plural.
There is a certain formula to them, but formulas do not matter if they are fine formulas done well. Every genre has its tropes, but tropes are not a bad thing in themselves. They are only problematic if they are not done well and Cartmel does them well.
This one starts a little differently. Helene Hilditch, formally Howlin’ Hellbitch the guitarist in the all-girl Punk band, The Blue Tits, has already had several attempts made on her life. Her boyfriend, Erik Make Loud, a rock guitarist and local associate of our hero gets The Vinyl Detective to start investigating using a rare first pressing of the Blue Tits first album as an excuse.
Helene seems to have made a lot of enemies over the years and finding the culprit will turn to be difficult. Cartmel does a fine job of laying trails, setting up red herrings, and introducing us to a cast of interesting characters before revealing who the potential killer is and why they are doing it. It is a fun journey.
We also get to meet the regulars and learning a little more about them. There is Nevada, The Vinyl Detective's wine-loving and charity shop clothes shopper extraordinaire girlfriend, who has a degree of martial nous lacking in our hero. Tinkler, his one-track-minded sexually frustrated sarcasm factory friend whose role seems to flirt badly with women and be a bit of a pain in the arse. There’s Stinky Stanmer, who is an annoying stealer of ideas and general dick. He seems to be an unavoidable presence and gossip. Agatha, their black cab driving ally and cat sitter. I think it is the regulars I enjoy the most in these books. You start wondering how irritating Stinky Stanmer is going to be this time around. We get to find out more about Nevada – and surely there is a "Nevada: The Early Years" spin-off somewhere in there Mr. Cartmel.
But character is what Cartmel does well. None of them are ever entirely clichés, even if that is how they first look, Tania Strack being a fine example in this novel. Indeed, I wonder if she will appear in a future novel.
So, if you are looking for an entertaining detective story with a slightly different vibe then Low Action might just be for you. And then you can go back and read the others. Low Action is standalone enough that you do not need to have read the previous four to enjoy it. There are not lots of esoteric references to previous stories, which means any of them can be your entry point.
This one is a good ‘un though.
There is a certain formula to them, but formulas do not matter if they are fine formulas done well. Every genre has its tropes, but tropes are not a bad thing in themselves. They are only problematic if they are not done well and Cartmel does them well.
This one starts a little differently. Helene Hilditch, formally Howlin’ Hellbitch the guitarist in the all-girl Punk band, The Blue Tits, has already had several attempts made on her life. Her boyfriend, Erik Make Loud, a rock guitarist and local associate of our hero gets The Vinyl Detective to start investigating using a rare first pressing of the Blue Tits first album as an excuse.
Helene seems to have made a lot of enemies over the years and finding the culprit will turn to be difficult. Cartmel does a fine job of laying trails, setting up red herrings, and introducing us to a cast of interesting characters before revealing who the potential killer is and why they are doing it. It is a fun journey.
We also get to meet the regulars and learning a little more about them. There is Nevada, The Vinyl Detective's wine-loving and charity shop clothes shopper extraordinaire girlfriend, who has a degree of martial nous lacking in our hero. Tinkler, his one-track-minded sexually frustrated sarcasm factory friend whose role seems to flirt badly with women and be a bit of a pain in the arse. There’s Stinky Stanmer, who is an annoying stealer of ideas and general dick. He seems to be an unavoidable presence and gossip. Agatha, their black cab driving ally and cat sitter. I think it is the regulars I enjoy the most in these books. You start wondering how irritating Stinky Stanmer is going to be this time around. We get to find out more about Nevada – and surely there is a "Nevada: The Early Years" spin-off somewhere in there Mr. Cartmel.
But character is what Cartmel does well. None of them are ever entirely clichés, even if that is how they first look, Tania Strack being a fine example in this novel. Indeed, I wonder if she will appear in a future novel.
So, if you are looking for an entertaining detective story with a slightly different vibe then Low Action might just be for you. And then you can go back and read the others. Low Action is standalone enough that you do not need to have read the previous four to enjoy it. There are not lots of esoteric references to previous stories, which means any of them can be your entry point.
This one is a good ‘un though.
August 31, 2020
Another great entry in the Vinyl Detective series by Andrew Cartmel. This time, the Vinyl Detective (VD does not seem like an appropriate abbreviation) and Nevada dive into the UK punk scene on the trail of the ultra-rare debut album by the all-girl punk pioneers the Blue Tits. All of the gang are here and we find out about Nevada's background prior to meeting Mr. Detective. The Blue Tits have more than a passing resemblance to the Sex Pistols and also can't resist swearing on live TV.
As with all of these books - the combination of mystery, music and humor is impossible to put down and not enjoy. I wish the Blue Tits well in their comeback and can't wait for the next appearance of the Vinyl Detective and Nevada.
One of the blurbs for this book is by Ben Aarononovitch: "All the energy and menace of a a punk gig circa 1976". I heartily agree and would only add "and without the bruises, gobbing and physical mayhem the we all went happily went through"!
As with all of these books - the combination of mystery, music and humor is impossible to put down and not enjoy. I wish the Blue Tits well in their comeback and can't wait for the next appearance of the Vinyl Detective and Nevada.
One of the blurbs for this book is by Ben Aarononovitch: "All the energy and menace of a a punk gig circa 1976". I heartily agree and would only add "and without the bruises, gobbing and physical mayhem the we all went happily went through"!
August 15, 2020
What a discovery! It's a highly enjoyable and engrossing story that kept me hooked.
I had a lot of fun and want to read the other stories in this series.
The music part was a fascinating addition and I liked to read about punk and the age of Sex Pistols.
The narrator did an excellent job in telling the story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC all opinions are mine.
I had a lot of fun and want to read the other stories in this series.
The music part was a fascinating addition and I liked to read about punk and the age of Sex Pistols.
The narrator did an excellent job in telling the story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC all opinions are mine.
August 14, 2021
More Vinyl Detective, Please
Are there going to be more books in this series, I hope? Do Tinkler and Agatha ever get together? Although there are only so many times in one series you can have a person in a band suspected of killing off the others. :( C’mon, Mr. Cartmel. More, please!
Are there going to be more books in this series, I hope? Do Tinkler and Agatha ever get together? Although there are only so many times in one series you can have a person in a band suspected of killing off the others. :( C’mon, Mr. Cartmel. More, please!
September 28, 2020
Wah tetap menyenangkan membaca series ini. Twist akhir cerita juga memikat. Hmm walau nampaknya porsi detektif disini lebih besar sehingga eksplorasi musik menjadi prioritas ke sekian. Atau karena LP musik punk yang dicari —dan ini bukan jenis musik favorit sang detektif?
March 14, 2021
Another fun romp of a read.
May 15, 2022
Superb!
November 6, 2023
The fifth book in The Vinyl Detective series. Fun and entertaining.
August 7, 2025
This series is so much fun! I have now read the first and the fifth and it holds up well.
August 4, 2021
Another great read about our nameless hero and his lovely partner Nevada, this time they go punk and the twists and turns are many. Fantastic looking forward to the next
August 15, 2020
A bit disappointing. Some of the characters are hardening into shtick. I know the idea in this kind of series is that everyone does their bit when they appear for that comforting-old-sweater feeling, but parts of it feel lazy. Decent punk-era atmospherics, but for my money his swing-band novel, Victory Disc, is his best.
May 19, 2021
Moving into the fifth book of this series and the pace is constant, the humor is tight, and each new character a key ingredient to a successful plot. Women will hate, then love, then hate again Erik Make Loud. I could see him in Twisted Sister and laughed with each of his scenes. If Andrew Cartmel has only a hundred more books in this series, we'll have to keep him on life support for a hundred after that. I can't wait for the next one.
Read
September 21, 2020Weakest in the series. 100 pages too long, and lacking the charm or set-pieces of the other books, which makes it difficult to overlook the fact that Tinker is basically a sex-pest and that our eponymous hero isn’t particularly discerning in who he hangs out with.
July 6, 2022
I hope there’s a number 6 on the way!
August 9, 2020
Overall, I think Low Action is the best book in the Vinyl Detective series so far. It has all the the things that made the previous books so enjoyable (cats, humour, music nerdiness, cats, coffee, quirky characters, cats) while at the same time improving on the one outstanding criticism I had with them: believability.
With bodies dropping left and right during what usually starts out as the hunt for a rare record, the lackluster explanations on why the police never gets involved were almost exhausting and called for massive suspension of disbelief. And while not all explanations and reasonings might be completely airtight, Cartmel makes more of an effort this time and what's going on mostly makes sense.
On top of that, there is a shift from the Vinyl Detective (we still don't know his name) being hired as a record hunter to actually being hired in the capacity of solving a potential crime, with the hunt for a record just being a secondary objective to get him to take the job. In short, he is hired by Helene Hilditch, former member of the short-lived but rather successful Punk band The Blue Tits and Erik Make Loud's new girlfriend, to investigate what she and Erik suspect to be attempts on her life. Since the police don't seem to believe that this is the case, they turn to the Vinyl Detective and his partner/girlfriend Nevada.
What follows is an investigation with many twists and turns and the plot actually kept me guessing right until the end, although it was entirely possible to figure out the solution much earlier. I also liked that there is no artificial drama this time, although I wish Cartmel would dial it back a bit regarding Tinkler, who is once again his childishly annoying, idiotic and borderline pedophile self. Honestly, the guy is way more infuriating than he is funny and I wonder why the VD and Nevada haven't already clubbed him over the head and fed him to their cats. But apart from that, the book is fun as always and even a little more so than it's predecessors.
Also, thumbs up for Cartmel's nod to his buddy Ben Aaronovitch with a small yet noticalble Rivers of London cameo.
With bodies dropping left and right during what usually starts out as the hunt for a rare record, the lackluster explanations on why the police never gets involved were almost exhausting and called for massive suspension of disbelief. And while not all explanations and reasonings might be completely airtight, Cartmel makes more of an effort this time and what's going on mostly makes sense.
On top of that, there is a shift from the Vinyl Detective (we still don't know his name) being hired as a record hunter to actually being hired in the capacity of solving a potential crime, with the hunt for a record just being a secondary objective to get him to take the job. In short, he is hired by Helene Hilditch, former member of the short-lived but rather successful Punk band The Blue Tits and Erik Make Loud's new girlfriend, to investigate what she and Erik suspect to be attempts on her life. Since the police don't seem to believe that this is the case, they turn to the Vinyl Detective and his partner/girlfriend Nevada.
What follows is an investigation with many twists and turns and the plot actually kept me guessing right until the end, although it was entirely possible to figure out the solution much earlier. I also liked that there is no artificial drama this time, although I wish Cartmel would dial it back a bit regarding Tinkler, who is once again his childishly annoying, idiotic and borderline pedophile self. Honestly, the guy is way more infuriating than he is funny and I wonder why the VD and Nevada haven't already clubbed him over the head and fed him to their cats. But apart from that, the book is fun as always and even a little more so than it's predecessors.
Also, thumbs up for Cartmel's nod to his buddy Ben Aaronovitch with a small yet noticalble Rivers of London cameo.
August 11, 2020
The fact that the newest Vinyl Detective novel came at such a perfect time that it’s the book that finished off my reading goal for the year is maybe the best thing that’s happened to me in weeks.
I’ve always loved this series, and I always will. It’s high energy, it’s hilarious, and it’s extremely well written, and Low Action is no exception. I’ve been looking forward to this installment in the VD franchise since I found out it was going to center around punk music, and it certainly didn’t let me down. I mean, come on — I knew it was going to be good when it name checked Poly Styrene within the first thirty pages. And like all the VD books before it, the ending came out of absolutely nowhere, but fit rather well with the buildup surrounding it. I love when a book can surprise in that Agatha Christie kind of way.
And the characters in this book are just spectacular. Nevada and Agatha are two of my favorite female characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading (and I maintain that Gail Ann Dorsey should play the latter if this ever gets adapted for the screen), and every book brings around a new cast of characters that are wildly interesting. The Blue Tits reminded me so much of The Slits, and to center the story around a female punk band just makes my little feminist heart sing. I loved the clear send-up of the Pistols on the Bill Grundy show in the 70s, and the phrase “Goat Aid” is not one I was expecting to read, but I’m hilariously amused that I did. Five stars all around, as per usual.
And as someone who used to live in Roehampton and travel via public transit, all the shade about the Hammersmith Bridge being closed is deeply, deeply appreciated.
I’ve always loved this series, and I always will. It’s high energy, it’s hilarious, and it’s extremely well written, and Low Action is no exception. I’ve been looking forward to this installment in the VD franchise since I found out it was going to center around punk music, and it certainly didn’t let me down. I mean, come on — I knew it was going to be good when it name checked Poly Styrene within the first thirty pages. And like all the VD books before it, the ending came out of absolutely nowhere, but fit rather well with the buildup surrounding it. I love when a book can surprise in that Agatha Christie kind of way.
And the characters in this book are just spectacular. Nevada and Agatha are two of my favorite female characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading (and I maintain that Gail Ann Dorsey should play the latter if this ever gets adapted for the screen), and every book brings around a new cast of characters that are wildly interesting. The Blue Tits reminded me so much of The Slits, and to center the story around a female punk band just makes my little feminist heart sing. I loved the clear send-up of the Pistols on the Bill Grundy show in the 70s, and the phrase “Goat Aid” is not one I was expecting to read, but I’m hilariously amused that I did. Five stars all around, as per usual.
And as someone who used to live in Roehampton and travel via public transit, all the shade about the Hammersmith Bridge being closed is deeply, deeply appreciated.
August 20, 2023
The title of this entry into the Vinyl Detective series is explained at the very end of the book: "Low action means the strings are close to the fretboard. ... You go from one note, from one string, to another faster because you don't have any return or release lag to worry about." I suppose this is supposed to be a metaphor for, or describe a theme in this investigation, but I felt like this one paced along about the same as the others I've read. Which isn't to say it is bad -- I actually enjoy the pace of these mysteries quite a bit. In this one, former members of an all-girl punk band are targeted by a mystery killer (and oh yeah, he's on the hunt for the recalled first pressing of their first album). Cartmel goes with the obfuscation/red herring method in his books, introducing so many characters and so many possible motives, that it makes your head spin, and you can't really focus on any one of them, then he eliminates them one by one. These are a little too edgy to call them "cozy" mysteries, though the menace level is very low, which I like. Although I have to say, I read this one almost on the heels of the previous one, and I feel like it was a bit too soon. I'm feeling a bit overdosed on VD. Which doesn't sound good, but that's what it is. I think I have one more to go, and then I don't know if there will be any more. I do enjoy them though. I recommended the series to a coworker who seems to be a bit of an audiophile. Not sure if they were a reader, but if they don't pick it up, they are missing out!
September 2, 2020
Re Audible edition.
A very easy listen and a great companion on commute and long walks over the past week.
I'm not a record collector - but through building and organising my library of physical books, ebooks and audio books over the years I have some sense of the outward nerdiness of the true obsessive collector, I can also appreciate the inner joy that the collector experiences when enjoying or adding to their collections. The true enthusiast - the one whose obsession brings real and heartfelt happiness - is usually far from being a nerd - they are in fact some of the coolest people on the planet.
The Vinyl Detective is one such true enthusiast. He is a true record geek whose trawls of second hand stores and record fairs are a major feature of each of the 5 novels to date. But far from being the conventional anorak loner his interests have helped him to build a series of wonderful relationships with a fascinating bunch of characters
The crime mysteries that the Vinyl Detective becomes embroiled in all have a music connection - and enough twists, turns and red-herrings to keep the reader fascinated. But in the end they are fairly standard "Midsommer Murder" type of crime stories. However it is the characters that provide the colour - and invariably each book provides one or two new additions to the stable.
I look forward to book 6 to see which of the "Blue Tits" ends up in a recurring role.
A very easy listen and a great companion on commute and long walks over the past week.
I'm not a record collector - but through building and organising my library of physical books, ebooks and audio books over the years I have some sense of the outward nerdiness of the true obsessive collector, I can also appreciate the inner joy that the collector experiences when enjoying or adding to their collections. The true enthusiast - the one whose obsession brings real and heartfelt happiness - is usually far from being a nerd - they are in fact some of the coolest people on the planet.
The Vinyl Detective is one such true enthusiast. He is a true record geek whose trawls of second hand stores and record fairs are a major feature of each of the 5 novels to date. But far from being the conventional anorak loner his interests have helped him to build a series of wonderful relationships with a fascinating bunch of characters
The crime mysteries that the Vinyl Detective becomes embroiled in all have a music connection - and enough twists, turns and red-herrings to keep the reader fascinated. But in the end they are fairly standard "Midsommer Murder" type of crime stories. However it is the characters that provide the colour - and invariably each book provides one or two new additions to the stable.
I look forward to book 6 to see which of the "Blue Tits" ends up in a recurring role.
November 28, 2020
I enjoyed this latest Vinyl Detective story, I 'Liked it' but-for me-it didn't reach the heights of earliest instalments in the series. I felt a nagging desire for something more.
On the one hand, it seems churlish to object to being given another helping of what has made the series so entertaining. The host of returning characters certainly 'played up' in their well-loved fashion, but it was the new elements that stood proud of the rest, for me: the 'punk' angle-a female punk band no less-was refreshing; the fan club aspect too. The chief delight, I thought, was the introduction of a certain older character known to one of our protagonists, very nicely done.
On the other hand, on occasion I found my thoughts drifting in other directions, to areas that are largely untouched. It's becoming downright improbable that our hero never encounters any officers of the law, or really anyone in authority, really. And what about young people, are there any left? I would just love to see the LP Sleuth take on the travails of a boy-band, for example, or a talent show winner perhaps; anyone with a career in music that was still active, basically. (Okay, I know earlier episodes have touched on that, lightly.)
I'll turn up for the next episode, of course I will, but I might retain that hankering for something outside the box.
On the one hand, it seems churlish to object to being given another helping of what has made the series so entertaining. The host of returning characters certainly 'played up' in their well-loved fashion, but it was the new elements that stood proud of the rest, for me: the 'punk' angle-a female punk band no less-was refreshing; the fan club aspect too. The chief delight, I thought, was the introduction of a certain older character known to one of our protagonists, very nicely done.
On the other hand, on occasion I found my thoughts drifting in other directions, to areas that are largely untouched. It's becoming downright improbable that our hero never encounters any officers of the law, or really anyone in authority, really. And what about young people, are there any left? I would just love to see the LP Sleuth take on the travails of a boy-band, for example, or a talent show winner perhaps; anyone with a career in music that was still active, basically. (Okay, I know earlier episodes have touched on that, lightly.)
I'll turn up for the next episode, of course I will, but I might retain that hankering for something outside the box.
April 17, 2025
This 5th book is possibly the most fun entry in the series since the first one. (Have I said that before?) One of our heroes would love to spend all his time searching for rare and valuable vinyl, the other in thrift shops finding fashion values she can pass on - at a much higher price than she paid, of course. Instead, they and their eccentric friends constantly find themselves involved in solving - and attempting to avoid being victims of - often-bizarre murders.
In this story they get involved in the world of punk music, a far cry from our hero's beloved jazz. The plot is wild and the writing clever, with a good dose of humor - not a surprise from a screenwriter known for his work on Dr. Who and Midsomer Murders. Of course it has some of Cartmel's usual, shall we say, moments of inattention (the characters', not the authors - "Oh come on, they know how dangerous it is, they'd at least be looking around") but it's easy to overlook in all the fun.
I would recommend starting at the beginning, with Written in Dead Wax, though this book would be enjoyable as a stand-alone. All of the entries are fun, to varying degrees. And you don't have to be a vinyl nerd to enjoy them, but it certainly adds a lot to the fun if you are.
In this story they get involved in the world of punk music, a far cry from our hero's beloved jazz. The plot is wild and the writing clever, with a good dose of humor - not a surprise from a screenwriter known for his work on Dr. Who and Midsomer Murders. Of course it has some of Cartmel's usual, shall we say, moments of inattention (the characters', not the authors - "Oh come on, they know how dangerous it is, they'd at least be looking around") but it's easy to overlook in all the fun.
I would recommend starting at the beginning, with Written in Dead Wax, though this book would be enjoyable as a stand-alone. All of the entries are fun, to varying degrees. And you don't have to be a vinyl nerd to enjoy them, but it certainly adds a lot to the fun if you are.
March 15, 2022
This is my review of the story as read by Finlay Robertson on Audible.
The Vinyl Detective's friends Erik Make Loud and Helene Hilditch are subject to murder attempts, all of which appear innocent until investigated. The Vinyl Detective and Nevada are asked to help as well as find the recording of their first record.
Once again a top notch mystery. A fun engaging ride through Christie-style clues (I'm a fan of) and background to the record industry which I've no knowledge or real interest in. And yet it grabs my attention which is a mark of Cartmell's good writing.
Not gritty, but who cares when it's so much fun, with suspects coming from everywhere - music industry, TV industry, even Helene's school as a child.
As I'm listening to this on an audio book, a word about the narrator. He does a brilliant job of holding my attention.
At least until halfway through. Then it becomes stretched, not enough material for the length. But it picks up again for the ending. Note to self, when Nevada's mum appears, it's ok to skip to chapter 28 and pick up the story there. And then it becomes a riveting read. 7/10.
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.
The Vinyl Detective's friends Erik Make Loud and Helene Hilditch are subject to murder attempts, all of which appear innocent until investigated. The Vinyl Detective and Nevada are asked to help as well as find the recording of their first record.
Once again a top notch mystery. A fun engaging ride through Christie-style clues (I'm a fan of) and background to the record industry which I've no knowledge or real interest in. And yet it grabs my attention which is a mark of Cartmell's good writing.
Not gritty, but who cares when it's so much fun, with suspects coming from everywhere - music industry, TV industry, even Helene's school as a child.
As I'm listening to this on an audio book, a word about the narrator. He does a brilliant job of holding my attention.
At least until halfway through. Then it becomes stretched, not enough material for the length. But it picks up again for the ending. Note to self, when Nevada's mum appears, it's ok to skip to chapter 28 and pick up the story there. And then it becomes a riveting read. 7/10.
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.
January 4, 2022
What I thought was the end
When I finished reading book 4 on December 7th of 2021, I was hesitant to start book 5 knowing, from publication dates, that it was the last in the series.
Imagine my surprise as I started to gather my thoughts for this review I found that a 6th book is scheduled for release on 5/17/22 a day shy of my 70th birthday celebration. Huh...
But, I degress.
Andrew Cartmel now has us so familiar with his characters that some people will seek to find flaws in their behavior. I, am not one of those people. This series has been a joy right from the start. Andrew built on our familiarity with his characters to put them in jeopardy and then found clever ways for them to exonerate themselves.
If you've read this far it's evident that your as much a fan as am I. So, go. Buy this 5th book and read it and then... wait patiently with me for book 6 due out in May of 2022.
When I finished reading book 4 on December 7th of 2021, I was hesitant to start book 5 knowing, from publication dates, that it was the last in the series.
Imagine my surprise as I started to gather my thoughts for this review I found that a 6th book is scheduled for release on 5/17/22 a day shy of my 70th birthday celebration. Huh...
But, I degress.
Andrew Cartmel now has us so familiar with his characters that some people will seek to find flaws in their behavior. I, am not one of those people. This series has been a joy right from the start. Andrew built on our familiarity with his characters to put them in jeopardy and then found clever ways for them to exonerate themselves.
If you've read this far it's evident that your as much a fan as am I. So, go. Buy this 5th book and read it and then... wait patiently with me for book 6 due out in May of 2022.
August 26, 2022
I enjoyed the first one of this series and happened to come across this (#5) on BorrowBox. It’s easy listening crime, with some funny bits - like a storage unit being described as ‘ divine - like a multi-story car park, but with less charm’ Or maybe more charm? That’s the problem with audiobooks - it’s difficult to flip to the page you want to find a quote.
As usual, the sort is narrated by the Vinyl Detective himself - a man who locates rare records for his clients, but also ends up solving crimes along the way.
The story was ok, the characters a bit stereotypical, but fine for all that. Cliché is what makes some things easy to consume.
My only real gripe was the weird pronunciation of some words by the man reading the book, for example, “Percy-phone” said in all seriousness, rather than “Per-seff-oh-knee”
I probably wouldn’t buy the books, but definitely worth borrowing from the library
As usual, the sort is narrated by the Vinyl Detective himself - a man who locates rare records for his clients, but also ends up solving crimes along the way.
The story was ok, the characters a bit stereotypical, but fine for all that. Cliché is what makes some things easy to consume.
My only real gripe was the weird pronunciation of some words by the man reading the book, for example, “Percy-phone” said in all seriousness, rather than “Per-seff-oh-knee”
I probably wouldn’t buy the books, but definitely worth borrowing from the library
November 4, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed book 5, definitely more than book 4 which was a rough patch.
I felt more could have probably been done with Penny. When she shows up and we get some of Nevada’s backstory, I genuinely felt very excited. It unfortunately did feel like it had so much more potential.
Tinkler did slightly have some creepy moments within this book, namely in the all girls school pieces. I would love to see him have some character development other than just a horny stoner.
If I could ask for anything as well, I would love if more dots could be connected by the end. I feel we see the VD suddenly accusing the perpetrator out of nowhere and a confession comes out with ease. In this case it was because the woman had costumes and was an electrician who somehow got to know the farmer. The confession part did feel very rushed.
Part of the end section could have been chopped out. The VD giving out disinformation which he has to backtrack to stop Stinky Starmer proved unnecessary.
I felt more could have probably been done with Penny. When she shows up and we get some of Nevada’s backstory, I genuinely felt very excited. It unfortunately did feel like it had so much more potential.
Tinkler did slightly have some creepy moments within this book, namely in the all girls school pieces. I would love to see him have some character development other than just a horny stoner.
If I could ask for anything as well, I would love if more dots could be connected by the end. I feel we see the VD suddenly accusing the perpetrator out of nowhere and a confession comes out with ease. In this case it was because the woman had costumes and was an electrician who somehow got to know the farmer. The confession part did feel very rushed.
Part of the end section could have been chopped out. The VD giving out disinformation which he has to backtrack to stop Stinky Starmer proved unnecessary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2021
I had strongly considered taking the off-ramp from The Vinyl Detective saga after book 4, but was a) in the mood for another silly romp, b) intrigued by the mention of a cameo by a character from the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, which I follow ardently.
If you're considering book 5 for reason b, you can skip it. It happens, it's brief enough that if you yawn while listening to the audiobook you could miss it, changing nothing about the story. But it is another fun romp with our unnamed hipster protagonist and his girlfriend, Nevada. For what it's worth, I think Cartmel might be attempting to pivot the Vinyl Detective to simply Detective with this novel, which might open up more possibilities for further volumes. If the author writes another, I probably won't pre-order, but I will look at reviews and consider grabbing it.
If you're considering book 5 for reason b, you can skip it. It happens, it's brief enough that if you yawn while listening to the audiobook you could miss it, changing nothing about the story. But it is another fun romp with our unnamed hipster protagonist and his girlfriend, Nevada. For what it's worth, I think Cartmel might be attempting to pivot the Vinyl Detective to simply Detective with this novel, which might open up more possibilities for further volumes. If the author writes another, I probably won't pre-order, but I will look at reviews and consider grabbing it.
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