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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I trust H.R.F. Keating's judgment when it comes to crime fiction. The man is clearly enamoured of the genre (much like my impression of [a:P.D. James|344522|P.D. James|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1245013536p2/344522.jpg] after reading [b:Talking About Detective Fiction|9422694|Talking About Detective Fiction|P.D. James|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1314653487s/9422694.jpg|7220262]) and you don't get to review crime fiction for The Times if your opinion is a bit shit.
Upon reading his synopses and opinions in this book I decided to attempt to read them all. Over the course of my life, not this week. If ever there was a respected list to educate the casual fan of the crime genre then this is it.
If anyone is interested in the format etc it is as follows:
A foreword by the Queen of Suspense [a:Patricia Highsmith|7622|Patricia Highsmith|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1217411179p2/7622.jpg]
An introduction to the rules of the list by the author
A chronological journey from [b:Tales of Mystery and Imagination|156152|Tales of Mystery and Imagination|Edgar Allan Poe|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172261666s/156152.jpg|1341235] in 1845 through to [b:A Taste For Death|3830|A Taste For Death (Adam Dalgliesh, #7)|P.D. James|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320556145s/3830.jpg|1807620] in 1986 (the year before this list was published)
An added bonus of book 101 by the publisher promoting the new novel from Mr Keating [b:The Murder of the Maharajah|310769|The Murder of the Maharajah (Inspector Ghote, #12)|H.R.F. Keating|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1318158449s/310769.jpg|301699]
Obviously there's a lot of time between 1986 to the present day and there's bound to be a few select pieces of excellent crime fiction released in that period but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Upon reading his synopses and opinions in this book I decided to attempt to read them all. Over the course of my life, not this week. If ever there was a respected list to educate the casual fan of the crime genre then this is it.
If anyone is interested in the format etc it is as follows:
A foreword by the Queen of Suspense [a:Patricia Highsmith|7622|Patricia Highsmith|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1217411179p2/7622.jpg]
An introduction to the rules of the list by the author
A chronological journey from [b:Tales of Mystery and Imagination|156152|Tales of Mystery and Imagination|Edgar Allan Poe|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172261666s/156152.jpg|1341235] in 1845 through to [b:A Taste For Death|3830|A Taste For Death (Adam Dalgliesh, #7)|P.D. James|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320556145s/3830.jpg|1807620] in 1986 (the year before this list was published)
An added bonus of book 101 by the publisher promoting the new novel from Mr Keating [b:The Murder of the Maharajah|310769|The Murder of the Maharajah (Inspector Ghote, #12)|H.R.F. Keating|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1318158449s/310769.jpg|301699]
Obviously there's a lot of time between 1986 to the present day and there's bound to be a few select pieces of excellent crime fiction released in that period but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
H. R. F. Keating's Crime & Mystery: The One Hunderd Best Books (1987) gives mystery readers his highly authoritative list of the best in crime and mystery fiction to that date. Is it a subjective list--of course. Any list of the best of anything is going to be subjective. But Keating is a well-respected mystery author in his own right as well as a critic for The Times and has a pretty fair knowledge of the genre. We may quibble over the lack of one of our favorites or the submission of a novel of which we just can't quite see the value, but over-all mystery fans should be pleased with Keating's offerings. The most useful part of this collection goes beyond the list itself. Keating gives each selection a two-page synopsis--making the case for its place on the list as well as whetting the appetites of those who have not yet read these books. I was pleased to see how many of these novels I have already read and how many I would probably include on my own "Best of" list. A reference book that every mystery lover should want on their shelves. Four stars.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.