Next week Evan Lewis will gather links. Thanks!
Patti Abbott, November by Georges Simenon (from 2010)
Thi
s is one of Simenon’s standalones, which I generally prefer to the more formulaic Maigrets. A French family lives comfortably, if claustrophobically, outside of town. The first person narrator is twenty-one and works at the local hospital as a research assistant. She’s having a rather prosaic affair with her employer, an older scientist. Her younger brother is taking classes at the local college, majoring in chemistry.
s is one of Simenon’s standalones, which I generally prefer to the more formulaic Maigrets. A French family lives comfortably, if claustrophobically, outside of town. The first person narrator is twenty-one and works at the local hospital as a research assistant. She’s having a rather prosaic affair with her employer, an older scientist. Her younger brother is taking classes at the local college, majoring in chemistry.
The two siblings live with their parents in a state of constant tension. The mother is an alcoholic, and goes on binges that the rest of the family calls ‘novenas’. Her behavior seems to date from the beginning of her marriage and has almost a formal structure to it. The tension of her behavior is palpable throughout the story.
A newly hired maid, a sexually obliging sort of girl, Manuela from Spain, brings some needed air into this hothouse. Both father and son begin sleeping with her. Neither is satisfied with this arrangement.
When Manuela disappears. it is unclear what has happened and the ambiguity will either intrigue or annoy you. The ending is surprising, yet fitting. This was not my favorite Simenon and yet it succeeded in keeping my interest. Short novels stand a better chance of doing that.
Sergio Angelini, ORACLE NIGHT, Paul Auster
Mark Baker, MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN'S NECKLACE, Kathryn Kenny
Joe Barone, DEATH ALONG THE SPIRIT ROAD C.M. Wendelboe
Bill Crider, THE TALL T, Elmore Leonard
Martin Edwards, TOP STOREY MURDER, Anthony Berkley
Curt Evans, THE INTRUSIVE TOURIST, Mrs. Baillie Reynolds
Ray Garraty, THE SOUR LEMON SCORE, Richard Stark
Ed Gorman, Forotten author: John O'Hara
Jerry House, THE EUREKA YEARS Annette Pelz McComas
Randy Johnson, NIGHT AND THE CITY, Gerald Kersh
Nick Jones. FIFTY-TWO PICKUP, Elmore Leonard
George Kelley, THE AMPHIBIANS AND THE WORLD BELOW, Sl. Fowler Wright
Margot Kinbert, THE MESSENGER FROM ATHENS, Anne Zaroudi
Kate Laity, IN A LONELY PLACE, Dorothy B. Hughes
B.V. Lawson,MALCOLM SAGE, DETECTIVE, Herbert Jenkins
Evan Lewis, CONAN AND THE EMERALD LOTUS, John C.Hocking
Steve Lewis/William Deeck, THE DEATH OF THE KING'S CANARY, Dylan Thomas and John Davenport
Todd Mason, THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, 1964, edited by Avram Davidson
J.F. Norris, THE CRIPPLED MUSE, Hugh Wheeler
James Reasoner, MASKED INVASION, Curtis Steele
Kelly Robinson, CARMILLA, J.S. Le Fanu
Richard Robinson, THE STRANGE FILES OF FREMONT JONES, Dianne Day
Gerard Saylor, BEETHOVEN CONSPIRACY, Thomas Hauser
Ron Scheer, GUN MAN, Loren D. Estleman
Michael Slind, THE COLORADO KID, Stephen King
Kerrie Smith, MURDER BY THE BOOK, Jennifer Rowe
Kevin Tipple, BLACK WINGS HAS MY ANGEL, Elliott Chaze
TomCat, DEATH OF A NURSE, Ed McBain
7 comments:
So many books, so little time.
I have a book up over at my other site.
Please add my link to the list:
http://longwalkwithbooks.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-sour-lemon-score.html
I'm unfamiliar with this particular Simenon, but the father/son/maid triangle sounds like a movie thriller plot.
I'll be visiting the other entries. See everybody there!
I have NOVEMBER but haven't read it yet. I wouldn't say I prefer the standalones to the Maigrets, however.
I agree John O'Hara should not be as forgotten as he is. He was one of the great short story writers.
Jeff M.
Really enjoyed the review of this Simenon as it's not one I've come across - look forward to changing that, thanks Patti.
Mine just went up, Patti.
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