This week I tackled Grady Hendrix’ latest, ‘Witchcraft for Wayward Girls’. It’s not out until January, so I won’t be posting my full review until then, but I did enjoy it a lot. It’s far from perfect, but it does some things extraordinarily well.
Last weekend I attend the Fatal Shore crime fiction event which was running locally to me. It was a really great day, a number of different panels with a host of crime writers (many new to me) talking about their craft and the genre. Fascinating stuff and I managed to leave with only 1 book, which took enormous willpower.
Cheerio!
Books I’ve Read This Week
What We Talk About When We Talk About Crime by Jennifer Fleetwood
A very engagingly written short book on the way crime is discussed in modern society. It examines a number of high profile cases, mostly ones from the UK, that illustrates various aspects of this. Myra Hindley, Prince Andrew and Shamima Begum may seem like strange bedfellows, but there is something to learn from each of their brushes with the legal system.
The central argument is that personal testimony is hugely important in helping us understand crime, but that it always needs to be considered carefully. Jennifer Fleetwood lays this out clearly and effectively, with a very accessible writing style that persuades rather than bludgeons the reader. The book often feels like a conversation with a smart and informed friend, rather than an academic text. Recommended.
Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by MC Beaton
Book 2 in the Agatha Raisin series is just as much cosy fun as the first. This time around Agatha is investigating the death of a dishy vet. It’s silly and a bit dated at times but still diverting and entertaining reading.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Did this book need to be nearly 500 pages long? No, it did not.
Is it a bit messy at times? Yes, it is, and the horror/supernatural elements don’t always feel perfectly integrated with the rest of the book.
BUT DAMN IS IT AN EMOTIONAL RIDE. Despite its flaws I really kind of loved it. And it made me cry, FFS.
Full review on the channel nearer release date.
CriminOlly 
Hi Olly
With November’s tie-in/novelization month nearly upon us and because you are a big fan of the 87th Precinct series, I have to ask if you have read any of the Dragnet tie-in books because McBain was very much influenced by the Dragnet radio/tv program.
I’ve read most of the Dragnet tie-ins and the best are the two written by Richard Deming;: “The Case of the Curious Killer” and the “Case of the Crime King.” Both have the flavor of Webb’s program, do a good job with characterizing Joe Friday and Frank Smith and are certainly decent procedurals in their own right. There are parallels to the 87th in these books, including the pacing of some of the dialog. And both read as if you were listening to or watching the original Dragnet programs.
There are other Dragnet tie-ins, too. Richard Prather, the author of the Shell Scott series, wrote one that is pretty good although it is more Prather than Webb. Deming also did a book of Dragnet short stories that are okay but I like the novels better.
While there is a recognizable link to the 87thi in Deming’s books, I offer as a caveat the fact that as a kid I watched the original Dragnet series on television so have the advantage of remembering the program seen on the small screen televisions of the day.
Deming was a prolific writer of crime fiction. I have read several of his standalones and a number of his Manville Mann novelas and novels. Mann is a one-legged PI, but Deming doesn’t use that as a gimmick. He also wrote a number of tie-ins based on the Starsky and Hutch and Mod Squad tv series, which I have not read — yet.
I am enjoying your Plain Dealer, it is great to have everything in one place, and I hope that you continue them.
Mike in Kalamazoo.
Hi Mike,
I haven’t read any of those, but they do sound interesting, I’ll have to see if I can track any down. I haven’t read any Deming at all, but there are a couple of digital collections of his stories so I might pick those up and give him a try.
Glad you’re enjoying the Plain Dealer! I thought it would be handy for people to have a weekly digest.
Cheerio,
Olly
Hi Olly
I see that Kobo has both Deming Dragnets available. I’d suggest starting with one of the Manville Mann novelas (Kobo has a number of those, too) because they are shorter than a novel but longer than a short story which allows Deming to stretch out the plot more.
take care.
Mike
Mike