Humorous cosy-crime caper from the author of the beloved, bestselling Vinyl Detective series in which a feisty, amoral book dealer uses her unique skills to solve fiendish crimes, A love letter to Agatha Christie murder mysteries and classic whodunnits.
When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict—the “Commando” novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider—it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.
The books’ creator—real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk—proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn’t come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.
Too authentic, it turns out…
Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission.
At the time the mission was top secret.
And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so.
“Tightly plotted and hugely enjoyable. I raced to the end to find out whodunnit.” Nev Fountain, author of The Fan Who Knew Too Much
“Packed with Andrew Cartmel's customary wit and cleverness, the Paperback Sleuth novels make a splendid successor to the Vinyl Detective.” Stuart Douglas, author of Death at the Dress Rehearsal
“An intriguing mystery with an amoral protagonist. Who knew the world of paperback books could be so deadly?” Ben Aaronovitch, author of Rivers of London
“Andrew Cartmel introduces a new kind of heroine, entirely immoral, somewhat venal and slightly foxed.” David Quantick, Emmy award-winning producer of VEEP
“A quirky crime yarn bound to hit the sweet spot for mystery lovers.” Kirkus Reviews
“Cartmel has never been better than in this darkly funny series kickoff… Fans of Lynne Truss’s Constable Twitten novels will find much to love.” Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“Devilishly clever… richly suspenseful… readers will be primed for more.” Booklist
Andrew Cartmel was born in London and grew up in midwestern Canada where, among other things, he learned the meaning of the words “wind chill factor.” The fine public libraries of his childhood provided a rich feast (Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, the Oz books) and Andrew never wanted to be anything except a writer. On returning to London to study at university, his game plan was to support himself writing for television while getting established as a novelist. This led him into a detour — and down a rabbit hole — which included a distinguished sojourn script editing Doctor Who for three years (search “Cartmel masterplan”). At the same time, he began writing for comics and today he co-writes the Rivers of London graphic novels. A playwright and crime novelist, Andrew created the Vinyl Detective while listening to a lot of music, most of it good. Most of it very good. Andrew Cartmel lives in London with too many books, too many records and just enough cats.
Humorous cosy-crime caper from the author of the beloved, bestselling Vinyl Detective series in which a feisty, amoral book dealer uses her unique skills to solve fiendish crimes, A love letter to Agatha Christie murder mysteries and classic whodunnits.
When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict—the “Commando” novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider—it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.
The books’ creator—real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk—proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn’t come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.
Too authentic, it turns out…
Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission.
At the time the mission was top secret.
And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so.
Praise
“Tightly plotted and hugely enjoyable. I raced to the end to find out whodunnit.” Nev Fountain, author of The Fan Who Knew Too Much
“Packed with Andrew Cartmel's customary wit and cleverness, the Paperback Sleuth novels make a splendid successor to the Vinyl Detective.” Stuart Douglas, author of Death at the Dress Rehearsal
“An intriguing mystery with an amoral protagonist. Who knew the world of paperback books could be so deadly?” Ben Aaronovitch, author of Rivers of London
“Andrew Cartmel introduces a new kind of heroine, entirely immoral, somewhat venal and slightly foxed.” David Quantick, Emmy award-winning producer of VEEP
“A quirky crime yarn bound to hit the sweet spot for mystery lovers.” Kirkus Reviews
“Cartmel has never been better than in this darkly funny series kickoff… Fans of Lynne Truss’s Constable Twitten novels will find much to love.” Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“Devilishly clever… richly suspenseful… readers will be primed for more.” Booklist
Author
Andrew Cartmel was born in London and grew up in midwestern Canada where, among other things, he learned the meaning of the words “wind chill factor.” The fine public libraries of his childhood provided a rich feast (Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, the Oz books) and Andrew never wanted to be anything except a writer. On returning to London to study at university, his game plan was to support himself writing for television while getting established as a novelist. This led him into a detour — and down a rabbit hole — which included a distinguished sojourn script editing Doctor Who for three years (search “Cartmel masterplan”). At the same time, he began writing for comics and today he co-writes the Rivers of London graphic novels. A playwright and crime novelist, Andrew created the Vinyl Detective while listening to a lot of music, most of it good. Most of it very good. Andrew Cartmel lives in London with too many books, too many records and just enough cats.
