Nicks` Cabinet of Curios

  Ken Parker - Here Comes Ken Parker - Doctor Bird - DBGD094 - 2022 (includes 18 tracks by Hopeton Lewis) `Here Comes Ken Parker` was a 1974 LP issued by Duke Reid`s Treaure Isle label in Jamaica. In that form, it comprised 9 vocal tracks by Ken, plus two instrumentals by Tommy McCook and the Supersonics, who also provided backing on Ken`s tracks.  That album, including the two instrumentals, was issued in the UK by Trojan under the title `Jimmy Brown` the same year, taking the best known song from the album as the title track, perhaps because he was not having the success in the UK that some of his peers enjoyed. This CD re-issue omits the two instrumentals and instead provides Ken`s tracks plus the other three tracks of his that were released by Treasure Isle. Additionally, it also features all 18 of the tracks by Hopeton Lewis that were released on the Treasure Isle label.  In a way, this makes perfect sense. Like many of the `born in the `40s` generation of reggae sin...

  Frank Froest & George Dilnot - The Crime Club - Collins Crime Club/The Detective Club - 2016 Reprint of book first published in 1915 Frank Froest was a former Superintendent at Scotland Yard, a detective associated with many high-profile cases of his time. In retirement he decided to turn his hand to fictional crime, aided and abetted by his friend, journalist and author George Dilnot. The Crime Club is a short story collection I found hugely enjoyable.  It begins with a meeting of the eponymous Crime Club, detectives from around the world who meet regularly to compare cases. Having introduced that idea, Froest and Dilnot then forget about it completely, it is really just an attempt to introduce a collection of short stories featuring a variety of fictional detectives.  The stories themselves I found hugely entertaining, with the possible exception of The Mayors` Daughter, which attempts to bring in elements of American pulp fiction, not totally successfully. At reg...

  Mary Danby (ed) - Realms of Darkness ; Nightmarish Tales of the Supernatural and Macabre - Octopus - 1985 Published for St Michael/Marks and Spencer, presumably to be sold in their stores, in 1985, the same year as the first edition was published (by Heinemann, I think). With introduction by Christopher Lee 73 short stories by 73 authors, including Martin Amis, Dennis Wheatley, Agatha Christie, F Marion Crawford, J B Priestley, and Bill Pronzini. Mary Danby was an author in her own right as well as being noted as editor of numerous anthologies of supernatural fiction. She also acted as compiler of various humorous anthologies - books of jokes, cartoons, limericks etc, though these need not detain us here. This impressive collection brings together the modern and the classic, the obscure and the well-known. It`s true that other anthologists - Richard Dalby springs to mind - have done very much the same thing, but let`s not worry too much about that.  With such a range of auth...

   Bill S Ballinger - The Longest Second - Mystery Book Guild - 1958 An absorbing read, with a touch of the Ed McBains about it.  The principal story told in this novel is of a man who wakes up in a hospital ward suffering from amnesia. He has a severe cut to his throat and it is unclear if this was due to an assault or a suicide attempt. He is told by a detective that his name is Vic Pacific, an identity they have established by checking his fingerprints against army records as he served in North Africa during World War Two. The second story concerns two detectives investigating the case of a man found dead with very similar injuries to the throat. They too check his fingerprints man`s against army records and they too find their man is Vic Pacific ! The larger part of the story is given over to the first man`s search for his own identity and the things he learns about himself along the way.  For him, people seem to fall into two categories, those who are useful to ...

  Jonathan Goodman (ed) - Medical Murders - BCA  - 1992 (Book originally published by Piatkus the previous year) Contributors ; Jonathan Goodman, Edward H Smith, Harold Eaton, Joan Lock, Rev Evelyn Burnaby and 8 others This was a book I found on a charity stall at my local supermarket. Having proffered what I hope was a suitable donation I trotted happily home, ready to immerse myself in the world of murderous medics, dangerous doctors and poisonous practitioners.  The book was enjoyable, but a bit patchy. Most of the pieces were originally published  in other true crime collections, a couple seem to have been written specifically for inclusion in this volume and two were originally  newspaper articles. Some contributors have done their homework - Albert Borowitz has clearly made a particular study of the murder of Dr George Parkman at Harvard Medical College in Boston (1849) - but while I may be treating them unfairly,  others may not have drawn on such a ...

Eric Ambler (ed) - Great Cases of Scotland Yard ; Volume One - Reader`s Digest - 1993   Reprint of book first published in 1978 Contents ;  Thomas Neill Cream, Poisoner - Elizabeth Jenkins Flannel Foot - Michael Innes The Strange Case of Stanley Setty - Andrew Garve  The Portland Spy Case - Ludovic Kennedy Clive Egleton - The Stealing of Muriel McKay The story of five historical crime cases told by popular writers of the day.  Generally, a very absorbing and satisfying read. The first three cases were very much my kind of thing and I enjoyed them immensely. I am not particularly keen on espionage stories, whether fact or fiction, but in fact Ludovic Kennedy`s account of the Portland Spy Case was fascinating  and very enjoyable. I was surprised to find that I was not so keen on the Muriel McKay kidnapping case, which is odd as  it`s a case that I`ve read about before and one that generally interests me. I`d have to also add that while the author quotes ...

  Anthony Berkeley -The Silk Stocking Murders - Collins Crime Club/The Detective Club - 2007 "A Roger Sheringham Detective Novel"  2007 reprint of book first published in 1928 It is a while since I read this. I usually like to review books promptly after reading them but in this case real life got in the way.  I remember this as an intelligent and ingenious novel, that I enjoyed very much.  It is said that the central character has may of the attributes of the author himself. I mention this is there ae two female characters, either of whom could very easily have taken on the role off the detective`s sidekick. Considering they are relatively minor characters, the author seems to go to some length to portray them, which made me wonder if they were based on women he knew.  I personally did work out the identity of the villain of the piece, which I actually found a bit disappointing. When I was younger I tended to be quite pleased if I could solve the case correctly...

  Jonathan Burke - Echo of Barbara - Mystery Book Guild - 1959 John Frederick Burke wrote under a variety of names, some being variations on his real name and others not. In his writing career he turned his hand to psychological thrillers and suspense stories, science fiction, travel and numerous novelisations of films and TV programmes, notably Jason King, The Protectors and The Bill.   I assume he is the same Jonathan Burke that wrote the Sexton Blake Library story Corpse to Copenhagen. I have to say E of B was a book I thoroughly enjoyed.   Although there is some action, the strength of the book is mainly in the portrayals of particular characters and how they became who they are. This is most notable with the character of former prostitute Paula Hastings, hired to impersonate the daughter of gangster Sam Westwood. While her character could easily alienate the reader and appear either objectionable or pitiful, in fact she comes across as neither of those thin...

  J V Turner - Below the Clock - Collins Crime Club - 2018 Reprint of book first  published in 1936 In the Detective Club/Detective Story Club series The author also wrote as Nicholas Brady and David Hume. John (Jack) Victor Turner was his real name. I can imagine that this book, describing the murder of a Chancellor of the Exchequer that actually takes place in the House of Commons (he dies whilst  making a Budget speech) may have been controversial in it`s day, particularly since we soon learn that the Chancellor was far from being a model citizen. The murder is investigated by eccentric Solicitor Amos Petrie and an increasingly care-worn detective, Chief Inspector Ripple. Some amusement is provided by Petries` nonchalant approach to dealing with both Politicians and his investigative sidekick, but the author wisely avoids turning it into a comedy. There are enough twists and turns to the plot to keep even the most ardent lover of old-style detective fiction happy, thou...

  Richard Garrett - Flight into Mystery ; Reports from the Dark Side of the Sky - W&N - 1986 This is a non-fiction work, from an author whose chief assets ae an engaging writing style and a level head.  Most of the mysteries he discusses here are aeronautical accidents and other mishaps, and as he rightly points out, are only mysteries until they are explained, though in some cases it`s highly unlikely now that explanations are forthcoming. His main aim in discussing these is to discuss various possible explanations for a given incident as dispassionately as possible, putting forward his own opinions only when he feels he has something to contribute. The Bermuda Triangle is mentioned once or twice, but it is clear he attaches no significance to the works of Charles Berlitz and others, commenting "my own attitude is to wonder why these writers found it necessary to invent such tales, when there is mystery enough in the actual world around us."  A short chapter on UFOs ...

  Stephen Ransome - So Deadly My Love - Mystery Book Guild - 1959 1959 reprint of book first published in 1957 Stephen Ransome   Stephen Ransome was one of a number of pseudonyms used by Frederick C Davis (1902-77), an American writer. In the UK his books were invariably credited to Stephen Ransome even if they had first been published in the US under another name. Some of his stories were published only in the UK  and in general UK editions of his books are more common than the equivalent US editions.  All of this probably indicates that he was more popular in the UK than in his homeland. So Deadly My Love SDML tells the story of a young woman`s experiences as a kidnap victim, of how she turns the tables on the man behind the kidnapping, and of the pressures she faces from those around her, who have their own ideas as to who is responsible and, in some cases, have their own agenda. It is a gripping story, told well and keeps your attention.  I have two grumbles...

  Sir David Napley - The Camden Town Murder - Weidenfeld and Nicolson - 1987 In the W&N `Great Murder Trials of the 20th Century` series This non-fiction book came to me  as a spontaneous gift from my son, who spotted it on a charity book stall in a supermarket. Prior to that, I had no knowledge of either the author or the case in question.  I did google Sir David Napley out of curiosity but I avoided reading anything else about the case in question until I had finished the book. The book concerns the 1907 trial of Robert Wood, accused of murdering a young prostitute. Sir David provides an articulate and readable account, stopping along the way to explain various points of interest relating to British legal history that have bearing on the case. Those of you who have read accounts online that suggest Mr Wood was provided with a dazzling defence by Marshal Hall KC may feel that the truth is rather different.   I`m not going to mention the outcome of the trial...

  Elizabeth Ferrars - Unreasonable Doubt - The Mystery Book Guild - 1959 MBG reprint of book first published in 1958 Elizabeth Ferrars (real name Morna MacTaggart) aka E X Ferrars was a prolific writer of crime fiction.  While most, if not all, of her books deal with murder, they are not books about violence so much as the impact of violent crime on people whose lives have been hitherto comfortable, or at least have appeared to be so.   Initially I was unsure if I was going to warm to this book but I have to say that as it proceeded I found it increasingly absorbing. This is only the third Ferrars book I have read, so I`m no expert. Whatever else you can say about her, she seems to be a dependable source of intelligently written novels which are not likely to be action-packed but tend to be a satisfying read. I shall certainly look out more titles by her.  

  David Stuart Davies - Classic Tales of the Macabre - CRW/Collector`s Library - 2011   This is one I`ve read fairly recently, but it`s not 100% fresh in my mind, so my comments will be fairly general. Despite the title, not all of the stories in this collection are actually macabre and at least one is actually rather sweet. Nevertheless, there is quite a bit here to satisfy the most ardent aficionado of the grim, gruesome and grotesque. There are a few here that are already familiar to me, which is probably inevitable given my long-standing enthusiasm for such things, but still there are quite a few that I`ve not encountered before. I would also mention that Perceval Landon`s Thurnley Abbey, which I had previously encountered in a clumsily abridged form in another collection, is reproduced here in what I assume is it`s full length and is much more effective for that.  An interesting choice is Kipling`s The Mark of the Beast. Many would dismiss this as a rather objectiona...

  Israel Zangwill - The Perfect Crime - Collins Detective Club - 2015 (also known as the Big Bow Mystery) Also contains Edgar Allan Poe - The Murders in the Rue Morgue NOTE Poe`s The Murders in the Rue Morgue is said to be the first locked room mystery . Zangwill`s The Perfect Crime aka The Big Bow Mystery is said to be the first full-length novel LRM (though in fact it is in the area of being a novella/a long short story/a short novel, whichever term you prefer). The publication of the two in a single volume has generally been received with enthusiasm by lovers of old-style detective fiction.  To my complete surprise, I didn`t enjoy this as much as others have ! It certainly has all the usual ingredients - a man is found dead in a locked room. Investigations show that he has not committed suicide, but as he was alone in a room with the door and windows apparently locked from the inside, how did the murderer first gain access and then escape ?  Just to complicate matters,...

   Lynn Brock (aka Alister McAllister aka Anthony Wharton) - The Deductions of Colonel Gore - Collins Detective Club - 2018 This book has it`s detractors, but for me it was a very enjoyable introduction to the world of Colonel Gore and left me wanting to sample some of his subsequent adventures.  This was the first Colonel Gore book (published 1924) and at the time the author was probably not considering a series.  In this story, Col G has not yet become a private investigator and has no experience of solving mysteries. In fact he walks into this case quite by chance and in places  is motivated less by a desire to crack the case than to protect his childhood friend Barbara Melhuish, known by the nickname Pickles. It may be as well to address some of the criticisms/misunderstandings that have been written about this book.  For a start, I cannot see that it is intended as a satire on Golden Age detective stories. At the time of publication, the Golden Age was...

  David Stuart Davies - Spinechillers - Collectors Library - 2012 Note `Collectors Library is/was an imprint of CRW Publishing Ltd, London NW1 Will I ever get tired of collecting anthologies of classic ghost stories and/or detective fiction ? Probably not ! Here we have 22 short stories in an anthology compiled by the excellent David Stuart Davies.  Any collection overseen by DSD is going to be out of the ordinary and this was no disappointment.  Inevitably (for me) there were a couple of stories I already have, and a couple I didn`t care for, but the great thing is that still leaves 18 I`d never encountered before and thoroughly enjoyed. If I have one criticism, I would single out the inclusion of Elizabeth Gaskell`s The Grey Woman. Not just because I personally don`t like it - (though I do think it`s overly long and carelessly written) , but because I just can`t see how it belongs in a collection of this sort - it doesn`t chill the spine because it wasn`t, as far as I c...

  Gordon Ashe   - Come Home to Death - Mystery Book Guild - 1958 Gordon Ashe was a pseudonym used by John Creasey for a series of novels featuring his character Patrick Dawlish. This is the first Dawlish novel I have read, but I understand that in the preceding novels he is portrayed as a former intelligence officer turned freelance crime fighter, possibly a man of action rather than a man of reflection.  This book must have been something of a departure.  As the story begins, Dawlish and his wife are preparing to go on holiday. She has been seriously ill and he feels both would benefit from a break. Only as the story proceeds do we realise how much of a toll his wife`s illness has taken on him.  Reluctantly, he becomes involved with a case brought to him by a young woman who believes she is being followed. He does what he can do help and arranges for some of his associates to deal with the matter while he is away. Returning to England he finds himself the ...