Review by Booklist Review
Jazz-loving mystery fans have plenty of similarly inclined sleuths to follow from Bill Moody's Evan Horne through Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch but this series debut, about an unnamed vinyl detective, adds the crazy world of record collectors to the mix. Our hero, a failed London DJ turned LP finder, makes a meager living just enough to keep his two rambunctious cats in kibble and him in high-end coffee beans by tracking down whatever obscure vinyl recording his clients desire, though jazz is his specialty. So it seems like his ship has come in when a fetching Louise Brooks look-alike arrives on his doorstep, checkbook in hand, asking him to track down a 1950s recording on a small label by a piano player who died mysteriously shortly thereafter. It's off to the jumble sales, but soon enough it becomes clear that our guy and gal have competition who are willing to play dirty. The plot gets a little far-fetched (and Cartmel definitely overplays the now-you're-dead-now-you're-not card), but this one is all about mood (jaunty and clever, in swinging, four-four time) and frame story (jazz history mixed with geeky references to Ortofon Rohmann cartridges and Roksan Xerxes turntables). Vinyl fans, this one's for you.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The vinyl detective, the narrator of this fast-paced, lighthearted adventure from Cartmel (Doctor Who: Atom Bomb Blues), is a failed London disc jockey, who scratches out a living by scouting collectable LPs in thrift shops and used-record stores and selling them at inflated prices to serious collectors. The action picks up when an alluring woman, Nevada Warren, offers him a hefty sum to track down the first American pressing of a jazz album issued by a Los Angeles-based label in 1955. It's not likely to turn up in the British Isles, but the detective accepts the commission. In the course of his quest, he scatters endless bits of jazz history and sound-equipment technicalities that will please jazz buffs and audiophiles alike. Who is Warren's employer, and why is this particular LP so valuable? It takes most of the book, "Side One," to answer these questions. Unfortunately, Cartmel deconstructs the previous narrative in "Side Two," which isn't bad but comes as a letdown after the marvelously inventive and endlessly fascinating first section. Agent: Tom Witcomb, Blake Friedmann Literary, Film & TV Agency (U.K.). (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A London record hunter finds himself hunted when he's hired to track down a rare jazz LP in the first installment of this new series. The unnamed hero, who bills himself as the Vinyl Detective, lives in a London council flat with his twin kittens, making a hand-to-mouth existence by scouring charity shops, flea markets, and record fairs, counting on vendors who have no idea of the value of what they're hawking and selling his discoveries at a higher price online. For a fee, he takes on a dedicated search. When a young woman working for an unnamed boss approaches him to find the final LP issued by a small 1950s LA jazz label, he takes the job only to find himself a few steps ahead of a murderous pair of fellow searchers leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Approaching 500 pages and so stuffed with plot it could easily make several mysteries, the book could use some pruning. But the bagginess becomes a part of the genial tone. Perhaps the novel's neatest trick is that it avoids the persnickety quality that, in real life, can make collectors such a trial to be around. The hero's preference for vinyl is about a dedication to music, not fetishism. And unlike some of his fellow collectors, he's not a hermit. It's not a stretch that women find this affable fellow attractive. The book is much more a ramble than a pursuit. The action scenes are deft but not where the story's heart lies. This charming mystery feels as companionable as a leisurely afternoon trawling the vintage shops with a good friend. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
