FORGOTTEN BOOKS #408: COLLECTED MILLAR


Syndicate Books is publishing the collected works of Margaret Millar. I just bought Collected Millar: The Master at Her Zenith which includes some of Margaret Millar’s best novels: Vanish in an Instant (1952), Wives and Lovers (1954), Beast in View (1955), An Air that Kills, (1957) and The Listening Walls/ (1959). I’ve been a big fan of Margaret Millar’s mysteries for years so I welcome this project to bring her work to a new audience. I plan on buying all the volumes that will be published in 2017 so you might be seeing more of these Collected Millar volumes in future FFBs. If you haven’t read anything by Margaret Millar, this volume is the perfect place to start. When the project is complete, you’ll see this cool tableaux on the spine of the books. Very cool!

35 thoughts on “FORGOTTEN BOOKS #408: COLLECTED MILLAR

  1. Steve Oerkfitz

    I have bought the 3 volumes out so far and read one novel in the first volume. I read some of these back in the sixties but don’t remember them except for Beast in View which recently aired as an old Alfred Hitchcock presents.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Steve, I read some Margaret Millar in the 1970s. Her books disappeared for a while. Now this COLLECTED MILLAR project is bringing her work back in fine fashion. That ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS version of BEAST IN VIEW is pretty good as I remember.

      Reply
  2. Deb

    A great collection. My favorite of her books is THE FIEND which is very good at evoking a down-at-heel California coastal town and keeping you guessing as to who the actual FIEND is.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Deb, you would love this COLLECTED MILLAR series. I’m glad to see these titles back in print. FIEND is one of Millar’s best mysteries.

      Reply
  3. Jeff Meyerson

    Nice one. I didn’t know about this either. I’ve red several of them (and the short stories, of course) – VANISH IN AN INSTANT, THE LISTENING WALLS, HOW LIKE AN ANGEL. I’ve always meant to catch up on the others.

    Reply
  4. Rick Ollerman

    I pre-paid for the series so they send me each volume a month earlier and at what works out to be a little better price. My only gripe is that they ship each book in an envelope. DON’T SHIP BOOKS IN ENVELOPES! They slope, they bump, they conspire to less than new “New” conditions. Amazon refuses to understand this, too.

    My life is cursed.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Rick, I’ve had some books arrive from AMAZON from time to time in less than “new” condition. It’s a hassle, but I’ve complained and insisted on new copies. Customer Service finally gave in and sent me “new” books in much better shape. However, there’s the hassle of sending the damaged books back to AMAZON.

      Reply
    1. Brian Busby

      I love this series – and do not want to dissuade – but must report that the print is very small. Combined with the large trim-size and narrow margins, this makes for tricky reading in which seventeen-word and eighteen-word lines are not uncommon. Looking to begin the next line of text is sometimes a challenge.

      Not the Ross MacDonald Library of America, but not at the expensive LoA price either. I ordered the entire series for less than the cheapest copy of The Weak-Eyed Bat .

      Reply
  5. maggie mason

    I love the artwork on the spine, and that they put the “bird” book at the end, so if you didn’t want it, it didn’t ruin the tableau. I remember reading some of her books way back in the 70’s. Some I liked, some were a bit too dark for me. I’ll have to try again, if I ever catch up on my reviews. I wish I could remember what I’ve read.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Maggie, I keep track of the books I read in a Microsoft ACCESS database. I like the “Wife With a Knife” theme on that Margaret Millar tableau. It fits Millar’s work perfectly.

      Reply
  6. Rick Robinson

    Nice. You may have gotten the best of the volumes, but I assume you’ll buy them all. Deb mentioned THE FIEND, and that’s one I haven’t read. I too would be concerned about they type size.

    Reply
  7. Beth Fedyn

    Love Millar’s books.

    The small print, however, cancels out the huge appeal of the spine art.

    I still have all my used paperbacks.

    Reply
      1. Brian Busby

        And let’s not forget that a good many Millar books were never issued in paperback. I’ve long wanted to read her debut, The Invisible Worm, but could never afford a copy. To think that it’s been nearly three-quarters of a century since it was last published.

      2. george Post author

        Brian, I’m supporting publishing efforts like COLLECTED MILLAR by buying the books! If the publisher makes some money on this project, we may see more of these efforts.

      1. Joe Allegretti

        Me too. For fiction, I use the kindle as much as I can. For non-fiction, with charts and photos and indexes, I stick with the real thing.

      2. george Post author

        Joe, I use an iPad which is a great e-book reader for me. My son, who travels a lot, prefers the Kindle Paper White e-reader.

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