I’m a big fan of Andrew Cartmel’s The Vinyl Detective series which features a record collector who finds rare and valuable vinyl records and manages to eke out a living doing something that he loves. But, each book in the series generally includes crimes and murders as part of the plots.
In The Vinyl Detective: Flip Back, the fourth book in the series, the Vinyl Detective and his girl friend Nevada are hired by their friend Tinkler to find a rare copy of the first album by an English group called Black Dog. The group gained notoriety by setting a million dollars on fire!
I’ve enjoyed Andrew Cartmel’s clever story-telling. You’ll learn a lot about collecting vinyl records as a by-product of follow the search for rare albums. You can read my reviews of the first three Vinyl Detective novels here, here, and here. GRADE: B+
It’s been a while since I read one of these – I don’t think I ever got around to the third one – but I did enjoy the ones I read. I see there is a book five out now, so I am sure you will be reviewing that in due course. OK, I checked and book three is not on my list, so I downloaded it from the library.
Jeff, THE VINYL DETECTIVE #5 review will be posted here next Saturday. I’m trying to get caught up on various series I’ve read for years like the Dresden Files and THE VINYL DETECTIVE.
I’m not sure if I ever read this series. I have one of them on my for later list at my library, but don’t remember which one it is If it’s #1, I haven’t read it, but if #2 I may have read #1.
Right now, I”m getting movies and audio books from the library. Just picked up season 1 of Kominsky Method (much better than netflix, where you only get one disc at a time. I’m waiting for Schitt’s Creek which is season 1 & 2 combined. It’s been on my list since early june. I’m about #8, also waiting for season 3 of handmaids tale and good fight way down on both lists.
Maggie, SCHITT’S CREEK just won a bunch of awards, but we haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ll be interested in your reaction to the series.
We watched the first two episodes of Schitt’s Creeka couple of years ago. I liked it but Jackie wasn’t thrilled, so we stopped. But we started watching it again now. I’ve always liked Catherine O’Hara. We like Kominsky Method too. Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, can’t go wrong.
I just found all 6 seasons of Schitt’s creek on demand on my Cox cable service. I watched the first 6 episodes last night (WITH NO COMMERCIALS).
I’m enjoying it. I’ve been on hold at the library for so long, but am now #1 for the 3rd episode, so was happy to be able to watch. I’m glad I won’t have to give in to temptation to watch #3 first. This really needs to be seen in order A big problem with netflix is the send one disc at a time.
The library has been a real boon. I’ve gotten a lot of movies and tv shows way before I could get them on netflix. With that, and the new season on broadcast tv coming up, I’ve stopped netflix again. I do that periodically as the waits are months long for anything reasonably new.
I’ve been slowly working my way through “Schitt’s Creek” on Netflix and I’m about halfway through it. You’d think from all the acclaim that it’s in a league with great sitcoms like “Seinfeld” and “Mary Tyler Moore Show”. It’s not, but it’s OK.
Michael, I think our standards in Comedy have slipped over the years.
I read and enjoyed the first 2, then lost track of the series.
Wouldn’t watch Shit’s Creek because of the name, and yes I know it’s not spelled that way.
Rick, I’m sure you would enjoy the next three volumes of THE VINYL DETECTIVE if you enjoyed the first two. The mysteries become more clever and the humor increases!
Poke me when he does one on rare classical discs.
Art, you’re right about THE VINYL DETECTIVE specializing on rare Rock records.
I’m thinking the first or second was a jazz album.
Never heard of it despite your reviews but it sounds interesting.
Bob, you would enjoy the humor and the collecting mentality of THE VINYL DETECTIVE.
I pretty much read this series when they arrive in my PO Box. Loving them, but now it’s another year until the next one!
Scott, thanks for the heads up on the new volume. I’ll be reviewing it in a week!
I do like these books but I haven’t read this one yet.
Given the age of my mystery group, this might be a good series (I always start with the first book) for discussion.
Beth, you would enjoy the humor and cleverness of THE VINYL DETECTIVE series.