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A great review from Publishers Weekly of LRI’s latest Paul Halter, due out September 1, 2018

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-721081219

Martin Edwards, President of The Detection Club, author of the award-winning The Golden Age of Murder, prolific Golden Age author and good friend, also finds time to write a very informative blog, in which, amongst other things he covers Forgotten Books. His latest post is about the newly-released Locked Room Murders:

http://doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com/2018/08/great-news-for-locked-room-fans.html

It is with great pride that LRI republishes Bob Adey’s classic bibliography at a price ($19.99) which makes it available to all, thanks to kind permission from Sue Adey.

All the titles in the 1991 edition are here, with summaries and, separately, solutions to 2019 novels and short stories. Brian Skupin, LRI consultant and co-publisher of Mystery Scene has done a phenomenal job of correcting errors in the text and adding references posted after 1991.

Hitherto impossible to find or hideously expensive, there is no longer any excuse for locked room/impossible crime enthusiasts to be without it.

And, in 2019, LRI plans a Supplemental Edition to include novels and short stories (including translations from sources outside the Anglosphere) published since 1991, films, TV series, graphic novels, and other media. It will not contain any of the titles in the Second Edition, Revised.

There are no plans at this stage for ebook editions of either book.

The new site design is here, thanks to the kind efforts of my friend and owner of the excellent blog The Invisible Event, Jim Noy.

Knowing that I am irremediably inept at that kind of thing, Jim offered to redesign the site in his own time. I think it’s terrific, but I’d also like to hear from you. There is now a page dedicated to each book: cover, summary, reviews and, of course, a click-to-buy feature. As if that weren’t enough, there is a remorseless reminder of the four latest books for sale down the side of each page. There is simply no escape.

Astute readers will already have noticed there there is a photograph (amateurishly shot, in the grand LRI tradition) on the Welcome page showing two hitherto unannounced publications. More information will be coming in the next few days. Henceforth, the photo will be cunningly changed with each new publication.

Once again my deepest gratitude to Jim.

A fine review from a fine blogger

#405: The 8 Mansion Murders (1989) by Takemaru Abiko [trans. Ho-Ling Wong 2018]

I have come belatedly on this rave review on the excellent site The Green Capsule: 2018_01_18 Green Capsule  run, obviously by a JDC enthusiast. I have to say that The Madman’s Room is one of my favourite Halters

2018_06_03 Goodreads  Review by John Grant, who runs the admirable site Noirish and is a prolific author in his own right. He has coined the term LRI Speak to describe my punctilious prose style, which I find flattering in a way.

The 8 Mansion Murders Mysteries Ahoy 2018_5_16

Whilst I was startled to learn the reviewer had cracked the first puzzle early on, I was most appreciative of his review and thoroughly agree that this would be a very good starting point for those starting to learn about the amazing Golden Age renaissance which started in Japan in the late 80s. Fair-play combined with audacious plots is the hallmark of this branch of detective fiction, which injected a very welcome shot in the arm to the genre.

I would nevertheless be amazed if he solved the second impossible crossbow murder, which I believe to be one of the cleverest and most original ever conceived.

It turns out that Kirkus Reviews was just kidding. They didn’t actually review the book (and didn’t bother to tell me they didn’t). They just wanted a little fun jerking me about.

Anyway this outstanding shin honkaku novel, the 3rd of the renaissance, is now available. Read it, laugh, and be utterly baffled by one of the most audacious and original murder methods ever.

2018_4_9 T8M PW Review

This is officially due out in June, and June it will be. I have occasionally been known to release books early, but that won’t be the case here.

One reason is that Kirkus Reviews, who normally require proof copies 4 months in advance, actually contacted me for a review copy (what’s known as an offer you can’t refuse), so watch this space…

I hope this doesn’t cause too much inconvenience.

“One of the funniest and cleverest novels of its type to hit the English-language market in years.” Publishers Weekly, April 9 issue.

T8M was historically the third book in the shinhonkaku renaissance of Japanese Golden Age style detective fiction. Two impossible crossbow murders in an 8-shaped house, plus a “quasi-locked room” lecture worthy of Carr’s Dr. Fell. What more can one ask?

2018_4_9 T8M PW Review